ودَّعْتُ طِيبَ العيشِ ساعةَ ودَّعَا

ودَّعْتُ طِيبَ العيشِ ساعةَ ودَّعَا

وصممتُ إِذ نادَى الفِراقُ فأسمعَا

وصممتُ إِذ نادَى الفِراقُ فأسمعَا

I bade life’s sweetness farewell the moment they bade farewell.

I bade farewell to life's sweetness the moment he bade farewell.

I went deaf when they called out “parting”—so make me hear, you two!

And I grew deaf when parting called out and made itself heard.

إِنّي أرى شملي وشملَ مدامعي

إِنّي أرى شملي وشملَ مدامعي

حتماً على الأيامِ أنْ يتصدَّعَا

حتماً على الأيامِ أنْ يتصدَّعَا

Indeed, I see my gathered company and the gathering of my tears

I see my company and the company of my tears

both inevitably doomed, as the days pass, to be scattered.

Destined, as days pass, to be scattered.

يا مَنْ جناب الفضلِ أصبحَ مُمْعراً

يا مَنْ جناب الفضلِ أصبحَ مُمْعراً

فغدَا بهِ خَضِلَ المذانبِ مُمْرِعا

فغدَا بهِ خَضِلَ المذانبِ مُمْرِعا

O you whose realm of virtue has grown lush,

O you—bounty's realm had become barren,

till through you it grew moist in its watercourses, richly fertile;

Then through you it grew lush, its watercourses moist.

ومن استزلَّ المجدَ عن قُذُفاتِه

ومن استزلَّ المجدَ عن قُذُفاتِه

متوقّلاً في هضبهِ متفرِّعَا

متوقّلاً في هضبهِ متفرِّعَا

and you who drew glory down from its far-flung heights,

And you who brought glory down from its lofty peaks,

having scaled its uplands, rising aloft;

Climbing among its hills, ascending their summits.

أعديتَني داءَ الفراقِ وحطمتْ

أعديتَني داءَ الفراقِ وحطمتْ

أنفاسُك الصُعَدَاءُ مني أضلعَا

أنفاسُك الصُعَدَاءُ مني أضلعَا

you infected me with parting’s malady; and shattered

You infected me with parting's sickness, and shattered

by your heaving sighs were ribs of mine.

My ribs with your deep sighs.

وأسلتَ دمعاً في الجفونِ مُعَلَّقَا

وأسلتَ دمعاً في الجفونِ مُعَلَّقَا

وأطرتَ قلباً في الضلوع مزعزعَا

وأطرتَ قلباً في الضلوع مزعزعَا

You made tears flow, suspended in the eyelids,

And you made the tears suspended in the eyelids flow,

and sent a heart flying amid the ribs, shaken loose.

And you sent a heart flying, shaken within the ribs.

قد كان مدَّ الدهرُ طرفاً طامحَاً

قد كان مدَّ الدهرُ طرفاً طامحَاً

نحوي ونصَّ إليَّ جِيداً أتلعَا

نحوي ونصَّ إليَّ جِيداً أتلعَا

Once Time had stretched a proud, aspiring gaze

Time had once cast a haughty gaze

toward me, and craned at me a long, erect neck.

Toward me, and raised its long neck at me.

فتركتَ لي طرفَ النوائبِ خاشعاً

فتركتَ لي طرفَ النوائبِ خاشعاً

وأريتَنِي خَدَّ الحوادِث أضرعَا

وأريتَنِي خَدَّ الحوادِث أضرعَا

But you left calamity’s gaze humbled before me,

So you left misfortunes' gaze downcast before me,

and showed me adversity’s cheek utterly abased.

And showed me calamities' cheek utterly abased.

ووردتَ بي من بحرِ فضلِك زاخراً

ووردتَ بي من بحرِ فضلِك زاخراً

وسقيتني من كأسِ ودِّكَ مُترَعا

وسقيتني من كأسِ ودِّكَ مُترَعا

You led me to drink from the swelling sea of your bounty,

And you brought me to surging waters from the sea of your bounty,

and gave me drink from the brimming cup of your affection,

And gave me a brimming draught from the cup of your affection.

حتَّى إِذا أمّلتُ فيكَ لغُلَّتِي

حتَّى إِذا أمّلتُ فيكَ لغُلَّتِي

أن تشتفِي وصرائري أن تُقْطَعا

أن تشتفِي وصرائري أن تُقْطَعا

until, when—overcome—I pinned my hopes on you:

Until, when I hoped that through you my thirst

that you would exact redress and end my innermost concerns,

Would be quenched, and my hardships cut short—

ولعله أن يرعوي من بعدِ أنْ

ولعله أن يرعوي من بعدِ أنْ

لم يُبقِ في قوسِ الإِساءة منزَعَا

لم يُبقِ في قوسِ الإِساءة منزَعَا

and that perhaps they might come to their senses, after

And perhaps he will relent, after

no room remained in abuse’s bow for another draw.

He has left no room for another draw in the bow of harm.