كِدتُ أَقضي إِذا غابَ عَنّي الحَبيبُ

كِدتُ أَقضي إِذا غابَ عَنّي الحَبيبُ

وَسَواءٌ حُضورُهُ وَالمَغيبُ

وَسَواءٌ حُضورُهُ وَالمَغيبُ

I nearly died whenever the beloved was absent from me,

I nearly died whenever the beloved was away from me;

yet his presence and his absence were the same.

and his presence and his absence are alike.

كُنتُ إِن جِئتُهُ لِأَشكو إِلَيهِ

كُنتُ إِن جِئتُهُ لِأَشكو إِلَيهِ

مَضَضَ الحُبِّ قالَ أَنتَ كَذوبُ

مَضَضَ الحُبِّ قالَ أَنتَ كَذوبُ

Whenever I came to him to complain

Whenever I came to him to complain to him

of love’s torment, he would say, “You are an utter liar.”

of love's anguish, he said, "You are an inveterate liar."

وَعَسى اللَهَ أَن يُفَرِّحَ ما أَص

وَعَسى اللَهَ أَن يُفَرِّحَ ما أَص

بَحتُ فيهِ وَكُلُّ آتٍ قَريبُ

بَحتُ فيهِ وَكُلُّ آتٍ قَريبُ

Perhaps God will gladden the state in which I have—

And may God bring joy to the state I now

found myself; everything that is coming is near.

find myself in; and all that is coming is near.

أَنا في أُسرَتي وَأَهلي كَأَنّي

أَنا في أُسرَتي وَأَهلي كَأَنّي

بَينَهُم حينَ لا أَراكَ غَريبُ

بَينَهُم حينَ لا أَراكَ غَريبُ

Among my family and kin, it is as though I were

Among my family and kin, it is as though

a stranger among them whenever I do not see you.

I were a stranger among them when I do not see you,

مِن قُروحٍ نَبَتنَ في كَبدٍ جا

مِن قُروحٍ نَبَتنَ في كَبدٍ جا

دَ عَلَيها مِنَ البُكا شُؤبوبُ

دَ عَلَيها مِنَ البُكا شُؤبوبُ

Of my wounds, some sprouted in my liver; there poured—

because of sores that sprouted in a liver, drenched

upon them a torrent of weeping.

by a downpour of weeping.

فَأَهيني أَو أَكرِمي فَلَعَمري

فَأَهيني أَو أَكرِمي فَلَعَمري

ما لِأُنثى سِواكِ عِندي نَصيبُ

ما لِأُنثى سِواكِ عِندي نَصيبُ

So abase me or honor me—for, by my life,

So humiliate me or honor me—for, by my life,

no woman besides you has any claim upon me.

no woman other than you has any share in my love.