وحمّامٍ حَللتُ به لكَيْما

وحمّامٍ حَللتُ به لكَيْما

أفوزَ براحةٍ فيه ونَفْعِ

أفوزَ براحةٍ فيه ونَفْعِ

And I entered a bathhouse so that

With a dove I entered in hopes

I might gain comfort there and benefit.

Of gaining peace and benefit therein

وكنتُ عَقيبَ هجرٍ من حبيبٍ

وكنتُ عَقيبَ هجرٍ من حبيبٍ

أَكَلَّ تَصَبُّري وأصَمَّ سمعي

أَكَلَّ تَصَبُّري وأصَمَّ سمعي

And I had just endured abandonment by a beloved,

Yet after being estranged from a beloved

which exhausted my patience and deafened my hearing.

My patience was consumed and hearing deafened

فقلت لعلَّني أخلو فأبكي

فقلت لعلَّني أخلو فأبكي

بكاءً جهدَ مقدِرتي ووُسْعي

بكاءً جهدَ مقدِرتي ووُسْعي

So I said, 'Perhaps I can be alone and weep,

So I thought perhaps in solitude I may weep

weeping with all my strength and capacity.'

A weeping that exhausted my ability and means

فلما أن حصلتُ به بَدا لي

فلما أن حصلتُ به بَدا لي

مع المقدورِ جَمْعٌ أيُّ جمع

مع المقدورِ جَمْعٌ أيُّ جمع

But when I arrived there, I saw

But when in it I was enabled

a crowd, as fate would have it—what a crowd!

What collection with the destined - any collection

فظَلْتُ مفكرا في ضَعْف قَسْمي

فظَلْتُ مفكرا في ضَعْف قَسْمي

من الحالَيْن في أصلٍ وفرع

من الحالَيْن في أصلٍ وفرع

So I kept pondering my poor lot

Thus I remained thinking on the weakness of my fortune

in both situations, in root and branch.

In both states in origin and branch

وقد عُدِم الوقود وليس ماءٌ

وقد عُدِم الوقود وليس ماءٌ

فردّهما له نَفَسي ودَمْعِي

فردّهما له نَفَسي ودَمْعِي

And fuel was lacking, and there was no water;

And lacking were fuel and water

so my breath and tears restored both to it.

So my breath and tears restored them

فظلّ الناس في رَغَدٍ وزادوا

فظلّ الناس في رَغَدٍ وزادوا

فعادوا يسألون وَشيك رَجْعي

فعادوا يسألون وَشيك رَجْعي

So the people remained in comfort, and went further:

Yet people remained in prosperity and increased

they began asking for my speedy return.

Then returned asking and soon my return