عَداكُم هَوىً مُذ شَفَّنا ما تَعَدّانا

عَداكُم هَوىً مُذ شَفَّنا ما تَعَدّانا

فَهَوَّنتُمُ خَطباً مِنَ البَينِ ما هانا

فَهَوَّنتُمُ خَطباً مِنَ البَينِ ما هانا

Love has spared you; since it wasted us away, it has never spared us.

Since we loved you, you have turned away, not keeping your promise,

So you made light of a calamity of parting that was no light matter.

You made light of sorrows too heavy for us to bear,

وَقُلتُم تَداوَوا بِالفِراقِ فَما الَّذي

وَقُلتُم تَداوَوا بِالفِراقِ فَما الَّذي

أَلانَ النَوى مِن بَعدِ قَسوَتِها الآنا

أَلانَ النَوى مِن بَعدِ قَسوَتِها الآنا

And you said, “Heal yourselves with parting”; then what

You said time would heal with separation, but what

has softened separation now, after its harshness?

Has softened the pain after such harshness?

وَإِنّا لَنَرضى أَن تَصُدّوا وَتَقرَبوا

وَإِنّا لَنَرضى أَن تَصُدّوا وَتَقرَبوا

فَرُدّوا لَنا ذاكَ الدُنُوَّ كَما كانا

فَرُدّوا لَنا ذاكَ الدُنُوَّ كَما كانا

And we would indeed be content for you to shun us yet remain near;

We would be content if you were cold or warm to us,

so restore to us that nearness as it was.

Give us back that affection as it used to be.

هُوَ الوَجدُ أَرضانا بِأَدنى نَوالِكُم

هُوَ الوَجدُ أَرضانا بِأَدنى نَوالِكُم

وَأَقصى مُنانا أَن تَقارَبَ أَرضانا

وَأَقصى مُنانا أَن تَقارَبَ أَرضانا

It is yearning that made us content with the least of your favors,

It would gladden us however little your favors,

and our utmost wish is that our two lands draw near.

And please us however little your closeness.

إِذا ما اِدَّعَينا سَلوَةً عَن هَواكُمُ

إِذا ما اِدَّعَينا سَلوَةً عَن هَواكُمُ

جَرى الدَمعُ مُنهَلّاً فَكَذَّبَ دَعوانا

جَرى الدَمعُ مُنهَلّاً فَكَذَّبَ دَعوانا

Whenever we claim relief from our love for you,

When we pretend to be consoled for love of you,

tears pour down and give the lie to our claim.

Our tears flow belying our words.

فَلَيتَ الوُشاةَ حينَ رَقَّت حَديثَنا

فَلَيتَ الوُشاةَ حينَ رَقَّت حَديثَنا

إِلَيها دُموعُ العَينِ رَقَّت لِبَلوانا

إِلَيها دُموعُ العَينِ رَقَّت لِبَلوانا

Would that the talebearers, when our tale was carried

If only the go-betweens, when they repeated our words,

to them by the eye’s tears, had pitied our suffering.

Had moved you with their tears as they moved us.

هَبوا الوَصلَ بِالعُذّالِ صارَ قَطيعَةً

هَبوا الوَصلَ بِالعُذّالِ صارَ قَطيعَةً

فَماذا الَّذي قَد صَيَّرَ الذِكرَ نِسيانا

فَماذا الَّذي قَد صَيَّرَ الذِكرَ نِسيانا

Grant that union became estrangement through the reproachers;

They ruined our union with slander, it became estrangement,

then what has turned remembrance into forgetfulness?

What has made recollection into forgetfulness?

بِنا حُبُّ مَن نَرعاهُ وَهوَ يَروعُنا

بِنا حُبُّ مَن نَرعاهُ وَهوَ يَروعُنا

وَنَذكُرُهُ حَتّى المَماتِ وَيَنسانا

وَنَذكُرُهُ حَتّى المَماتِ وَيَنسانا

Within us is love for one we cherish, while he frightens us,

We love those we tend, though they alarm us,

and we remember him until death, while he forgets us.

And remember them until death, though they forget us.

وَكَيفَ نُغَطّي وَهوَ دانٍ غَرامَنا

وَكَيفَ نُغَطّي وَهوَ دانٍ غَرامَنا

وَنَكتُمُ ما نَلقى فَقَد بانَ مُذ بانا

وَنَكتُمُ ما نَلقى فَقَد بانَ مُذ بانا

And how can we hide our passion when he is near,

How can we hide it, when our love is known,

and conceal what we suffer? It has been plain since he departed.

Or conceal what was revealed when it first appeared?

فَلَيتَ نَسيمَ الريحِ حُمِّلَ عَرفُهُم

فَلَيتَ نَسيمَ الريحِ حُمِّلَ عَرفُهُم

فَأَدّاهُ أَحياناً إِلَينا فَأَحيانا

فَأَدّاهُ أَحياناً إِلَينا فَأَحيانا

If only the wind’s breeze were laden with their fragrance,

If only the breeze would carry their fragrance to us

and brought it to us at times, restoring us to life.

Sometimes, and other times their news!

تَجَنَّوا فَما حَنّوا عَلَينا وَلا حَنَوا

تَجَنَّوا فَما حَنّوا عَلَينا وَلا حَنَوا

وَمَنَّوا وَما مَنّوا لَياناً وَلَيّانا

وَمَنَّوا وَما مَنّوا لَياناً وَلَيّانا

They accused us unjustly, showing neither pity for us nor tenderness;

They kept away, and did not yearn for us or yearn,

and they held out hopes, but granted neither gentleness nor respite.

They granted favors and no favors, days and no days.

وَفي الأَرضِ عُشّاقٌ وَلَيسوا كَمِثلِنا

وَفي الأَرضِ عُشّاقٌ وَلَيسوا كَمِثلِنا

أَسارى غَرامٍ لا يُرَجّونَ سُلوانا

أَسارى غَرامٍ لا يُرَجّونَ سُلوانا

And there are lovers on earth, but they are not like us:

On earth are lovers who are not like us,

captives of passion who are given no hope of solace.

Captives of passion, hoping for no relief.