دموع عيني لفقدكم تكف

دموع عيني لفقدكم تكف

والقلب مني متيّم دنف

والقلب مني متيّم دنف

Tears stream from my eye at losing you,

My tears for your absence suffice,

and my heart is enslaved by love and ailing.

And my heart is infatuated and grieving.

جانبت كلّ الصحاب بعدكم

جانبت كلّ الصحاب بعدكم

فصاحباي الحنين والأسف

فصاحباي الحنين والأسف

I have shunned all companions since parting from you;

I've turned away from all friends after you,

so my two companions are yearning and sorrow.

So my companions are yearning and sorrow.

أجازني الشام فرط حبكم

أجازني الشام فرط حبكم

وعنه لي في البلاد منحرف

وعنه لي في البلاد منحرف

My overwhelming love for you carried me to Syria,

My love for you allowed me to pass Damascus,

though I have a place in other lands to turn away from it.

And in the lands it has led me astray.

فكيف بي في غد وداركم

فكيف بي في غد وداركم

شط قويق وداري النجف

شط قويق وداري النجف

How, then, shall I fare tomorrow, when your home is

So how can I be tomorrow in your homes,

the bank of the Quwayq, and my home is Najaf?

The banks of Euphrates, while my home is Najaf?

فارقتكم عزة ومحمية

فارقتكم عزة ومحمية

وربّما أتلف الفتى الأنف

وربّما أتلف الفتى الأنف

I parted from you out of pride and self-respect,

I left you, my dignity and refuge,

and pride has sometimes destroyed a young man.

And perhaps the young man will lose his nose.

نظرت قصدي وفيه فرقتكم

نظرت قصدي وفيه فرقتكم

والقصد فيما نأى بكم سرف

والقصد فيما نأى بكم سرف

I weighed my restraint, though it meant parting from you;

I looked at my intention, in which I parted you,

yet restraint in what puts you far away is excess.

And the intention in what distanced you was excessive.

فرط هواني في حبكم كرم

فرط هواني في حبكم كرم

وذلّتي في هواكم شرف

وذلّتي في هواكم شرف

My utter abasement in loving you is nobility,

My disgrace in loving you was generosity,

and my humiliation in my passion for you is honor.

And my humiliation in your love was honor.

ومن يكن جاحداً لصبوته

ومن يكن جاحداً لصبوته

فانني بالغرام أعترف

فانني بالغرام أعترف

And whoever may deny his longing—

Whoever denies his passion,

I, for my part, confess my ardent love.

I confess to being lovesick.

فليتكم تعلمون معتقدي

فليتكم تعلمون معتقدي

وان ما قلته كما أصف

وان ما قلته كما أصف

If only you knew my conviction,

If only you knew my beliefs,

and that what I have said is as I describe it,

And that what I said is as I described.

وانكم ما سكنتم حلبا

وانكم ما سكنتم حلبا

قلبي رهين بحبّها كلف

قلبي رهين بحبّها كلف

and that, as long as you dwell in Aleppo,

And that you have not dwelled in Aleppo,

my heart is held captive by love for her, deeply enamored.

My heart is captive to loving it indeed.