أَبا حَسَنٍ أَتَحسَبُ أَنَّ شَوقي

أَبا حَسَنٍ أَتَحسَبُ أَنَّ شَوقي

يَقِلُّ عَلى مُعارَضَةِ الخُطوبِ

يَقِلُّ عَلى مُعارَضَةِ الخُطوبِ

Abu Hasan, do you think that my longing

Aba Hasan, do you reckon that my passion

Wanes in the face of calamities,

Would lessen with the onset of misfortunes?

وَأَنَّكَ في اللِقاءِ تَهيجُ وَجدي

وَأَنَّكَ في اللِقاءِ تَهيجُ وَجدي

وَأَمنَحُكَ السُلُوَّ عَلى المَغيبِ

وَأَمنَحُكَ السُلُوَّ عَلى المَغيبِ

And that you stir my yearning when we meet,

That seeing you would enliven my fervor

Yet I grant you forgetfulness when you are away?

And I’d give you solace for the departed?

وَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ مُجتَمَعُ الأَماني

وَكَيفَ وَأَنتَ مُجتَمَعُ الأَماني

وَمَجنى العَيشِ ذي الوَرَقِ الرَطيبِ

وَمَجنى العَيشِ ذي الوَرَقِ الرَطيبِ

How could that be, when you are the gathering-place of wishes,

How could that be when you embody my dreams -

And the harvest of life with its fresh foliage?

The haven of a blissful, gentle life -

يَهُشُّ لَكُم عَلى العِرفانِ قَلبي

يَهُشُّ لَكُم عَلى العِرفانِ قَلبي

هَشاشَتَهُ إِلى الزَورِ الغَريبِ

هَشاشَتَهُ إِلى الزَورِ الغَريبِ

My heart rejoices in you despite familiarity,

My heart flutters to you in gratitude

With the joy it shows an unfamiliar visitor.

With a tenderness toward this strange visitor.

وَأَلفُظُ غَيرَكُم وَيَسوغُ عِندي

وَأَلفُظُ غَيرَكُم وَيَسوغُ عِندي

وَدادُكُمُ مَعَ الماءِ الشَروبِ

وَدادُكُمُ مَعَ الماءِ الشَروبِ

I spit out others, but readily swallow

I can bear the words of others and their presence suits me,

Your love along with the water I drink.

But my love for you flows like a draught.

وَيُسلِسُ في أَكُفُّكُمُ زِمامي

وَيُسلِسُ في أَكُفُّكُمُ زِمامي

وَيَعسو عِندَ غَيرِكُمُ قَضيبي

وَيَعسو عِندَ غَيرِكُمُ قَضيبي

And my rein yields easily in your hands,

In your palms rests my tether

While my rod grows rigid with others.

And without you my staff is cast down.

وَبي شَوقٌ إِلَيكَ أَعَلَّ قَلبي

وَبي شَوقٌ إِلَيكَ أَعَلَّ قَلبي

وَما لي غَيرَ قُربِكَ مِن طَبيبِ

وَما لي غَيرَ قُربِكَ مِن طَبيبِ

And within me is a longing for you that has sickened my heart,

I have a longing for you that exalts my heart,

And I have no physician but your nearness.

And I have no remedy but your nearness.

أَغارُ عَلَيكَ مِن خَلواتِ غَيري

أَغارُ عَلَيكَ مِن خَلواتِ غَيري

كَما غارَ المُحِبُّ عَلى الحَبيبِ

كَما غارَ المُحِبُّ عَلى الحَبيبِ

I am jealous of others' private moments with you,

I envy the seclusion of others with you

As a lover is jealous over the beloved.

As a lover envies the beloved.

وَما أَحظى إِذا ما غِبتَ عَنّي

وَما أَحظى إِذا ما غِبتَ عَنّي

بِحُسنٍ لِلزَمانِ وَلا بِطيبِ

بِحُسنٍ لِلزَمانِ وَلا بِطيبِ

And when you are absent from me, I find no pleasure

When you are absent I find no joy in life

In time's beauty, nor in its sweetness.

Or pleasure in the days.

أُشاقُ إِذا ذَكَرتُكَ مِن بَعيدٍ

أُشاقُ إِذا ذَكَرتُكَ مِن بَعيدٍ

وَأَطرَبُ إِن رَأَيتُكَ مِن قَريبِ

وَأَطرَبُ إِن رَأَيتُكَ مِن قَريبِ

I am stirred to longing when I remember you from afar,

I pine when I recall you from afar

And am enraptured if I see you close by.

And am glad when I see you near.

كَأَنَّكَ قُدمَةُ الأَمَلِ المُرجّى

كَأَنَّكَ قُدمَةُ الأَمَلِ المُرجّى

عَلَيَّ وَطَلعَةُ الفَرَجِ القَريبِ

عَلَيَّ وَطَلعَةُ الفَرَجِ القَريبِ

As though you were the arrival of awaited hope

You are the hope I await expectantly

To me, and the dawn of imminent relief.

