كِتابُ حَبيبٍ جاءَني بَعدَ جَفوَةٍ

كِتابُ حَبيبٍ جاءَني بَعدَ جَفوَةٍ

فَظَلَّت تَناجي مُقلَتَيَّ أَنامِلُه

فَظَلَّت تَناجي مُقلَتَيَّ أَنامِلُه

A letter from a beloved came to me after estrangement.

The letter of a beloved came after estrangement

So his fingertips kept whispering to my eyes.

Her fingers kept whispering to my eyelids

رَماني بِها طَرفي فَلَم يُخطِ مَقتَلي

رَماني بِها طَرفي فَلَم يُخطِ مَقتَلي

وَما كُلُّ مَن يُرمى تُصابُ مَقاتِلُه

وَما كُلُّ مَن يُرمى تُصابُ مَقاتِلُه

My gaze shot me with them and did not miss my vital spot.

She glanced at me with it but did not strike my death

And not everyone who is shot is struck in his vital spots.

Not all who are glanced at are struck down by the glancer

إِذا مُتُّ فَاِبكوني قَتيلاً بِطَرفِهِ

إِذا مُتُّ فَاِبكوني قَتيلاً بِطَرفِهِ

قَتيلَ عَدُوٍّ حاضِرٍ لا يُزايِلُه

قَتيلَ عَدُوٍّ حاضِرٍ لا يُزايِلُه

If I die, weep for me—a man slain by his own gaze,

When I die, weep for me, slain by her glance

Slain by an ever-present enemy who never leaves him.

Slain by a present foe that does not abandon it

بَكى وَكَنى عَمَّن يُحِبُّ وَلَم يَبُح

بَكى وَكَنى عَمَّن يُحِبُّ وَلَم يَبُح

بِأَكثَرَ مِن هَذا الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُه

بِأَكثَرَ مِن هَذا الَّذي هُوَ قائِلُه

He wept and spoke obliquely of the one he loves, and did not reveal

He cried and complained of one he loves but did not confess

More than these words he speaks.

More than what he has said, though he is its speaker

وَإِنَّ أَحَقَّ الناسِ أَن يَكثُرَ البُكا

وَإِنَّ أَحَقَّ الناسِ أَن يَكثُرَ البُكا

عَلَيهِ قَتيلٌ لَيسَ يُعرَفُ قاتِلُه

عَلَيهِ قَتيلٌ لَيسَ يُعرَفُ قاتِلُه

And surely the one most deserving of abundant tears

The one most deserving to cry copiously over him

Shed over him is a slain man whose killer is unknown.

Is a slain man whose killer is not known

يَعوذُ مِنَ الهِجرانِ أَن يَكتوي بِهِ

يَعوذُ مِنَ الهِجرانِ أَن يَكتوي بِهِ

فَلم أَرَ إِلّا المَوتَ شَيئاً يُعادِلُه

فَلم أَرَ إِلّا المَوتَ شَيئاً يُعادِلُه

He seeks refuge from estrangement—from being seared by it;

He seeks refuge from separation, lest it burn him

So I have seen nothing but death to equal it.

I did not see anything except death that equals it