أَحباب قَلبيَ جاروا في تَقلّبهم

أَحباب قَلبيَ جاروا في تَقلّبهم

وَذُقتُ مُرَّ التَجَنّي مِن تَجنّبهم

وَذُقتُ مُرَّ التَجَنّي مِن تَجنّبهم

My heart's beloveds wronged me in their fickleness,

My beloved friends have wandered in their turning away,

And I tasted the bitterness of unjust treatment from their shunning me.

And I have tasted the bitterness of their avoidance.

يا صاح إِن نِلتَ حَظّاً مِن تَقرُّبِهم

يا صاح إِن نِلتَ حَظّاً مِن تَقرُّبِهم

قُل لِلذين جَفوني إِذ لَهجت بِهم

قُل لِلذين جَفوني إِذ لَهجت بِهم

O friend, if you gain a share of their closeness,

O companion, if you gain closeness to them,

Tell those who shunned me when I was devoted to them

Tell those who shunned me when I spoke of them:

دون الأَنام وَخَير القَول أَصدقهُ

دون الأَنام وَخَير القَول أَصدقهُ

يا مالكين الحَشا مِنّي بِهيبَتِكُم

يا مالكين الحَشا مِنّي بِهيبَتِكُم

To the exclusion of all others—and the best words are the truest:

Above all people, truth is the best speech.

O you who possess my inmost heart through the awe you inspire,

O you who awe me with your sternness,

وَمسعرين لَظى وَجدي بِغيبتكم

وَمسعرين لَظى وَجدي بِغيبتكم

إِنّي وَإِن لَم تراعوا عَهد صحبتكم

إِنّي وَإِن لَم تراعوا عَهد صحبتكم

And kindle the blaze of my longing through your absence,

And kindle my love with your distance,

I, though you have not kept the pledge of your friendship,

Though you do not keep our companionship,

أحبّكم وَهلاكي في محبّتكُم

أحبّكم وَهلاكي في محبّتكُم

كَعابد النار يَهواها وَتحرقهُ

كَعابد النار يَهواها وَتحرقهُ

Love you, and my ruin lies in loving you,

I love you, though in loving you lies my ruin,

Like a worshipper of fire: he loves it, and it burns him.

Like a fire-worshipper in love with the flames that consume him.