يا بَعيداً يَشتاقُهُ لِحظُ عَيني

يا بَعيداً يَشتاقُهُ لِحظُ عَيني

وَقَريباً مَحَلُّهُ في فُؤادي

وَقَريباً مَحَلُّهُ في فُؤادي

O distant one for whom my eye’s gaze yearns,

O distant one, for whom my eye's gaze yearns,

yet near, for your dwelling is within my heart;

yet near, with your dwelling in my heart.

تَشتَهي العَينُ أَن تَراكَ وَلَو بِت

تَشتَهي العَينُ أَن تَراكَ وَلَو بِت

تُ مَريضاً وَأَنتَ مِن عُوّادي

تُ مَريضاً وَأَنتَ مِن عُوّادي

my eye longs to see you, even if I spent—

My eye longs to see you, even if I spent the night

—the night sick, with you among those who visit me.

ill, with you among my visitors.

وَتَمَنَّيتُ لَو كَتَبتُ كِتابي

وَتَمَنَّيتُ لَو كَتَبتُ كِتابي

أَنَّ إِنسانَها مَكانَ المِدادِ

أَنَّ إِنسانَها مَكانَ المِدادِ

And I wished, were I to write my letter,

And I wished, were I to write my letter,

that my eye’s pupil might take the place of ink.

that my eye's pupil would take the place of ink.

لا تَظُنَّ البُعادَ يُخلِقُ عَهدي

لا تَظُنَّ البُعادَ يُخلِقُ عَهدي

أَو تَحُلَّ الأَيامُ عَقدَ وِدادي

أَو تَحُلَّ الأَيامُ عَقدَ وِدادي

Never think that distance will wear my pledge away,

Do not think distance wears out my pledge,

or that the days will loose the knot of my love.

or that the days untie the knot of my love.

أَنتَ مِن مُهجَتي مَكانَ السُوَيدا

أَنتَ مِن مُهجَتي مَكانَ السُوَيدا

ءِ وَمِن مُقلَتَي مَكانَ السَوادِ

ءِ وَمِن مُقلَتَي مَكانَ السَوادِ

Within my lifeblood, you occupy the place of the heart’s black—

You hold in my heart the place of its dark core,

—core; and within my eye, the place of its black pupil.

and in my two eyes the place of their black pupils.