And the rise of imminent relief.

إِذا بُشِّرتُ عَنكَ بِقُربِ دارٍ

إِذا بُشِّرتُ عَنكَ بِقُربِ دارٍ

نَزا قَلبي إِلَيكَ مِنَ الوَجيبِ

نَزا قَلبي إِلَيكَ مِنَ الوَجيبِ

When I receive glad tidings that your dwelling is near,

When I hear news that you are near,

My heart leaps toward you, pounding.

My heart descends to you in fervor.

مَراحُ الرَكبِ بَشَّرَ بَعدَ خِمسٍ

مَراحُ الرَكبِ بَشَّرَ بَعدَ خِمسٍ

بِبارِقَةٍ تَصوبُ عَلى قَليبِ

بِبارِقَةٍ تَصوبُ عَلى قَليبِ

The caravan's joy brought glad tidings, after a five-day watering interval,

The caravan leader gave tidings after five days

Of a lightning-bearing cloud pouring rain upon a well.

Of a flash of lightning striking my heart.

أُسالِمُ حينَ أُبصِرُكَ اللَيالي

أُسالِمُ حينَ أُبصِرُكَ اللَيالي

وَأَصفَحُ لِلزَمانِ عَنِ الذُنوبِ

وَأَصفَحُ لِلزَمانِ عَنِ الذُنوبِ

I make peace with the nights when I see you,

I make peace on the nights I see you

And forgive time its sins.

And pardon time for its sins.

وَأَنسى كُلَّ ما جَنَتِ الرَزايا

وَأَنسى كُلَّ ما جَنَتِ الرَزايا

عَلَيَّ مِنَ الفَوادِحِ وَالنُدوبِ

عَلَيَّ مِنَ الفَوادِحِ وَالنُدوبِ

And forget all that misfortunes have inflicted

I forget all the calamities

Upon me—crushing blows and scars.

That misfortunes etched upon me.

تَميلُ بي الشُكوكُ إِلَيكَ حَتّى

تَميلُ بي الشُكوكُ إِلَيكَ حَتّى

أَميلَ إِلى المُقارِبِ وَالنَسيبِ

أَميلَ إِلى المُقارِبِ وَالنَسيبِ

Doubts sway me toward you until

Doubts incline me toward you

I incline toward the close companion and the kinsman.

Until I incline toward a close kinsman.

وَتَقرَبُ في قَبيلِ الفَضلِ مِنّي

وَتَقرَبُ في قَبيلِ الفَضلِ مِنّي

عَلى بُعدِ القَبائِلِ وَالشُعوبِ

عَلى بُعدِ القَبائِلِ وَالشُعوبِ

And you draw close to me in the tribe of virtue,

Through your nobility you draw near me

Despite the distance between tribes and peoples.

Despite the distance between tribes and clans.

أَكادُ أُريبُ فيكَ إِذا التَقَينا

أَكادُ أُريبُ فيكَ إِذا التَقَينا

مِنَ الأَنفاسِ وَالنَظَرِ المُريبِ

مِنَ الأَنفاسِ وَالنَظَرِ المُريبِ

I almost arouse suspicion concerning you when we meet,

When we meet, I almost doubt

Through sighs and a gaze that arouses suspicion.

The ambiguous glances and breaths between us.

وَأَينَ وَجَدتَ مِن قَلبلي شَباباً

وَأَينَ وَجَدتَ مِن قَلبلي شَباباً

يَحِنُّ مِنَ الغَرامِ عَلى مَشيبِ

يَحِنُّ مِنَ الغَرامِ عَلى مَشيبِ

And where, before me, have you found a youth

And where did you find in my heart a passion

Who yearns, out of passion, for gray hair?

That yearns with love in old age?

إِذا قَرُبَ المَزارُ فَأَنتَ مِنّي

إِذا قَرُبَ المَزارُ فَأَنتَ مِنّي

مَكانَ الروحِ مِن عُقَدِ الكُروبِ

مَكانَ الروحِ مِن عُقَدِ الكُروبِ

If a visit is close at hand, you are to me

When the visit nears, you are to me

What relief is to the knots of anguish.

Like the soul to the body’s joints.

وَإِن بَعُدَ اللِقاءُ عَلى اِشتِياقي

وَإِن بَعُدَ اللِقاءُ عَلى اِشتِياقي

تَرامَقنا بِأَلحاظِ القُلوبِ

تَرامَقنا بِأَلحاظِ القُلوبِ

And if meeting is distant, despite my longing,

And if the meeting is far, though I long to see you,

We gaze at each other with the eyes of our hearts.

We exchange glances of the hearts.