تُرى هَل عَلِمتُم ما لَقيتُ مِنَ البُعدِ

تُرى هَل عَلِمتُم ما لَقيتُ مِنَ البُعدِ

لَقَد جَلَّ ما أُخفيهِ مِنكُم وَما أُبدي

لَقَد جَلَّ ما أُخفيهِ مِنكُم وَما أُبدي

I wonder, do you know what I have suffered from separation?

Do you know what I have suffered from this distance?

Immense indeed is what I hide from you and what I reveal.

Much of what I concealed from you is now apparent.

فِراقٌ وَوَجدٌ وَاِشتِياقٌ وَلَوعَةٌ

فِراقٌ وَوَجدٌ وَاِشتِياقٌ وَلَوعَةٌ

تَعَدَّدَتِ البَلوى عَلى واحِدٍ فَردِ

تَعَدَّدَتِ البَلوى عَلى واحِدٍ فَردِ

Parting, lovesickness, longing, and burning anguish—

Parting, anguish, yearning, torment -

Afflictions have multiplied upon one solitary man.

Afflictions have multiplied upon this lone soul.

رَعى اللَهُ أَيّاماً تَقَضَّت بِقُربِكُم

رَعى اللَهُ أَيّاماً تَقَضَّت بِقُربِكُم

كَأَنّي بِها قَد كُنتُ في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

كَأَنّي بِها قَد كُنتُ في جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

May God cherish the days that passed near you;

God nurtured days that passed with you near,

As though, in those days, I had been in the Garden of Eternity.

As though I lived with them in the eternal garden.

هَبوني امرَأً قَد كُنتُ بِالبَينِ جاهِلاً

هَبوني امرَأً قَد كُنتُ بِالبَينِ جاهِلاً

أَما كانَ فيكُم مَن هَداني إِلى الرُشدِ

أَما كانَ فيكُم مَن هَداني إِلى الرُشدِ

Suppose I had been a man ignorant of parting:

They abandoned a man who in separation was ignorant,

Was there no one among you to guide me aright?

Was there none among you to guide me to wisdom?

وَكُنتُ لَكُم عَبداً وَلِلعَبدِ حُرمَةٌ

وَكُنتُ لَكُم عَبداً وَلِلعَبدِ حُرمَةٌ

فَما بالُكُم ضَيَّعتُمُ حُرمَةَ العَبدِ

فَما بالُكُم ضَيَّعتُمُ حُرمَةَ العَبدِ

And I was your slave, and a slave has a claim to respect;

I was your servant, and a servant has rights -

So why have you disregarded the respect due to your slave?

Why then did you neglect the rights of your servant?

وَما بالُ كُتبي لا يُرَدُّ جَوابُها

وَما بالُ كُتبي لا يُرَدُّ جَوابُها

فَهَل أُكرِمَت أَن لا تُقابَلَ بِالرَدِّ

فَهَل أُكرِمَت أَن لا تُقابَلَ بِالرَدِّ

And why do my letters receive no reply?

Why do my letters go with no reply?

Have they been honored by being spared rejection?

Am I so honored as to be left with no response?

فَأَينَ حَلاواتُ الرَسائِلِ بَينَنا

فَأَينَ حَلاواتُ الرَسائِلِ بَينَنا

وَأَينَ أَماراتُ المَحَبَّةِ وَالوُدِّ

وَأَينَ أَماراتُ المَحَبَّةِ وَالوُدِّ

Then where is the sweetness of the letters between us?

Where is the sweetness of messages between us?

And where are the signs of love and affection?

Where are the signs of love and affection?

وَما لِيَ ذَنبٌ يَستَحِقُّ عُقوبَةً

وَما لِيَ ذَنبٌ يَستَحِقُّ عُقوبَةً

وَيا لَيتَها كانَت بِشَيءٍ سِوى الصَدِّ

وَيا لَيتَها كانَت بِشَيءٍ سِوى الصَدِّ

And I have no fault deserving punishment;

I have committed no wrong deserving of punishment -

And would that it were something other than rejection!

Would that it were anything but indifference!

وَيا لَيتَ عِندي كُلَّ يَومٍ رَسولَكُم

وَيا لَيتَ عِندي كُلَّ يَومٍ رَسولَكُم

فَأُسكِنَهُ عَيني وَأُفرِشَهُ خَدّي

فَأُسكِنَهُ عَيني وَأُفرِشَهُ خَدّي

And would that your messenger were with me every day:

Would that I had your messenger each day,

Then I would lodge him in my eye and spread my cheek as his bed.

To rest my eyes upon and cradle my cheek!

وَإِنّي لَأَرعاكُم عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ

وَإِنّي لَأَرعاكُم عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ

وَحَقِّكُمُ أَنتُم أَعَزُّ الوَرى عِندي

وَحَقِّكُمُ أَنتُم أَعَزُّ الوَرى عِندي

And I surely cherish you in every circumstance;

Truly, I hold you dear in every circumstance,

And by the honor due to you, you are the dearest of all people to me.

It is your due - you are the most precious souls to me.

عَليكُم سَلامُ اللَهِ وَالبُعدُ بَينَنا

عَليكُم سَلامُ اللَهِ وَالبُعدُ بَينَنا

وَبِالرَغمِ مِنّي أَن أُسَلِّمَ مِن بُعدِ

وَبِالرَغمِ مِنّي أَن أُسَلِّمَ مِن بُعدِ

May God's peace be upon you, while distance lies between us;

God's peace be upon you, though we are apart,

And against my will I must greet you from afar.

And in spite of me, that I send greetings from afar.