أبيني هَلْ لوصلِك من سبيل

أبيني هَلْ لوصلِك من سبيل

فنجمُ العمرِ آذَنَ بالأفولِ

فنجمُ العمرِ آذَنَ بالأفولِ

Tell me plainly: is there any way to union with you?

Show me, is there a way to your affection?

For life's star has given notice of its setting.

For the star of my life foretells its setting,

وَقلبي يوم سرتِ به صباحاً

وَقلبي يوم سرتِ به صباحاً

إذِ العبراتُ كالغيثِ الهطولِ

إذِ العبراتُ كالغيثِ الهطولِ

And my heart, the morning you carried it away,

And my heart, that morn you carried away,

When tears were like pouring rain,

While tears poured like heavy rain.

عناءٌ شَفَّه وَأنا عليل

عناءٌ شَفَّه وَأنا عليل

فرِفْقاً بالمعنّى والعليل

فرِفْقاً بالمعنّى والعليل

Was wasted by suffering, and I am ill;

It was anguish that made me infirm,

So be gentle with the tormented and the ailing.

So gently, for one in pain and frail.

إذا أزمعتِ مَنْعَ الوصلِ عنّي

إذا أزمعتِ مَنْعَ الوصلِ عنّي

فإني منك راضٍ بالقليل

فإني منك راضٍ بالقليل

If you resolve to withhold union from me,

If you intend to deny me your love,

Then I am content with little from you.

I will be content with but little from you.

عديني وَأمطلي بالله يوماً

عديني وَأمطلي بالله يوماً

وَإنْ أخلفتِ ما أنا بالملول

وَإنْ أخلفتِ ما أنا بالملول

Promise me, and put me off a day, for God's sake;

Put me off, keep me waiting, by God, for a day,

And even if you break your promise, I am not one to tire.

Though if you break faith, I'll not complain.

أما وَجمالها وَعظيم وَجدي

أما وَجمالها وَعظيم وَجدي

وَطرفٍ قد سحرتِ به كحيل

وَطرفٍ قد سحرتِ به كحيل

Indeed, by her beauty and my great longing,

By her beauty so fair, by my passion so strong,

And by a kohl-dark eye with which you have bewitched me,

By the eyes whose sorcery captured my soul,

وَوَقفة شاعرٍ يشكو هواه

وَوَقفة شاعرٍ يشكو هواه

عَلى الدِمَنِ البوالي والطلول

عَلى الدِمَنِ البوالي والطلول

And by a poet's pause as he laments his love

By the stand of a poet who pours out his love

At the timeworn traces of encampments and the ruins,

On the ruined abodes and the lonely night,

بكيتُ تظلّماً منها إليها

بكيتُ تظلّماً منها إليها

فما أغنى بكائي من فتيل

فما أغنى بكائي من فتيل

I wept, complaining of her injustice to her;

I wept my lament to her, and for her,

But my weeping availed not so much as a thread.

But my weeping could not rekindle our fire.