حَسبيenough for me بِماof what قَدalready لَقيتُI have suffered ياO عُمَرُʿUmar
حَسبي بِما قَد لَقيتُ يا عُمَرُ
لَمnot يَأتِنيreach me عَنof حَبيبَتيmy beloved خَبَرُnews
لَم يَأتِني عَن حَبيبَتي خَبَرُ
Enough of what I have suffered, O ʿUmar!
No news of my beloved has reached me.
شَهرٌa month وَشَهرانِand two months مَرَّpassed قَبلَهُماbefore those two
شَهرٌ وَشَهرانِ مَرَّ قَبلَهُما
شَهرانِtwo months مُرّانِtwo bitter ones مِنهُماof those two صَفَرُSafar
شَهرانِ مُرّانِ مِنهُما صَفَرُ
A month and two months have passed, preceded by
Two bitter months, one of them Safar.
ياO لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing ماتَتshe died فَأَندُبُهاso I might mourn her
يا لَيتَ شِعري ماتَت فَأَندُبُها
أَمor أَحدَثَتshe has newly taken صاحِباًa lover فَأَنتَحِرُso I might kill myself
أَم أَحدَثَت صاحِباً فَأَنتَحِرُ
If only I knew: has she died, that I might mourn her,
Or taken a new lover, that I might kill myself?
لاno عَهدَcontact ليfor me بالرَسولِwith the messenger يُخبِرُنيhe tells me
لا عَهدَ لي بالرَسولِ يُخبِرُني
عَنهاabout her فَنَفسيso my soul مِنfrom ذاكَthat تَستَعرُblazes
عَنها فَنَفسي مِن ذاكَ تَستَعرُ
I have had no contact with the messenger who tells me
Of her; at this my soul is ablaze.
بَكَيتُI wept مِنfrom حُبِّlove of مَنone who يُباعِدُنيkeeps me at a distance
بَكَيتُ مِن حُبِّ مَن يُباعِدُني
شوقاًout of longing وَماand not بيin me ضَنىًwasting illness وَلاnor كِبَرُold age
شوقاً وَما بي ضَنىً وَلا كِبَرُ
I have wept for love of one who keeps me at a distance,
Out of longing, not from sickness or old age.
هَلis there مِنany سَبيلٍa way إِلىto زِيارَتِهاvisiting her
هَل مِن سَبيلٍ إِلى زِيارَتِها
أَمor هَلis there لِماfor what بيis in me مِنof حُبِّهاlove for her غِيَرُchange
أَم هَل لِما بي مِن حُبِّها غِيَرُ
Is there any way to visit her,
Or can the love I bear her ever change?
ضاقَتgrew narrow عَلَيَّupon me البِلادُthe lands إِذwhen هَجَرَتshe deserted
ضاقَت عَلَيَّ البِلادُ إِذ هَجَرَت
فَالعيشُso life مُرٌّbitter وَمَشرَبيand my drink كَدِرُmurky
فَالعيشُ مُرٌّ وَمَشرَبي كَدِرُ
The lands closed in upon me when she forsook me;
So life is bitter, and my drink is murky.
أَكادُI almost مِنfrom زَفرَةٍa deep sigh تُباكِرُنيgreets me at dawn
أَكادُ مِن زَفرَةٍ تُباكِرُني
أَطيرُI fly فيamong الطَيرِthe birds حينَwhen تَبتَكِرُthey set out early
أَطيرُ في الطَيرِ حينَ تَبتَكِرُ
From a sigh that greets me at dawn, I almost
Fly among the birds as they set out early.
فَقُلتُso I said وَالنَفسُwhile the soul فيin صَبابَتِهاits ardent longing
فَقُلتُ وَالنَفسُ في صَبابَتِها
تَهفوflutters وَقَلبيand my heart لَهفانُanguished لاnot يَقِرُis still
تَهفو وَقَلبي لَهفانُ لا يَقِرُ
So I said, while my soul, in its yearning,
Fluttered, and my anguished heart could not be still:
إِنif يَرجِعِrestores اللَهُGod ليto me مَوَدَّتَهاher affection
إِن يَرجِعِ اللَهُ لي مَوَدَّتَها
فَكُلُّthen every شَيءٍthing سِواهُbesides it مُحتَقَرُheld in contempt
فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ سِواهُ مُحتَقَرُ
If God restores her affection to me,
Then everything else counts for nothing.
ياO طولَlength of شَوقيmy longing إِلىfor عُبَيدَةَʿUbayda قَدalready
يا طولَ شَوقي إِلى عُبَيدَةَ قَد
أَنزَفتُI have drained دَمعيmy tears وَشَفَّنيand has worn me thin السَهَرُsleeplessness
أَنزَفتُ دَمعي وَشَفَّني السَهَرُ
Oh, how long I have yearned for ʿUbayda! I have
Drained my tears, and sleeplessness has worn me thin.
أَبكيI weep عَلىover وَصلِهاunion with her وَأَذكُرُهُand I remember it
أَبكي عَلى وَصلِها وَأَذكُرُهُ
وَماbut what يَرُدُّbrings back البُكاءُweeping وَالذِكَرُand memories
وَما يَرُدُّ البُكاءُ وَالذِكَرُ
I weep for union with her and remember it;
But what can weeping and memories bring back?
وَاللَهِby God ماليI have no عِلمٌknowledge بِماof what صَنَعَتshe has done
وَاللَهِ مالي عِلمٌ بِما صَنَعَت
وَلاnor أَتانيcame to me مِنfrom أَهلِهاher family بَشَرُa person
وَلا أَتاني مِن أَهلِها بَشَرُ
By God, I do not know what she has done,
Nor has anyone from her family come to me,
كَأَنَّماas though سُوِّيَwas leveled الحَزينُthe rough ground بِهِمover them
كَأَنَّما سُوِّيَ الحَزينُ بِهِم
لَمnot يَبقَremain مِنهُمof them عَينٌa single person وَلاnor أَثَرُa trace
لَم يَبقَ مِنهُم عَينٌ وَلا أَثَرُ
As though the rough ground had been leveled over them:
Not one of them remains, nor any trace.
ياO صاحِfriend قَدalready أَمسَكَتshe has withheld رِسالَتَهاher letter
يا صاحِ قَد أَمسَكَت رِسالَتَها
فَاِجمَعso gather حَنوطيmy burial spices حَتّامuntil when تَنتَظِرُwill you wait
فَاِجمَع حَنوطي حَتّام تَنتَظِرُ
O friend, she has withheld her letter;
So gather my burial spices—how long will you wait?
لاnot أَستَطيعُI can bear الهَوىlove وَهِجرَتَهاand her desertion
لا أَستَطيعُ الهَوى وَهِجرَتَها
قَلبيmy heart ضَعيفٌweak وَقَلبُهاand her heart حَجَرُstone
قَلبي ضَعيفٌ وَقَلبُها حَجَرُ
I cannot bear both love and her desertion;
My heart is weak, and her heart is stone.
كَأَنَّas though وَجديmy passionate longing بِهاfor her وَقَدand already حَجَبتshe has hidden herself
كَأَنَّ وَجدي بِها وَقَد حَجَبت
فيin الرَأسِthe head وَالعَينِand the eye وَالحَشاand the inward parts سَكَرُdrunkenness
في الرَأسِ وَالعَينِ وَالحَشا سَكَرُ
It is as though my longing for her, now she has hidden herself,
Were drunkenness in my head, my eye, and my core.