سَلِ الدَمعَ عَن عَيني وَعَن جَسَدي المُضنى

وَهَل لَقِيَت عَينايَ بَعدَكُمُ غُمضا

Ask the tears about my eyes, and my weary body,

Have my eyes met with any sleep after you?

وَأَينَ الهَوى مِنّي وَقَد عَضَّتِ النَوى

عَلى كَبِدي الحَرّى بِأَنيابِها عَضّا

Where is passion from me, now that separation has bitten

My burning liver with its fangs violently

تَكُدُّ بِنا بَرّاً وَبَحراً تَعَسُّفاً

وَتورِدُنا أَرضاً وَتُصدِرُنا أَرضا

It drives us uncomfortably by land and sea

And settles us in a land and sends us off from a land

فَلَو أَنَّ ما بي بِالجِبالِ تَضَعضَعَت

وَبِالماءِ لَم يَعذُب وَبِالنَجمِ لاِنقَضّا

If only what is in me trembled with the mountains

And did not flow with sweet water and did not glitter with stars

سَأَخلَعُ ثَوبَ اللَهوِ بَعدَ أَحِبَّتي

وَأَرفُضُ طيبَ العَيشِ بَعدَهُمُ رَفضا

I will take off the clothes of playfulness after my loved ones

And refuse the sweetness of life after them, refusal

كَفى حَزَناً أَنَّ الخُطوبَ سَعَت بِنا

وَأَنَّ بَناتِ الدَهرِ تَركُضُنا رَكضا

It is enough of sorrow that disasters have spread around us

And that the daughters of fate chase us, chasing

وَأَنِّيَ وَقفٌ بَينَ بَثٍّ وَلَوعَةٍ

فَلا فَرَحٌ يُرجى وَلا أَجَلٌ يُقضى

And that I stand between misery and agony

So there is no joy hoped for or any term coming to an end

أَقولُ وَقَد عيلَ اِصطِباري مِنَ النَوى

وَأَصبَحَ دَمعُ العَينِ لِلشَّوقِ مُرفَضّا

I say, and my patience from the beloved has weakened

And the tear of the eye for longing has shed, shedding

كَما قالَ قَيسٌ حينَ ضاقَ مِنَ الهَوى

فَلَم يَستَطِع في الحُبِّ بَسطاً وَلا قَبضا

As Qais said when he was strapped by passion

And he could not have amplitude or restraint in love

كَأَنَّ بِلادَ اللَهِ حَلقَةُ خاتَمٍ

عَلَيَّ فَما تَزدادُ طولاً وَلا عَرضا

It is as if the countries of God are a ring’s band

That does not grow longer or wider on me

وَأَنّى أَرى بِالقَيرَوانِ أَحِبَّتي

وَأَعتاضُ مِن ضَنكٍ مُنيتُ بِهِ خَفضا

And how can I see my loved ones in Qayrawan

And I complain of hardship I was lowered into lowering

وَيَجمَعُنا دَهرٌ سَعى بِفُراقِنا

وَيَرجِعُ غُصنٌ ناعِمٌ قَد ذَوى غَضّا

And time will unite us after it drove our separation

And a soft branch that faded will return, returning green

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو كُربَتي وَتَغَرُّبي

وَما رابَ مِن صَرفِ الزَمانِ وَما مَضّا

To God I complain of my distress and estrangement

And the turns of fate and what has passed, passed

بِحَبلِ أَبي مَروانَ أَعلَقتُ عُروَتي

وَحَسبِيَ إِعلاقي صَريحَ العُلا مَحضا

With the rope of Abu Marwan I tied my bond

And it suffices me to tie the clear ascent purely

كَريمٌ حَوى فَخرَ الأَنامِ وُجودَهُم

يَرى الحَمدَ غُنماً وَاِستِدامَتَهُ فَرضا

A generous man who contained the pride of people, their generosity

Sees praise as profit and its continuity as duty

كَفانا مِنَ الآمالِ مُعضِلَ أَمرِها

فَلا كاشِحٌ يَرجو لِإِبرامِهِ نَقضا

Spare us from hopes that complicate their matter

So there is no complainer hoping for its undoing, undoing

تَراهُ إِذا ما جِئتَهُ مُتَهَلِّلاً

تَهَلُّلَ بَدرِ التِمِّ بَل وَجهُهُ أَوضا

You see him when you come happy, happiness

The happiness of the full moon, rather, his face brighter

فَتىً ما يُبالي مَن دَنا مِن فِنائِهِ

أَيَسخَطُ تَصريفُ الحُوادِثِ أَم يَرضى

A young man who does not care who comes near his domain

Is he displeased by the course of events or is he content

أَياديكَ قَد حَمَّت وَعَمَّت مَعاشِراً

مِنَ الناسِ يَتلو بَعضُها أَبَداً بَعضا

Your hands have protected and covered peoples

One after another for eternity, eternity