آهِ يا حبلَ النَّوى ما أَطولَك

قطع اللَّهُ زَماناً وصلَك

Oh cord of affinity, how lengthy you are!

Fate has severed you for a time and connected you.

حكم الدَهرُ بأَسبابِ النَوى

وَقَضى فينا بما شاءَ الفَلك

The judgement of time is by the causes of affinity,

And the celestial spheres have decreed what they willed for us.

ذُبتُ وَاللَهِ غَراماً وأَسىً

من فراق لاكَ قَلبي وَعَلَك

By God, I have melted in passion and sorrow

Due to separation from you, my heart and intimate friend.

عجَّل الدَهرُ وَلَم يرفُق بنا

آه يا دهرَ النوى ما أَعجلَك

Time hurried and did not show tenderness towards us -

Oh time of affinity, how hasty you are!

ذبتَ يا قَلبُ غَليلاً بعدهم

وَبهم ما كانَ أَروى غَلَلَك

You have melted, oh heart, sick without them,

While, with them, your sickness was not as severe.

كَم وَكَم أَملٍ نلتَ بهم

حيث لَم تَقضِ اللَيالي أَملَك

How much hope you have attained with them,

When the nights did not fulfil your hopes!

ليتَ دهراً كانَ أَغراكَ هوىً

بهمُ قد كانَ يوماً عذلَك

Would that one day passion made you oblivious to them -

For that day their coquetry brought about your excuse.

هَل تَرى بعد التَنائي لهمُ

رجعةً يَحيا بها من قد هَلَك

Do you see, after the estrangement from them,

Any return by which one who died may live?

أَيُّها النائي على وَجدٍ بنا

بعدما جازَ فؤادي وَمَلَك

Oh intimate friend, grieving for us after absence,

When my heart crossed over you and controlled me!

إِن تَعد يَوماً على رَغم النَوى

تجد القَلبَ كما قد كانَ لَك

If you count a day, despite fate,

You will find the heart as it was once yours.