آشيم يا من بحبه نعلو

ومن أديم السهى له نعل

My love, for whom I soar high,

And for whom I make shoes out of tenderness,

عزت مع الشوق نحو السبل

وبات صعبا لقاؤك السهل

My longing has risen along with yearning for the paths,

And meeting you has become difficult, you who were once so easy to reach.

يا ليت شعري والبعد مجلبة

للتَّرك والعيش كله شغل

If only my poetry knew, and distance was a gathering

Place for leaving and for living that is all work.

أذاكرٌ أنت أم نسيت لنا

إذ نحن طفلان والهوى طفل

Do you remember me, or have you forgotten us

When we were children and love was a child?

إذ تعجب الهند والديار بنا

ويعجب الناظرون والأهل

When India and its lands were amazed by us

And onlookers and family were amazed.

وإذ يدب الغرام مجتهدا

ونحن لا فكرة ولا عقل

When passion crept slowly

While we had no thoughts or minds.

ما نحن قلنا فالحب قائله

وما فعلنا فللهوى الفعل

We did not speak - for love was the speaker

And we did not act - for desire was the actor.

وإن نقلنا لبقعة قدما

فللهوى لا البقعة النقل

If we moved to a place, our feet

Were led by passion, not the place itself.

فإن تكن يا أمير ناسيَنا

فنحن ما ننسى وما نسلو

If you, oh prince of people, have forgotten us

We do not forget and we do not neglect.

تلك سماء الهند شاهدة

وأرضها والجبال والسهل

The sky of India bears witness

And its land, mountains and plains.

وأنجم الهند ما طلعن لنا

وما رعتنا عيونها النجل

The stars of India did not rise for us

Nor did its bright eyes watch over us.

إنى على العهد ما حييت فإن

خلوت تبقى العهود لا تخلو

I, true to my vow, live on - for if

I pass, pacts do not pass away.