نَبا الجَنبُ منّي عنْ وَثيرِ مِهدِهِ

نَبا الجَنبُ منّي عنْ وَثيرِ مِهدِهِ

وحالَف منّي الجَفْنَ طولُ سُهادِهِ

وحالَف منّي الجَفْنَ طولُ سُهادِهِ

My side has recoiled from its soft bed,

My companionship kept me from resting in my bed

and long sleeplessness has made a pact with my eyelid.

And my eyelids swore to the length of my pillow

وممّا شَجاني والشّجونُ كثيرةٌ

وممّا شَجاني والشّجونُ كثيرةٌ

ولا غَرْوَ أن يَشْقَى امْرُؤٌ ببِعادِهِ

ولا غَرْوَ أن يَشْقَى امْرُؤٌ ببِعادِهِ

And one thing that grieved me—and sorrows are many,

Of the many sorrows that afflicted me

and no wonder a man suffers through his separation—

It's no wonder a man suffers when parted

تذكّرْتُهُ فرْخَ القَطاةِ فأسْرعَتْ

تذكّرْتُهُ فرْخَ القَطاةِ فأسْرعَتْ

دُموعيَ تهْمي ويْلَها لانْفِرادِهِ

دُموعيَ تهْمي ويْلَها لانْفِرادِهِ

was remembering him, a sandgrouse chick; and swiftly

I remembered him, a young bird, and quickly

my tears streamed—alas for them!—at his solitude.

My tears rushed forth, woe to their solitude

وما حالُ جِسْمٍ ظاعِنٍ حالَ بينَهُ

وما حالُ جِسْمٍ ظاعِنٍ حالَ بينَهُ

قَضاءٌ جَرى حَتْمًا وبيْنَ فُؤادِهِ

قَضاءٌ جَرى حَتْمًا وبيْنَ فُؤادِهِ

And how fares a departing body, severed

What's the state of a fading body when

from its heart by a decree that inexorably came to pass?

Fate came decisively between it and its heart

إذا شِئْتُ أن أحْظى إليْهِ بنظْرَةٍ

إذا شِئْتُ أن أحْظى إليْهِ بنظْرَةٍ

تُسكِّنُ ما أوْرى الجَوى منْ زِنادِهِ

تُسكِّنُ ما أوْرى الجَوى منْ زِنادِهِ

Whenever I wish to enjoy a glimpse of him

If I wanted to gaze upon him with a look

that soothes what longing has kindled from its flints,

That would soothe the burning of longing in my chest

جعَلْتُ كِتابي ناظِري ولَحَظْتُهُ

جعَلْتُ كِتابي ناظِري ولَحَظْتُهُ

بناظِرَةٍ منْ طِرْسِهِ ومِدادِهِ

بناظِرَةٍ منْ طِرْسِهِ ومِدادِهِ

I make my letter my eye and look upon him

I made my writings my eyes, glancing at him

through an eye of its parchment and ink.

With a gaze from his pages and ink

سَميَّ الأبِ الأحْنى وأيُّ وَسيلَةٍ

سَميَّ الأبِ الأحْنى وأيُّ وَسيلَةٍ

تَخُصُّكَ منْ قَلْبي بمَحْضِ وِدادِهِ

تَخُصُّكَ منْ قَلْبي بمَحْضِ وِدادِهِ

O namesake of the tenderest father—and what a bond

Exalted Father, what means can distinguish you

singles you out for my heart's unalloyed love!

In my heart with pure affection and love

أعِنْدَكَ عبْدَ اللهِ عِلْمٌ بأنّني

أعِنْدَكَ عبْدَ اللهِ عِلْمٌ بأنّني

رَمى الصّبْرُ منّي للأسى بقِيادِهِ

رَمى الصّبْرُ منّي للأسى بقِيادِهِ

Do you know, Abd Allah, that

Abdullah, do you know that I

my patience has surrendered its reins to sorrow?

Cast off patience for grief to lead me

وقد كانَ يَشْفيني الخَيالُ إذا سرَى

وقد كانَ يَشْفيني الخَيالُ إذا سرَى

وكيْفَ لجَفْني في الهَوى برُقادِهِ

وكيْفَ لجَفْني في الهَوى برُقادِهِ

And the dream-image used to heal me when it came by night;

Imagining him soothed me when it passed

yet how can my eyelid find its sleep amid longing?

But how can my eyelids rest without him

تَناءَيْتُ عنْ دارِ النّعيمِ لشِقْوَتي

تَناءَيْتُ عنْ دارِ النّعيمِ لشِقْوَتي

وأسْكَنَني الرّحْمانُ شرَّ بِلادِهِ

وأسْكَنَني الرّحْمانُ شرَّ بِلادِهِ

I went far from the abode of bliss, through my misery,

I turned from the house of bliss in my misery

and the All-Merciful lodged me in the worst of His lands,

And the Merciful settled me in the worst of lands

بمُنْقَطِع الرّملِ الذي مَنْ ثَوى بهِ

بمُنْقَطِع الرّملِ الذي مَنْ ثَوى بهِ

فقدْ بانَ في الدُّنْيا ضَلالُ ارْتيادِهِ

فقدْ بانَ في الدُّنْيا ضَلالُ ارْتيادِهِ

at the far edge of the sands, where, for whoever dwells there,

In desolate sands where one who takes refuge

the folly of his search is plain in this world.

Wanders lost, in the mortal world and its ways

مَجالٌ لأفْراسِ الرِّياحِ إذا جَرَتْ

مَجالٌ لأفْراسِ الرِّياحِ إذا جَرَتْ

فليْسَ بِخالٍ ساعَةً منْ طِرادِهِ

فليْسَ بِخالٍ ساعَةً منْ طِرادِهِ

A racecourse for the steeds of the winds when they run,

A place for the winds’ horses when they race

so it is never free, even for an hour, of their galloping.

No hour is empty of their pursuit

أُعانِيهِما بحْرَيْنِ بحْراً منَ العِدَى

أُعانِيهِما بحْرَيْنِ بحْراً منَ العِدَى

لهُ ثَبَجٌ من بَيْضِهِ وصِعادِهِ

لهُ ثَبَجٌ من بَيْضِهِ وصِعادِهِ

I endure them both—two seas: a sea of foes,

I suffer two seas, a sea of injustice

with a swell of its gleaming swords and spears,

With white foam and murk

وبَحْراً من الماءِ الأُجاجِ تَروعُنا

وبَحْراً من الماءِ الأُجاجِ تَروعُنا

رَوائِعُ من أهْوالِهِ في اشْتِدادِهِ

رَوائِعُ من أهْوالِهِ في اشْتِدادِهِ

and a sea of bitter brine: we are terrified

And a sea of bitter water that makes me shake

by terrors from its perils as its fury mounts.

With dreadful terrors in its swelling

عَسى اللهُ يُدْني ساعَةَ القُرْبِ واللِّقا

عَسى اللهُ يُدْني ساعَةَ القُرْبِ واللِّقا

ويَجْعَلُ جُهْدي في سَبيلِ جِهادِهِ

ويَجْعَلُ جُهْدي في سَبيلِ جِهادِهِ

May God bring near the hour of closeness and reunion,

May God bring near the hour of nearness and meeting

and direct my effort along the path of striving for Him.

And make my effort in the path of struggling for Him