ألا يا فؤاداً قد أضَرَّ به النوى

ألا يا فؤاداً قد أضَرَّ به النوى

وأشجاه بَرقٌ للحَبيب لَموعُ

وأشجاه بَرقٌ للحَبيب لَموعُ

Ah, O heart harmed by separation,

Oh heart that is grieved by separation's pangs

And saddened by the beloved's gleaming lightning!

And scorched by lightning flashes of beloved's tears

إذا ما دعاك الصَّبرُ يوماً عَصَيْتَه

إذا ما دعاك الصَّبرُ يوماً عَصَيْتَه

وأَنْتَ لما يقضي الغرام مطيع

وأَنْتَ لما يقضي الغرام مطيع

Whenever patience called you, you disobeyed it,

When patience calls you one day, you disobey

Yet you obey whatever passion decrees.

And to love's decrees you're obedient, it appears

كتَمتَ الهوى دهراً فباحث بِسِرّه

كتَمتَ الهوى دهراً فباحث بِسِرّه

عُيونٌ وأفْشَتْ ما كتَمْتَ دموع

عُيونٌ وأفْشَتْ ما كتَمْتَ دموع

You concealed love for ages, but its secret was divulged

You concealed passion for ages, but with its secret

By eyes, and tears revealed what you concealed.

Eyes conversed, and shed what you hid of tears

ويا منزلاً للّهو أبْعَده النَّوى

ويا منزلاً للّهو أبْعَده النَّوى

أللمدنفِ النائي إليكَ رجوع

أللمدنفِ النائي إليكَ رجوع

And O dwelling of pleasure, made distant by separation,

Oh dwelling of passion, which separation denied

Can the distant, lovesick one return to you?

Will the distant, weeping lover to you steer?

تذكَّرتُ فيكَ العيشَ والغصنَ يافع

تذكَّرتُ فيكَ العيشَ والغصنَ يافع

وَريقٌ وشملُ الظاعنين جميع

وَريقٌ وشملُ الظاعنين جميع

I recalled life in you, when the bough was young

I recalled in you life, and the branch, O spring

And leafy, and the company of those who departed was united.

The saliva, and the embrace of all the zealots too

فأظْهَرْتَ ممَّا أضمَرَتْهُ أضالع

فأظْهَرْتَ ممَّا أضمَرَتْهُ أضالع

ولله وَجْدٌ أضْمَرَتْه ضلوع

ولله وَجْدٌ أضْمَرَتْه ضلوع

So you revealed some of what ribs had concealed,

So you revealed what ribs within concealed

And, by God, what longing those ribs concealed!

By God, breasts concealed, which only ribs knew

ولولا الهوى ما أبكتِ العينَ أنَّةُ

ولولا الهوى ما أبكتِ العينَ أنَّةُ

ولا شاق قلبي أرسمٌ وربوع

ولا شاق قلبي أرسمٌ وربوع

And were it not for love, no moan would have made the eye weep,

And if not for love, the eye would not have wept

Nor would traces and dwellings have stirred longing in my heart.

Nor would my heart be cleft by plains and hills