صَدَّت فَأَمسى لِقاؤُها حُلُما

صَدَّت فَأَمسى لِقاؤُها حُلُما

وَاِستَبدَلَ الطَرفُ بِالدُموعِ دَما

وَاِستَبدَلَ الطَرفُ بِالدُموعِ دَما

She turned away, so meeting her became a dream.

She turned away, so meeting her became but a dream,

And the eye exchanged tears for blood.

And my eyes replaced tears with blood.

وَسَلَّطَت حُبّها عَلى كَبِدي

وَسَلَّطَت حُبّها عَلى كَبِدي

فَأَبدَلَتني بِصِحَّةٍ سَقَما

فَأَبدَلَتني بِصِحَّةٍ سَقَما

And she unleashed love of her upon my liver.

Her love took control of my liver,

So she gave me sickness in place of health.

Exchanging my health for sickness.

وَصِرتُ فَرداً أَبكي لِفُرقَتِها

وَصِرتُ فَرداً أَبكي لِفُرقَتِها

وَأَقرَعُ السِنَّ بَعدَها نَدَما

وَأَقرَعُ السِنَّ بَعدَها نَدَما

And I became solitary, weeping over separation from her.

I became a lone man crying for our separation,

And I gnash my teeth in remorse after her departure.

Growing old in regret after her.

شَقَّ عَلَيها قَولُ الوُشاةِ لَها

شَقَّ عَلَيها قَولُ الوُشاةِ لَها

أَصبَحت في أَمرِ ذا الفَتى عَلَما

أَصبَحت في أَمرِ ذا الفَتى عَلَما

The talebearers' words to her distressed her:

The slander of gossipers was hard on her.

“You have become a byword in the affair of this young man.”

She became distinguished in the matter of that youth.

لَولا شَقائي وَما بُليتُ بِهِ

لَولا شَقائي وَما بُليتُ بِهِ

مِن هَجرِها ما اِستَشرتُ ما اِكتتما

مِن هَجرِها ما اِستَشرتُ ما اِكتتما

Were it not for my misery and what I have suffered

If not for my misery and afflictions from her estrangement,

From her abandonment, I would not have brought forth what lay hidden.

I would not have divulged what I concealed.

كَم حاجَةٍ في الكِتابِ بُحتُ بِها

كَم حاجَةٍ في الكِتابِ بُحتُ بِها

أَبكَيتُ مِنها القرطاس وَالقَلَما

أَبكَيتُ مِنها القرطاس وَالقَلَما

How many a need I have disclosed in the letter—

How many needs in letters I lamented,

I made the paper and the pen weep over it.

Weeping, from which parchment and pen became wet.