أطاع الهوى من بعدهم وعصى الصبر

أطاع الهوى من بعدهم وعصى الصبر

فليسَ له نهيٌ عليهِ ولا أَمرُ

فليسَ له نهيٌ عليهِ ولا أَمرُ

He obeyed passion after they left and defied patience;

He obeyed passion after them and disobeyed patience

So patience can neither forbid him nor command him.

So he has no prohibition upon him nor command

وعاودَهُ الوجدُ القديمُ فشَفَّهُ

وعاودَهُ الوجدُ القديمُ فشَفَّهُ

جَوىً ضاقَ عن كِتمانِهِ الصّدرُ والصبّرُ

جَوىً ضاقَ عن كِتمانِهِ الصّدرُ والصبّرُ

His old longing returned to him and wasted him away—

And the old love returned to him, so it consoled him

A burning grief that breast and patience could not conceal.

With an intimacy whose confinement was too narrow for his chest and patience

كأنَّ النّوى لَم تخْتَرِم غيرَ شَملِه

كأنَّ النّوى لَم تخْتَرِم غيرَ شَملِه

ولم يَجْرِ إلاّ بالّذي ساءَه القَدْرُ

ولم يَجْرِ إلاّ بالّذي ساءَه القَدْرُ

As though separation had sundered no union but his,

As if fate intended no tranquility but his company

And fate had brought about nothing but what grieved him.

And flowed only towards that which destiny had saddened

وهل لِبَني الدّنيا سرورٌ وإنّما

وهل لِبَني الدّنيا سرورٌ وإنّما

هو العيشُ والْبُؤسَى أو الموتُ والقبرُ

هو العيشُ والْبُؤسَى أو الموتُ والقبرُ

And do the children of this world have joy, when there is only

And is there any joy for the people of this world? Indeed

Life and misery, or death and the grave?

It is only living and misery or death and the grave

وكلُّ اجتماعٍ مُرصَدٌ لتَفَرِّقٍ

وكلُّ اجتماعٍ مُرصَدٌ لتَفَرِّقٍ

وكلُّ وِصالٍ سوف يَعقُبه هجرُ

وكلُّ وِصالٍ سوف يَعقُبه هجرُ

Every gathering is destined for dispersal,

And every gathering is lying in ambush for parting

And every union will be followed by estrangement.

And every union will inevitably be followed by separation

وما يدفعُ الخطْبَ المُلِمَّ إذا عرا

وما يدفعُ الخطْبَ المُلِمَّ إذا عرا

سوى الصّبرِ إلاّ أنَّهُ كاسمِهِ صبرُ

سوى الصّبرِ إلاّ أنَّهُ كاسمِهِ صبرُ

Nothing wards off an oncoming calamity when it strikes

And nothing can drive away the painful misfortune when it comes

Save patience—yet, like its namesake, it is bitter aloe.

Except patience, though it is like its name, bitter

أسكَّانَ أكنافِ العواصِم دعوةً

أسكَّانَ أكنافِ العواصِم دعوةً

بِفِيَّ بَروداً وهي في كَبِدي جمرُ

بِفِيَّ بَروداً وهي في كَبِدي جمرُ

O dwellers in the environs of al-Awasim—a call

I poured in the bosoms of dwellings a call

Cool in my mouth, yet burning embers in my liver.

With coldness in me yet a burning coal in my liver

لقد أظلمتْ دُنيايَ بعد فِراقِكمْ

لقد أظلمتْ دُنيايَ بعد فِراقِكمْ

فكلُّ زَمانِي ليلةٌ ما لَها فَجْرُ

فكلُّ زَمانِي ليلةٌ ما لَها فَجْرُ

My world has indeed darkened since parting from you;

After your separation, my life was darkened

So all my time is a night that has no dawn.

So all my time is a night that has no dawn

أُعاتِبُ أيّامِي عليكُمْ ومَالَها

أُعاتِبُ أيّامِي عليكُمْ ومَالَها

ولا لِلَّيالِي في الّذي بيننا عُذْرُ

ولا لِلَّيالِي في الّذي بيننا عُذْرُ

I reproach my days on your account; neither they

I blame my days for you though they have no fault

Nor the nights have an excuse for what has come between us.

And the nights have no excuse for what is between us

لقد صَدَّعَتْ بعد التّفَرّق شَملَنا

لقد صَدَّعَتْ بعد التّفَرّق شَملَنا

كصَدْعِ الصّفا ما إنْ له أبداً جبْرُ

كصَدْعِ الصّفا ما إنْ له أبداً جبْرُ

They have indeed shattered our union after the parting,

After our parting, our union was shattered

Like a cleft in rock that can never be mended.

Like the cracking of al-Safa, which will never mend

وما زالَ صرفُ الدّهر يسعى بِبَينِنا

وما زالَ صرفُ الدّهر يسعى بِبَينِنا

فلمّا انقضَى ما بيننا سكَنَ الدّهرُ

فلمّا انقضَى ما بيننا سكَنَ الدّهرُ

Time's vicissitudes never ceased striving to part us;

The turns of fate kept trying to separate us

And when what lay between us ended, time grew still.

So when what was between us ended, fate became still

فويحَ زمانٍ فرّقتَنا صرُوفُه

فويحَ زمانٍ فرّقتَنا صرُوفُه

أكانَ عليهِ في تَفرُّقِنا نَذْرُ

أكانَ عليهِ في تَفرُّقِنا نَذْرُ

So alas for a time whose vicissitudes parted us!

Woe to a time whose turns separated us

Was it bound by a vow to bring about our separation?

Did it have a vow to separate us?

