نقضتَ بعد النّوى عهدي وميثاقي

نقضتَ بعد النّوى عهدي وميثاقي

ونمتُ عن نارِ أشجاني وأشواقي

ونمتُ عن نارِ أشجاني وأشواقي

You broke my pledge and covenant after separation,

You broke your promise and covenant with me after intimacy

and I slept, heedless of the fire of my sorrows and my longings.

And I have woken from the fire of my passions and longings

وكنتَ لي خيرَ مصحوبٍ فعدْت مَعَ

وكنتَ لي خيرَ مصحوبٍ فعدْت مَعَ

الأيّام تجهدُ في ضيمي وإرهاقِي

الأيّام تجهدُ في ضيمي وإرهاقِي

And you were my best companion, but you turned, together with

You were the best companion to me, but you turned against

the days, to striving to wrong and oppress me.

The days exhaust me with my distress and weariness

فَمَنْ لِنارِ اشتياقٍ أنتَ مُضرمُها

فَمَنْ لِنارِ اشتياقٍ أنتَ مُضرمُها

وجداً وداء فراقٍ ما له راقِ

وجداً وداء فراقٍ ما له راقِ

Who, then, can soothe the fire of longing you have kindled

So who will rekindle the fire of yearning when you lit it

in passionate anguish, and the sickness of parting that has no healer?

And the pain and torment of separation that has no relief

أظنُ إن بعادي عنك غير ما

أظنُ إن بعادي عنك غير ما

عهدتُ من شيمٍ غُرٍّ وأخلاقِ

عهدتُ من شيمٍ غُرٍّ وأخلاقِ

I think my absence from you has changed what

I think that my distance from you is unlike

I knew of your noble qualities and character.

What I knew of your noble character and morals

يا ناقضاً عقد عهدي إنّني أبداً

يا ناقضاً عقد عهدي إنّني أبداً

مَهْما بقيتُ على عهد الهوى باقي

مَهْما بقيتُ على عهد الهوى باقي

O breaker of the bond of my pledge, I shall forever,

O you who broke the pact of my covenant, I will never

as long as I live, remain true to love's covenant.

As long as I live remain faithful to the pact of love

اللهَ في كبدٍ حنّتْ إليك فلَوْ

اللهَ في كبدٍ حنّتْ إليك فلَوْ

قدرتُ أودعتُها كتبي وأوراقي

قدرتُ أودعتُها كتبي وأوراقي

For God's sake, have mercy on a liver that yearns for you—if

By God, my heart that longed for you, if only

I could, I would enclose it in my letters and papers—

I could, I would place it inside my books and papers

وفي فؤادٍ بسيف البين منصدعٍ

وفي فؤادٍ بسيف البين منصدعٍ

قامتْ حروبُ الهوى فيه على ساقِ

قامتْ حروبُ الهوى فيه على ساقِ

and on a heart cleft by the sword of parting,

And in a heart torn by the sword of separation

within which love's wars rage in full fury.

The wars of love in it stand on their feet

لا شِمْتُ بارقَ قُربٍ منكَ إن طَعِمْتَ

لا شِمْتُ بارقَ قُربٍ منكَ إن طَعِمْتَ

إلى رجوعك طعمَ النَّوم أحداقي

إلى رجوعك طعمَ النَّوم أحداقي

May I never glimpse the lightning of nearness to you if

I will not sense the lightning bolt of your nearness if you incline

my eyes taste sleep before your return.

To return to the taste of sleep my eyelids

ولا حَظِيتُ بوصْلٍ عن صحبتُ سوى

ولا حَظِيتُ بوصْلٍ عن صحبتُ سوى

شوقٍ ودمعٍ على الخدّينِ مهْراقِ

شوقٍ ودمعٍ على الخدّينِ مهْراقِ

Nor may I enjoy union if I keep company with anything but

And I will not gain union except the companionship of

longing and tears poured over both cheeks.

Yearning, and tears pouring down my cheeks

أمَّا وقد غبت عنّي لا أراع إذاً

أمَّا وقد غبت عنّي لا أراع إذاً

مِن الزّمان لإرعادٍ وإبراقِ

مِن الزّمان لإرعادٍ وإبراقِ

Now that you have gone from me, I shall no longer be frightened

But as you have been absent from me, I do not care if

by Time's thunder and lightning.

The days terrify and threaten me with lightning

فلْيصْنَعِ الدّهر ما شاءتْ نوائبُهُ

فلْيصْنَعِ الدّهر ما شاءتْ نوائبُهُ

فما عساني مِن بعد النوى لاقي

فما عساني مِن بعد النوى لاقي

So let Time do whatever its calamities wish:

So let fate do what it wishes with its adversities

for what else could I face after separation?

For I will not find intimacy after the beloved has gone