سعف النخيل على الممر تهدل

سعف النخيل على الممر تهدل

 و أحجب بظلك ما يراه المجتلى

و أحجب بظلك ما يراه المجتلى

Palm fronds, droop over the path,

The palm leaves droop over the path

Palm fronds droop low upon the path, and veil with your shade what the viewer sees.

And veil with your shade what the beholder sees.

And with your shade hide what the despondent sees

She, whose image I feared you would hide from my sight, has descended to the farthest abode.

من كنت أحذر أن تحجب طيفها

من كنت أحذر أن تحجب طيفها

 عن ناظري نزلت بأبعد منزل

عن ناظري نزلت بأبعد منزل

She whose apparition I once feared you would hide

She whose image I feared you would hide

Alike to me today are a desolate waste and the shades of a garden with sweet flowing springs.

From my eyes has settled in the farthest abode.

From my sight, has moved to a far dwell

So ask the breezes to cease their night journey; the heart holds no hope in their passing by.

سيان عندي اليوم قفر موحش

سيان عندي اليوم قفر موحش

 و ظلال روض مستطاب المنهل

و ظلال روض مستطاب المنهل

Today, to me, a desolate wilderness is no different

It's all the same to me, a desolate wasteland

If they come with the fragrance of flowers, yet lack the scent of the beloved, let them turn away.

From the shade of a garden with a pleasant watering place.

Or the shade of a meadow with a fresh spring

The meadows forever remind me of she who is far, and the shepherd's rebec stirs longing in me.

فسل النسائم أن تكف عن السرى

فسل النسائم أن تكف عن السرى

 ما للفؤاد بسيرها من مأمل

ما للفؤاد بسيرها من مأمل

So ask the breezes to cease their night-wandering;

Ask the breeze to stop wandering

In every corner I cast my gaze, I behold the traces she left behind for my eyes.

The heart has no hope in their passage.

My heart has no hope in its roaming

And if I am distracted by the bleating of her flock, it complains of its grief with anguish and submission.

إن أقبلت بشذى الزهور و لم يكن

إن أقبلت بشذى الزهور و لم يكن

 عطر الحبيبة فيه فلتتحول

عطر الحبيبة فيه فلتتحول

If they come with the flowers' fragrance, and there is no

If it comes with the fragrance of flowers, but there is not

She bade it farewell, yet her parting healed not the burning within its chest that remains.

Scent of the beloved in it, let them turn away.

The scent of my beloved in it, let it change

She poured the last dregs of her song in its ear, and it gazed through the flow of her shedding tears.

أبدا تذكرني المروج بمن نأت

أبدا تذكرني المروج بمن نأت

 وربابة الراعي تهيج الشوق لي

وربابة الراعي تهيج الشوق لي

The meadows always remind me of her who went far away,

The meadows always remind me of one I miss

I would have lightened the sorrow had I bid her goodbye, and wiped some tears from a burdened heart.

And the shepherd's rebab stirs my longing.

And the shepherd's flute stirs up longing in me

The great tree—autumn has yellowed its bloom, like a lover consumed by fire and abased.

في كل زاوية نظرت رأيت من

في كل زاوية نظرت رأيت من

آثارها ما خلفته لمقلتي

آثارها ما خلفته لمقلتي

In every corner I looked, I saw something of

In every corner I looked I saw traces

The twilight has spread its deep silence upon it, so it went on longing for the nightingale's songs.

Her traces, which she had left for my eyes.

She left behind for my eyes

As though the leaves are a mirror for it, revealing the yellowing of its sky to the beholder.

فإذا سهوت على ثغاء قطيعها

فإذا سهوت على ثغاء قطيعها

 يشكو أساه بلوعة و تذلل

يشكو أساه بلوعة و تذلل

Then, when I drift into reverie at her flock's bleating,

So if I become heedless of her flock's bleating

Did I walk while it shaded me and my beloved, only to seek refuge alone while it shades me no more?

