أَيا مُظهِرَ الهِجرانِ وَالمُضمِرَ الحُبّا

أَيا مُظهِرَ الهِجرانِ وَالمُضمِرَ الحُبّا

سَتَزدادُ حُبّاً إِن أَتَيتَهُمُ غِبّا

سَتَزدادُ حُبّاً إِن أَتَيتَهُمُ غِبّا

O you who show estrangement and conceal love,

O you who show estrangement yet harbor love,

You will be loved more if you visit them sparingly.

Your love will grow if you become absent.

لَنا جارَةٌ بِالمِصرِ تُضحي كَأَنَّها

لَنا جارَةٌ بِالمِصرِ تُضحي كَأَنَّها

مُجاوِرَةٌ أَفناءَ جَيحانَ وَالدَربا

مُجاوِرَةٌ أَفناءَ جَيحانَ وَالدَربا

We have a neighbor in the city who seems to be

In Egypt we have a neighbor who acts

Dwelling in the environs of Jayhan and al-Darb.

As if she dwells in the quarters of Jayhan and Darba.

تَراها عُيونٌ شانِئاتٌ وَتُتَّقى

تَراها عُيونٌ شانِئاتٌ وَتُتَّقى

عَلَيها عُيونٌ هُنَّ يَصدُقنَها الحُبّا

عَلَيها عُيونٌ هُنَّ يَصدُقنَها الحُبّا

Hateful eyes behold her, while she is guarded

Some eyes see her with enmity and avoid her,

From eyes that are true in their love for her.

While others' eyes truthfully love her.

أَذاقَتكَ طَعمَ الوَصلِ ثُمَّ تَنَمَّرَت

أَذاقَتكَ طَعمَ الوَصلِ ثُمَّ تَنَمَّرَت

عَلَيكَ بِوَجهٍ لَم يَكُن يَعرِفُ القَطبا

عَلَيكَ بِوَجهٍ لَم يَكُن يَعرِفُ القَطبا

She gave you a taste of union, then grew fierce as a leopard

She let you taste union, then turned against you

Toward you, with a face that had never known a frown.

With a face that never knew adversity.

وَقَد وَثِقَت بِالوَصلِ مِنكَ فَأَصبَحَت

وَقَد وَثِقَت بِالوَصلِ مِنكَ فَأَصبَحَت

تَزيدُكَ بُعداً كُلَّما زِدتَها قُربا

تَزيدُكَ بُعداً كُلَّما زِدتَها قُربا

And, assured of union with you, she began

She grew confident in your union, and now

To push you farther away whenever you drew her closer.

Increases your distance whenever you draw near.

فَلَو أَنَّ ما أَبكي لِبَلوى وَراءَها

فَلَو أَنَّ ما أَبكي لِبَلوى وَراءَها

رَجاءٌ لِروحٍ لَم أُفِض عَبرَتي سَكبا

رَجاءٌ لِروحٍ لَم أُفِض عَبرَتي سَكبا

Had I been weeping for a trial beyond which

If what makes me weep were for a spirit

There was hope of relief, I would not have poured out my tears.

Beyond her, I'd pour out my tears in hope.

وَلَكِنَّما أَبكي لِجَهدٍ مُبَرِّحٍ

وَلَكِنَّما أَبكي لِجَهدٍ مُبَرِّحٍ

مَداهُ إِذا قَصَّرتَ أَن أَشكُرَ الرَبّا

مَداهُ إِذا قَصَّرتَ أَن أَشكُرَ الرَبّا

But I weep only for an agonizing torment,

But I weep for an effort that gladdens me

Whose end, if you relent, would make me thank the Lord.

When you fall short in thanking the Lord.

وَلَو ذُقتَ ما أَلقى وَلَو مَسَّكَ الهَوى

وَلَو ذُقتَ ما أَلقى وَلَو مَسَّكَ الهَوى

لَسَرَّكَ أَن أَهدى وَلَم تَرَبي كَربا

لَسَرَّكَ أَن أَهدى وَلَم تَرَبي كَربا

And if you tasted what I endure, and if love touched you,

If you tasted what I suffer, if passion touched you,

You would rejoice at my peace, and would see no anguish in me.

You'd rejoice that I gift rather than nurture sorrow.

تَحَرَّزتَ بِالهِجرانِ حِصناً مِنَ الهَوى

تَحَرَّزتَ بِالهِجرانِ حِصناً مِنَ الهَوى

أَلا كانَ ذا مَن قَبلِ أَن تُمرِضَ القَلبا

أَلا كانَ ذا مَن قَبلِ أَن تُمرِضَ القَلبا

You made estrangement your fortress against love;

You shielded yourself from love with estrangement—

Could you not have done so before making the heart sick?

Would he who did so before had diseased your heart!