كُن بَعيداً إِن شِئتَ أَو كُن قَريبا

فَأَياديكَ عِندَنا لَن تَغيبا

Be far, if you wish, or be near

Your hands with us will not disappear

خَلفَكَ الآلاءُ مُذ سِرتَ فينا

فَتَساوَيتَ مَشهَداً وَمَغيبا

Your virtues have trailed you since you left us

Thus you've equaled the seen and unseen

كَالغَمامِ الرُكامِ يَمضي وَيُبقي

مَورِداً فائِضاً وَمَرعىً خَصيبا

Like settling clouds that come and bestow

An abundant spring and meadow so green

فُرقَةٌ يا أَبا العَلاءِ أَصارَت

حَسَناتِ الزَمانِ عِندي ذُنوبا

Parting - Oh Abu Al Alaa - made

The goods of times in my eye sins

كَم سَبَقتَ الجارينَ في حَلبَةِ المَج

دِ وَكَلّوا وَما شَكَوتَ لُغوبا

How you outpaced both companions in the race’s orbit

They faltered while you never complained of fatigue’s harm

لا كَما يَسبِقُ المُجاري المُجارى

بَل كَما يَسبِقُ الشَبابُ المَشيبا

Not as the raced outpaces the racers

But as youth outstrips withered old age

لَم يَزَل جانِبي مَنيعاً مَهيباً

مُذ رَأَتني بِكَ الخُطوبُ مُهيبا

My side has remained impenetrable and revered

Since worries saw me revere you

وَلِهَذا أَصبَحتُ مِن أَلَمِ الفُر

قَةِ أَوفى مُفارِقيكَ نَصيبا

And so I’ve become, from the pain of parting

The most rightful, in your absence, to my share

وَلَوَ اِنّي مَلَكتُ نَفسي وَرَأيي

لَوَصَلتُ الإِسآدَ وَالتَأويبا

If I owned myself and my opinion

I would've joined the evening and dawn in prayer

فَكَفاني مَؤونَةَ الشَوقِ عَزمٌ

لا يَمَلُّ التَقويضَ وَالتَطنيبا

The agony of longing has sufficed me determination

That does not tire of weakening and coaxing me

غَيرَ أَنّي أُوَدِّعُ القَلبَ عِلماً

أَنَّهُ لا يَؤوبُ حَتّى تَؤوبا

Except that I entrust my heart with knowledge

That it will not relent until you relent