وَدَّعْتُها ولَهِيبُ الشّوْقِ في كَبِدي

وَدَّعْتُها ولَهِيبُ الشّوْقِ في كَبِدي

والبَيْنُ يُبْعِدُ بينَ الرُّوحِ والجسَدِ

والبَيْنُ يُبْعِدُ بينَ الرُّوحِ والجسَدِ

I bade her farewell, the blaze of longing in my liver,

I bid her farewell, with yearning aflame in my heart,

and parting drives the soul and body apart.

And separation stretches between spirit and flesh.

وَدَاعَ صَبّيْنِ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ وَدَاعهما

وَدَاعَ صَبّيْنِ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ وَدَاعهما

إِلاَّ بلَحْظَةِ عَيْنٍ أَوْ بَنانِ يَدِ

إِلاَّ بلَحْظَةِ عَيْنٍ أَوْ بَنانِ يَدِ

The farewell of two lovers who could say goodbye

The farewell of two loves was no easy parting -

only with an eye's glance or a hand's fingertips.

Just a fleeting glance from an eye or touch of a hand.

وَدَّعْتُها لِفِراقٍ فاشْتَكَتْ كَبِدِي

وَدَّعْتُها لِفِراقٍ فاشْتَكَتْ كَبِدِي

إِذْ شَبّكَتْ يَدَها مِنْ لَوْعَةٍ بِيَدِي

إِذْ شَبّكَتْ يَدَها مِنْ لَوْعَةٍ بِيَدِي

I bade her farewell at parting, and my liver cried in pain,

I bid her farewell and my liver complained

when, in anguish, she entwined her hand with mine.

As she clutched my hand to ease her torment.

وحاذَرَتْ أَعْيُنَ الواشِينَ فانْصَرَفَتْ

وحاذَرَتْ أَعْيُنَ الواشِينَ فانْصَرَفَتْ

تَعَضُّ مِنْ غَيْظِها العُنّابَ بالبَرَدِ

تَعَضُّ مِنْ غَيْظِها العُنّابَ بالبَرَدِ

And she feared the slanderers' eyes, so she turned away,

She shunned the spying eyes and turned away,

biting, in her anger, the jujubes with hailstones.

Gnawing her lip in anger and distress.

فكانَ أَوَّلُ عَهْدِ العَيْنِ يومَ نَأَتْ

فكانَ أَوَّلُ عَهْدِ العَيْنِ يومَ نَأَتْ

بالدَّمْعِ آخِرُ عَهْدِ القَلْبِ بالجَلَدِ

بالدَّمْعِ آخِرُ عَهْدِ القَلْبِ بالجَلَدِ

So the eye's first acquaintance, on the day she went away,

It was the eyes' first farewell that brought

with tears was the heart's last acquaintance with fortitude.

Tears last of all from my resilient heart.

جَسَّ الطّبيبَ يَدي جَهْلاً فقلتُ لهُ

جَسَّ الطّبيبَ يَدي جَهْلاً فقلتُ لهُ

إِنَّ المَحَبّةَ في قَلْبي فَخَلِّ يَدي

إِنَّ المَحَبّةَ في قَلْبي فَخَلِّ يَدي

The physician felt my hand in ignorance, so I told him:

The doctor felt my hand in ignorance, so I said

“Love is in my heart, so let go of my hand.

"Love lies in my heart - leave my hand be."

ليسَ اصْفِراري لِحُمّى خامَرَتْ بَدَني

ليسَ اصْفِراري لِحُمّى خامَرَتْ بَدَني

لكنَّ نارَ الهوى تَلْتَاحُ في كَبِدِي

لكنَّ نارَ الهوى تَلْتَاحُ في كَبِدِي

My pallor is not from a fever that has overtaken my body;

My pallor is not from fever coursing my frame,

but the fire of passion blazes in my liver.”

But fires of passion consuming my heart.

فقال هذا سَقَامٌ لا دَواءَ لَهُ

فقال هذا سَقَامٌ لا دَواءَ لَهُ

إِلاَّ بِرُؤْيَةِ مَنْ تَهْواهُ يا سَنَدِي

إِلاَّ بِرُؤْيَةِ مَنْ تَهْواهُ يا سَنَدِي

So he said, “This is an illness with no remedy

He said "This is an illness with no cure

except seeing the one you love, O my mainstay.”

Except seeing she whom you adore, my friend."