بِنفسي قريبُ الدارِ والهجرُ دُونَه

بِنفسي قريبُ الدارِ والهجرُ دُونَه

وبُعدُ التَّقَالي غيرُ بُعدِ السَباسِبِ

وبُعدُ التَّقَالي غيرُ بُعدِ السَباسِبِ

I would give my life for him whose home is near, yet estrangement bars the way to him.

With my soul near his home yet estranged from him,

And the distance of mutual aversion is unlike the distance across desert plains.

While the distance of separation differs from that between stars.

أَراهُ مكانَ الشّمسِ بُعداً وبينَنا

أَراهُ مكانَ الشّمسِ بُعداً وبينَنا

كما بينَ عينٍ في التّداني وحاجِبِ

كما بينَ عينٍ في التّداني وحاجِبِ

I see him as distant as the sun, though the space between us

I see him as far as the sun, though between us

Is as small as that between an eye and an eyebrow.

Is as between an eye engaged in friendly gazing and an eyelid.

وهل نَافِعي قربٌ ومِن دُون قلبِه

وهل نَافِعي قربٌ ومِن دُون قلبِه

نَوىً قُذُفٌ أَعيَت ظُهورَ الرَكائِبِ

نَوىً قُذُفٌ أَعيَت ظُهورَ الرَكائِبِ

And can nearness help me, when between me and his heart lies

Of what use is nearness while his heart intends

A far-reaching separation that has exhausted the backs of riding camels?

To roam? Ships wearied by ceaseless launching.

تجنَّى لِيَ الذي ما جَنَيتُه

تجنَّى لِيَ الذي ما جَنَيتُه

ولا هُو مغفورٌ بِعذرَةٍ تائِبِ

ولا هُو مغفورٌ بِعذرَةٍ تائِبِ

He accused me of an offense I never committed,

He shunned the blame that I never sought from him,

Nor is it forgiven through a penitent's apology.

Nor can he be pardoned with an apology or repentance.

وَمَلَّ فلو أهدى إليّ خيَالَه

وَمَلَّ فلو أهدى إليّ خيَالَه

بَدا لِيَ مَنهُ في الكَرى وجهُ عاتِبِ

بَدا لِيَ مَنهُ في الكَرى وجهُ عاتِبِ

And he grew weary of me; were he to send me his phantom,

He refused, else had he sent me his image,

A reproachful face of his would appear to me in sleep.

It would have seemed reproachful to me however.

وضَنَّ فلو أنّ النسيمَ يُطيعُه

وضَنَّ فلو أنّ النسيمَ يُطيعُه

لجنَّبَني بَرْدَ الصَّبا والجنائبِ

لجنَّبَني بَرْدَ الصَّبا والجنائبِ

And he was grudging; were the breeze to obey him,

He disdained, else had the breeze obeyed him,

He would deny me the coolness of the east wind and the south winds.

It would have spared me the cold north wind and squalls.

إذَا رجَعَتْ باليأسِ مِنهُ مَطامِعي

إذَا رجَعَتْ باليأسِ مِنهُ مَطامِعي

علِقتُ بأذيال الظُّنونِ الكَواذِبِ

علِقتُ بأذيال الظُّنونِ الكَواذِبِ

Whenever my hopes return, despairing of him,

When hopes of him have gone with despair,

I cling to the hems of false conjectures.

I cling to the hems of lying rumors.

وأعجبُ ما خُبِّرتُه من صَبابتي

وأعجبُ ما خُبِّرتُه من صَبابتي

بِه والَهوى ما زالَ جَمَّ العَجائِبِ

بِه والَهوى ما زالَ جَمَّ العَجائِبِ

And the strangest thing made known to me about my ardent love

Most wondrous is what I have been told of my passion for him,

For him—and love has always been rich in wonders—

While desire remains perfect in all its strangeness.

حَنيني إلى مَن خِلبُ قَلبيَ دارُهُ

حَنيني إلى مَن خِلبُ قَلبيَ دارُهُ

وشَوقي إلى مَن لَيس عنّي بغائبِ

وشَوقي إلى مَن لَيس عنّي بغائبِ

Is my yearning for one whose dwelling is my heart's membrane,

My yearning is for him whose home has stolen my heart,

And my longing for one who is not absent from me.

My longing is for him who is not absent from me.