ضَنَّتْ عَليك بِوَصْلها لكَ زينبُ

ضَنَّتْ عَليك بِوَصْلها لكَ زينبُ

وَطلبتَ لمّا عزَّ منها المطلبُ

وَطلبتَ لمّا عزَّ منها المطلبُ

Zaynab begrudged you union with her,

Zaynab denied you union with her,

and you sought her, hard as she was to attain.

And you sought it when it became hard to obtain from her.

وَأَرَتْكَ برقاً لامِعاً مِن وَعدِها

وَأَرَتْكَ برقاً لامِعاً مِن وَعدِها

لَكِنَّهُ بَرقٌ لَعَمْركَ خُلَّبُ

لَكِنَّهُ بَرقٌ لَعَمْركَ خُلَّبُ

She showed you, in her promises, a gleaming flash of lightning,

And she showed you a gleaming flash of lightning from her promise,

but it is deceptive lightning, bringing no rain.

But, by your life, it is lightning that brings no rain.

وَتقولُ لي جَهلاً بِأَسبابِ الهَوى

وَتقولُ لي جَهلاً بِأَسبابِ الهَوى

كَيفَ الهَوى والرّأس مِنكَ الأشيبُ

كَيفَ الهَوى والرّأس مِنكَ الأشيبُ

And she says to me, ignorant of the ways of love:

And she says to me, ignorant of the causes of love:

“How can there be love when your head has turned gray?”

“How can you love when your head is gray?”

وَالحُبُّ داءٌ لِلرجالِ تَباعَدوا

وَالحُبُّ داءٌ لِلرجالِ تَباعَدوا

عَن شيبةٍ وَشَبيبةٍ وَتَقَرّبوا

عَن شيبةٍ وَشَبيبةٍ وَتَقَرّبوا

Love is an affliction of men, whether they stand far

And love is an illness for men, whether they are far

from gray age and youth—or draw near.

From gray hair and youth, or draw near.