متى يا ليالي الهجر يكشفك الوصل

متى يا ليالي الهجر يكشفك الوصل

وتنقطعي عنا ويتصل الحبل

وتنقطعي عنا ويتصل الحبل

When, O nights of estrangement, will reunion dispel you,

When, O long nights of separation, will union unveil you,

and you leave us, and the cord be joined again?

And you leave us, and the rope is connected?

عبثت بنا حتى اضر بنا النوى

عبثت بنا حتى اضر بنا النوى

فها نحن من آثار آلامه ذهل

فها نحن من آثار آلامه ذهل

You have toyed with us until separation harmed us;

You have toyed with us until the intent has harmed us,

so here we are, dazed by the traces of its pains.

Thus we are, from the traces of its sorrows, confused.

ويا رب وقت بدل الله عسره

ويا رب وقت بدل الله عسره

بيسر لطيف لا يحيط به العقل

بيسر لطيف لا يحيط به العقل

And oh, many a time has God changed its hardship

And O Lord, exchange its hardship for gentle ease,

into gentle ease beyond the mind's grasp.

That the mind cannot comprehend.

احيباب قلبي رحمة لي فعقدتي

احيباب قلبي رحمة لي فعقدتي

بقربي اليكم أي ووجدي تنحل

بقربي اليكم أي ووجدي تنحل

Dear ones of my heart, have mercy on me, for my knot

My heart's beloved, have mercy on me, so you have bonded

unravels through my nearness to you—yes, by my longing.

With my closeness to you - yes, and my love is untied.

لكم في فؤادي موطن لايمسه

لكم في فؤادي موطن لايمسه

سواكم وفي روحي لشاخصكم ظل

سواكم وفي روحي لشاخصكم ظل

In my heart you have a dwelling that none may touch

In my heart you have a dwelling that none can touch

but you; and in my soul your form has a shadow.

Except you, and in my soul for your features there is shade.

ثحكم في قلبي هواكم وطيه

ثحكم في قلبي هواكم وطيه

فلا بعده بعد ولا قبله قبل

فلا بعده بعد ولا قبله قبل

Your love holds sway in my heart and its innermost fold;

Your love in my heart, its passion,

so no 'after' follows it, nor any 'before' precedes it.

So after it there is no distance, and before it no nearness.

اكاد لاشواقي اذوب اذا حدا

اكاد لاشواقي اذوب اذا حدا

بدكركم الحادي ودمعي ينهل

بدكركم الحادي ودمعي ينهل

I almost melt with longing whenever a chant is raised

I almost melt from my passions when

in remembrance of you by the camel-driver, and my tears pour down.

Your memory awakens, and my tears flow.

احن لكم حتى تحن مطيتي

احن لكم حتى تحن مطيتي

وعيبة زادي والازمة والرحل

وعيبة زادي والازمة والرحل

I yearn for you until even my mount yearns,

I yearn for you until my riding beast yearns,

and my provision-bag, the reins, and the saddle.

And the bags of my provision, my supplies and saddle.

ويبكي لي الصخر الاصم ترحما

ويبكي لي الصخر الاصم ترحما

ويشملني بالعدل من طبعه العذل

ويشملني بالعدل من طبعه العذل

And the deaf rock weeps for me out of compassion,

The deaf rock weeps for me in sympathy

and one whose nature is reproach extends justice to me.

And the normally harsh extend justice towards me.

وحق اويقات الوصال وطيبها

وحق اويقات الوصال وطيبها

وروض حماكم اذ يكلله الطل

وروض حماكم اذ يكلله الطل

And by the sanctity of the brief moments of union and their sweetness,

And the right of the times of union and its goodness,

and the meadow of your sanctuary when dew crowns it:

And the meadows of your presence, crowned with beauty.

اموت لمعانكم واحيا وللهوى

اموت لمعانكم واحيا وللهوى

معان بها ينغز في مهجتي نبل

معان بها ينغز في مهجتي نبل

I die for your meanings and live; and love has

I die from your glances, and live, and for the passion

meanings through which arrows pierce my heart's core.

There are glances in it that pierce my inner depths.

فهل من حنان يا كرام ورأفة

فهل من حنان يا كرام ورأفة

بها بعد هذا البعد يجتمع الشمل

بها بعد هذا البعد يجتمع الشمل

Is there, then, any tenderness, O noble ones, and compassion

Is there any tenderness, O generous ones, and compassion,

through which, after this separation, we may be reunited?

With which, after this distance, the group is brought together?

يهون لقلبي كل صعب بقربكم

يهون لقلبي كل صعب بقربكم

نعم كل شيء دون اعراضكم سهل

نعم كل شيء دون اعراضكم سهل

Every hardship grows easy for my heart through nearness to you;

Every hardship is easy for my heart in your nearness,

yes, everything but your turning away is easy.

Yes, everything other than turning away from you is easy.