هَل دَهرُنا الماضي يَعودُ

هَل دَهرُنا الماضي يَعودُ

وَيَصُدُّ عَنّا ذا الصُدودُ

وَيَصُدُّ عَنّا ذا الصُدودُ

Will our bygone time return

Will our past days return,

and turn this estrangement away from us?

And keep these obstacles away from us?

بِنتُم فَنَومِيَ عَن جُفو

بِنتُم فَنَومِيَ عَن جُفو

ني بَعدَ بُعدِكُم شَريدُ

ني بَعدَ بُعدِكُم شَريدُ

You departed; from my eyelids, my sleep

You left, so I started sleeping less

has strayed since your departure.

After you left, I became lost and aimless

دَمعي يَكادُ عَلى يَزي

دَمعي يَكادُ عَلى يَزي

دَ إِذا تَذَكَّرَكُم يَزيدُ

دَ إِذا تَذَكَّرَكُم يَزيدُ

My tears nearly surpass Yazid

My tears almost burst forth

whenever they remember you.

When I remember you, they increase

فَالمَوتُ عِندي وَالنَّوى

فَالمَوتُ عِندي وَالنَّوى

سِيّانِ مَن لي أَن تَعودوا

سِيّانِ مَن لي أَن تَعودوا

So, to me, death and separation

To me, death and sleep

are alike—who can secure your return for me?

Are the same, unless you return

كانَت لَيالينا بِكُم

كانَت لَيالينا بِكُم

بيضاً وَهُنَّ الآنَ سودُ

بيضاً وَهُنَّ الآنَ سودُ

Our nights with you were

Our nights were white with you

white, and now they are black.

And now they are black

قَد كانَ فَصلُ الوَردِ يُط

قَد كانَ فَصلُ الوَردِ يُط

رِبُني إِذا وَرَدَ الوُرودُ

رِبُني إِذا وَرَدَ الوُرودُ

The season of roses used to delight

The rose season used to make me happy

me whenever the roses arrived,

When the flowers bloomed

إِذ كانَ يُخجِلُهُ مِنَ ال

إِذ كانَ يُخجِلُهُ مِنَ ال

أَحبابِ بِاللَّونِ الخُدودُ

أَحبابِ بِاللَّونِ الخُدودُ

for the rose was put to shame

It used to be shamed by

by the color of the loved ones' cheeks,

The blush on the cheeks of my loved ones

في مَجلِسٍ فيهِ الأَكُف

في مَجلِسٍ فيهِ الأَكُف

فُ بِهِنَّ مَنثورٌ نَضيدُ

فُ بِهِنَّ مَنثورٌ نَضيدُ

in a gathering where the hands

In a gathering where palms

held stock flowers, neatly arranged,

Were scattered with fresh blooms

وَالنَّرجِسُ الرَيّانُ في

وَالنَّرجِسُ الرَيّانُ في

قُضُبِ الزَّبَرجَدِ ما يَميدُ

قُضُبِ الزَّبَرجَدِ ما يَميدُ

and the lush narcissus on

And narcissus bending

stems of chrysolite did not sway.

In stems of turquoise that do not wither

بِنتُم فَذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ

بِنتُم فَذَلِكَ كُلُّهُ

عِندي قَبيحٌ ما يُفيدُ

عِندي قَبيحٌ ما يُفيدُ

You departed; so all of that

You left, and all of that

is ugly to me and does no good.

Means nothing to me now

وا خَيبَتي حَزِنَ الوَلِي

وا خَيبَتي حَزِنَ الوَلِي

يُ بِما بِهِ سُرَّ الحَسودُ

يُ بِما بِهِ سُرَّ الحَسودُ

Alas, my disappointment! The friend grieved

My disappointment made the loyal one sad

at what delighted the envious one.

With what made the envious happy

كانَ الزَمانُ يَطيبُ لي

كانَ الزَمانُ يَطيبُ لي

وَأَحِبَّتي فيهِ شُهودُ

وَأَحِبَّتي فيهِ شُهودُ

Time used to be pleasant to me,

Time used to be sweet when

and my loved ones were present then.

My loved ones were present

فَأَتى الزَّمانُ بِجَورِهِ

فَأَتى الزَّمانُ بِجَورِهِ

فَالصَبرُ بَعدَهُمُ فَقيدُ

فَالصَبرُ بَعدَهُمُ فَقيدُ

Then time came with its tyranny,

But time wronged me

so, since their departure, patience is lost.

Now patience without them is shackled

عَجَباً لِمَن سَكَنَ الفُؤا

عَجَباً لِمَن سَكَنَ الفُؤا

دُ وَشَخصُهُ عَنّي بَعيدُ

دُ وَشَخصُهُ عَنّي بَعيدُ

How strange that one should dwell in the heart

How strange is one who settled away

while his person is far from me!

While he is far from me

لي زَفرَةٌ كَالنارِ يَن

لي زَفرَةٌ كَالنارِ يَن

فُثُ حَرَّها قَلبي العَميدُ

فُثُ حَرَّها قَلبي العَميدُ

I have a sigh like fire;

I have a sigh like fire

my love-stricken heart breathes out its heat.

Whose heat my firm heart breathes out

فَأَنا الشَقِيُّ وَكانَ لي

فَأَنا الشَقِيُّ وَكانَ لي

حَظٌّ بِوَصلِهِم سَعيدُ

حَظٌّ بِوَصلِهِم سَعيدُ

So I am wretched; once I had

I am wretched, yet I was fortunate

a happy lot in union with them.

To be close to them once

أَقسَمتُ ما لي بَعدَهُم

أَقسَمتُ ما لي بَعدَهُم

في يَومِ هَذا العيدِ عيدُ

في يَومِ هَذا العيدِ عيدُ

I have sworn: since their departure, I have

I swore I have no celebration

no celebration on this day of Eid.

On this feast day without them

لَم يَدنُ مِن نارِي الخُمو

لَم يَدنُ مِن نارِي الخُمو

دُ وَلا مِنَ الدَّمعِ الجُمودُ

دُ وَلا مِنَ الدَّمعِ الجُمودُ

My fire has not come close to dying out,

Neither sorrow nor tears approached me

nor have my tears come close to drying up.

When will the messenger say to us

فَمَتى تَقولُ لَنا حُدا

فَمَتى تَقولُ لَنا حُدا

ةُ مَطِيِّهِم هَذي زَرودُ

ةُ مَطِيِّهِم هَذي زَرودُ

When, then, will the drivers

Their caravan is coming back?

of their mounts tell us, 'This is Zarud'?

Alas! What we hope for from fate is far

هَيهاتَ عَزَّ لِما نُؤَم

هَيهاتَ عَزَّ لِما نُؤَم

مِلُهُ مِنَ الدَهرِ الوُجودُ

مِلُهُ مِنَ الدَهرِ الوُجودُ

Alas! What we hope for

from time is hard to attain.