عَسى آيِسٌ مِن رَجعَةِ البَينِ يوصَلُ

عَسى آيِسٌ مِن رَجعَةِ البَينِ يوصَلُ

وَدَهرٌ تَوَلّى بِالأَحِبَّةِ يُقبِلُ

وَدَهرٌ تَوَلّى بِالأَحِبَّةِ يُقبِلُ

Perhaps one who despairs of reunion after parting will be reunited,

The estranged may yet be brought together,

And a time that departed with loved ones may return.

And Time which turned away may yet turn to embrace.

أَيا سَكَناً فاتَ الفِراقُ بِأُنسِهِ

أَيا سَكَناً فاتَ الفِراقُ بِأُنسِهِ

وَحالَ التَعادي دونَهُ وَالتَزَيُّلُ

وَحالَ التَعادي دونَهُ وَالتَزَيُّلُ

O solace, whose companionship parting has carried away,

O dwelling now devoid of intimacy,

And estrangement and dispersal have barred the way to it.

Hostility has come between us, parting lies before us.

بِكُرهي رِضا العُذّالِ عَنّي وَإِنَّهُ

بِكُرهي رِضا العُذّالِ عَنّي وَإِنَّهُ

مَضى زَمَنٌ قَد كُنتُفيهِ أُعَذَّلُ

مَضى زَمَنٌ قَد كُنتُفيهِ أُعَذَّلُ

Against my will, my reproachers are pleased with me; and indeed,

However much I sought my tormentors' consent,

Gone is the time when I used to be reproached.

The time has passed when I was blamed.

فَلا تَعجَبَن أَن لَم يَغُل جِسمِيَ الضَنى

فَلا تَعجَبَن أَن لَم يَغُل جِسمِيَ الضَنى

وَلَم يَختَرِم نَفسي الحِمامُ المُعَجَّلُ

وَلَم يَختَرِم نَفسي الحِمامُ المُعَجَّلُ

So do not marvel that wasting sickness has not consumed my body,

So wonder not that my body feels no wasting grief,

Nor has untimely death cut short my life.

Nor that my soul pants not like a racing dove.

فَقَبلَكِ بانَ الفَتحُ عَنّي مُوَدِّعاً

فَقَبلَكِ بانَ الفَتحُ عَنّي مُوَدِّعاً

وَفارَقَني شَفعاً لَهُ المُتَوَكِّلُ

وَفارَقَني شَفعاً لَهُ المُتَوَكِّلُ

For before you, al-Fath parted from me, bidding farewell,

Before you, the path of parting opened out to bid me farewell,

And al-Mutawakkil parted from me, paired with him.

While reliance on God parted from me and was gone.

فَما بَلَغَ الدَمعُ الَّذي كُنتُ أَرتَجي

فَما بَلَغَ الدَمعُ الَّذي كُنتُ أَرتَجي

وَلا فَعَلَ الوَجدُ الَّذي خِلتُ يَفعَلُ

وَلا فَعَلَ الوَجدُ الَّذي خِلتُ يَفعَلُ

Yet tears did not achieve what I had hoped for,

The tears I hoped for never flowed,

Nor did anguish do what I thought it would.

Nor did the severance I feared ever happen.

وَما كُلُّ نيرانِ الجَوى تُحرِقُ الحَشا

وَما كُلُّ نيرانِ الجَوى تُحرِقُ الحَشا

وَلا كُلُّ أَدواءِ الصَبابَةِ تَقتُلُ

وَلا كُلُّ أَدواءِ الصَبابَةِ تَقتُلُ

And not all the fires of heartache burn the inmost heart,

Not every fire of passion burns down the camphor,

Nor do all the ailments of ardent longing kill.

Nor does every malady of longing kill.

لَعَلَّ أَبا العَبّاسِ يَرضى أَميرُهُ

لَعَلَّ أَبا العَبّاسِ يَرضى أَميرُهُ

فَيَقرُبُ مِنّا ما نَرومُ وَيَسهُلُ

فَيَقرُبُ مِنّا ما نَرومُ وَيَسهُلُ

Perhaps Abu al-Abbas's prince will be pleased,

Perhaps Abu'l-'Abbas will be pleased with his lieutenant

So what we seek may draw nearer to us and become easier.

And grant us that which we wish and make it smooth.

مَتى تَتَّجِه عَنهُ الرِسالَةُ لا يَخِب

مَتى تَتَّجِه عَنهُ الرِسالَةُ لا يَخِب

رَسولٌ وَلا يُردِد عَنِ النُجحِ مُرسِل

رَسولٌ وَلا يُردِد عَنِ النُجحِ مُرسِل

Whenever a message goes forth from him, no failure befalls

When the letter travels to him no messenger will fail,

A messenger, nor is a sender turned back from success.

Nor will the bringer of success fail to bring it.