قُل لِلأَحِبَّةِ يَصبِرونَ قَليلا

قُل لِلأَحِبَّةِ يَصبِرونَ قَليلا

لا يَعجلونَ فيقتُلون قَتيلا

لا يَعجلونَ فيقتُلون قَتيلا

Tell the loved ones to be patient a little;

Tell the loved ones to be patient a little,

let them not hasten and kill one already slain.

Not to hurry lest they become a slain victim.

أتُراهُمُ عَلِموا بِروحي أنَّها

أتُراهُمُ عَلِموا بِروحي أنَّها

مَعهُم إِذا رَحَلوا تُريدُ رَحيلا

مَعهُم إِذا رَحَلوا تُريدُ رَحيلا

Do you think they knew that my soul

Do you think they knew my soul would

wishes to depart with them whenever they leave?

Accompany them if they depart intending to depart?

لا بُلِّغوا أَمَلاً ولا حاديهُمُ

لا بُلِّغوا أَمَلاً ولا حاديهُمُ

إذ خَيَّبوا مِن صَبريَ التأميلا

إذ خَيَّبوا مِن صَبريَ التأميلا

May neither they nor their camel-driver see a hope fulfilled,

Do not give them hope or lead them astray

for they dashed my hope of remaining patient.

Since they have disappointed my wishful thinking.

كَم عاذلٍ فيهم عَصَيتُ فَلم أُطِع

كَم عاذلٍ فيهم عَصَيتُ فَلم أُطِع

ولَقَد أَطاعوا في الفِراقِ عَذولا

ولَقَد أَطاعوا في الفِراقِ عَذولا

How many a reprover I defied over them, and did not obey,

How many reproachers among them I disobeyed,

yet they did obey a reprover in parting.

And they obeyed the separation though blamers.

وسَبيلُ مَن أَمسى بِمِثلِ بَنانِه

وسَبيلُ مَن أَمسى بِمِثلِ بَنانِه

تَرَفاً يكونُ من الفِراقِ مَلولا

تَرَفاً يكونُ من الفِراقِ مَلولا

And it is the way of one who has become like his fingertips

The way of one who spent his night bedecked

in delicacy to grow weary of separation.

Becomes difficult with separation.

للسُّقمِ عِندي مِنَّةٌ أعتَدُّها

للسُّقمِ عِندي مِنَّةٌ أعتَدُّها

لمَّا خَفيتُ عن الوُشاةِ نُحولا

لمَّا خَفيتُ عن الوُشاةِ نُحولا

Illness has done me a favor that I acknowledge,

To illness I owe a favor I appreciate

when, through emaciation, I was hidden from the talebearers.

When I was hidden from the tale-carriers.

هل نافِعي كِتمانُ ما لاقَيتُه

هل نافِعي كِتمانُ ما لاقَيتُه

لمَّا غَدا دَمعي علَيهِ دَليلا

لمَّا غَدا دَمعي علَيهِ دَليلا

Can concealing what I have suffered benefit me,

Does hiding what I experienced benefit me

when my tears have become evidence of it?

When my tears became evidence?

أوَ ما كَفاني بُخلكُم بِوصالِكُم

أوَ ما كَفاني بُخلكُم بِوصالِكُم

حتَّى غَدا صَبري عَليهِ بَخيلا

حتَّى غَدا صَبري عَليهِ بَخيلا

And was your withholding of union not enough for me,

Or did your neglect of seeing me suffice

that my patience, too, should grow grudging in bearing it?

That my patience over it became stingy?

وكأنَّ قَلبي رامَ يُبدي سَلوةً

وكأنَّ قَلبي رامَ يُبدي سَلوةً

لليأسِ فاتَّخذَ الدُّموعَ رسولا

لليأسِ فاتَّخذَ الدُّموعَ رسولا

And it is as though my heart sought to show it had found solace

As if my heart wanted to reveal a solace

out of despair, and so made tears its messenger.

To despair, so took tears as messenger.