ما لي أَرى النَومَ عَن عَينَيَّ قَد نَفَرا

ما لي أَرى النَومَ عَن عَينَيَّ قَد نَفَرا

أَأَنتَ عَلمتَ طَرفي بَعدَكَ السَهَرا

أَأَنتَ عَلمتَ طَرفي بَعدَكَ السَهَرا

Why do I see that sleep has fled my eyes?

Why do I see sleep refusing my eyes

Was it you who taught my eye wakefulness in your absence?

Did you know about my wakefulness after you

وَما لِذِكرِكَ يَصلى النارَ في كَبِدي

وَما لِذِكرِكَ يَصلى النارَ في كَبِدي

أَهَكَذا كُلُّ صَبٍّ أَلفَهُ ذكرا

أَهَكَذا كُلُّ صَبٍّ أَلفَهُ ذكرا

And why does the memory of you burn in the fire within my liver?

And why does the memory of you kindle fire in my liver

Is this how every lovesick lover remembers his beloved?

Is this how every young lover feels about the beloved's memory

يا غائِباً كانَ جَهي لا أُفارِقُه

يا غائِباً كانَ جَهي لا أُفارِقُه

فَما قَدَرتُ عَلى أَن أَدفَعَ القَدَرا

فَما قَدَرتُ عَلى أَن أَدفَعَ القَدَرا

O absent one, whom I [strove] never to leave,

O absent one, my passion for you does not diminish

Yet I could not ward off fate.

And I could not avert what was destined

سَقياً لِأيامِنا ما كانَ أَطيَبَها

سَقياً لِأيامِنا ما كانَ أَطيَبَها

وَلَّت وَلَم أَقضِ مِن لِذّاتِها وَطَرا

وَلَّت وَلَم أَقضِ مِن لِذّاتِها وَطَرا

May rain bless our days—how sweet they were!

A drink for our days, however sweet they were

They passed, and I had not had my fill of their delights.

They are gone and I could not fulfill the pleasures in them

هَبوا المَنامَ لِعَيني رُبَّما غَلِطَت

هَبوا المَنامَ لِعَيني رُبَّما غَلِطَت

بِرَقدَةٍ فَرَأَت مِنكُم خَيالَ كَرا

بِرَقدَةٍ فَرَأَت مِنكُم خَيالَ كَرا

Grant my eye sleep; perhaps it may lapse

Grant sleep to my eyes, perhaps they erred

Into a slumber and see a dream-image of you.

In slumber and saw an illusion of you

وَاِستَعطِفوا الريحَ عَلَّ الريح حامِلَة

وَاِستَعطِفوا الريحَ عَلَّ الريح حامِلَة

إِلى المُتَيَّمِ مِن أَكنافِكُم خَبَرا

إِلى المُتَيَّمِ مِن أَكنافِكُم خَبَرا

And appeal to the wind's compassion; perhaps the wind will carry

And entreat the wind, maybe the wind will carry

To the love-stricken one some tidings from your environs.

To the bereaved, news from your dwellings

أَحبابَنا لَم أَعِش واللَهِ بَعدَكُم

أَحبابَنا لَم أَعِش واللَهِ بَعدَكُم

صَبراً وَرُبَّ الرَدى خَيرٌ لِمَن صَبَرا

صَبراً وَرُبَّ الرَدى خَيرٌ لِمَن صَبَرا

Our beloved ones, by God, I have not lived since you left

O beloveds, by God, I did not live after you

In patience—and perhaps death is better for one who endures.

With patience, and returning is best for the patient

أَشتاقُكُم شَوقَ مُشتاقٍ إِلى وَطَنٍ

أَشتاقُكُم شَوقَ مُشتاقٍ إِلى وَطَنٍ

هاجَت بَلابِلَهُ ريحُ الصَبا سَحَرا

هاجَت بَلابِلَهُ ريحُ الصَبا سَحَرا

I yearn for you as one yearns for a homeland,

I yearn for you with the yearning of a yearner toward a homeland

His cares stirred by the east wind before dawn.

Whose nightingales were stirred by the morning breeze

يَشكوكُمُ البَينَ صَبٌّ قل ناصِرُهُ

يَشكوكُمُ البَينَ صَبٌّ قل ناصِرُهُ

وَلِلفِراقِ خُطوبٌ تَصدَعُ الحَجَرا

وَلِلفِراقِ خُطوبٌ تَصدَعُ الحَجَرا

A lovesick man with scant support complains to you of separation;

A bereaved lover complains of separation to you

And parting brings calamities that split stone.

And separation has calamities that crack even rocks