تَراكَ النفسُ في عَيْني وذِهْنـي

تَراكَ النفسُ في عَيْني وذِهْنـي

وطيفُكَ في خَيَالي لم يَدَعْنِي

وطيفُكَ في خَيَالي لم يَدَعْنِي

My soul beholds you with my eye and in my mind.

My soul sees you in my eye and mind,

And your apparition in my imagination has never left me.

And your phantom in my imagination has not left me.

سَكَنْتَ القَلْبَ حَتَى صَارَ خِـدْرًا

سَكَنْتَ القَلْبَ حَتَى صَارَ خِـدْرًا

لِبَارقـَـةٍ تَلـوحُ لأمِّ عَيْنـي

لِبَارقـَـةٍ تَلـوحُ لأمِّ عَيْنـي

You dwelt within the heart until it became a bridal chamber

You dwelt in the heart until it became a secluded chamber

for your glimmer, flashing before the very pupil of my eye.

For a flash that appears to the pupil of my eye.

يَبـوحُ القَلـبُ في سِـــرٍّ وجَهـرٍ

يَبـوحُ القَلـبُ في سِـــرٍّ وجَهـرٍ

حَدِيثٌ ذا يَقيـنٍ لا كَظنِّ

حَدِيثٌ ذا يَقيـنٍ لا كَظنِّ

My heart declares it, in secret and aloud:

The heart speaks out in secret and in public,

words of certainty, not mere conjecture.

Words of certainty, not mere conjecture.

تَظـُنُّ النَفسُ أَنَّـكَ فـي سَحيـقٍ

تَظـُنُّ النَفسُ أَنَّـكَ فـي سَحيـقٍ

مِنَ الوَجْدِ المُؤَرِّقِ والتَجَنّي

مِنَ الوَجْدِ المُؤَرِّقِ والتَجَنّي

The soul imagines you far removed

The soul supposes you are in an abyss

from sleep-robbing longing and cruel injustice.

Of sleep-stealing longing and unjust reproach.

أَحَقًّا صِرتَ تَعشَقُ غَيَر رُوحي

أَحَقًّا صِرتَ تَعشَقُ غَيَر رُوحي

وَضَاعَ الحُبُّ في قَدَرٍ مُظِنِّ؟

وَضَاعَ الحُبُّ في قَدَرٍ مُظِنِّ؟

Is it true that you have come to love a soul other than mine,

Have you truly come to love a soul other than mine,

and that love has been lost in an exhausting fate?

And has love been lost in a doubtful fate?

تَناسَيتَ الصِبا ونَسيتَ حُبًّا

تَناسَيتَ الصِبا ونَسيتَ حُبًّا

يَشِعُّ صَفـاؤهُ مِنـكُم ومِنّــي

يَشِعُّ صَفـاؤهُ مِنـكُم ومِنّــي

You feigned forgetting youth, and forgot a love

You chose to forget youth, and forgot a love

whose purity shines from you and me.

Whose purity radiates from you and from me.

أطـالَ النَـاسُ في هَرَجٍ حَديثًا

أطـالَ النَـاسُ في هَرَجٍ حَديثًا

يُفَصِّلُ ما جَرَى عَنْكُم وعَنّي

يُفَصِّلُ ما جَرَى عَنْكُم وعَنّي

People have spun out, amid clamorous chatter, a tale

People talked at length amid a clamor,

detailing what happened concerning you and me.

Detailing what happened concerning you and me.

يقولُونَ: استَراحَ الشَـوْقُ مِنّي

يقولُونَ: استَراحَ الشَـوْقُ مِنّي

وصَامَ القلبُ عَنْ حُبٍّ مُسِنِّ

وصَامَ القلبُ عَنْ حُبٍّ مُسِنِّ

They say the yearning in me has subsided,

They say: longing has found respite from me,

and the heart has fasted from a love that touched me;

And the heart has fasted from an aged love,

وأَسرَفَتِ الصبابةُ في هواهَا

وأَسرَفَتِ الصبابةُ في هواهَا

تريد سِوايَ، ذاكَ ألَيسَ يَعني

تريد سِوايَ، ذاكَ ألَيسَ يَعني

yet ardent yearning has exceeded all bounds in its passion.

And ardent longing has gone to excess in its passion.

You desire someone other than me—does that not mean

You want someone other than me—does that not mean

بأنَّكَ قد نَكثْتَ بِكُــلِّ عَهـْـدٍ

بأنَّكَ قد نَكثْتَ بِكُــلِّ عَهـْـدٍ

وَوَعدٍ؟ يا لِعاثِرَةِ التَمنّـي!

وَوَعدٍ؟ يا لِعاثِرَةِ التَمنّـي!

that you have broken every covenant

That you have broken every pledge

and promise? Alas for hope’s stumble!

And promise? Alas for faltering wishes!