قُل لِلَّتي هَجَرَت حَولَينِ عاشِقَها

قُل لِلَّتي هَجَرَت حَولَينِ عاشِقَها

لَو كُنتِ مُقبِلَةً في الوَصلِ ما رادا

لَو كُنتِ مُقبِلَةً في الوَصلِ ما رادا

Tell the woman who forsook her lover for two years:

Tell her who abandoned her lover

Had you been willing to reunite, he would not have roamed.

Had you been affectionate, you wouldn’t have parted

هَجَرتِ مَن لَم يُرِد هِجرانَ وُدِّكُمُ

هَجَرتِ مَن لَم يُرِد هِجرانَ وُدِّكُمُ

وَمَن يَبيتُ لِما ضَيَّعتِ عَدّادا

وَمَن يَبيتُ لِما ضَيَّعتِ عَدّادا

You forsook one who did not wish to abandon your affection,

You left one who did not want to abandon your love

And who spends the night counting what you have squandered.

One who spends nights counting what you squandered

لَم يَنسَ أَيّامَكَ اللاتي وَصَلتِ بِها

لَم يَنسَ أَيّامَكَ اللاتي وَصَلتِ بِها

وَالصُرمُ يُحصيهِ إِصداراً وَإِيرادا

وَالصُرمُ يُحصيهِ إِصداراً وَإِيرادا

He has not forgotten those days of yours when you granted closeness,

He hasn’t forgotten the days you were together

And he counts the estrangement, its goings and its comings.

As he counts them, incoming and outgoing

فَالصُرمُ غُلٌّ لَنا نَخشى عَوائِدَهُ

فَالصُرمُ غُلٌّ لَنا نَخشى عَوائِدَهُ

وَالوَصلُ فيهِ شِفاءُ السُقمِ لَو عادا

وَالوَصلُ فيهِ شِفاءُ السُقمِ لَو عادا

For estrangement is a fetter upon us; we fear its returns,

So estrangement is anguish we fear its return

And reunion holds the cure for sickness, if only it returned.

While reunion holds the cure, if only it stayed

لا تَصرِميني فَإِنّي مِن تَذَكُّرِكُم

لا تَصرِميني فَإِنّي مِن تَذَكُّرِكُم

لَتَعتَريني جُنودُ الحُبِّ أَجنادا

لَتَعتَريني جُنودُ الحُبِّ أَجنادا

Do not cut me off, for when I remember you,

Don’t estrange me, for remembering you

The hosts of love surely assail me, troop upon troop.

Will make love’s armies assault me

وَقَد أَرى أَنَّ أَقواماً أُخالِطُهُم

وَقَد أَرى أَنَّ أَقواماً أُخالِطُهُم

أَرَقُّ لي مِنكِ بِالمَملوكِ أَكبادا

أَرَقُّ لي مِنكِ بِالمَملوكِ أَكبادا

And I see that people whose company I keep

I see people I mingle with are dearer to me

Are more tender-hearted toward me than you are toward your slave.

Than you are, though you own my soul

قَد قُلتُ لَمّا وَنَت عَنّي زِيارَتُكُم

قَد قُلتُ لَمّا وَنَت عَنّي زِيارَتُكُم

وَقَدَّحَ الحُبُّ في الأَحشاءِ فَاِزدادا

وَقَدَّحَ الحُبُّ في الأَحشاءِ فَاِزدادا

I said, when your visits to me slackened,

When your visits ceased, I said

And love struck sparks within my entrails and grew more intense:

And love kindled flames in my heart, fanning them

يا قَلبُ شُدَّ عَلى المَكتومِ غَيبَتَهُ

يا قَلبُ شُدَّ عَلى المَكتومِ غَيبَتَهُ

حَتّى تَرى حَولَكَ الإِخوانَ عُوّادا

حَتّى تَرى حَولَكَ الإِخوانَ عُوّادا

O heart, keep what is concealed firmly hidden,

O heart! Bear the absence of the one hidden

Until you see your friends around you, visiting your sickbed.

Until you see caring friends around you

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَلى رَيبِ الزَمانِ بِهِ

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَلى رَيبِ الزَمانِ بِهِ

لا يَستَطيعُ لِهَذا الدَهرِ إِخلادا

لا يَستَطيعُ لِهَذا الدَهرِ إِخلادا

Indeed, the lover, with time's misfortunes upon him,

The lover, amidst the vicissitudes of fate

Cannot remain forever in this world.

Cannot find permanence in this fleeting world

ما كُنتِ مِنّي عَلى بالٍ وَزُلتِ بِها

ما كُنتِ مِنّي عَلى بالٍ وَزُلتِ بِها

أَرى العُداةَ وَإِن أَخلَفتِ أَصفادا

أَرى العُداةَ وَإِن أَخلَفتِ أَصفادا

You were not on my mind, and you went away with it;

You were never far from my thoughts, though you slipped away

I see foes as fetters, even if you have broken your word.

I see enemies, even if they are chained

مَنَّيتِني مُنيَةً هَشَّ الفُؤادُ لَها

مَنَّيتِني مُنيَةً هَشَّ الفُؤادُ لَها

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتِ وَما زَوَّدتِني زادا

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتِ وَما زَوَّدتِني زادا

You held out a hope to me at which my heart rejoiced,

You gave me a demise that shook my heart

Then you turned away and gave me no provisions.

