رَحَلوا فَما أَغفى مُقيمُهُمُ

رَحَلوا فَما أَغفى مُقيمُهُمُ

بَقِيَ الدُجى وَهَوَت نُجومُهُمُ

بَقِيَ الدُجى وَهَوَت نُجومُهُمُ

They departed, and the one they left behind has not slept.

They departed, yet their abode's dweller cannot sleep;

The darkness remained, and their stars fell.

The gloom remained while their stars fell down.

وَخَلَت رِياضُهُمُ وَلَيسَ سِوى

وَخَلَت رِياضُهُمُ وَلَيسَ سِوى

ذِكرٍ وَذِكرُهُمُ نَسيمُهُمُ

ذِكرٍ وَذِكرُهُمُ نَسيمُهُمُ

And their gardens lie empty; there is nothing but

Their meadows are vacant, with naught but

remembrance—and remembrance of them is their breeze.

Remembrance, their memory, their breeze.

ما في اِتِّباعِ رِكابِهِم دَرَكٌ

ما في اِتِّباعِ رِكابِهِم دَرَكٌ

أَفَلا تَنامُ وَلا تُنيمُهُمُ

أَفَلا تَنامُ وَلا تُنيمُهُمُ

There is no catching up by following their caravan.

No use in following their mounts' trail,

So will you neither sleep nor let them sleep?

Won't you sleep instead of keeping them awake?

تَشكو لَيالي الوَصلِ بَعدَهُمُ

تَشكو لَيالي الوَصلِ بَعدَهُمُ

أَنَّى وَبَينَ الأُسدِ ريمُهُمُ

أَنَّى وَبَينَ الأُسدِ ريمُهُمُ

You lament the nights of union after they have gone.

You complain to nights of union after they left,

How, when their gazelle is among lions?

How, when between us and them are their lions?

سَفَرٌ أُتيحَ لَهُ الحِمامُ بِهِ

سَفَرٌ أُتيحَ لَهُ الحِمامُ بِهِ

وَسِواهُ يَنفَعُهُ قُدومُهُمُ

وَسِواهُ يَنفَعُهُ قُدومُهُمُ

A journey through which death was allotted to him,

A journey allowed for pigeons, but none else;

while their arrival benefits someone other than him.

And none benefits from their return but them.

يا مَن يُنَفِّرُنا بِمَطلِهُمُ

يا مَن يُنَفِّرُنا بِمَطلِهُمُ

وَبِهِ جَرَت قِدماً رُسومُهُمُ

وَبِهِ جَرَت قِدماً رُسومُهُمُ

O you who turn us away because of their delays,

O he who agitates us by their absence,

and this has long been their custom.

By which their habits flowed.

في المَطلِ مَعنىً لَستَ تَعرِفُهُ

في المَطلِ مَعنىً لَستَ تَعرِفُهُ

لا زالَ مَمطولاً غَريمُهُمُ

لا زالَ مَمطولاً غَريمُهُمُ

There is a meaning in delay that you do not know:

You know not the meaning in absence,

may their creditor always be kept waiting!

For their estranged one remains estranged.

دَع مَطلَهُم فَالمَطلُ يُذكِرُهُ

دَع مَطلَهُم فَالمَطلُ يُذكِرُهُ

وَعَسى عَلى الذِكرى تُديمُهُمُ

وَعَسى عَلى الذِكرى تُديمُهُمُ

Leave their delay alone, for delay reminds him of them;

Leave their absence be, for it reminds of them,

and perhaps, through remembrance, you will preserve them.

And maybe over recollection you make them stay.

في المَطلِ تَعذيبٌ يَطيبُ لَهُ

في المَطلِ تَعذيبٌ يَطيبُ لَهُ

يا طيبَ ما فيهِ نَعيمُهُمُ

يا طيبَ ما فيهِ نَعيمُهُمُ

In delay is a torment that delights him.

In absence is a torment that feels sweet,

Oh, how sweet is that in which their bliss lies!

Oh, how sweet is what's in it of their bliss!