لامَ المُحِبُّونَ الفِرَاقَ ولُمْتُهُ

لَكِنَّهُم سَئِمُوا ولَمَّا أَسْأَمِ

The lovers do not blame separation or its pain

But they grow weary when boredom sets in

ظَعَنُوا وَهُمْ قَدْ وَدَّعُوا أوْ سَلَّمُوا

وَظَعَنْتُ غَيْرَ مُوَدِّعٍ وَمُسَلِّمِ

They become depressed though already they bid farewell or handed over their goodbyes

While I became depressed without having bidden farewell or handed over my goodbyes

فَعَلَيَّ فَلْتَبكِ البَوَاكِي إنَّنِي

أُخْرِجْتُ مِنْ وَطَنِي وَلَسْتُ بِمُجْرِمِ

So let the weeping ones weep for me for I

Was exiled from my homeland though no criminal was I

وأُضِعْتُ يَوْمَ وُضِعْتُ في أرْضٍ بِهَا

يَغْدُو الْفَصيحُ مُعَظِّماً للأَعْجَمِ

And I was placed on the day I was placed in a land wherein

The eloquent would glorify the inarticulate

لا أَسْتَريحُ بِغَيْرِ لَيْلٍ أَلْيَلٍ

أَشْكُو تَطَاوُلَهُ ويَوْمٍ أيْوَمِ

I find no rest but in a long dark night

In which I lament its prolonging and each succeeding day