كَتَبتُ وَعِندي مِن فراقِكِ ما عِندي

كَتَبتُ وَعِندي مِن فراقِكِ ما عِندي

وَفي كَبِدي ما فيهِ مِن لَوعَة الوَجدِ

وَفي كَبِدي ما فيهِ مِن لَوعَة الوَجدِ

I wrote, with all I suffer from parting from you,

I wrote, bearing all I bear from parting with you,

and in my liver, all the burning anguish of longing.

And in my liver lies the burning anguish of love.

وَما خَطَّتِ الأَقلامُ إِلّا وَأَدمُعي

وَما خَطَّتِ الأَقلامُ إِلّا وَأَدمُعي

تَخُطُّ كِتابَ الشَوق في صَفحَة الخَدِّ

تَخُطُّ كِتابَ الشَوق في صَفحَة الخَدِّ

The pens never traced a line but that my tears

And the pens never wrote without my tears

were tracing longing’s book upon the page of my cheek.

Inscribing the book of longing on the page of my cheek.

وَلَولا طِلابُ المَجدِ زُرتُكِ طَيَّهُ

وَلَولا طِلابُ المَجدِ زُرتُكِ طَيَّهُ

عَميداً كَما زارَ النَدى وَرَقَ الوَردِ

عَميداً كَما زارَ النَدى وَرَقَ الوَردِ

Were it not for the pursuit of glory, I would visit you, folding the distance away,

And but for the pursuit of glory, I would have visited you, folding away our separation,

stricken with love, as dew visits the rose’s petals.

Lovesick, as dew visits the petals of the rose.

فَقَبَّلتُ ما تَحتَ اللثامِ مِنَ اللَمى

فَقَبَّلتُ ما تَحتَ اللثامِ مِنَ اللَمى

وَعانَقتُ ما فَوقَ الوِشاح إِلى العِقد

وَعانَقتُ ما فَوقَ الوِشاح إِلى العِقد

I would kiss the dusky lips beneath the veil,

Then I would have kissed the dusky lips beneath the face-veil,

and embrace what lies above the sash, up to the necklace.

And embraced what lies above the sash, up to the necklace.

أَغانيةً عَنّي وَحاضِرَةً مَعي

أَغانيةً عَنّي وَحاضِرَةً مَعي

لَئِن غِبتِ عَن عَيني فَإِنَّكِ في كَبِدي

لَئِن غِبتِ عَن عَيني فَإِنَّكِ في كَبِدي

Are you absent from me, yet present with me?

O you who can do without me, yet are present with me,

Though absent from my sight, you are within my liver.

Even if you are absent from my sight, you are surely in my liver.

أَقيمي عَلى العَهدِ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

أَقيمي عَلى العَهدِ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

فَإِنّي عَلى ما تَعلَمينَ مِنَ العَهدِ

فَإِنّي عَلى ما تَعلَمينَ مِنَ العَهدِ

Remain true to the covenant that once was between us;

Remain true to the pledge that was between us,

for, as you know, I remain faithful to the covenant.

For I remain true to the pledge you know.