لِمَن أَسائِلُ لا رسمٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

لِمَن أَسائِلُ لا رسمٌ وَلا أَثَرُ

رَحَلتُمُ وَأَقامَ الدَمعُ وَالسَهَرُ

رَحَلتُمُ وَأَقامَ الدَمعُ وَالسَهَرُ

For whom shall I inquire? There is no trace, no vestige.

To whom can I complain when no trace remains?

You departed, and tears and sleeplessness remained.

You left, while tears and sleeplessness stayed.

كُنتُم لِعَيني صَباحاً لا مَساء لَهُ

كُنتُم لِعَيني صَباحاً لا مَساء لَهُ

فَعاضَها البَينُ لَيلاً مالَهُ سَحرُ

فَعاضَها البَينُ لَيلاً مالَهُ سَحرُ

You were a morning for my eye, with no evening.

To my eyes you were the morning, with no evening.

So parting gave it instead a night with no dawn.

But separation has made of them a night with no dawn.

وَما أُعابُ بِشَيءٍ بَعدَ فُرقَتِكُم

وَما أُعابُ بِشَيءٍ بَعدَ فُرقَتِكُم

إِلّا البَقاءَ فَإِنّي مِنهُ أَعتَذِرُ

إِلّا البَقاءَ فَإِنّي مِنهُ أَعتَذِرُ

And after parting from you, I am reproached for nothing

After you left, nothing upsets me,

Except living on—for that I apologize.

Except having to go on living. I apologize for that.