سأبكي عليكم بالدموع السواكب

وأندب أياما لقطع الحبائب

I shall weep for you with streaming tears.

And lament days of parting from loved ones.

نهاري وليلي دائم الحزن والبكا

على حيرة في ذي المنازل لابب

My day and night are filled with constant sorrow and weeping.

In bewilderment, I linger in these dwellings.

فواحسرتي ولي الزمان ولم أفز

برؤية عين العين غائب

So alas for me! Time has passed, and I have not attained

The sight of the eye of the eye—absent.

نأوا فبقلبي من حراقهم

وهو من الوجد المبرح كارب

They went far away; in my heart is some of their burning,

And it is anguished by agonizing longing.

فيا معشر الإخوان رثوا لذئب

فإن جميل الصبر عنه هارب

So, O company of brothers, take pity on a wolf,

For beautiful patience is fleeing from him.

تحية من شطت به عنه داره

وهو له قلب وسمع ناحب

A greeting from one whose home has borne him far away from him,

And he has a heart and a sobbing ear.

تحية مرغت في وصف حبيبه

أديب ظريف عاطر وكواكب

A greeting that wallowed in describing his beloved:

Cultured, charming, fragrant—and stars.

ولهفي على ربع خلا من أنيسه

وفاح به داعي النوى والجوائب

And my grief for a dwelling emptied of its companion!

And through it wafted the herald of separation and far-ranging tidings.

ولي زفرات بالغرام تأججت

لها في فؤادي نار قلبي الذائب

And I have sighs set ablaze by passionate love.

For them, within my heart, is the fire of my melting heart.

نسيم الصبا بلغ سلامي إليهم

إن الهجر طرق الغياهب

O breeze of the east wind, convey my greeting to them.

Indeed, estrangement is paths through deepest darkness.

وإن لم أطق صبرا عليهم فليس لي

سوى من له علم وعفو الصبائب

And if I cannot bear their absence patiently, I have no one

Except the One who has knowledge and pardon for love's outpourings.

يفرج أحزاني ويغفر زلتي

فها القلب من فقد الأحبة دائب

He relieves my sorrows and forgives my lapse.

So behold the heart, ever toiling under the loss of loved ones.

ولم أبد يوما للخلائق قصتي

وما زلت في ثوب الصبابة ساكب

And never have I revealed my story to any creature.

And I remain in longing's robe, pouring out tears.

أدوم على حسن العهود بكم عسى

تواصلنا يوما بكل المآرب

I remain faithful to the goodly pledges with you; perhaps

You will rejoin us one day, with every wish fulfilled.

فيا رب بالهادي النبي محمد

نبي عظيم فاضل ومراقب

So, O Lord, by the guiding Prophet Muhammad,

A great, virtuous, and watchful prophet,

أعذنا من البين الكثير ورعبه

وشفعه فينا فهو خير الحجائب

Grant us refuge from so much separation and its terror,

And accept his intercession for us, for he is the best of veils.

وإنما لترضينا رجوع وصالكم

فردوا لنا ذاك الوصال المغاصب

And only the return of union with you will satisfy us.

So restore to us that union taken by force.

وكنا نغطي في الدنو غرامنا

ولكتم ما نلقوا بأثر الوغائب

And when close, we used to conceal our passionate love,

And to conceal what we endure in the wake of absences [uncertain word].

ومن ذا الذي يفدي النوى بحمامه

ويبقى مع الحب الخليل مصاحب

And who is it who ransoms separation with his death,

And remains a companion beside the beloved, the intimate friend?

فلا أخرج الوصال لبلدة

على قدم الإنصاف مني بناحب

So I do not take union out to a town,

On the footing of fairness, from me, with one who sobs.