قَليلٌ لِنَفسي أَن تَصوبُ صَبابَةً

قَليلٌ لِنَفسي أَن تَصوبُ صَبابَةً

إِذا شِمتُ مِن تِلقاءِ أَرضِكُم بَرقا

إِذا شِمتُ مِن تِلقاءِ أَرضِكُم بَرقا

It is little enough for my soul to pour itself out in yearning

It is little for my soul to weep with longing

It is little for my soul to yearn

It is a trifle for my soul to pour itself out in longing, // Whenever I glimpse lightning from the direction of your land.

whenever I glimpse lightning from the direction of your land.

When I glimpse lightning from the direction of your land.

When I get a whiff from your lands of lightning.

O judges of passion, God will ask you tomorrow // Concerning the wretched lover: why is he made to suffer?

قُضاة الهَوى وَاللَهُ يَسأَلكُم غَداً

قُضاة الهَوى وَاللَهُ يَسأَلكُم غَداً

عَنِ العاشِقِ المِسكين ما بالهُ يَشقى

عَنِ العاشِقِ المِسكين ما بالهُ يَشقى

O judges of love, tomorrow God will question you

O judges of love, God will question you tomorrow

Judges of passion, and God will ask you tomorrow

Halt and do justice to him who sought refuge in you from your tyranny, // Who could not bear patience over the deprivation of meeting.

about the wretched lover: why must he suffer?

About the wretched lover: why does he suffer?

About the poor lover, why is he wretched?

A slain victim who answers whenever you call him, // Who chokes on tears if the East is ever mentioned.

قِفوا فَاِنصِفوا مَن عاذَ مِن جورِكُم بكم

قِفوا فَاِنصِفوا مَن عاذَ مِن جورِكُم بكم

وَلَم يَستَطِع صَبراً عَلى عَدَم المَلقى

وَلَم يَستَطِع صَبراً عَلى عَدَم المَلقى

Stop, and deal justly with one who sought refuge in you from your tyranny

Stop, then do justice to him who sought refuge with you from your injustice,

Stop, be fair to one who takes refuge from your tyranny in you

His Hour of Doom has struck, yet your phantom // Promises him a reunion, and for this alone he endures.

and could not patiently endure the absence of meeting.

And could not endure the absence of a meeting.

And could not have patience without meeting.

In loathing or affection, you are the object of my desire; // There is no forgetting you, no matter how great the burden remains.

قَتيلٌ إِذا نادَيتُموهُ أَجابَكُم

قَتيلٌ إِذا نادَيتُموهُ أَجابَكُم

لَهُ شَرقٌ بِالدَمعِ إِن ذكرَ الشَرقا

لَهُ شَرقٌ بِالدَمعِ إِن ذكرَ الشَرقا

Slain though he is, if you call him, he answers you;

A slain man: when you call him, he answers you;

A slain man if you call him, he will answer you.

I was content with a phantom's visit if slumber would guide it, // But how can I sleep when my tears never cease?

he chokes on tears whenever he remembers the East.

He chokes on tears if he recalls the East.

He has a dawn with tears if the dawn is recalled.

Cruel is the heart of Fate that untied the knot of our bond, // And barred against us the paths to your connection.

قِيامَتُهُ قامَت وَلكِن خَيالُكُم

قِيامَتُهُ قامَت وَلكِن خَيالُكُم

يُمنّيهِ بِاللُقيا فَمِن أَجلِ ذا يَبقى

يُمنّيهِ بِاللُقيا فَمِن أَجلِ ذا يَبقى

His resurrection has already come—but your phantom

His Day of Judgment has come, yet your phantom

His resurrection has occurred but your fantasies

Of old, nearness was the cure for separation, // And the days restored their falsehood into truth.

promises him reunion, and for that alone he remains alive.

Gives him hope of a meeting; that is why he lives on.

Promise him meeting, so he remains for that reason.

Brief were the nights when every betrayer kept faith, // Freeing the captives of love and rescuing the drowned.

قلىً أَو ودادٌ أَنتُم مَوضِعُ الهَوى

قلىً أَو ودادٌ أَنتُم مَوضِعُ الهَوى

فَلا سَلوَةٌ عَنكُم وَإِن جَلَّ ذا يَبقى

فَلا سَلوَةٌ عَنكُم وَإِن جَلَّ ذا يَبقى

Whether you show hatred or affection, you are the abode of love;

Be it aversion or affection, you are the object of love;

Whether roasted or loving you are the abode of passion

there is no consolation away from you, and though this grows immense, it endures.

So there is no forgetting you; though this grows grievous, it endures.

So there is no solace from you even if this remains distant.

قَنِعتُ بِوَصلِ الطَيفِ إِن قادَهُ الكَرى

قَنِعتُ بِوَصلِ الطَيفِ إِن قادَهُ الكَرى

وَكَيفَ رُقادي وَالمَدامِعُ ما ترقى

وَكَيفَ رُقادي وَالمَدامِعُ ما ترقى

I am content to meet your phantom, if slumber should bring it,

I am content with the phantom's company, if slumber brings it;

I sufficed with the arrival of the specter if fate guided it

but how can I sleep when my tears never cease?

And how can I sleep while the tears will not cease?

And how can I sleep while tears do not stop flowing?

قَسا قَلبُ دَهرٍ حَلَّ عَقدَ وِصالكُم

قَسا قَلبُ دَهرٍ حَلَّ عَقدَ وِصالكُم

وَسَدَّ عَلَينا دونَ وَصلِكُمُ الطُرقا

وَسَدَّ عَلَينا دونَ وَصلِكُمُ الطُرقا

Cruel is the heart of an age that undid the bond of union with you

Hard grew the heart of time, which untied the knot of union with you

The days of old, nearness in them used to cure longing

and barred every road between us and reunion with you.

And blocked our paths to union with you.

And time has reversed its righteousness, truly.

قَديماً شفاءُ القُرب فيها مِنَ النَوى

قَديماً شفاءُ القُرب فيها مِنَ النَوى

وَرَدَّت لَنا الأَيّامُ باطِلَها حَقّا

وَرَدَّت لَنا الأَيّامُ باطِلَها حَقّا

Long ago, nearness there afforded healing from separation,

Long ago, in those days, nearness was a cure for separation,

Hardened is the heart of an era that tied your union

and the days made their false promise come true for us.

And the days turned their falsehood into truth for us.

And blocked for us the paths to your connection.

قصارُ اللَيالي إِذ وَفى كُلُّ خائِنٍ

قصارُ اللَيالي إِذ وَفى كُلُّ خائِنٍ

فَفَكَّ أسارى الحُبِّ وَاِستَنقَذَ الغَرقى

فَفَكَّ أسارى الحُبِّ وَاِستَنقَذَ الغَرقى

Brief were the nights when every traitor proved faithful,

Short were the nights, when every traitor kept faith,

The nights are short when every traitor fulfilled

freeing love’s captives and rescuing those who were drowning.

And so freed love's captives and rescued the drowning.

And released the prisoners of love and saved the drowning.