عَفَا اللَّه عَنْ قَوْمٍ عَفا الصَّبْرُ مِنْهُمُ

عَفَا اللَّه عَنْ قَوْمٍ عَفا الصَّبْرُ مِنْهُمُ

فَلَوْ رُمْت ذِكْرى غَيْرِهِمْ خَانني الفَمُ

فَلَوْ رُمْت ذِكْرى غَيْرِهِمْ خَانني الفَمُ

May God pardon a people because of whom patience has vanished.

May Allah forgive a people whose patience ran out from them

For if I tried to mention anyone else, my mouth would betray me.

If I were to mention others, my tongue would betray me

تَجَنُّوا كَأَنْ لا وُدَّ بَيْني وَبَيْنَهُمْ

تَجَنُّوا كَأَنْ لا وُدَّ بَيْني وَبَيْنَهُمْ

قَديماً وَحَتَّى ما كأَنَّهُمُ هُمُ

قَديماً وَحَتَّى ما كأَنَّهُمُ هُمُ

They wronged me, as though no affection had bound me to them

They acted as if there was no love between me and them

Of old—even as though they were not themselves.

Long ago, and as if they were not them

فأَعْظَمُ وَصْلاً مَنْ يُشيرُ بِطَرْفِهِ

فأَعْظَمُ وَصْلاً مَنْ يُشيرُ بِطَرْفِهِ

إِليَّ وَأَوْفَى ذِمَّةً مَنْ يُسَلِّمُ

إِليَّ وَأَوْفَى ذِمَّةً مَنْ يُسَلِّمُ

So the closest in affection is whoever signals with his glance

The greatest intimacy is from one who gestures with his eye

To me, and the most faithful to his pledge is whoever offers a greeting.

Towards me, and the most faithful is one who greets

وَبالجزْعِ أَحْبابٌ إذا ما ذكرْتُهُم

وَبالجزْعِ أَحْبابٌ إذا ما ذكرْتُهُم

شَرِقْتُ بِدَمْعٍ في أَوَاخِرِهِ دَمُ

شَرِقْتُ بِدَمْعٍ في أَوَاخِرِهِ دَمُ

And at the valley bend are loved ones; whenever I remember them,

With yearning are loved ones when I remember them

I choke on tears whose last drops are blood.

I shine with a tear in the end of it blood

ألمَّ وَمَا في الرَّكْبِ مِنَّا مُتيّمٌ

ألمَّ وَمَا في الرَّكْبِ مِنَّا مُتيّمٌ

وعادَ وما في الرَّكْبِ إلّا مُتيَّمُ

وعادَ وما في الرَّكْبِ إلّا مُتيَّمُ

He visited, and none of us in the caravan was love-struck;

Suffering, and none among us is suffering

And he went back, and everyone in the caravan was love-struck.

Again suffering, and none among the group but the suffering

وَلَيْسَ الهَوَى إِلّا التِفَاتَةُ طَامِحٍ

وَلَيْسَ الهَوَى إِلّا التِفَاتَةُ طَامِحٍ

يَرُوقُ لِعَيْنَيْهِ الجَمَالُ المُنَعَّمُ

يَرُوقُ لِعَيْنَيْهِ الجَمَالُ المُنَعَّمُ

And love is only the glance of an eager gazer,

Passion is nothing but the aspiration of an ambitious one

Whose eyes are charmed by pampered beauty.

Whose eyes take pleasure in perfect beauty

خَليليَّ مَا لِلْقَلْب هَاجَتْ شُجُونُهُ

خَليليَّ مَا لِلْقَلْب هَاجَتْ شُجُونُهُ

وَعَاوَدَهُ داءٌ مِنَ الشَّوْقِ مُؤْلِمُ

وَعَاوَدَهُ داءٌ مِنَ الشَّوْقِ مُؤْلِمُ

My two friends, what ails the heart? Its sorrows have stirred,

My friend, why did sorrow stir his heart

And a painful sickness of longing has returned to it.

