لَقَد زارَ مَن أَهوى عَلى غَيرِ مَوعِدٍ

لَقَد زارَ مَن أَهوى عَلى غَيرِ مَوعِدٍ

فَعايَنتُ بَدرَ التَمِّ ذاكَ التَلاقِيا

فَعايَنتُ بَدرَ التَمِّ ذاكَ التَلاقِيا

Indeed, the one I love came to visit without an appointment,

The one I love came to visit without warning

so at that meeting I beheld the moon in its fullness.

So I saw the full moon of perfection in that meeting

وَعاتَبتُهُ وَالعَتبُ يَحلو حَديثُهُ

وَعاتَبتُهُ وَالعَتبُ يَحلو حَديثُهُ

وَقَد بَلَغَت روحي لَدَيهِ التَراقِيا

وَقَد بَلَغَت روحي لَدَيهِ التَراقِيا

And I reproached him—sweet is the talk of reproach—

And I reproached him, though his excuses were sweet

while, in his presence, my soul had reached the collarbones.

For my soul had almost left me in yearning

فَلَمّا اِجتَمَعنا قُلتُ مِن فَرَحي بِهِ

فَلَمّا اِجتَمَعنا قُلتُ مِن فَرَحي بِهِ

مِنَ الشِعرِ بَيتاً وَالدُموعُ سَواقِيا

مِنَ الشِعرِ بَيتاً وَالدُموعُ سَواقِيا

So when we met, out of my delight in him I recited

When we met, I said in my joy:

a verse of poetry, with tears flowing in streams:

Two verses of poetry, with tears flowing

وَقَد يَجمَعُ اللَهُ الشَتيتَينِ بَعدَما

وَقَد يَجمَعُ اللَهُ الشَتيتَينِ بَعدَما

يَظُنّانِ كُلَّ الظَنِّ أَن لاتَلاقِيا

يَظُنّانِ كُلَّ الظَنِّ أَن لاتَلاقِيا

And God may bring two parted ones together after

May God bring together the separated two after

they believe with utter certainty that they will never meet.

Each was certain no reunion would take place