لما وقفتُ مواقِفَ العُشّاقِ

لما وقفتُ مواقِفَ العُشّاقِ

وتعلَّق المشتاقُ بالمشتاقِ

وتعلَّق المشتاقُ بالمشتاقِ

When I stood where lovers stand,

When I stood at the crossroads of lovers

And the yearning lover clung to the yearning lover,

And the longing one clung to the longing one

وتَبَرْقَعتْ عِند الوَداعِ بصُفْرةٍ

وتَبَرْقَعتْ عِند الوَداعِ بصُفْرةٍ

سَتَرَتْ محاسنَها عن الأَحداقِ

سَتَرَتْ محاسنَها عن الأَحداقِ

And at farewell she veiled herself in yellow pallor

And at the farewell a yellow veil covered her beauty from the eyes

That hid her charms from the eyes,

And she saw the eyes of the ardent admirers and came near

ورأتْ عيونَ الكاشحين وأَقبلت

ورأتْ عيونَ الكاشحين وأَقبلت

تَصِفُ الهوى بتَخَالُسِ الآماق

تَصِفُ الهوى بتَخَالُسِ الآماق

And she saw the eyes of the ill-wishers and began

To describe the passion with penetrating intensity

To describe love through stolen glances from the corners of her eyes,

She said: "Can you desire life after our separation?"

قالت أَتهْوَى العَيشَ بعد فِراقنا

قالت أَتهْوَى العَيشَ بعد فِراقنا

قلت اهجِري من عاش بعد فِراقِ

قلت اهجِري من عاش بعد فِراقِ

She said, “Do you desire life after our parting?”

I said: "Abandon the one who lives after separation"

I said, “Forsake whoever lives on after parting.”