لِقاؤُكَ جَرَّ عَلَيَّ الفِراقا

لِقاؤُكَ جَرَّ عَلَيَّ الفِراقا

وَما زادَني القُربُ إِلّا اِشتِياقا

وَما زادَني القُربُ إِلّا اِشتِياقا

Meeting you brought separation upon me,

Meeting you brought separation upon me

and closeness only increased my longing.

And nearness increased nothing but yearning

جَلَوتَ عَلَيَّ هَديَّ الوِدادِ

جَلَوتَ عَلَيَّ هَديَّ الوِدادِ

فَأَسلَفتُها بِالقَبولِ الصِداقا

فَأَسلَفتُها بِالقَبولِ الصِداقا

You unveiled before me the bride of affection,

You concealed from me the gift of affection

so I paid her dower in advance with my acceptance.

So I gave it acceptance and friendship

وَأَسرَفتُ بِالبِشرِ حَتّى ظَنَن

وَأَسرَفتُ بِالبِشرِ حَتّى ظَنَن

تُ أَنَّكَ أَضجَعتَ فيهِ النِفاقا

تُ أَنَّكَ أَضجَعتَ فيهِ النِفاقا

And I was so lavish with cheer that I thought

And I was excessive in glad tidings until you thought

you had laid hypocrisy down within it.

I laid therein hypocrisy

وَحاشاكَ مِن تُهمَةٍ في المَغيبِ

وَحاشاكَ مِن تُهمَةٍ في المَغيبِ

فَكَيفَ حُضورٌ يَضُمُّ الرِفاقا

فَكَيفَ حُضورٌ يَضُمُّ الرِفاقا

Yet you are above suspicion even in absence—

Far be it from you to be accused in absence

how, then, when present among gathered companions?

So how could presence contain companionship

وَكانَ الزَعيمُ بِهَذا الإِخا

وَكانَ الزَعيمُ بِهَذا الإِخا

ءِ يَوماً حَسَوناهُ كَأساً دِهاقا

ءِ يَوماً حَسَوناهُ كَأساً دِهاقا

And the guarantor of this brotherhood was

And the chief was with this brotherhood

a day we drank down—a brimming cup.

One day we deemed a cup of wine loathsome

نَحَرنا الدِنانَ عَلى صَدرِهِ

نَحَرنا الدِنانَ عَلى صَدرِهِ

فَلِلَّهِ أَيَّ دِماءٍ أَراقا

فَلِلَّهِ أَيَّ دِماءٍ أَراقا

We slaughtered the wine-jars upon its breast—

We slaughtered enemies upon his chest

by God, what blood it spilled!

For God’s sake, what blood he spilled!

شَرِقنا بِلَذّاتِهِ وَالسَرو

شَرِقنا بِلَذّاتِهِ وَالسَرو

رُ يُلَوّي إِزاراً وَيُرخي نِطاقا

رُ يُلَوّي إِزاراً وَيُرخي نِطاقا

We choked on its delights, while joy

We were delighted by his pleasures, and the drunkard

twists a waistcloth and loosens a girdle.

Wraps his robe and loosens his belt

وَجيبَ عَلى الصُبحِ ثَوبُ الظَلا

وَجيبَ عَلى الصُبحِ ثَوبُ الظَلا

مِ وَالبَدرُ يَخلَعُ عَنهُ المَحاقا

مِ وَالبَدرُ يَخلَعُ عَنهُ المَحاقا

And darkness's robe was slit open over dawn,

And the garment of darkness slips from the dawn

while the full moon casts off its dark phase.

And the moon takes off its vestments

وَكُنتُ أُخَيِّلُهُ في السَما

وَكُنتُ أُخَيِّلُهُ في السَما

ءِ رَمحَةَ طَرفٍ أَصابَ البُراقا

ءِ رَمحَةَ طَرفٍ أَصابَ البُراقا

And I pictured it in the sky

And I imagined him in the sky as

as the kick of a noble steed that struck al-Buraq.

The glance of an eye that met the Buraq

يُشَقِّقُ وَاللَيلُ رَطبُ الذُيو

يُشَقِّقُ وَاللَيلُ رَطبُ الذُيو

لِ غَلائِلَ تَندى نَسيماً رُقاقا

لِ غَلائِلَ تَندى نَسيماً رُقاقا

It rends—while night's hems are damp—

Splitting the moist night into strands

thin veils, dewy with a breeze.

Of dewy breezes of thin, soft silk

سَقى اللَهُ دَهراً حَبانا الوَدا

سَقى اللَهُ دَهراً حَبانا الوَدا

دَ مُبتَدِهاً فَشَكَرنا العِراقا

دَ مُبتَدِهاً فَشَكَرنا العِراقا

May God water an age that bestowed affection upon us

God watered an epoch, and we loved each other from the start

unbidden; and so we thanked Iraq.

So we thanked Iraq

وَما زِلتُ أَعجَبُ مِن حِفظِهِ

وَما زِلتُ أَعجَبُ مِن حِفظِهِ

لَنا القُربَ حَتّى نَسينا الفِراقا

لَنا القُربَ حَتّى نَسينا الفِراقا

And I still marvel at how it kept

And I still wonder at his keeping us close

us close, until we forgot separation.

Until we forgot separation

أَتَقتَصُّ مِن جَسَدي بِالبِعادِ

أَتَقتَصُّ مِن جَسَدي بِالبِعادِ

وَما زُوِّدَ الباعُ مِنكَ العِناقا

وَما زُوِّدَ الباعُ مِنكَ العِناقا

Do you take vengeance on my body by staying away,

Do you seek vengeance on my body through distance?

though my arms have received no embrace from you?

Was the seller not given embrace from you?