هُوَ الفِراقُ فَعِشْ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَوْ فَمُت

هُوَ الفِراقُ فَعِشْ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَوْ فَمُت

لَيْسَ الحَياةُ إِذا بانُوا بِمُعْجِبَتي

لَيْسَ الحَياةُ إِذا بانُوا بِمُعْجِبَتي

It is parting: live if you wish, or die.

It is separation, so live if you wish, or die

Life is not pleasing to me when they are gone.

Life is not pleasing when my loved ones are gone

وَيْحَ المَنِيَّةِ إِذْ سارَتْ رَكائِبُهُمْ

وَيْحَ المَنِيَّةِ إِذْ سارَتْ رَكائِبُهُمْ

لَوْ أَنَّها قَبَضَتْ رُوحي لأَحْسَنَتِ

لَوْ أَنَّها قَبَضَتْ رُوحي لأَحْسَنَتِ

Woe to death, when their mounts set out!

Alas for death when their camel litters departed

Had it seized my soul, it would have done well.

I wish it had claimed my soul, that would have been best

كَانَتْ تَطيبُ ليَ الدُّنْيا بِقُربِهِمُ

كَانَتْ تَطيبُ ليَ الدُّنْيا بِقُربِهِمُ

فَقَدْ أَمَرُّوا لِيَ الدُّنْيا الَّتي حَلَتِ

فَقَدْ أَمَرُّوا لِيَ الدُّنْيا الَّتي حَلَتِ

The world used to be sweet to me when they were near.

The world was sweet to me in their nearness

So they have made bitter for me the world that was sweet.

Now they have made the world bitter for me

قَدْ كُنْتُ آمُلُهُمْ والبَيْنُ يُوعِدُني

قَدْ كُنْتُ آمُلُهُمْ والبَيْنُ يُوعِدُني

فَأَنْجَزَ البَيْنُ والآمَالُ أَخْلَفَتِ

فَأَنْجَزَ البَيْنُ والآمَالُ أَخْلَفَتِ

I had been hoping for them while parting threatened me.

I hoped they would return though parting promised otherwise

So parting made good its threat, while hopes broke their promises.

But parting fulfilled its promise and hopes were unmet