ليت شعري بأي ذنب لملك

ليت شعري بأي ذنب لملك

كان هجري لقبرها واجتنابي

كان هجري لقبرها واجتنابي

Would that I knew: for which slight offense of yours

Would that I knew for what fault of Mulk's

did I forsake her grave and keep away?

I forsook her grave and kept away.

ألذنب حقدته كان منها

ألذنب حقدته كان منها

أم لعلمي بشغلها عن عتابي

أم لعلمي بشغلها عن عتابي

Was it for some offense of hers that I resented,

Was it for a wrong of hers that I held against her,

or because I knew she was too occupied to reproach me?

or because I knew she was too occupied to reproach me,

أم لامني لسخطها رضاها

أم لامني لسخطها رضاها

حين واريت وجهها في التراب

حين واريت وجهها في التراب

Or did her contentment reproach me for her displeasure

or did her contentment reproach me for her anger,

when I laid her face beneath the earth?

when I buried her face in the earth?

ما وفى في العباد حي لميت

ما وفى في العباد حي لميت

بعد يأس منه له في الإياب

بعد يأس منه له في الإياب

No living soul among mankind keeps faith with the dead

Among mankind, no living soul keeps faith with the dead,

once he despairs of that dead one's return to him.

once he has despaired of their returning to him.

إنما حسرتي إذا ما تذكر

إنما حسرتي إذا ما تذكر

ت عنائي بها وطول طلابي

ت عنائي بها وطول طلابي

My only anguish comes whenever I remember

My anguish comes only when I remember

my suffering for her, and my long pursuit.

my toil for her and my long pursuit.

لم أزل في الطلا سبع سنيني

لم أزل في الطلا سبع سنيني

أتأتى لذاك من كل باب

أتأتى لذاك من كل باب

For seven years I never ceased pursuing her,

For seven years of my life I remained in pursuit [reading uncertain],

seeking that end through every door.

seeking a way to that end through every door.

فاجتمعنا على اتفاق وقدر

فاجتمعنا على اتفاق وقدر

وغنينا عن فرقة باصطحاب

وغنينا عن فرقة باصطحاب

At last we came together by accord and fate,

So we came together through chance and fate,

and companionship spared us separation.

and companionship freed us from separation.

أشهراً ستة صحبتك فيها

أشهراً ستة صحبتك فيها

كن كالحلم أو كلمع السراب

كن كالحلم أو كلمع السراب

Six months I spent in your company;

Six months, during which I kept your company,

they were like a dream, or a mirage's gleam.

were like a dream, or the shimmer of a mirage.

وأتاني النعي منك مع البشـ

وأتاني النعي منك مع البشـ

ـرى فيا قرب أوبة من ذهاب

ـرى فيا قرب أوبة من ذهاب

Then word of your death came to me with the glad ti—

And news of your death reached me with the glad

—dings: how swift a return after departure!

tidings—oh, how close a return is to a departure!