أراقك حسن غيبه لك تأريق

أراقك حسن غيبه لك تأريق

وتبريد وصل سره فيك تحريق

وتبريد وصل سره فيك تحريق

Has beauty charmed you, though its absence leaves you sleepless,

His beauty's absence keeps you sleepless through the night

Are you charmed by a beauty whose unseen depth brings you sleeplessness,

and the coolness of union, whose secret is burning within you,

While nearness to him burns longing in your soul

And the soothing coolness of union whose secret burns within you,

وقرب مزار يقتضي لك فرقة

وقرب مزار يقتضي لك فرقة

وشيكا ولولا القرب لم يك تفريق

وشيكا ولولا القرب لم يك تفريق

and the nearness of a visit that brings you separation

And though his grave is close, still you must stay apart

And a nearness of visitation that portends an imminent

soon—and were it not for nearness, there would be no parting—

If not for closeness, separation would not hold

Parting—for were it not for closeness, there would be no separation,

ولذة طعم معقب لك علقماً

ولذة طعم معقب لك علقماً

وصابا وفسح في تضاعيفه ضيق

وصابا وفسح في تضاعيفه ضيق

and the pleasure of a taste that brings you colocynth

The sweetest taste will leave a bitter aftertaste

And a sweet taste that leaves behind only bitter colocynth

and bitter sap, and spaciousness with constriction in its folds?

And joy gives way to confines that restrict and choke

And aloes, and an expanse within whose folds lies suffocating constriction?