أَتُرىI wonder whether الأَحبابُthe loved ones مُذsince ظَعَنواthey departed
أَتُرى الأَحبابُ مُذ ظَعَنوا
وَجَدواthey felt لِلبَينِat the separation ماwhat أَجِدُI feel
وَجَدوا لِلبَينِ ما أَجِدُ
I wonder: have the loved ones, since they departed,
I wonder if my loved ones since they left
felt in separation what I feel?
Have found what I have found, the pain of absence,
لاmay … not يَبِتspend the night ذاكَthat الحَبيبُthe beloved كَماas
لا يَبِت ذاكَ الحَبيبُ كَما
باتَspent the night هَذاthis القَلبُthe heart وَالكَبِدُand the liver
باتَ هَذا القَلبُ وَالكَبِدُ
May that beloved not spend the night as
The sleepless nights, the anguished heart and mind.
this heart and liver have spent it.
Their constancy was but pretense it seems,
كانَwas زوراًa lie بَعدَafter بَينِهِمُtheir parting
كانَ زوراً بَعدَ بَينِهِمُ
وَغُروراًand a delusion ذَلِكَthat الجَلَدُthe fortitude
وَغُروراً ذَلِكَ الجَلَدُ
After their parting, it was a lie,
A show of courage hiding fear.
and a delusion—that fortitude.
But should they come again to me some day
وَمَتىand whenever تَدنُdraw near الدِيارُthe dwellings بِهِمwith them
وَمَتى تَدنُ الدِيارُ بِهِم
يَجِدواthey will find قَلبيmy heart كَماas عَهِدواthey knew
يَجِدوا قَلبي كَما عَهِدوا
And whenever their dwellings bring them near,
My faithful heart will be the same as when they went away.
they will find my heart as they once knew it.
Partial English translation: 7 of 8 Arabic lines translated.