كَيفَ بِصاحِبٍ إِن أَدنُ مِنهُ

كَيفَ بِصاحِبٍ إِن أَدنُ مِنهُ

يَزِدني في مُباعَدَةٍ ذِراعا

يَزِدني في مُباعَدَةٍ ذِراعا

How can I deal with a friend who, if I draw near to him,

How am I to deal with a friend who, if I draw near him,

adds a cubit to the distance he keeps from me?

Increases the distance between us by a cubit?

وَإِن أَمدُد لَهُ في الوَصلِ ذَرعي

وَإِن أَمدُد لَهُ في الوَصلِ ذَرعي

يَزِدني فَوقَ قيسِ الذَرعِ باعا

يَزِدني فَوقَ قيسِ الذَرعِ باعا

And if I reach out my arm to him in fellowship,

And if I stretch out my arm to him in friendship,

he widens the distance beyond a cubit’s measure to a fathom.

He draws back a fathom beyond my arm's reach.

أَبَت نَفسي لَهُ إِلّا وِصالاً

أَبَت نَفسي لَهُ إِلّا وِصالاً

وَتَأبى نَفسُهُ إِلّا اِنقِطاعا

وَتَأبى نَفسُهُ إِلّا اِنقِطاعا

My soul refuses to offer him anything but closeness,

My soul has insisted on nothing but closeness with him,

while his soul refuses anything but separation.

While his soul insists on nothing but separation.

كِلانا جاهِدٌ أَدنو وَينأى

كِلانا جاهِدٌ أَدنو وَينأى

كَذَلِكَ ما اِستَطَعتُ وَما اِستَطاعا

كَذَلِكَ ما اِستَطَعتُ وَما اِستَطاعا

We both strive: I draw near, and he draws away—

Both of us strive: I draw near, and he draws away,

thus, as far as I am able, and as far as he is able.

And so it goes, as long as I can and he can.