إذا عنَّ ذِكراكُم نَبا بِيَ مَضجَعي

إذا عنَّ ذِكراكُم نَبا بِيَ مَضجَعي

كأنّ فِراشِي حالَ من دُونِه الجَمْرُ

كأنّ فِراشِي حالَ من دُونِه الجَمْرُ

Whenever the memory of you arises, my bed gives me no rest,

Whenever the memory of you comes to me on my bed

As though glowing coals barred the way to my bedding.

It is as if my mattress is filled with embers

فأُذهَلُ حتى لا أجيبَ منادِياً

فأُذهَلُ حتى لا أجيبَ منادِياً

وأُبهتُ لا عُرفٌ لديّ ولا نُكْرُ

وأُبهتُ لا عُرفٌ لديّ ولا نُكْرُ

So stunned am I that I cannot answer a caller,

I become confused, answering no caller

And I am dumbfounded, knowing neither the familiar nor the strange.

Bewildered, not recognizing family or stranger

وأرمِي فِجاجَ الأرضِ نحوَ بِلادكم

وأرمِي فِجاجَ الأرضِ نحوَ بِلادكم

بطرفٍ كليلٍ دمعُه بَعدَكم قَطرُ

بطرفٍ كليلٍ دمعُه بَعدَكم قَطرُ

And I look across the earth's broad paths toward your land

I cast the splinters of the earth in your direction

With a weary eye whose tears, since you left, are rain.

With a sleepy eye whose tears after you drip

أراقَ جِمامَ الدمعِ فيكُم فإن دعَا

أراقَ جِمامَ الدمعِ فيكُم فإن دعَا

بهِ الوجدُ لبّى وهو مُستكرهٌ نَزْرُ

بهِ الوجدُ لبّى وهو مُستكرهٌ نَزْرُ

It poured out its store of tears for you; if called for

It shed the bridles of tears for you, so if yearning calls it

By longing, they answer, though forced and scant.

It answers though reluctant, a meager flow

وجَانبَ طِيبَ النّومِ بعد فِراقِكُم

وجَانبَ طِيبَ النّومِ بعد فِراقِكُم

فما تَلتقي منه على سِنَةٍ شُفْرُ

فما تَلتقي منه على سِنَةٍ شُفْرُ

And it shunned sweet sleep after parting from you,

And it avoided the sweetness of sleep after your separation

So its eyelids never meet, even in a doze.

So that for a year, no eyelids come together

عسَى نظرةٌ منكُم يُميطُ بهَا القَذَى

عسَى نظرةٌ منكُم يُميطُ بهَا القَذَى

وهيهاتَ عَرضُ الأرضِ من دِونِكُم سِترُ

وهيهاتَ عَرضُ الأرضِ من دِونِكُم سِترُ

Perhaps a glimpse of you might clear away the mote,

Perhaps a glance from you will wipe away the grit

But far from it! The breadth of the earth screens you from me.

Alas the expanse of earth has no cover but you

وإن وَعَدَتْني باقترابِكُمُ المُنَى

وإن وَعَدَتْني باقترابِكُمُ المُنَى

نَهَتْنَي عَنْ تَصدِيقِ موعِدها مصرُ

نَهَتْنَي عَنْ تَصدِيقِ موعِدها مصرُ

And if hopes promise me that you will draw near,

Though the hour of death promised your nearness

Egypt forbids me to believe their promise.

Its pledge made me doubt its honesty

وكيفَ بكُم والدّهرُ غيرُ مُساعدٍ

وكيفَ بكُم والدّهرُ غيرُ مُساعدٍ

ودونَكُمُ الأعداءُ واللّجَجُ الخُضَرُ

ودونَكُمُ الأعداءُ واللّجَجُ الخُضَرُ

How could I reach you, when time lends no help,

How could you come when fate does not favor

And enemies and the green sea-depths lie between us?

With enemies and raging seas between us

مهالكُ لو سَارت بها الريحُ عاقَها ال

مهالكُ لو سَارت بها الريحُ عاقَها ال

وَجَى وثَناها عن تَقَحُّمِها الذُّعرُ

وَجَى وثَناها عن تَقَحُّمِها الذُّعرُ

Deadly places where, if the wind traveled, it would be hindered by

Refuge! If the winds blew to their demise

Foot-soreness, and terror would turn it back from plunging through them.

Fear would forbid and repel their darkest quest

ولم يبقَ إلا ذِكرُ ما كانَ بَينَنا

ولم يبقَ إلا ذِكرُ ما كانَ بَينَنا

ولا عَجَبٌ للدّهرِ أن يُدْرَسَ الذّكرُ

ولا عَجَبٌ للدّهرِ أن يُدْرَسَ الذّكرُ

Nothing remains but the memory of what lay between us,

Naught remains but the memory of what was between us

And it is no wonder that time should efface memory.

No wonder time erases memory

وروعةُ شوقٍ تَعتريني إليكُمُ

وروعةُ شوقٍ تَعتريني إليكُمُ

كما انتَفَضَ العصفورُ بلَّلَهُ القَطْرُ

كما انتَفَضَ العصفورُ بلَّلَهُ القَطْرُ

And a shudder of longing for you comes over me,

A tremor of yearning for you overtakes me

As a sparrow shudders when rain has drenched it.

As the sparrow trembled when dripped upon

فيا رَوعتي لا تَسكُنِي بعد بُعدِهِمْ

فيا رَوعتي لا تَسكُنِي بعد بُعدِهِمْ

ويا سلوةَ الأيّامِ موعدُكِ الحَشْرُ

ويا سلوةَ الأيّامِ موعدُكِ الحَشْرُ

So, O my trembling, do not subside now that they are far away,

O my tremor, quiet not after their remoteness

And O solace of the days, your appointed time is the Resurrection.

O comfort of days, your tryst is the resurrection