أيَّامُ قُرْبِكَ عِنْدي مَا لَهَا ثَمَنُ

أيَّامُ قُرْبِكَ عِنْدي مَا لَهَا ثَمَنُ

لَكِنَّنِي صَدَّنِي عَنْ قُرْبِكَ الزَّمَنُ

لَكِنَّنِي صَدَّنِي عَنْ قُرْبِكَ الزَّمَنُ

The days of your nearness, to me, are beyond all price.

The days of being near you are priceless to me.

But Time has barred me from drawing near to you.

But time has kept me from your nearness.

حَطَطْتُ بَعْدَكَ يَاأَهْلِي وَيَاوَطَنِي

حَطَطْتُ بَعْدَكَ يَاأَهْلِي وَيَاوَطَنِي

رَحْلَ الْغَرِيبِ فَلاَ أَهْلٌ وَلاَ وَطَنُ

رَحْلَ الْغَرِيبِ فَلاَ أَهْلٌ وَلاَ وَطَنُ

Away from you, O my family, O my homeland, I set down

After leaving you, O my family and O my homeland, I set down

a stranger’s baggage—no family now, no homeland.

A stranger's saddle—with no family and no homeland.

قَدْ حَلَّ حُبُّكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي بِمَنْزِلهٍ

قَدْ حَلَّ حُبُّكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي بِمَنْزِلهٍ

لاَ الْمَاءُ يَجْرِي مَجَارِيهَا وَلاَ اللَّبَنُ

لاَ الْمَاءُ يَجْرِي مَجَارِيهَا وَلاَ اللَّبَنُ

Your love has taken up, within my heart, a dwelling

Your love has settled in a place within my heart

whose channels neither water nor milk can ever run.

Through whose channels neither water nor milk flows.

لَمَّا تَحَمَّلتُ عَنْكَ الرَّكْبَ مُرْتَحِلاً

لَمَّا تَحَمَّلتُ عَنْكَ الرَّكْبَ مُرْتَحِلاً

وَالْقَلْبُ فِيكَ غَدَاةَ الْبَيْنِ مُرْتَهَنُ

وَالْقَلْبُ فِيكَ غَدَاةَ الْبَيْنِ مُرْتَهَنُ

When, departing, I let the caravan bear me away from you,

When I set out from you, departing with the caravan,

my heart, that morning of parting, remained with you in pawn.

And my heart lay pledged to you on the morning of parting.

وَلاَ واللهِ مَا سَكَنَتْ نَفْسِي إِلَى أَحَدٍ

وَلاَ واللهِ مَا سَكَنَتْ نَفْسِي إِلَى أَحَدٍ

يَوْماً وَلاَ رَاقَ عَيْنِي مَنْظَرٌ حَسَنُ

يَوْماً وَلاَ رَاقَ عَيْنِي مَنْظَرٌ حَسَنُ

By God, never has my soul found rest in anyone,

And no, by God, my soul has found rest with no one,

nor has any lovely sight ever pleased my eye.

Even for a day; nor has a lovely sight pleased my eye.

كَمْ لِي بِرَبْعِكَ مِنْ أُنْسٍ وَمِنْ طَرَبٍ

كَمْ لِي بِرَبْعِكَ مِنْ أُنْسٍ وَمِنْ طَرَبٍ

كَأَنَّمَا كَانَ حُلْماً جَرّه الْوَسَنُ

كَأَنَّمَا كَانَ حُلْماً جَرّه الْوَسَنُ

How much intimacy and rapture were mine in your quarter—

How much companionship and rapture I knew in your dwelling!

as though it had all been a dream spun out by drowsiness.

As though it had been a dream brought on by drowsiness.

وَالأَمْرُ أَمْرِي والدُّنْيَا مُسَخَّرَةٌ

وَالأَمْرُ أَمْرِي والدُّنْيَا مُسَخَّرَةٌ

وَكُلَ قَصْدٍ بِهِ الإِسْعَادُ مُقْتَرِنُ

وَكُلَ قَصْدٍ بِهِ الإِسْعَادُ مُقْتَرِنُ

Then command was mine, and the world lay at my service,

And command was mine, and the world was at my bidding,

and good fortune attended every purpose.

And every aim was coupled with success,

حَتَّى تَنَبَّهَ جَفْنُ الدَّهْر مِنْ سِنَةٍ

حَتَّى تَنَبَّهَ جَفْنُ الدَّهْر مِنْ سِنَةٍ

وَالدَّهْرُ مُضْطَرِبٌ وَالحُرُّ مُمْتَحَنُ

وَالدَّهْرُ مُضْطَرِبٌ وَالحُرُّ مُمْتَحَنُ

Until the eyelid of Time awakened from its slumber:

Until time's eyelid awoke from a doze;

Time turned turbulent, and the noble man was put to trial.

And time was in turmoil, and the free man was put to the test.

