وَلَما أَبى إِلا جَفاءً مُعذِّبي

دَعوتُ لَهُ أَن يُبتَلى بِهِيامِ

When he insisted on tormenting me cruelly,

I prayed he'd be afflicted with love's agony,

وَكانَ دُعائي اللَهَ وَقتَ إِجابَةٍ

فَها هُوَ ذا في لَوعَةٍ وَغَرامِ

And my prayer was answered instantly by God;

Now he's in anguish and passion's gravity,

يَذوقُ مِن الهِجرانِ ما قَد أَذاقَني

وَيَسقَمُ مِنهُ الجسمُ مِثلَ سَقامي

Tasting from separation what he made me taste,

His body sickening just like my malady,

وَكانَ بَخيلاً بِالوِصالِ فَحُبُّهُ

غَدا باخِلاً حَتّى بِطَيفِ مَنامِ

Once sparing of union, his love now

Has grown sparing even of dreams of me,

وَعُلِّقتهُ رِيماً وَعُلِّقَ آخَرا

هَوى آخَراً يَهذِي بِبَدرِ تمامِ

I left him pining, and another has pined

For another, raving for one in full bloom,

وَعلّقَ أُخرى حَبَّها آخَرٌ هَوى

أُخيرى غَدَت تَهذِي بآخرَ رامِ

And another her love has pined for another,

Who's raved for yet one more in revel and gloom,

فَيا لَكَ مِن حُبٍّ تَسَلسَلَ كُلُّنا

حَليفُ أَسىً هامِي المَدامِعِ دامِ

Oh, what an interlinked chain of love we are,

Allies of sorrow, my tears flowing as I pine,

أَقَمنا بِكَهفِ الحُبِّ عِدَّةُ صُحبَةٍ

وَأَوَّلُنا بِالبابِ شَرُ مُقامِ

We dwelt in love's cave, boon companions for years,

I by the door, with the worst place to pine,

تصَعّدُ أَنفاسُ المُحبين في الهَوى

إِلَيهِ فَيَبقى في أَليمِ أوامِ

The breaths of lovers rise up to it in passion,

Remaining in painful, ceaseless pant and pine,

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّا قَد جُمِعنا فَنَشتَكي

اليمَ الهَوى أَو نَشتَفي بِكَلامِ

Would that we gathered to speak of love's agony,

Or gain solace, conversing line after line,

كَفانا وِصالاً أَن يُكَلِّمَ بَعضُنا

لِبَعضٍ وَلَو كَلما برجعِ سَلامِ

Enough union for us to talk together,

Even if just to exchange greetings benign!