عَدِمنا الكَرى مِن بَعدِكُم لا عَدِمناكُم

عَدِمنا الكَرى مِن بَعدِكُم لا عَدِمناكُم

وَلَم نَصحُ مِن سَكرِ الهَوى مُذ هَوَيناكُم

وَلَم نَصحُ مِن سَكرِ الهَوى مُذ هَوَيناكُم

We have lost sleep since your departure—may we never lose you.

We have missed meeting you after you left, not that we missed you

And we have not sobered from love's intoxication since we loved you.

And we haven’t sobered from the intoxication of passion since we fell for you

وَأَغرَيتُمونا بِالصَبابَةِ بَعدَكُم

وَأَغرَيتُمونا بِالصَبابَةِ بَعدَكُم

فَقولوا لَنا مَن بِالقَطيعَةِ أَغراكُم

فَقولوا لَنا مَن بِالقَطيعَةِ أَغراكُم

And you have stirred us to passionate longing in your absence;

You seduced us with youth after you left

so tell us who incited you to break with us.

So tell us who made you break away

غَزَتنا جُيوشُ الوَجدِ فَاِنفَلَّ صَبرُنا

غَزَتنا جُيوشُ الوَجدِ فَاِنفَلَّ صَبرُنا

أَلا فَاِنصُرونا عاجِلاً بِسَراياكُم

أَلا فَاِنصُرونا عاجِلاً بِسَراياكُم

The armies of longing invaded us, and our patience broke;

Waves of longing invaded us so our patience collapsed

ah, come swiftly to our aid with your detachments.

Oh come aid us swiftly with your cavalry

مَتى نَشتَفي مِن بَعدِكُم بِدُنُوِّكُم

مَتى نَشتَفي مِن بَعدِكُم بِدُنُوِّكُم

وَتَجمَعُنا دارُ التَداني وَإِيّاكُم

وَتَجمَعُنا دارُ التَداني وَإِيّاكُم

When shall we be healed of your absence by your nearness,

When will we heal after you with your closeness

and the abode of closeness bring us together with you?

And the home of affection brings us together, you and us

أَحِبَّتَنا بِاللَهِ هَل تَذكُرونَنا

أَحِبَّتَنا بِاللَهِ هَل تَذكُرونَنا

فَإِنّا طَوالَ الدَّهرِ لَم نَنسَ ذِكراكُم

فَإِنّا طَوالَ الدَّهرِ لَم نَنسَ ذِكراكُم

Our beloved ones, by God, do you remember us?

Our loved ones, by God do you remember us

For through all time we have never forgotten you.

For we have never forgotten remembering you all time

رَمَتنا فَلَم تُخطِ القُلوبَ نَواكُم

رَمَتنا فَلَم تُخطِ القُلوبَ نَواكُم

بِأَسهُمِها مُذ أَبعَدَ البَينُ مَرماكُم

بِأَسهُمِها مُذ أَبعَدَ البَينُ مَرماكُم

Your separation shot at us and did not miss our hearts

It shot us but your determination did not miss our soft spots

with its arrows, since parting put you far beyond reach.

Since separation distanced your abode

وَلَولا النَوى لَم نَشكُ مِن لَوعَةِ الأَسى

وَلَولا النَوى لَم نَشكُ مِن لَوعَةِ الأَسى

وَلَولاكُم لَم نَعرِفِ الوَجدَ لَولاكُم

وَلَولاكُم لَم نَعرِفِ الوَجدَ لَولاكُم

Were it not for separation, we would not complain of sorrow's burning pain,

And if it weren’t for pining we wouldn’t have tasted the bitterness of sorrow

and were it not for you, we would not know longing—were it not for you.

And if it weren’t for you we wouldn’t have known fervor, if it weren’t for you

عَمَرتُم رُبوعَ الوَجدِ بَينَ ضُلوعِنا

عَمَرتُم رُبوعَ الوَجدِ بَينَ ضُلوعِنا

بِجِلَّقَ إِذ بِنتُم فَأَقفَرَ مَغناكُم

بِجِلَّقَ إِذ بِنتُم فَأَقفَرَ مَغناكُم

You filled longing's dwellings between our ribs

You dwelled in the plains of passion within our ribs

in Jillaq, when you departed and your dwelling fell desolate.

When you built then left, so your magnificence was emptied

نَشُدُّ عَلى أَكبادِنا بِأَكُفِّنا

نَشُدُّ عَلى أَكبادِنا بِأَكُفِّنا

لِما يَعتَريها عِندَ ذِكرى سَجاياكُم

لِما يَعتَريها عِندَ ذِكرى سَجاياكُم

We press our palms against our livers

We clutch our livers with our palms

because of what assails them at the remembrance of your qualities.

