اِصرِف فُؤادَكَ يا عَبّاسُ مُلتَفِتاً

اِصرِف فُؤادَكَ يا عَبّاسُ مُلتَفِتاً

عَنها وَإِلا فَمُت مِن حُبِّها كَمَدا

عَنها وَإِلا فَمُت مِن حُبِّها كَمَدا

Turn your heart aside, O Abbas,

Turn your heart away, O Abbas, looking back

From her, or else die of grief for love of her.

Or else you will die of love for her, perished

إِنّي لَأَمنَحُ وُدّي كُلَّ ذي ثِقَةٍ

إِنّي لَأَمنَحُ وُدّي كُلَّ ذي ثِقَةٍ

صِرفاً وَأَحفَظُهُ إِن غابَ أَو شَهِدا

صِرفاً وَأَحفَظُهُ إِن غابَ أَو شَهِدا

I truly give my affection to everyone worthy of trust,

Indeed, I grant my love to all who are faithful

Unmixed, and preserve it whether he is absent or present.

Attentively, and preserve it if they are absent or present

عَصَيتُ فيها عِباد اللَهُ كُلَّهُمُ

عَصَيتُ فيها عِباد اللَهُ كُلَّهُمُ

مَن لامَني سَفَهاً أَو لامَني رَشَدا

مَن لامَني سَفَهاً أَو لامَني رَشَدا

For her I defied all God's servants—

I disobeyed, in her, all of God's servants

Whoever reproached me foolishly or reproached me wisely.

Whoever blamed me for ignorance or blamed me for wisdom

لَم يُفقَدَ الوُدُّ مِن قَلبي لِمَفقَدِها

لَم يُفقَدَ الوُدُّ مِن قَلبي لِمَفقَدِها

لَكِنَّ قَلبي غَداةَ البَينِ قَد فُقِدا

لَكِنَّ قَلبي غَداةَ البَينِ قَد فُقِدا

Love was not lost from my heart through losing her,

Love was not lost from my heart when she was lost

But my heart was lost on the morning of parting.

But my heart the next morning was lost

فيمَ البُكاءُ عَلى ما فاتَ وَاِنجَرَدَت

فيمَ البُكاءُ عَلى ما فاتَ وَاِنجَرَدَت

بِهِ اللَيالي مَعَ الأَيّامَ فَاِنجَرَدا

بِهِ اللَيالي مَعَ الأَيّامَ فَاِنجَرَدا

Why weep over what has passed and been borne away

Why weep for what is past and the nights are gone

By the nights together with the days, and so is gone?

With the days, so be gone too

لَو أَنَّها مِن وَراءِ الرومِ في بَلَدٍ

لَو أَنَّها مِن وَراءِ الرومِ في بَلَدٍ

ما كُنتُ أَسكُنُ إِلا ذَلِكَ البَلَدا

ما كُنتُ أَسكُنُ إِلا ذَلِكَ البَلَدا

If she were in a land beyond the Romans,

If she were beyond Rome in a country

I would dwell in no land but that one.

I would dwell in no other place but that land

يا مَن شَكا شَوقَهُ مِن طولِ غَيبَتِهِ

يا مَن شَكا شَوقَهُ مِن طولِ غَيبَتِهِ

اِصبِر لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَلقى الحَبيبَ غَدا

اِصبِر لَعَلَّكَ أَن تَلقى الحَبيبَ غَدا

O you who lament your longing because of long absence,

O you who complained of longing from the length of his absence

Be patient: perhaps you will meet the beloved tomorrow.

Be patient, perhaps you will meet the beloved tomorrow

لَن يَستَطيعَ الفَتى كِتمانَ خُلَّتِهِ

لَن يَستَطيعَ الفَتى كِتمانَ خُلَّتِهِ

حَتّى يُحَدِّثَ عَنها أَينَما قَعَدا

حَتّى يُحَدِّثَ عَنها أَينَما قَعَدا

A young man cannot conceal his love,

The young man will not be able to conceal his secret

And so he speaks of it wherever he sits.

Until he speaks of it wherever he sits

قَد كُنتُ أَكتُمُ ما أَلقى وَأَستُرُهُ

قَد كُنتُ أَكتُمُ ما أَلقى وَأَستُرُهُ

جُهدي فَأَزهَقَ شَوقي الصَبرَ وَالجَلَدا

جُهدي فَأَزهَقَ شَوقي الصَبرَ وَالجَلَدا

I used to hide what I suffered and conceal it

I used to conceal what I encountered and hide it

As best I could; then my longing destroyed patience and fortitude.

My utmost effort, so my patience and composure expired

حَتّى أَبانَ الهَوى ما كانَ يَستُرُهُ

حَتّى أَبانَ الهَوى ما كانَ يَستُرُهُ

ضَنّي بِها وَأَبادَ الروحَ وَالجَسَدا

ضَنّي بِها وَأَبادَ الروحَ وَالجَسَدا

Until passion revealed what had been hidden

Until love revealed what it used to conceal

By my jealous care for her, and destroyed soul and body.

It strained me, and destroyed the soul and body

إِنّي وَجَدتُ الهَوى في الصَدرِ إِن رَكَدا

إِنّي وَجَدتُ الهَوى في الصَدرِ إِن رَكَدا

كَالنارِ أَو فاقَ حَرَّ النارِ مُتَّقِدا

كَالنارِ أَو فاقَ حَرَّ النارِ مُتَّقِدا

Indeed, I have found passion in the breast, when it lies still,

Indeed, I found love in the heart, whether still

Like fire—or surpassing fire's heat when blazing.

Like fire, or exceeding the heat of flaming fire

النارُ تُطفا بِبَرَدِ الماءِ إِن مُزِجَت

النارُ تُطفا بِبَرَدِ الماءِ إِن مُزِجَت

وَلَو مَزَجتَ الهَوى بِالماءِ ما بَرَدا

وَلَو مَزَجتَ الهَوى بِالماءِ ما بَرَدا

Fire is quenched by water's coolness when mixed with it;

Fire is extinguished by the coolness of water if mixed

Yet even if you mixed passion with water, it would not cool.

And if you mixed love with water, it would not cool

هِيَ المُنى لِيَ أَهواها وَأَطلُبُها

هِيَ المُنى لِيَ أَهواها وَأَطلُبُها

وَسائِرُ الناسِ يَهوى المالَ وَالوَلَدا

وَسائِرُ الناسِ يَهوى المالَ وَالوَلَدا

She is all I long for; I love her and seek her,

She is my wish, I love her and seek her

While everyone else loves wealth and children.

While other people desire money and children

إِذا رَقَدتُ دَنَت مِن بُعدِها فَإِذا

إِذا رَقَدتُ دَنَت مِن بُعدِها فَإِذا

أَصبَحتُ أَصبَحَ مِنها القُربُ قَد بَعُدا

أَصبَحتُ أَصبَحَ مِنها القُربُ قَد بَعُدا

When I sleep, she draws near from far away; then when

When I sleep, she comes to me from afar, but when

I wake in the morning, nearness to her has turned to distance.

I wake, the nearness to her has grown far