بأصفهانَ سقاها اللّهُ لي سكَنٌ

بأصفهانَ سقاها اللّهُ لي سكَنٌ

لولا الضرورةُ ما فارقْتُها نَفَسَا

لولا الضرورةُ ما فارقْتُها نَفَسَا

In Isfahan—may God water it—I have a beloved.

In Isfahan, Allah granted me a dwelling

Were it not for necessity, I would not have left it for even a breath.

If not for necessity, I would not have left it, not even a breath

ويلي فقلبي عراقِيٌّ يرِقُّ لهُ

ويلي فقلبي عراقِيٌّ يرِقُّ لهُ

وقلبُه جبليٌّ قد جَفَا وقَسَا

وقلبُه جبليٌّ قد جَفَا وقَسَا

Woe to me, for my heart is Iraqi and grows tender toward him,

Woe to me, so my heart is Iraqi, it longs for it

And his heart is mountain-bred, grown harsh and hard.

While its heart is stony mountain, it has dried up and hardened

لا مرَّ في خاطرِي تقبيلُ وجنَتِهِ

لا مرَّ في خاطرِي تقبيلُ وجنَتِهِ

إنْ كانَ سُلوانُه في خاطِري هَجَسَا

إنْ كانَ سُلوانُه في خاطِري هَجَسَا

May the thought of kissing his cheek never cross my mind,

Never crosses my mind to kiss its cheeks

If ever the thought of forgetting him has stirred in my mind.

Though its features in my heart engraved