وَاصَلَنِي هَجْرُ مَنْ أُحِبُّ

وَاصَلَنِي هَجْرُ مَنْ أُحِبُّ

فَلَمْ يَغِبْ لاَ وَلاَ يَغِيبُ

فَلَمْ يَغِبْ لاَ وَلاَ يَغِيبُ

Estrangement from the one I love has kept me company;

The estrangement of my beloved persists

so it has never left—no, nor will it ever leave.

Never absent, never gone

فَلَوْ يَكُونُ السُّلُوِّ حَياً

فَلَوْ يَكُونُ السُّلُوِّ حَياً

مَا مَاتَ مِنْ هَجْرِهِ المُحِبُّ

مَا مَاتَ مِنْ هَجْرِهِ المُحِبُّ

For if forgetfulness were alive,

If only estrangement could live

the lover would not have died of its desertion.

Then those in love would not die

وَا رَحْمَتَا لاِنْكِسَارِ جَفْنِ

وَا رَحْمَتَا لاِنْكِسَارِ جَفْنِ

لاَ يَعْرِفُ الصَّحْوَ مِنْهُ هَدْبُ

لاَ يَعْرِفُ الصَّحْوَ مِنْهُ هَدْبُ

Oh, pity the drooping of an eyelid

Oh what mercy in the breaking of the eyelid

not one of whose lashes knows sobriety.

That knows no waking, only sinking

جَارَ عَلَيْهِ الخُمَارُ حَتَّى

جَارَ عَلَيْهِ الخُمَارُ حَتَّى

أَتْلَفَهُ والخُمَارُ صَعْبُ

أَتْلَفَهُ والخُمَارُ صَعْبُ

Drunken languor oppressed it until

Wine flowed till he was ruined

it ruined it—and drunken languor is harsh.

And wine is most difficult indeed

يَا غُصْناً لا يَمِيلُ نَحْوِي

يَا غُصْناً لا يَمِيلُ نَحْوِي

وَالمَيْلُ في الغُصنِ مُسْتَحَبُ

وَالمَيْلُ في الغُصنِ مُسْتَحَبُ

O bough that does not bend toward me,

Oh branch that does not sway my way

though bending is pleasing in a bough.

Though swaying becomes a bough

صَيْرتَني كَالنَّسِيمِ سُقْماً

صَيْرتَني كَالنَّسِيمِ سُقْماً

لِمْ لاَ تَمِيلُ إذَا أَهِبُّ

لِمْ لاَ تَمِيلُ إذَا أَهِبُّ

You have made me as frail as the breeze;

You've made me sick like a soft breeze

why do you not bend when I blow?

Why not bend when I blow?