عِدِينِي بِوَصل وَامْطلِي بِنجَازه

عِدِينِي بِوَصل وَامْطلِي بِنجَازه

فَعِندِي إِذا صَحَّ الهَوَى حسن المطل

فَعِندِي إِذا صَحَّ الهَوَى حسن المطل

Promise me union, and delay its fulfillment.

Bring me back with reunion and fulfill me with success,

For when love is true, delay is sweet to me.

For I have, when love is sound, a beautiful hope.

وَلا تُشمِتِي بِيَ العِدا مِن عداتِها

وَلا تُشمِتِي بِيَ العِدا مِن عداتِها

فَحل الأَذى لَيْسَ الردَى مَعْنَا سَهل

فَحل الأَذى لَيْسَ الردَى مَعْنَا سَهل

And do not let enemies gloat over me because of her promises.

And do not let the enemies gloat over me,

For harm, unlike death, is easy for us to undo.

For though harm is not easy, being lost is no refuge.

وَقَطع حِبال الودِّ عارٌ وَأَنتُمُ

وَقَطع حِبال الودِّ عارٌ وَأَنتُمُ

أَعَز جَنابا أَن يَنالُكُم العَذل

أَعَز جَنابا أَن يَنالُكُم العَذل

And severing the cords of affection is a disgrace, while you

And breaking the ropes of affection is disgraceful while you

Are too noble in dignity for reproach to reach you.

Are too noble for blame to reach you.

وَلا تَبْخَلوا بِالوَصلِ عَني فَإِنَّكُم

وَلا تَبْخَلوا بِالوَصلِ عَني فَإِنَّكُم

أَجَلُّ مَقَاما أَنْ يضاف لكُم بُخل

أَجَلُّ مَقَاما أَنْ يضاف لكُم بُخل

And do not withhold union from me, for you

Do not be miserly with union from me, for you

Are too lofty in station for stinginess to be ascribed to you.

Are too lofty for stinginess to be added to you.

وعُودوا وَلَوْ بِالطيفِ مَرضَى جَفاكُمُ

وعُودوا وَلَوْ بِالطيفِ مَرضَى جَفاكُمُ

وَلا تَقتُلُوا بِالصَّد من لا لهُ حَول

وَلا تَقتُلُوا بِالصَّد من لا لهُ حَول

And visit those sick from your estrangement, even if only as a dream apparition.

And return even with an apparition, patients of your abandonment,

And do not kill by rejection one who has no strength.

And do not kill with avoidance those who have no power.

فَما ذَنبُ صاب ما لَها قَطُّ عَنكُمُ

فَما ذَنبُ صاب ما لَها قَطُّ عَنكُمُ

وَمَا عيب صبَّ فِي هَواكُم لَما يَسلو

وَمَا عيب صبَّ فِي هَواكُم لَما يَسلو

So what fault has a yearning lover who has never turned away from you?

For she is not at fault, who is passionate without you,

And what flaw has a lover who has not yet ceased loving you?

Nor the one who poured her love for you when asked.

إِلَى من أشاكِي ضَيعَتِي وَقِلاكُمُ

إِلَى من أشاكِي ضَيعَتِي وَقِلاكُمُ

وَقَد عيل صَبرِي عَنكُمُ وَلَكُم فَضل

وَقَد عيل صَبرِي عَنكُمُ وَلَكُم فَضل

To whom shall I complain of my abandonment and your aversion,

To whom shall I complain of my loss and your paucity,

While my patience apart from you is spent, though bounty is yours?

When my patience for you has been depleted, yet yours has merit?

فَأَيْنَ ذِمام العَهدِ يا غايَة المُنَى

فَأَيْنَ ذِمام العَهدِ يا غايَة المُنَى

لَقَد سَاء حسْن الظن وانقَطع الحَبل

لَقَد سَاء حسْن الظن وانقَطع الحَبل

Where, then, is the obligation of the pledge, O goal of all longing?

Where are the reins of the covenant, O utmost of wishes?

Indeed, hopeful trust has soured, and the cord has snapped.

Good faith has been evil, and the rope has been cut.

وَطالَ انتِظارِي لَيلَةً بَعد لَيلَةٍ

وَطالَ انتِظارِي لَيلَةً بَعد لَيلَةٍ

بَشِيرا وَلَو فِي النَّومِ تَتبَعُه الرسل

بَشِيرا وَلَو فِي النَّومِ تَتبَعُه الرسل

And my waiting has grown long, night after night,

My wait has been prolonged, night after night,

For a bearer of glad tidings, even in sleep, followed by messengers.

For good news, even if in sleep, followed by messages.

لَعَلَّ جَواباً فِي كِتاب لَدَيهِمُ

لَعَلَّ جَواباً فِي كِتاب لَدَيهِمُ

يعزّي مصاباً خانَه فِيكُمُ الوَصل

يعزّي مصاباً خانَه فِيكُمُ الوَصل

Perhaps a reply in a letter they hold

Perhaps a reply in a letter they have,

Will console a stricken man whom union with you has betrayed.

That would console an afflicted one, whose union with you has betrayed him.

فَمَا حِيلَةُ المَطْرودِ مِن بابِ نَيلِكُم

فَمَا حِيلَةُ المَطْرودِ مِن بابِ نَيلِكُم

وَمَا عِلة المَشدُودِ مِن فَضلِكُم حَل

وَمَا عِلة المَشدُودِ مِن فَضلِكُم حَل

So what recourse has one driven from the door of your bounty?

What can the outcast do, shut from your door?

And for the fettered one's affliction, what release comes from your bounty?

Or the shackled, deprived of your grace?

وَما يَصنَعُ المَهجُور إِن سَبَقَ القَضا

وَما يَصنَعُ المَهجُور إِن سَبَقَ القَضا

بِحِرمانِهِ مِن وَصْلكم فَلَهُ الوَيل

بِحِرمانِهِ مِن وَصْلكم فَلَهُ الوَيل

And what can the forsaken do if fate has decreed beforehand

What can the abandoned do, if destiny

That he be denied union with you? Then woe is his.

Has forbidden him your company? Woe to him!

وَمن يَقصِد الآمال مِن بَعد هَذِهِ

وَمن يَقصِد الآمال مِن بَعد هَذِهِ

إِذا لَم تُواسُوا ضائِعاً مَا لَهُ أَهل

إِذا لَم تُواسُوا ضائِعاً مَا لَهُ أَهل

And who will pursue hopes after this,

And who can seek hopes after this,

If you do not console a forlorn man who has no kin?

If you did not console the lost one who has no people?