It laments its sorrow with anguish and submission.

Complaining of thirst with abasement

O palm fronds, all but you betrayed my affection, while you remained keeping it for one who forgets not.

قد ودعته فما شفاه وداعها

قد ودعته فما شفاه وداعها

 من حرقة في صدره لم ترحل

من حرقة في صدره لم ترحل

She had bid it farewell, but her farewell did not heal it

She bid it farewell, but her farewell

I complain to you of the heart's distress, even if you do not return the complaint to an afflicted lover.

Of the burning pain in its breast that had not departed.

Did not heal the burning in its chest

The beloved passes, and time moves on, yet I remain mourning her while you listen to me.

ألقت بمسمعه ثمالة شدوها

ألقت بمسمعه ثمالة شدوها

 فرنا بغرب دموعها المترسل

فرنا بغرب دموعها المترسل

She cast into its hearing the dregs of her song,

She cast the melody of her song to its hearing

Then it gazed at the slow outpouring of her tears.

So it fled with a flood of falling tears

حففت لو ودعتها بعض الأسى

حففت لو ودعتها بعض الأسى

 و مسحت بعض دموع قلب مثقل

و مسحت بعض دموع قلب مثقل

Had I bid her farewell, I would have eased some sorrow,

If only when she bid it farewell, she felt some sorrow

And wiped away some of a burdened heart's tears.

And wiped some tears from an overwhelmed heart

و الدوح عصفره الخريف ورده

و الدوح عصفره الخريف ورده

 كالعاشق المتحرق المتذلل

كالعاشق المتحرق المتذلل

And autumn dyed the grove safflower-yellow and made it

The branches are jaundiced by autumn, its roses

Like a lover, burning with longing and abased.

Like a burning, abased lover

نشر الأصيل عليه عمق سكونه

نشر الأصيل عليه عمق سكونه

 فمضى يحن لأغنيات البلبل

فمضى يحن لأغنيات البلبل

Late afternoon spread the depth of its stillness over it,

The calm night spread its depth

So it went on yearning for the nightingale's songs.

Over it, so it went on yearning for the bulbul's songs

فكأنما الورقات مرآة له

فكأنما الورقات مرآة له

 تجلو اصفرار سمائه للمجتلي

تجلو اصفرار سمائه للمجتلي

As though the leaves were a mirror for it,

It's as if the leaves are a mirror for it

Revealing its sky's yellowing to the beholder.

Showing the yellowing of its cloudy skies to the despondent one

أأروح و هو يظلني و حبيبتي

أأروح و هو يظلني و حبيبتي

 و أعوذ وحدي وهو غير مظللي

و أعوذ وحدي وهو غير مظللي

Shall I go while it shades me and my beloved,

Shall I go while it shades me and my beloved

And seek refuge alone while it gives me no shade?

And take refuge alone while it does not shade me

سعف النخيل سواك خان مودتي

سعف النخيل سواك خان مودتي

 و بقيت تحفظها لمن لا ينسلي

و بقيت تحفظها لمن لا ينسلي

Palm fronds, all but you have betrayed my affection,

Palm leaves, none but you have betrayed my love

And you remain, preserving it for one who finds no solace.

And remained keeping it for one who does not console me

أشكو إليك أذى الفؤاد و إن تكن

أشكو إليك أذى الفؤاد و إن تكن

 لا ترجع الشكوى لصب مبتلى

لا ترجع الشكوى لصب مبتلى

I lament to you the heart's pain, even though you

I complain to you of the sorrow of my heart though you

Do not echo the lament back to a tormented lover.

Do not return the complaint to one afflicted

تمضي الحبيبة و الزمان كلاهما

تمضي الحبيبة و الزمان كلاهما

 و أظل أندبها و تصغي أنت لي

و أظل أندبها و تصغي أنت لي

The beloved and time both pass on,

My beloved and time both pass

And I go on lamenting her, while you listen to me.

And I remain lamenting her while you listen to me