أبا حَسَنٍ قَد رَانَ بعد بِعَادِكم

أبا حَسَنٍ قَد رَانَ بعد بِعَادِكم

على القلبِ همٌّ ما أراه يَزولُ

على القلبِ همٌّ ما أراه يَزولُ

O Abu Hasan, since you went away, there has settled

O Abu Hasan, after your departure there has settled

upon my heart a sorrow I cannot see passing.

upon my heart a sorrow I do not see fading.

أعلّلُ نفسِي أنّني سأَبثّه

أعلّلُ نفسِي أنّني سأَبثّه

إذا ما التقينَا والرّجاءُ مَطُولُ

إذا ما التقينَا والرّجاءُ مَطُولُ

I soothe myself with the thought that I shall pour it out

I console myself with the thought that I shall pour it out

when we meet—but hope is long deferred.

when we meet—but hope keeps putting me off.

إذا قلتُ في أعقابِ ذَا العامِ نَلتقي

إذا قلتُ في أعقابِ ذَا العامِ نَلتقي

تَمادَى وأيّامُ الهُمومِ تَطُولُ

تَمادَى وأيّامُ الهُمومِ تَطُولُ

Whenever I say, “At this year’s close we shall meet,”

Whenever I say, “At this year's end we shall meet,”

the year drags on, and sorrow’s days grow long.

it drags on, and the days of sorrow grow long.

وأقتَلُ أدْوائِي بِعادُ أحبّتِي

وأقتَلُ أدْوائِي بِعادُ أحبّتِي

وداءُ التّنائِي ما علمتَ قَتُولُ

وداءُ التّنائِي ما علمتَ قَتُولُ

The deadliest of my ailments is my loved ones’ absence,

And the deadliest of my ailments is separation from my loved ones;

and separation’s malady, as far as I know, is fatal.

and the sickness of separation, as you know, is deadly.

وقد ساءَني أنّ اللّيالِيَ غَيّرتْ

وقد ساءَني أنّ اللّيالِيَ غَيّرتْ

أخِلاَّي حتّى ما يدُومُ خَليلُ

أخِلاَّي حتّى ما يدُومُ خَليلُ

It grieves me that the nights have changed

And it has grieved me that the nights have changed

my intimate friends, until no friend remains constant.

my close friends, until no friend remains constant.

وجفوةُ مجدِ الدّين أَعدَلُ شاهِدٍ

وجفوةُ مجدِ الدّين أَعدَلُ شاهِدٍ

على أنّ أهواءَ القلوبِ تَحُولُ

على أنّ أهواءَ القلوبِ تَحُولُ

And Majd al-Din’s estrangement is the truest witness

And Majd al-Din's coldness is the most impartial witness

that the affections of hearts can change.

that the affections of hearts change.

أساءَ التّنائي ظنَّه بي وإنّنِي

أساءَ التّنائي ظنَّه بي وإنّنِي

لأَعهَدُهُ في القُربِ وهو جَميلُ

لأَعهَدُهُ في القُربِ وهو جَميلُ

Separation has soured his opinion of me, although I

Separation has soured his opinion of me, though I

remember him, when near, as gracious.

well remember it as favorable when we were near.

جفَاني زماناً لا مَلاَلاً وإنّما

جفَاني زماناً لا مَلاَلاً وإنّما

نَهَتْهُ حُزُونٌ بَينَنَا وسُهولُ

نَهَتْهُ حُزُونٌ بَينَنَا وسُهولُ

He kept aloof from me for a time—not out of weariness;

He has kept away from me awhile, not out of weariness, but only because

only rugged uplands and plains between us held him back:

rugged lands and plains between us have held him back:

مَفاوِزُ لا يَسْطِيعُ قطعَ فِجاجِها

مَفاوِزُ لا يَسْطِيعُ قطعَ فِجاجِها

رسولٌ ولو أنّ الخيالَ رسولُ

رسولٌ ولو أنّ الخيالَ رسولُ

trackless deserts whose passes no messenger can cross,

deserts whose passes cannot be crossed

even were the dream-phantom itself a messenger.

by a messenger, even if a dream-vision were the messenger.

ولا ذَنبَ إلاّ للبِعادِ فما لَنا

ولا ذَنبَ إلاّ للبِعادِ فما لَنا

دَنوْنَا وحَظّي في الدُّنُوِّ قليلُ

دَنوْنَا وحَظّي في الدُّنُوِّ قليلُ

Distance alone is to blame—what is the matter with us?

And only separation is to blame; what, then, ails us?

We have drawn near, yet my share of nearness is slight.

We have drawn near, yet my share of nearness is scant.