For what afflicts them when the memory of your attributes recurs

وَما عايَنَت في الدَّهرِ يَوماً عُيونُنا

وَما عايَنَت في الدَّهرِ يَوماً عُيونُنا

مِنَ الناسِ مَرأىً راقَها بَعدَ مَرآكُم

مِنَ الناسِ مَرأىً راقَها بَعدَ مَرآكُم

And never in all our days have our eyes beheld

And our eyes have never seen in life

among people a sight that pleased them after seeing you.

Anyone’s sight that pleased them after seeing you

وَنُقسِمُ لَو أَنّا اِستَطَعنا زِيارَةً

وَنُقسِمُ لَو أَنّا اِستَطَعنا زِيارَةً

عَلى الروسِ مِنّا وَالعُيونِ لَزُرناكُم

عَلى الروسِ مِنّا وَالعُيونِ لَزُرناكُم

And we swear: had we been able to visit

And we swear if we were able to visit

on our own heads and eyes, we would have visited you.

The cheeks and eyes, we would visit you

ثِقوا بِوَفاءِ العَهدِ مِنّا فَإِنَّنا

ثِقوا بِوَفاءِ العَهدِ مِنّا فَإِنَّنا

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ يَعلَمُ اللَهُ نَرعاكُم

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ يَعلَمُ اللَهُ نَرعاكُم

Trust in our faithfulness to the covenant, for we

Trust in our loyalty for we

care for you in every circumstance—God knows.

However things are, God knows we herd you

قَطَعتُم وَصَلناكُم نَسيتُم ذَكَرناكُم

قَطَعتُم وَصَلناكُم نَسيتُم ذَكَرناكُم

أَضَعتُم حَفِظناكُم غَدَرتُم عَذَرناكُم

أَضَعتُم حَفِظناكُم غَدَرتُم عَذَرناكُم

You severed ties; we kept ties with you. You forgot; we remembered you.

You cut off our connection, forgot remembering us

You neglected us; we safeguarded you. You betrayed us; we excused you.

Neglected keeping us, betrayed excusing us

أَلا فَاِعدِلوا فينا فإِنّا رَعِيَّةٌ

أَلا فَاِعدِلوا فينا فإِنّا رَعِيَّةٌ

وَلا بُدَّ مِن أَن تُسأَلوا عَن رَعاياكُم

وَلا بُدَّ مِن أَن تُسأَلوا عَن رَعاياكُم

Ah, treat us justly, for we are your subjects,

So be just with us for we are your subjects

and you must be called to account for your subjects.

And you must be asked about shepherding your subjects

وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَنّا نَحِنُّ إِلَيكُمُ

وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَنّا نَحِنُّ إِلَيكُمُ

وَما بَينَ أَحناءِ الأَضالِعِ مَثواكُم

وَما بَينَ أَحناءِ الأَضالِعِ مَثواكُم

And it is a wonder that we yearn for you,

And it’s wondrous that we yearn for you

though your dwelling lies between the curves of our ribs.

While your abode is between the ribs

فَجودوا بِكُتبٍ إِنَّ في الكُتبِ راحَةً

فَجودوا بِكُتبٍ إِنَّ في الكُتبِ راحَةً

وَحاشاكُم أَن تَقطَعوا الكُتبَ حاشاكُم

وَحاشاكُم أَن تَقطَعوا الكُتبَ حاشاكُم

So be generous with letters: in letters there is solace,

So grace us with letters, for in letters there is comfort

and far be it from you to cut off letters—far be it from you!

And forbid you sever the letters, forbid you

كِتابُكُمُ كَالمِسكِ عِندِيَ عَرفُهُ

كِتابُكُمُ كَالمِسكِ عِندِيَ عَرفُهُ

كَأَنّي أَرى مُستَنشِقاً مِنهُ رَيّاكُم

كَأَنّي أَرى مُستَنشِقاً مِنهُ رَيّاكُم

Your letter's scent is like musk to me;

Your letter is like musk, its fragrance to me

as though, inhaling from it, I perceive your fragrance.

As if I see your scent emanating from it

أُقَبِّلُهُ وَالدَّمعُ يَمحو سُطورَهُ

أُقَبِّلُهُ وَالدَّمعُ يَمحو سُطورَهُ

كَأَنِّيَ قَبَّلتُ اللَّمى وَثَناياكُم

كَأَنِّيَ قَبَّلتُ اللَّمى وَثَناياكُم

I kiss it, while tears erase its lines,

I kiss it while tears erase its lines

as though I had kissed your dusky lips and your front teeth.

As if I kissed moisture and your softness

عَذابُكُمُ عَذبٌ فَما شِئتُمُ اِصنَعوا

عَذابُكُمُ عَذبٌ فَما شِئتُمُ اِصنَعوا

بِعَبدٍ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ يَتَوَلّاكُم

بِعَبدٍ عَلى عِلّاتِهِ يَتَوَلّاكُم

The torment you inflict is sweet, so do whatever you wish

Your torment is gentle so do what you wish

with a servant who, despite his faults, is devoted to you.

With a slave whose condition sways toward you