يا أبا الفضْلِ إنْ تغِبْ عن سوا

يا أبا الفضْلِ إنْ تغِبْ عن سوا

دِ العيْنِ ما غِبْتَ عنْ سَوادِ الفؤادِ

دِ العيْنِ ما غِبْتَ عنْ سَوادِ الفؤادِ

O Abu al-Fadl, though you be absent from the dark—

O Abu al-Fadl, if you are absent from the pupil

—ness of the eye, you are not absent from the heart’s dark core.

of the eye, you have not been absent from the heart’s core.

صارَ يوْمُ السّرورِ بعْدَكَ ليْلاً

صارَ يوْمُ السّرورِ بعْدَكَ ليْلاً

ووَثيرُ المِهادِ شوْكَ القَتادِ

ووَثيرُ المِهادِ شوْكَ القَتادِ

After you, a day of joy has become night for me,

In your absence, the day of joy has turned to night,

and the soft bed, thorns of the qatād.

and soft bedding has become the thorns of the qatad bush.

وكأنّ الجُفونَ إذ غِبْتَ عنْها

وكأنّ الجُفونَ إذ غِبْتَ عنْها

نَحَرَتْ دمْعَها لضَيْفِ السُّهادِ

نَحَرَتْ دمْعَها لضَيْفِ السُّهادِ

It is as though the eyelids, once you were gone from them,

And it is as though the eyelids, when you were absent from them,

slaughtered their tears for their guest, sleeplessness.

slaughtered their tears for sleeplessness, their guest.