أبا العبّاس تهجرني لذنبٍ

أبا العبّاس تهجرني لذنبٍ

فإن يك هو حبّك لا أتوبُ

فإن يك هو حبّك لا أتوبُ

O Abū al-ʿAbbās, do you forsake me for an offense?

O Abu al-Abbas, you forsake me for a sin;

If that offense is loving you, I shall not repent.

If it is my love for you, I shall not repent.

وَصَبري عنك أنّك في فؤادي

وَصَبري عنك أنّك في فؤادي

وَما صبري ومن أهوى قريبُ

وَما صبري ومن أهوى قريبُ

My patience in being apart from you comes from your being in my heart;

And I endure your absence because you are in my heart;

and what need have I of patience when the one I love is near?

And what need have I of patience, when the one I love is near?

فَلو كانَت مودّتنا لأمرٍ

فَلو كانَت مودّتنا لأمرٍ

لأوشَك أن تُقلّبها القلوبُ

لأوشَك أن تُقلّبها القلوبُ

If our affection were founded on some motive,

For if our affection were for some purpose,

hearts would soon overturn it.

Hearts would soon have changed it.

وَلكنّا لِمَعرفةٍ وعهدٍ

وَلكنّا لِمَعرفةٍ وعهدٍ

وَرأيُك فيهما الرأي المصيبُ

وَرأيُك فيهما الرأي المصيبُ

But ours rests on mutual understanding and a covenant,

But we are bound by acquaintance and a pledge,

and yours, concerning both, is the unerring judgment.

And your judgment on both is the right judgment.