أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ حَبَّةُ القَلبِ تُقرَعُ

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ حَبَّةُ القَلبِ تُقرَعُ

وَعَيني لِبَينٍ مِن ذَوي الوُدِّ تَدمَعُ

وَعَيني لِبَينٍ مِن ذَوي الوُدِّ تَدمَعُ

Is the heart's core struck every day,

Does my heart ache every day,

and does my eye weep at parting from those I love?

And do my eyes weep for those I love?

أَبِالجدِّ أَنّي مُبتَلىً كُلَّ ساعَةٍ

أَبِالجدِّ أَنّي مُبتَلىً كُلَّ ساعَةٍ

بِهَمٍّ لَهُ لَوعاتُ حُزنٍ تَطَلَّعُ

بِهَمٍّ لَهُ لَوعاتُ حُزنٍ تَطَلَّعُ

Is it truly so that I am afflicted every hour

Truly I'm afflicted each hour

with distress whose pangs of grief well up?

With sorrows that stir mournful yearnings.

إِذا ذَهَبَت عَنّي غَواشٍ لِعَبرَةٍ

إِذا ذَهَبَت عَنّي غَواشٍ لِعَبرَةٍ

أَظَلُّ لأُخرَى بَعدَها أَتَوَقَّعُ

أَظَلُّ لأُخرَى بَعدَها أَتَوَقَّعُ

When overwhelming spells of weeping leave me,

When one sorrow departs from me

I keep expecting another to follow.

I expect another will follow after.

فَلا النَفسُ مِن تَهمامِها مُستَريحَةٌ

فَلا النَفسُ مِن تَهمامِها مُستَريحَةٌ

وَلا بِالَّذي يأَتي مِنَ الدَهرِ تَقنَعُ

وَلا بِالَّذي يأَتي مِنَ الدَهرِ تَقنَعُ

So the soul finds no rest from its persistent cares,

Neither is my soul at peace

nor is it content with what time brings.

Nor with what comes from fate content.

وَلا أَنا بِالَّلائي نَسَبتُ مُرَزَّأٌ

وَلا أَنا بِالَّلائي نَسَبتُ مُرَزَّأٌ

وَلا بِذَوي خِلصِ الصَفا مُتَمَتِّعُ

وَلا بِذَوي خِلصِ الصَفا مُتَمَتِّعُ

Nor am I bereft of the women I sang of,

Neither am I pleased by those I'm linked to

nor do I enjoy the company of those of pure affection.

Nor enjoying loyalty's pure companions.

وَأُولِعَ بي صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَعَطفُهُ

وَأُولِعَ بي صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَعَطفُهُ

لِتَقطيعِ وَصل خُلَّةٍ حينَ تَقطَعُ

لِتَقطيعِ وَصل خُلَّةٍ حينَ تَقطَعُ

Time's vicissitudes and turns have become obsessed with me,

Fickle time has turned against me

to sever the bond of friendship when it breaks.

Severing ties the moment they are tied.

وَهاجَ ليَ الشَوقَ القَديمَ حَمامَةٌ

وَهاجَ ليَ الشَوقَ القَديمَ حَمامَةٌ

عَلى الأَيكِ بَينَ القَريَتَينِ تَفَجَّعُ

عَلى الأَيكِ بَينَ القَريَتَينِ تَفَجَّعُ

And a dove stirred my old longing,

And longing, that ancient love, stirs in me

lamenting in the grove between the two villages:

A dove that mourns between two homes.

مُطَوَّقَةٌ تَدعو هَديلاً وَتَحتَها

مُطَوَّقَةٌ تَدعو هَديلاً وَتَحتَها

لَهُ فَنَنٌ ذو نَضرَةٍ يَتَزَعزَعُ

لَهُ فَنَنٌ ذو نَضرَةٍ يَتَزَعزَعُ

ring-necked, calling Hadil, while beneath her

Collared, calling plaintively, beneath it

a verdant bough for him sways.

Are young branches swaying delicately.

وَما شَجوها كالشَجوِ مِنّي وَلا الَّذي

وَما شَجوها كالشَجوِ مِنّي وَلا الَّذي

إِذا جَزِعَت مِثلَ الَّذي مِنهُ أَجزَعُ

إِذا جَزِعَت مِثلَ الَّذي مِنهُ أَجزَعُ

Her sorrow is not like my sorrow, nor is what

Its plaint is not like my plaint, nor is what

she grieves for, when she grieves, like what makes me grieve.

Makes it grieve like what makes me grieve.

فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كُنتِ صادِقَةَ الهَوى

فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كُنتِ صادِقَةَ الهَوى

صَنَعتِ كَما أَصبَحتُ لِلشَّوقِ أَصنَعُ

صَنَعتِ كَما أَصبَحتُ لِلشَّوقِ أَصنَعُ

So I said to her: If your love were true,

I said: "If you were true in your love,

you would act as I have come to act from longing.

You'd do as I have done for longing's sake."

وَلَكِن كَتَمتِ الوَجدَ إِلا تَرَنُّماً

وَلَكِن كَتَمتِ الوَجدَ إِلا تَرَنُّماً

أَطاعَ لَهُ مِنّي فؤَادٌ مُرَوَّعُ

أَطاعَ لَهُ مِنّي فؤَادٌ مُرَوَّعُ

But you concealed your passion, save for a warbling

But you hid your passion except in song

to which my terror-stricken heart yielded.

To which a frightened heart submitted.

وَما يَستَوي باكٍ لِشَجوٍ وَطائِرٌ

وَما يَستَوي باكٍ لِشَجوٍ وَطائِرٌ

سِوى أَنَّهُ يَدعُو بِصَوتٍ وَتَسجَعُ

سِوى أَنَّهُ يَدعُو بِصَوتٍ وَتَسجَعُ

One who weeps with sorrow and a bird are not alike,

No difference between one who weeps for love

save that he calls aloud and you coo.

And a bird, though both cry and lament.

فَلا أَنا مِما قَد بَدا مِنك فاعلَمي

فَلا أَنا مِما قَد بَدا مِنك فاعلَمي

أصبُّ بَعيداً مِنكِ قَلباً وَأوجَعُ

أصبُّ بَعيداً مِنكِ قَلباً وَأوجَعُ

Nay, know from what you have shown that I

So know that I'll never act

am far more lovesick and pained at heart than you.

As you have, but cast my heart far from you,

وَلَو أَنَّ ما أُعنى بِهِ كانَ في الَّذي

وَلَو أَنَّ ما أُعنى بِهِ كانَ في الَّذي

يؤَمَّلُ مِن مَعروفِهِ اليَومَ مَطمَعُ

يؤَمَّلُ مِن مَعروفِهِ اليَومَ مَطمَعُ

If only what concerns me were in the one

And though what I feel were in one whose

from whose kindness some gain is hoped for today.

Kindness today might still raise hope,