يَا ثَانياً للنَّفسِ وهْ

يَا ثَانياً للنَّفسِ وهْ

وَ لِنَاظِرَيَّ أعزُّ ثَالِثْ

وَ لِنَاظِرَيَّ أعزُّ ثَالِثْ

O you, second only to my soul, and yet

O you, my soul's second, and

the dearest third beside my two eyes;

the dearest third to my two eyes,

ونجيُّ فِكرِي دُون سَا

ونجيُّ فِكرِي دُون سَا

ئِرِ من أُنَاجِي أو أحادِثْ

ئِرِ من أُنَاجِي أو أحادِثْ

the confidant of my thoughts, beyond all

and my thoughts' confidant, above all

the others whom I confide in or converse with.

others I confide in or converse with:

أشكُو فراقَكَ فهو أو

أشكُو فراقَكَ فهو أو

جَعُ ما لقيتُ من الحَوادِثْ

جَعُ ما لقيتُ من الحَوادِثْ

I lament your absence; it is the most

I lament your parting, for it is the most

painful of all the calamities I have suffered—

painful of the calamities I have met—

شَكوَى مَشُوقٍ يستري

شَكوَى مَشُوقٍ يستري

حُ إليك والمصدورُ نَافِثْ

حُ إليك والمصدورُ نَافِثْ

the lament of one consumed by longing, who finds

the lament of one yearning, who finds

rest in you, with the dreaded thing breathing close.

relief with you; and one sick in the chest must spit.

وألومُ دهراً جدَّ في

وألومُ دهراً جدَّ في

تشتيتِ شملِي وَهْو عابِثْ

تشتيتِ شملِي وَهْو عابِثْ

I blame Time, which grew earnest in

And I blame Time, which strove to

scattering all I held together, though merely at play.

scatter my company, while itself idly playing.

إنّي علِقتُ من اصطبا

إنّي علِقتُ من اصطبا

ري عنكَ أسباباً رثَائِثْ

ري عنكَ أسباباً رثَائِثْ

In trying to endure your absence, I have clung

Indeed, I have grasped, from my patient endurance

to cords now tattered and worn thin.

apart from you, frayed cords.

عاهدتُه ألاّ تُضَع

عاهدتُه ألاّ تُضَع

ضِعَه النّوى وأَراهُ ناكِثْ

ضِعَه النّوى وأَراهُ ناكِثْ

I made it pledge that distance would never

I made a pact with it that it would not be

shake it—yet I see it breaking faith.

shaken by separation; yet I see it breaking its pledge.

وكأنَّ قلبي حينَ يَخْ

وكأنَّ قلبي حينَ يَخْ

طُرُ ذِكرُكم في كفّ ضَابِث

طُرُ ذِكرُكم في كفّ ضَابِث

And when remembrance of you arises, my heart seems

And it is as though my heart, whenever

caught in the hand of one gripping it tight.

your memory comes to mind, were in the palm of one who grips it.

وبَقَايَ بعدَ فراقِكُمْ

وبَقَايَ بعدَ فراقِكُمْ

خطبٌ لعَمْرُ أبيكَ كارثْ

خطبٌ لعَمْرُ أبيكَ كارثْ

My living on after parting from you

And my living on after your parting

is a grave ordeal—by your father’s life, a crushing one.

is, by your father's life, a crushing calamity.