Then you left without provisioning me

هَلّا تَحَرَّجتِ يا عَبّادَ مِن رَجُلٍ

هَلّا تَحَرَّجتِ يا عَبّادَ مِن رَجُلٍ

قَد زَمَّهُ الحُبُّ حَتّى ذَلَّ فَاِنقادا

قَد زَمَّهُ الحُبُّ حَتّى ذَلَّ فَاِنقادا

Why did you not shrink, O ʿAbbād, from wronging a man

Why didn’t you feel embarrassed, O maid

Whom love has bridled until he was humbled and submitted?

Of a man so lovesick he bent and complied

كَيفَ العَزاءُ وَقَد عُلِّقتُ مِنكِ هَوىً

كَيفَ العَزاءُ وَقَد عُلِّقتُ مِنكِ هَوىً

لَو لَم يَرُح بِهَوىً مِن حُبِّكُم عادا

لَو لَم يَرُح بِهَوىً مِن حُبِّكُم عادا

How can I find solace, when I am caught in a passion for you

How can I be solaced when I am infatuated with you

That, if it did not depart with longing born of love for you, would return?

If love for you doesn’t depart, it always returns

ما خُيِّرَ القَلبُ إِلّا اِختارَ قُربَكُمُ

ما خُيِّرَ القَلبُ إِلّا اِختارَ قُربَكُمُ

وَلا سَرى الشَوقُ إِلّا هاجَ إِسهادا

وَلا سَرى الشَوقُ إِلّا هاجَ إِسهادا

Never was the heart given a choice without choosing nearness to you,

The heart wasn’t given a choice, it chose your proximity

Nor did longing steal through the night without stirring sleeplessness.

Nor did passion roam except it flared wildly

وَلا أَلَمَّ بِعَيني مِن كَرى سِنَةٍ

وَلا أَلَمَّ بِعَيني مِن كَرى سِنَةٍ

إِلّا أَلَمَّ خَيالٌ مِنكِ فَاِعتادا

إِلّا أَلَمَّ خَيالٌ مِنكِ فَاِعتادا

Nor did even a drowsy sleep touch my eye,

No eyelid quivered from seeing the years

Without a phantom of you visiting and returning again.

Except a phantom of you got accustomed to doing so

ما تَأَمُرينَ لِذي عَينٍ مُؤَرَّقَةٍ

ما تَأَمُرينَ لِذي عَينٍ مُؤَرَّقَةٍ

قَد ماتَ مِن حُبِّكُم يا عَبدَ أَو كادا

قَد ماتَ مِن حُبِّكُم يا عَبدَ أَو كادا

What do you prescribe for one whose eye is sleepless,

What can be ordered for one with a burning eye

Who has died of love for you, O ʿAbd—or nearly so?

Who died of love for you, O slave, or nearly did

لا يَذكُرُ القَلبُ مِن خَودٍ زِيارَتَها

لا يَذكُرُ القَلبُ مِن خَودٍ زِيارَتَها

في سالِفِ الدَهرِ إِلّا اِهتَزَّ أَو مادا

في سالِفِ الدَهرِ إِلّا اِهتَزَّ أَو مادا

The heart never recalls a young beauty's visit

The heart doesn’t remember any cheek’s visit

In bygone days without trembling or swaying.

In past eras except it shook and leaned

لا تَجعَلِن في غَدٍ وَعدي وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

لا تَجعَلِن في غَدٍ وَعدي وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

فَإِن فَعَلتِ فَما وَفَّيتِ ميعادا

فَإِن فَعَلتِ فَما وَفَّيتِ ميعادا

Do not put my promised meeting off until tomorrow and the day after;

Don’t make me wait tomorrow and the next day after

For if you do, you will have kept no appointment.

For if you do, you wouldn’t have kept your promise

أَبلَيتِ وُدّي وَأَجَدَدنا مَوَدَّتَكُم

أَبلَيتِ وُدّي وَأَجَدَدنا مَوَدَّتَكُم

شَتّانَ بالٍ وَمَن يَزدادُ إِجدادا

شَتّانَ بالٍ وَمَن يَزدادُ إِجدادا

You have worn out my affection, while we renewed our love for you;

You exhausted my love and renewed our affection

How far apart are the worn-out and one growing ever new!

Great is the difference between trial and one who grows fonder

قَد صُدتِ قَلبي فَأَنقَعتِ الهَوانَ لَهُ

قَد صُدتِ قَلبي فَأَنقَعتِ الهَوانَ لَهُ

ما كُلُّ حينٍ يُهينُ الصَيدَ مَن صادا

ما كُلُّ حينٍ يُهينُ الصَيدَ مَن صادا

You have caught my heart and laid lasting humiliation upon it;

You spurned my heart and poured disgrace on it

The hunter does not always humiliate his prey.

Not every time does the hunter humiliate the hunted

قالَت عُبَيدَةُ إِنّي سَوفَ أُعتِبُكُم

قالَت عُبَيدَةُ إِنّي سَوفَ أُعتِبُكُم

إِن غَيَّبَ اللَهُ عَن مَمشايَ حُسّادا

إِن غَيَّبَ اللَهُ عَن مَمشايَ حُسّادا

ʿUbayda said, “I shall make amends to you,

Ubaydah said, I will blame you

If God keeps the envious away from my path.”

If God keeps the envious away from my path

سَقياً وَرَعياً عَلى ما كانَ مِن زَمَنٍ

سَقياً وَرَعياً عَلى ما كانَ مِن زَمَنٍ

لِذَلِكَ الشَخصِ أَبدى البُخلَ أَم جادا

لِذَلِكَ الشَخصِ أَبدى البُخلَ أَم جادا

May rain and protection be granted, whatever the times have been,

Whether he was stingy or generous with the man

To that person, whether showing stinginess or giving freely.

From that time of rain and pasture