قد كنتُ أحسبُ أن الشوقَ يُرجِعُهُ

قد كنتُ أحسبُ أن الشوقَ يُرجِعُهُ

وأنّ دمعَ المآقي سوف يُرضيهِ

وأنّ دمعَ المآقي سوف يُرضيهِ

I once believed that yearning would bring him back,

I had thought that longing would bring him back,

and that tears from the corners of my eyes would please him.

And that tears from the corners of my eyes would please him.

لكنّهُ صدّ عن قلبي فأوجَعهُ

لكنّهُ صدّ عن قلبي فأوجَعهُ

ياليتهُ قد درى عمّا أقاسيهِ

ياليتهُ قد درى عمّا أقاسيهِ

But he turned away from my heart and wounded it;

But he turned away from my heart and so wounded it.

if only he knew what I endure.

Oh, if only he knew what I endure.

وليتَ عينيهِ مِن بعد الجفاءِ ترى

وليتَ عينيهِ مِن بعد الجفاءِ ترى

تقلُّب الروحِ من تيهٍ إلى تيهِ

تقلُّب الروحِ من تيهٍ إلى تيهِ

Would that his eyes, after all this estrangement, could see

And if only his eyes, after such coldness, could see

the soul tossed from one wilderness of bewilderment to another.

The soul's tossing from one bewilderment to another.

يا من سقاني لذيذَ الحُب من يدهِ

يا من سقاني لذيذَ الحُب من يدهِ

إني ظمِئتُ فمَن للقلبِ يرويهِ!

إني ظمِئتُ فمَن للقلبِ يرويهِ!

O you who gave me love’s sweet draught from your hand,

O you who gave me sweet love to drink from your hand,

I thirst—who, then, will give my heart to drink?

Indeed, I have grown thirsty—so who will quench my heart's thirst?

قد مسّهُ منكَ داءٌ لا شفاءَ لهُ

قد مسّهُ منكَ داءٌ لا شفاءَ لهُ

وأنتَ وحدكَ دونَ الناسِ تشفيهِ

وأنتَ وحدكَ دونَ الناسِ تشفيهِ

A malady from you has touched it, for which there is no cure;

An incurable illness from you has touched it,

and you alone, of all people, can heal it.

And you alone, of all people, can heal it.

يا أجملَ الناس في عيني ويا أملاً

يا أجملَ الناس في عيني ويا أملاً

لطالما بِتُّ في ليلي أناجيهِ

لطالما بِتُّ في ليلي أناجيهِ

O fairest of all people in my eyes, O hope of mine,

O most beautiful of people in my eyes, and O hope

many a night I have spent communing with him.

To whom I have so often whispered through my nights.

سأحفظُ العهدَ إن طالَ البعادُ بنا

سأحفظُ العهدَ إن طالَ البعادُ بنا

وأكتمُ الشوقَ في قلبي وأخفيهِ

وأكتمُ الشوقَ في قلبي وأخفيهِ

I will keep our covenant, however long our separation lasts,

I will keep the pledge, even if our separation lasts long,

and conceal the yearning in my heart and hide it.

And conceal longing in my heart and hide it,

لأنّ روحكَ في جنبيّ ساكنةٌ

لأنّ روحكَ في جنبيّ ساكنةٌ

فليحفظ اللهُ قلبي والذي فيهِ

فليحفظ اللهُ قلبي والذي فيهِ

For your spirit dwells within my breast;

For your soul dwells between my sides,

so may God preserve my heart—and the one within it.

So may God protect my heart and the one within it.