And a painful longing returned to him

وَمَا رَاعَهُ إِلَّا لأَمْرٍ غَرامُه

وَمَا رَاعَهُ إِلَّا لأَمْرٍ غَرامُه

وَلا اعْتَادَهُ إِلّا هَوىً مُتقَدِّمُ

وَلا اعْتَادَهُ إِلّا هَوىً مُتقَدِّمُ

And its passion has not alarmed it without a cause,

Nothing moved him but his deep love

And nothing has revisited it but a love from long ago.

And nothing accustomed him but preceding desire

أظنُّ دِيارَ الحيِّ مِنّا قَريبةً

أظنُّ دِيارَ الحيِّ مِنّا قَريبةً

وَإِلّا فَمِنْهَا نَفْحَةٌ تَتَنَسَّمُ

وَإِلّا فَمِنْهَا نَفْحَةٌ تَتَنَسَّمُ

I think the tribe's dwellings are near us;

I think the homes of the living are close to us

And if not, a breeze from them is wafting.

Otherwise, a breeze from it we inhale

أَيُرْعَى في مَحَبَّتِكُمْ ذِمَامُ

أَيُرْعَى في مَحَبَّتِكُمْ ذِمَامُ

وَيَعْدِلُ في رَعِيَّتِهِ الغَرامُ

وَيَعْدِلُ في رَعِيَّتِهِ الغَرامُ

Is a pledge honored in loving you?

Is the rein of your love held

And does passion treat its subjects justly?

And passion rules justly in its subjects?

وَيُنْصِفُ ظَالِمٌ مِنّا وَمِنْكُمْ

وَيُنْصِفُ ظَالِمٌ مِنّا وَمِنْكُمْ

وَلا قُلْنا وَلا سَمِعَ الأَنامُ

وَلا قُلْنا وَلا سَمِعَ الأَنامُ

And does an oppressor among us or you act fairly?

Would an unjust one from us and you judge fairly

And we have not said it, nor has humankind heard it.

Neither did we say, nor did people hear

وَيَرْجِعُ عَيْشُنا الماضي وَتَدْنو

وَيَرْجِعُ عَيْشُنا الماضي وَتَدْنو

خِيامٌ لِلوصالِ لها خِتامُ

خِيامٌ لِلوصالِ لها خِتامُ

And will our former life return, and will there draw near

And our past life returns and tents

Tents for reunion, bearing a seal?

For union whose end is sealed come near

وَيَصْدُقُ مِنْكُمُ وَعْدٌ مَقالاً

وَيَصْدُقُ مِنْكُمُ وَعْدٌ مَقالاً

وَيَحْوي مَنْ له مقامُ

وَيَحْوي مَنْ له مقامُ

And will a spoken promise from you prove true,

And a promise you made comes true in speech

And will whoever has standing take possession?

And contains one who has merit

وَيُسْفِرُ عَنْ ثَنَايا الدُرِّ ظَلْمٌ

وَيُسْفِرُ عَنْ ثَنَايا الدُرِّ ظَلْمٌ

يُرى حِسّاً وحُبكمُ المدامُ

يُرى حِسّاً وحُبكمُ المدامُ

And will a gleam unveil the pearl-like front teeth,

And darkness reveals the folds of pearls

Visible to the senses, while your love is wine?

Feeling you and your lasting love is seen

فإِنّا خَبَّرَتْنَا عَنْ رِضَاكُم

فإِنّا خَبَّرَتْنَا عَنْ رِضَاكُم

أمانينا بِأَنَّكُمُ كِرامُ

أمانينا بِأَنَّكُمُ كِرامُ

For we have been told of your favor

For your satisfaction informed our wishes

By our hopes—that you are generous,

That you are generous

وَأَقمارٌ تُضيء لِكلِّ سارٍ

وَأَقمارٌ تُضيء لِكلِّ سارٍ

لَهَا مِنْ نُورِ حُسْنِكُمُ تَمامُ

لَهَا مِنْ نُورِ حُسْنِكُمُ تَمامُ

And moons that shine for every night traveler,

And moons that illuminate every joys’ path

Whose fullness comes from the light of your beauty.

From the light of your beauty gets its perfection