وليلٍ كَفِكْري في صُدودِ مُعَذِّبي

وليلٍ كَفِكْري في صُدودِ مُعَذِّبي

وإِلا كأَنْفاسي عليهِ منَ الوَجْدِ

وإِلا كأَنْفاسي عليهِ منَ الوَجْدِ

And a night like my thoughts on my tormentor’s turning away,

Like my thoughts in the reflections of my tormentors

Or else like my sighs for him, born of longing,

Or like my breaths upon it from passion

وإِلا كَعُمْرِ الهَجْرِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ

وإِلا كَعُمْرِ الهَجْرِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ

إِذا قِسْتَهُ بِالوَصْفِ كانَ بِلا حَدِّ

إِذا قِسْتَهُ بِالوَصْفِ كانَ بِلا حَدِّ

Or else like the duration of his estrangement—for it,

Or like the lifetime of separation from it, for it

When you measure it by description, is without limit.

If you measure it by description, it has no limit