هُوَ البينُ لا تَعصِي الدُمُوعُ لَهُ أَمرا

هُوَ البينُ لا تَعصِي الدُمُوعُ لَهُ أَمرا

فَعُذراً إِلى العُذّال في فَيضِها عُذرا

فَعُذراً إِلى العُذّال في فَيضِها عُذرا

It is separation: tears disobey none of its commands.

He is the one whom tears do not disobey his command

So pardon their overflowing, you reproachers—pardon.

So pleading to the reproacher is excused in its outpouring

وَتعساً لأحداثِ الليالي فَإِنَّها

وَتعساً لأحداثِ الليالي فَإِنَّها

مَسالِمَةٌ يَوماً وَحارِبَةٌ دَهرا

مَسالِمَةٌ يَوماً وَحارِبَةٌ دَهرا

And woe to the calamities of the nights, for they

And woe to the nights' events, for they

Make peace for a day and wage war for an age.

Are peaceful one day and warring for ages

فِراقُكَ عَبدَ اللَهِ لَم يَدَعِ الهَوى

فِراقُكَ عَبدَ اللَهِ لَم يَدَعِ الهَوى

عَلى حالِهِ أَو يُجمَعَ الماءُ وَالجَمرا

عَلى حالِهِ أَو يُجمَعَ الماءُ وَالجَمرا

Your parting, Abd Allah, has not left love

Being parted from you, O Abdullah, did not leave passion

As it was—unless water and embers can be joined.

In its state, or allow water and ember to join

وَما هِيَ إِلّا أَدمُعٌ وَلَواعِجٌ

وَما هِيَ إِلّا أَدمُعٌ وَلَواعِجٌ

يُميتُ الغَرامُ الصَبرَ بَينَهُما صَبرا

يُميتُ الغَرامُ الصَبرَ بَينَهُما صَبرا

And it is nothing but tears and searing pangs;

And it is but tears and burning misery

Passion puts patience to death between them, held captive.

Passion kills patience between them both

فَمِن فُرقَةٍ قاسَيتُها بَعدَ فُرقَةٍ

فَمِن فُرقَةٍ قاسَيتُها بَعدَ فُرقَةٍ

وَمِن لَوَعَةٍ في إِثرِها لَوعَةٌ أُخرى

وَمِن لَوَعَةٍ في إِثرِها لَوعَةٌ أُخرى

For I have endured parting after parting,

So from a separation I suffered, after another separation

And anguish with another anguish in its wake.

And from anguish, in its wake, another anguish

وَقَد فارَقَ الأَحبابَ قَومٌ فَأَسبَلُوا

وَقَد فارَقَ الأَحبابَ قَومٌ فَأَسبَلُوا

دُمُوعَهُمُ بَيضاً وَأَسبَلتُها حُمرا

دُمُوعَهُمُ بَيضاً وَأَسبَلتُها حُمرا

And some have parted from loved ones and shed

Lovers departed and shed

Their tears white, while I have shed mine red.

Their tears white and I shed them red

وَما وَدّعُوا إِلّا أُناساً كَمِثلِهِم

وَما وَدّعُوا إِلّا أُناساً كَمِثلِهِم

وَوَدّعت مِنكَ الغُصنَ وَالقمرَ البَدرا

وَوَدّعت مِنكَ الغُصنَ وَالقمرَ البَدرا

And they bade farewell only to people like themselves,

And they bid farewell but to the like of them

While in you I bade farewell to the bough and the full moon.

While from you I bid farewell to the bough and the full moon

فَيا كَبِدِي زِيدي ضَنىً وَصَبابَةً

فَيا كَبِدِي زِيدي ضَنىً وَصَبابَةً

وَيا جَلَدِي لَن تَستَطيع مَعي صَبرا

وَيا جَلَدِي لَن تَستَطيع مَعي صَبرا

So, O my liver, increase in wasting sickness and yearning,

So my heart, increase your woe and homesickness

And, O my fortitude, you will not be able to endure with me.

And my skin, you will not endure patience with me