أذْكِرهمُ الوُدّ إن صَدّوا وإن صَدفُوا

أذْكِرهمُ الوُدّ إن صَدّوا وإن صَدفُوا

إنّ الكَرامَ إذا استَعطفْتَهُم عَطَفُوا

إنّ الكَرامَ إذا استَعطفْتَهُم عَطَفُوا

Remind them of our love, though they turn away and shun us.

Remind them of affection, though they turn away and shun you.

The noble, when you appeal to their compassion, respond compassionately.

The noble show kindness when you appeal to their kindness.

ولا تُرِدْ شَافعاً إلاّ هَواكَ لَهم

ولا تُرِدْ شَافعاً إلاّ هَواكَ لَهم

يكفيكَ ما اختَبرُوا منه وما كَشَفُوا

يكفيكَ ما اختَبرُوا منه وما كَشَفُوا

Seek no intercessor with them except your love for them;

And seek no intercessor but your love for them;

what they have tested and discovered of it is enough for you.

What they have tested of it and what they have discovered suffices you.

به دنَوتَ وإخلاصُ الهَوى نَسَبٌ

به دنَوتَ وإخلاصُ الهَوى نَسَبٌ

كما نَأيتَ وإفراطُ الهَوَى تَلَفُ

كما نَأيتَ وإفراطُ الهَوَى تَلَفُ

Through it you drew near, and sincerity in love is kinship,

Through it you drew near—sincere love is kinship—

however far you withdrew—and excess in love is ruin.

Just as you grew distant; excessive love is ruin.

رأى الحسودُ تَدانِي وُدِّنَا فَسَعَى

رأى الحسودُ تَدانِي وُدِّنَا فَسَعَى

حتّى غَدتْ بَين دَارينَا نَوىً قُذُفُ

حتّى غَدتْ بَين دَارينَا نَوىً قُذُفُ

The envier saw our closeness and our love, and so he strove

The envious man saw the closeness of our love and schemed,

until a far-flung separation came between our two homes.

Until a vast separation lay between our two homes.

ومَا البعيدُ الّذي تَنأى الدّيارُ به

ومَا البعيدُ الّذي تَنأى الدّيارُ به

بَل مَن تَدانَى وعنهُ القلبُ منصرفُ

بَل مَن تَدانَى وعنهُ القلبُ منصرفُ

The distant one is not the one whom dwellings keep far away,

The distant one is not he whose home lies far away,

but the one others draw near to while the heart turns away from him.

But he who is near, while the heart turns away from him.

أجيرةَ القلب والفُسطَاطُ دَارُهُمُ

أجيرةَ القلب والفُسطَاطُ دَارُهُمُ

لم تُصقِبِ الدّارُ لكنْ أصقَبَ الكَلَفُ

لم تُصقِبِ الدّارُ لكنْ أصقَبَ الكَلَفُ

Are they neighbors of the heart, though al-Fustat is their home?

O neighbors of the heart, though their home is Fustat,

The dwelling did not make us companions; longing did.

It was not their home that brought them close, but passionate love.

أدْنَى التدانِي الهَوَى والدّارُ نازحةٌ

أدْنَى التدانِي الهَوَى والدّارُ نازحةٌ

وأبْعدُ البُعد بين الجيرةِ الشَّنَفُ

وأبْعدُ البُعد بين الجيرةِ الشَّنَفُ

Love is the nearest nearness, though the dwelling is far away,

The closest union is love, though the home is distant;

and aversion is the farthest distance between neighbors.

And the greatest distance between neighbors is hatred.

فارقْتُكُم مُكرَهاً والقلبُ يُخبِرُني

فارقْتُكُم مُكرَهاً والقلبُ يُخبِرُني

أنْ لَيس لي عِوَضٌ منكمْ ولاَ خَلَفُ

أنْ لَيس لي عِوَضٌ منكمْ ولاَ خَلَفُ

I parted from you unwillingly, while my heart tells me

I parted from you unwillingly, and my heart tells me

I have no substitute for you and no successor.

That I have no substitute for you, nor anyone to take your place.

ولو تعوّضتُ بالدّنيا غُبِنتُ وهَل

ولو تعوّضتُ بالدّنيا غُبِنتُ وهَل

يَعُوضُني من نَفيس الجوهرِ الصّدفُ

يَعُوضُني من نَفيس الجوهرِ الصّدفُ

Even if I were compensated with the whole world, I would be cheated—can

Even if I took the world in exchange, I would be cheated; could

shells compensate me for precious jewels?

Shells compensate me for precious jewels?

ولستُ أنكِرُ ما يأتِي الزّمانُ به

ولستُ أنكِرُ ما يأتِي الزّمانُ به

كُلّ الوَرَى لِرَزَايا دَهرِهم هَدَفُ

كُلّ الوَرَى لِرَزَايا دَهرِهم هَدَفُ

I do not find strange what time may bring;

Nor do I find strange what time brings;

all humankind are targets for the calamities of their age.

All people are targets for the calamities of their time.

كم فَاجأتني اللّيالِي بالخُطوبِ فَما

كم فَاجأتني اللّيالِي بالخُطوبِ فَما

رَأتْ فُؤادِيَ من رَوْعَاتِها يَجِفُ

رَأتْ فُؤادِيَ من رَوْعَاتِها يَجِفُ

How often the nights have surprised me with disasters; yet never

How often the nights have surprised me with calamities, yet never

have they seen my heart quiver at their terrors.

Have they seen my heart tremble at their terrors.

واستَرجَعَتْ ما أعَارتْ من مَواهِبِها

واستَرجَعَتْ ما أعَارتْ من مَواهِبِها

فما هَفَا بي عَلَى آثارِهِ اللّهَفُ

فما هَفَا بي عَلَى آثارِهِ اللّهَفُ

They have reclaimed the gifts they had only lent,

And they reclaimed what they had lent of their gifts,

yet anguish did not make me yearn after their traces.

Yet longing did not drive me to follow its traces.

ولا أسِفتُ لأمرٍ فاتَ مطلبُهُ

ولا أسِفتُ لأمرٍ فاتَ مطلبُهُ

لَكِن لفُرقةِ من فارَقْتُه الأسفُ

لَكِن لفُرقةِ من فارَقْتُه الأسفُ

Nor have I grieved over a thing I sought but failed to attain;

Nor did I grieve over something I had failed to attain;

but sorrow is for parting from those I left.

But my grief is for separation from those I parted from.