سألت رجال الطبّ أخبر كلهم

سألت رجال الطبّ أخبر كلهم

وهم أهل تجريب وأهل ذكاء

وهم أهل تجريب وأهل ذكاء

I asked the physicians; all of them told me—

I asked the doctors, all learned men,

I questioned the physicians, and they all confirmed,

and they are men of experience and intelligence—

Experts in medicine and intelligence,

For they are men of experience and keen intelligence,

بأنّ سقيم الحبّ هيهات ما له

بأنّ سقيم الحبّ هيهات ما له

دواء إذا ما الحب أصبح نائي

دواء إذا ما الحب أصبح نائي

that one sick with love—alas—has no

About the illness of love - alas! When love is distant

That for the one sick with love—alas—there is no

cure when the beloved has grown distant.

There is no cure for the lover's agony.

Remedy, once the beloved has become distant.

عسى ولعل اللّه أني برد الأسى

عسى ولعل اللّه أني برد الأسى

فإن رجاء الوصل بعض دواء

فإن رجاء الوصل بعض دواء

Perhaps God may cool my sorrow [wording unclear];

May God grant that sorrow passes;

Perchance God may bring about the cooling of this grief,

for hope of union is a partial cure.

For hope of union is itself a remedy.

For the hope of reunion is, in itself, a partial cure.

ولو لم يكن للعاشقين تقرّب

ولو لم يكن للعاشقين تقرّب

لوقت وصال ما بقوا لمساء

لوقت وصال ما بقوا لمساء

And if lovers could not draw near

If lovers could not sometimes meet

And were it not that lovers could draw near in thought

to a time of union, they would not survive till evening.

They would not endure the nights of separation.

To a time of meeting, they would not survive until dusk.

وأن دام هجر الحبّ أو زاد بينه

وأن دام هجر الحبّ أو زاد بينه

فذلك داءٌ لم يزل بشفاء

فذلك داءٌ لم يزل بشفاء

And if the beloved's estrangement persists, or separation from him grows,

If the beloved's estrangement lasts or grows,

But if the abandonment endures, or the separation widens,

that is an illness no cure has dispelled.

That is an illness which comes with its cure.

Then that is a malady that no cure can ever remove.

وفي من مضوا في شرعة الحب والهوى

وفي من مضوا في شرعة الحب والهوى

له أسوةٌ فليصبرن لبلاء

له أسوةٌ فليصبرن لبلاء

And among those who went before in the way of love and passion,

So let those who walk the path of love and passion

And in those who have passed away within the creed of love and passion,

he has an example; so let him endure affliction steadfastly.

Follow the example of past lovers and be patient in trial.

He finds a precedent; so let him endure the trial with patience.