تَعَلَّمتُ خَطَّ الرَملِ لَمّا هَجَرتُمُ

تَعَلَّمتُ خَطَّ الرَملِ لَمّا هَجَرتُمُ

لَعَلّي أَرى فيهِ دَليلاً عَلى الوَصلِ

لَعَلّي أَرى فيهِ دَليلاً عَلى الوَصلِ

I learned divination by tracing lines in sand when you forsook me,

I learned to write in the sand when you left me

hoping to see in it a sign of reunion.

Perhaps I would find in it a sign of reunion

وَرَغَّبَني فيهِ بَياضٌ وَحُمرَةٌ

وَرَغَّبَني فيهِ بَياضٌ وَحُمرَةٌ

عَهَدتُهُما في وَجنَةٍ سَلَبَت عَقلي

عَهَدتُهُما في وَجنَةٍ سَلَبَت عَقلي

And whiteness and redness drew me to it—

Whiteness and redness enticed me to it

I had known them both in a cheek that stole my reason.

I knew them on a cheek that robbed my mind

وَقالوا طَريقٌ قُلتُ يارَبِّ لِلِّقا

وَقالوا طَريقٌ قُلتُ يارَبِّ لِلِّقا

وَقالوا اِجتِماعٌ قُلتُ يا رَبِّ لِلشَملِ

وَقالوا اِجتِماعٌ قُلتُ يا رَبِّ لِلشَملِ

And they said, “A road”; I said, “O my Lord, let it lead to our meeting!”

They said it was a path, I said: O Lord, to the encounter

And they said, “A gathering”; I said, “O my Lord, let it bring us together!”

They said it was a gathering, I said: O Lord, for the union

فَأَصبَحتُ فيكُم مِثلَ مَجنونِ عامِرٍ

فَأَصبَحتُ فيكُم مِثلَ مَجنونِ عامِرٍ

فَلا تُنكِروا أَنّي أُخُطُّ عَلى الرَملِ

فَلا تُنكِروا أَنّي أُخُطُّ عَلى الرَملِ

So, for love of you, I became like Majnun of ‘Amir;

So I became among you like crazed Aamir

so do not find it strange that I trace lines upon the sand.

Do not deny that I scribble in the sand