حَمَامَةَ الْلبَانِ مَا هَذَا الْبُكَاءُ عَلَى

حَمَامَةَ الْلبَانِ مَا هَذَا الْبُكَاءُ عَلَى

مَرِّ الزَّمَانِ وَهَذا الشَّجْو وَالشَّجَن

مَرِّ الزَّمَانِ وَهَذا الشَّجْو وَالشَّجَن

O dove of al-Labān, why all this weeping over

O dove of the frankincense tree, why this weeping over

the passage of time, this ache, this sorrow?

The passing of time, and this sorrow and grief?

لاَ مَسكنٌ بِنْتَ عَنْهُ أَنْتَ تَنْدُبُهُ

لاَ مَسكنٌ بِنْتَ عَنْهُ أَنْتَ تَنْدُبُهُ

وَلاَ حَبِيبٌ وَلاَ خِلٌّ وَلاَ سكَنُ

وَلاَ حَبِيبٌ وَلاَ خِلٌّ وَلاَ سكَنُ

You have no dwelling you departed from to mourn,

You mourn no dwelling from which you have parted,

no beloved, no true friend, no home.

Nor a beloved, nor a close friend, nor a source of solace.

كَفٌّ خَضِيبٌ وَأطوَاقٌ مُلَوَّنَةٌ

كَفٌّ خَضِيبٌ وَأطوَاقٌ مُلَوَّنَةٌ

مَا هَكَذَا الْبَثُّ يَا وَرْقَاءُ وَالشَّجَنُ

مَا هَكَذَا الْبَثُّ يَا وَرْقَاءُ وَالشَّجَنُ

A henna-dyed palm and many-colored neck-rings—

A dyed hand and colored collars—

this is not how anguish and grief appear, O ring-dove.

Anguish and grief are not like this, O gray dove.

لَوْ كُنْتَ تَنفُثُ عَنْ شَوْقٍ مُنِيتَ بِهِ

لَوْ كُنْتَ تَنفُثُ عَنْ شَوْقٍ مُنِيتَ بِهِ

يَوْماً لَصَارَ رَمَاداً تَحْتَكَ الْغُصُنُ

يَوْماً لَصَارَ رَمَاداً تَحْتَكَ الْغُصُنُ

Had you been breathing out the longing that afflicted you,

Had you breathed out of a longing that afflicted you

the branch beneath you would one day have turned to ash.

For even a day, the bough beneath you would have turned to ash.

يَا نَسْمَةَ الرِّيحِ كَيْفَ الدَّارُ هَلْ عَمَرَتْ

يَا نَسْمَةَ الرِّيحِ كَيْفَ الدَّارُ هَلْ عَمَرَتْ

كَلاَّ وَهَلْ أَخْصَبَتْ مِنْ بَعْدِهاَ الدِّمَنُ

كَلاَّ وَهَلْ أَخْصَبَتْ مِنْ بَعْدِهاَ الدِّمَنُ

O breeze, how is the dwelling? Has it stayed inhabited?

O breath of wind, how is the dwelling? Has it become inhabited?

No—and could the ruined traces have flourished after it?

No! And have the ruined sites grown fertile in its wake?

لَعَلَّ مَنْ قَدْ قَضَى يَوْماً بِفُرْقَتِنَا

لَعَلَّ مَنْ قَدْ قَضَى يَوْماً بِفُرْقَتِنَا

تَحُلُّ مِنْهُ بِرَفْعِ الْفُرقَةِ الْمِنَنُ

تَحُلُّ مِنْهُ بِرَفْعِ الْفُرقَةِ الْمِنَنُ

Perhaps the one who once decreed our separation

Perhaps he who once decreed our separation

will send favors from himself that bring our parting to an end.

Will send down favors by lifting that separation.

نَسْتَغْفُر الله كَمْ للهِ مِنْ مِنَحٍ

نَسْتَغْفُر الله كَمْ للهِ مِنْ مِنَحٍ

لُذْنَا بِهَا بَعْدَ أَنْ لاَذَتْ بِنَا مِحَنُ

لُذْنَا بِهَا بَعْدَ أَنْ لاَذَتْ بِنَا مِحَنُ

We ask God’s forgiveness—how many gifts belong to God,

We seek God's forgiveness—how many gifts are His,

gifts in which we took refuge after trials lodged themselves in us.

In which we took refuge after trials took refuge in us!

وَنَسْأَلُ اللهَ فِي عُقْبَى نُسَرُّ بِهَا

وَنَسْأَلُ اللهَ فِي عُقْبَى نُسَرُّ بِهَا

فَقَدْ تَسَاوَى لَدَيْهِ السِّرُّ وَالْعَلَنُ

فَقَدْ تَسَاوَى لَدَيْهِ السِّرُّ وَالْعَلَنُ

And we beseech God for an outcome in which we may rejoice,

And we ask God for an outcome that will gladden us,

for before Him, secret and open are alike.

For to Him the secret and the open are alike.