أَحبابَناour beloveds أَيُّwhat داعٍcaller بِالبِعادِfor separation دَعاcalled
أَحبابَنا أَيُّ داعٍ بِالبِعادِ دَعا
وَأَيُّand what خَطبٍcalamity رَماناstruck us مِنهُfrom it تَفريقُparting
وَأَيُّ خَطبٍ رَمانا مِنهُ تَفريقُ
Our beloveds, what caller called for separation?
What summoner called us to part,
And from what calamity came the parting that struck us?
And what speech scattered us apart?
لاmay it not كانَhave existed دَهراًan age رَماناstruck us بِالفِراقِwith separation لَقَدindeed
لا كانَ دَهراً رَمانا بِالفِراقِ لَقَد
أَضحىhas come to be لَهُfor it فيin صميمِthe innermost core القَلبِthe heart تَمزيقُrending
أَضحى لَهُ في صميمِ القَلبِ تَمزيقُ
May the age that struck us with separation never have existed! Indeed,
Though fate parted us long before,
It now rends the heart's innermost core.
Now in my heart there is still more tearing.
كانَتused to لِغَيبَتِكُمbecause of your absence تَضيقُgrow narrow بِيَaround me الدُنياthe world
كانَت لِغَيبَتِكُم تَضيقُ بِيَ الدُنيا
فَكَيفَthen how سِجنٌa prison وَمِنand among عاداتِهِits habits الضيقُconstriction
فَكَيفَ سِجنٌ وَمِن عاداتِهِ الضيقُ
The world would grow narrow around me in your absence;
Without you here the world feels constricted,
Then what of a prison, when constriction is among its habits?
So what of a prison where tightness is predicted?