شَمْسَ الأَصِيلِ تَرَفَّقِي بِفُؤَادِي

شَمْسَ الأَصِيلِ تَرَفَّقِي بِفُؤَادِي

مَاذاَ جَلَبْتِ لَهُ مِنَ الأَنْكَادِ

مَاذاَ جَلَبْتِ لَهُ مِنَ الأَنْكَادِ

O sun of late afternoon, be gentle with my heart.

O sun of the late afternoon, be gentle with my heart;

What sorrows have you brought upon it?

What sorrows have you brought upon it?

أَوْقَدْتِ نَارَ كآبَةٍ فِي أَضْلُعي

أَوْقَدْتِ نَارَ كآبَةٍ فِي أَضْلُعي

وَقَدَحْتِ زَنْدَ الشوْقِ فِي الأَكْبَادِ

وَقَدَحْتِ زَنْدَ الشوْقِ فِي الأَكْبَادِ

You kindled a fire of sorrow within my ribs,

You have kindled the fire of melancholy within my ribs,

And struck longing’s firestick within the livers.

And struck the flint of longing deep within my core.

لَمَّا نَشَرْتِ بُرُودَ تِبْرٍ بِالرُّبَى

لَمَّا نَشَرْتِ بُرُودَ تِبْرٍ بِالرُّبَى

وَبَسَطْتِ بُسْطَ التِّبْرِ فِي الأَنْجَادِ

وَبَسَطْتِ بُسْطَ التِّبْرِ فِي الأَنْجَادِ

When you spread mantles of gold over the hills,

When you spread cloaks of gold dust over the hills,

And spread carpets of gold across the uplands,

And unrolled carpets of gold across the highlands,

فَحَكَيْتِ يَوْمَ الوَصْلِ فِي رَأَدِ الضُّحَى

فَحَكَيْتِ يَوْمَ الوَصْلِ فِي رَأَدِ الضُّحَى

مَعَ الْغُرُوبِ حَكَيْتِ يَوْمَ بِعَادِي

مَعَ الْغُرُوبِ حَكَيْتِ يَوْمَ بِعَادِي

You thus mirrored the day of union in the rising light of forenoon;

You resembled the day of union in the radiance of mid-morning,

With sunset, you mirrored the day of my separation.

While at sunset, you resembled the day of my parting.