ولو شئتِ لمّا أزمع الحيُّ رَوْحَةً

ولو شئتِ لمّا أزمع الحيُّ رَوْحَةً

أشرتِ إلينا بالبنانِ المُقَمَّعِ

أشرتِ إلينا بالبنانِ المُقَمَّعِ

And had you wished, when the tribe resolved on an afternoon departure,

Had you willed when the living was departing,

And had you wished, when the tribe resolved to depart,

you would have signaled to us with your dyed fingertips.

You would have gestured to us with curled fingers.

You would have signaled to us with henna-tipped fingers.

فما بان ماضٍ بان وهو مودَّعٌ

فما بان ماضٍ بان وهو مودَّعٌ

وقد بان كلَّ البين غيرَ مودَّعِ

وقد بان كلَّ البين غيرَ مودَّعِ

For one who departs with a farewell has not truly parted;

No one who leaves says farewell when leaving,

For no departer is truly lost who leaves with a farewell,

and one not bid farewell has parted utterly.

While all who remain are left without farewells.

But lost completely is the one not bid farewell.

وصَدَّكِ قومٌ عن زيارةِ مُقْلتِي

وصَدَّكِ قومٌ عن زيارةِ مُقْلتِي

فلِمْ لمْ تزورِي القلبَ ساعةَ مضجعي

فلِمْ لمْ تزورِي القلبَ ساعةَ مضجعي

And people kept you from visiting my eye;

And people kept you from visiting my wretchedness,

And if people barred you from visiting my sight,

so why did you not visit my heart when I lay down?

So why didn’t you visit my heart when I lay down?

Why did you not visit the heart at the hour of my sleep?

وحاذرتِ وصلاً يعرف النّاسُ حالَه

وحاذرتِ وصلاً يعرف النّاسُ حالَه

فما ضرّ من وَصْلٍ ولا أحدٌ معي

فما ضرّ من وَصْلٍ ولا أحدٌ معي

And you feared a union whose nature people would know;

And you feared a union the people would recognize,

You were wary of a union the people would perceive,

so what harm could union do, with no one beside me?

So what harm from a union when no one was with me?

But what harm is in a union when no one else is with me?