أَأَحبابَنا بِالرَغمِ مِنّي فِراقُكُم

أَأَحبابَنا بِالرَغمِ مِنّي فِراقُكُم

وَيا طولَ شَوقي نَحوَكُم وَوَلوعي

وَيا طولَ شَوقي نَحوَكُم وَوَلوعي

O our beloved ones, parting from you is against my will;

O my beloved friends, though I left against my will

And oh, my enduring longing for you and my ardor!

And long for you still, with a burning desire

أَطَعتُ الهَوى بِالكُرهِ مِنِّيَ لا الرِضا

أَطَعتُ الهَوى بِالكُرهِ مِنِّيَ لا الرِضا

وَلو خَيَّروني كُنتُ غَيرَ مُطيعِ

وَلو خَيَّروني كُنتُ غَيرَ مُطيعِ

I obeyed love unwillingly, not with consent;

I obeyed passion though it was not my choice

And had they given me a choice, I would not have obeyed.

And had I a choice, I would not comply

حَفِظتُ لَكُم ماتَعهَدونَ مِنَ الهَوى

حَفِظتُ لَكُم ماتَعهَدونَ مِنَ الهَوى

وَلَستُ لِسِرٍّ بَينَنا بُمُضيعِ

وَلَستُ لِسِرٍّ بَينَنا بُمُضيعِ

I have kept for you the love you know,

I kept faith with the pact of love between us

And I am no betrayer of a secret between us.

No secrets betrayed, though far I now lie

فَإِن كُنتُمُ بَعدي سَلَوتُم فَإِنَّني

فَإِن كُنتُمُ بَعدي سَلَوتُم فَإِنَّني

سَلَوتُ وَلَكِن راحَتي وَهُجوعي

سَلَوتُ وَلَكِن راحَتي وَهُجوعي

So if you have forgotten me since my departure, then I

If in my absence you’ve found solace, then I

have forgotten—but only my rest and my sleep.

Have found it too, but lost comfort and rest

سَلوا النَجمَ يُخبِركُم بِحالِيَ في الدُجى

سَلوا النَجمَ يُخبِركُم بِحالِيَ في الدُجى

وَلا تَسأَلوا عَمّا تَجِنُّ ضُلوعي

وَلا تَسأَلوا عَمّا تَجِنُّ ضُلوعي

Ask the star; it will tell you of my state in the darkness,

Ask the stars to tell of my state in darkness

And do not ask what my ribs conceal.

Seek not what my heart in its pain can’t confess

قِفوا تَسمَعوا مِن جانِبِ الغَورِ أَنَّني

قِفوا تَسمَعوا مِن جانِبِ الغَورِ أَنَّني

فَقَد أَسمَعَت مَن كانَ غَيرَ سَميعِ

فَقَد أَسمَعَت مَن كانَ غَيرَ سَميعِ

Halt: from the side of al-Ghawr you will hear [my moan];

Stand, and from afar hear that I who was deaf

For it has made even the deaf hear.

Can hear now the one who before could not hear

وَإِن لاحَ بَرقٌ فَهوَ نارُ صَبابَتي

وَإِن لاحَ بَرقٌ فَهوَ نارُ صَبابَتي

وَإِن راحَ سَيلٌ فَهوَ ماءُ دُموعي

وَإِن راحَ سَيلٌ فَهوَ ماءُ دُموعي

And if lightning flashes, it is the fire of my ardent longing;

If lightning flashes, it’s sparks from my passion

And if a torrent flows, it is the water of my tears.

If floods flow, it’s the tears that I’ve wept here

وَذا العامَ قالوا أَمرَعَ الغَورُ كُلُّهُ

وَذا العامَ قالوا أَمرَعَ الغَورُ كُلُّهُ

وَما كانَ لَولا دَمعَتي بِمَريعِ

وَما كانَ لَولا دَمعَتي بِمَريعِ

And this year, they said, all of al-Ghawr grew lush;

This year, they say the valleys grew green, but

And but for my tear, it would not have been lush.

Without my tears they would still be austere

فَيا قَمَري مُذ غِبتَ أَوحَشتَ ناظِري

فَيا قَمَري مُذ غِبتَ أَوحَشتَ ناظِري

لَعَلَّكَ لَيلاً مُؤنِسي بِطُلوعِ

لَعَلَّكَ لَيلاً مُؤنِسي بِطُلوعِ

So, O my moon, since you vanished, you have left my eye desolate;

O moon, since you left, my eyes know no joy

Perhaps one night you will keep me company by rising.

Your rising perhaps gives comfort anew

وَما أَنا في العُشّاقِ أَوَّلَ هالِكٍ

وَما أَنا في العُشّاقِ أَوَّلَ هالِكٍ

وَأَوَّلَ صَبٍّ بِالفِراقِ صَريعِ

وَأَوَّلَ صَبٍّ بِالفِراقِ صَريعِ

And I am not the first among lovers to perish,

Among lovers, I’m not the first to so suffer

Nor the first lovesick lover struck down by separation.

Nor the first to be struck down by love untrue

وَإِن كَتَبَ اللَهُ السَلامَةَ أَنَّني

وَإِن كَتَبَ اللَهُ السَلامَةَ أَنَّني

إِلَيكُم وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ رُجوعي

إِلَيكُم وَإِن طالَ الزَمانُ رُجوعي

And if God decrees safety, then I

If God grants me safety, then I shall return

shall return to you, however long the time may be.

Though long be the days till we meet there anew