دَعاكَ شجوُكَ فالأجفانُ ساهرةٌ

دَعاكَ شجوُكَ فالأجفانُ ساهرةٌ

تَذري الدُّموعَ وحبلُ الوصل منبوذُ

تَذري الدُّموعَ وحبلُ الوصل منبوذُ

Your sorrow summoned you, so your eyelids lie awake,

Your longing called you, so the eyelids are sleepless

Shedding tears while the cord of union lies cast aside.

Shedding tears while the bond of connection is abandoned

ما كنتَ تصنع والأقدارُ غالبةٌ

ما كنتَ تصنع والأقدارُ غالبةٌ

وهل تُحِيرُ لدى الصَّبِّ التعاويذُ

وهل تُحِيرُ لدى الصَّبِّ التعاويذُ

What could you do when the fates prevail?

What could you do as fate was victorious

And can incantations bring relief to the lovesick?

Can spells bewilder in the face of suffering?

شطَّتْ بنومِكَ وهْي الآن راقدةٌ

شطَّتْ بنومِكَ وهْي الآن راقدةٌ

وقلبُها عن عوادي السُّهدِ ملهوذُ

وقلبُها عن عوادي السُّهدِ ملهوذُ

She carried off your sleep, yet now she lies asleep,

It has led your sleep away, and now it rests

Her heart kept apart from the assaults of sleeplessness.

While its heart has turned from habitual affections

وكلُّ صبٍّ إذا طاب الوصالُ له

وكلُّ صبٍّ إذا طاب الوصالُ له

مضـى إليه وقلبُ الصَّبِّ مأخوذُ

مضـى إليه وقلبُ الصَّبِّ مأخوذُ

And every lover, when union becomes sweet to him,

Whenever union was sweet for any lover

Goes toward it, his lovesick heart enthralled.

He went to it, while the lover's heart was captivated

فاستعبرتْ أعيني واللَّيلُ يدفعُها

فاستعبرتْ أعيني واللَّيلُ يدفعُها

إلى قضاءٍ لديه الحتفُ مخلوذُ

إلى قضاءٍ لديه الحتفُ مخلوذُ

So my eyes welled with tears, while night drives them

So my eyes shed tears, and the night drives them

Toward a decree in whose keeping death is held fast.

To a destiny for which ruin is destined

يا غادةً ولَّهتْ قلبي فأرسَلَها

يا غادةً ولَّهتْ قلبي فأرسَلَها

تترى نداءاتِ شوقٍ دونها العُوذُ

تترى نداءاتِ شوقٍ دونها العُوذُ

O graceful maiden, you maddened my heart, so it sent them forth—

O Ghadah, who distracted my heart and sent it

Calls of longing, one after another, beyond the reach of charms.

Calling out in yearning, protected only by talismans

رفقًا بقلبٍ أجدَّ الشَّوقُ قِتْلَتَه

رفقًا بقلبٍ أجدَّ الشَّوقُ قِتْلَتَه

تحنو عليه بها الصُّمُّ الجهابيذُ

تحنو عليه بها الصُّمُّ الجهابيذُ

Be gentle with a heart whose slaying longing has renewed;

Be gentle with a heart that ardour has slain

For this, even deaf sages feel tenderness toward it.

Deaf passions mourn over it with dirges

فإن أبيتِ سوى قتلي بصارخةٍ

فإن أبيتِ سوى قتلي بصارخةٍ

مِن سحرِ عينيكِ ما تُجدي الأماليذُ

مِن سحرِ عينيكِ ما تُجدي الأماليذُ

And if you accept nothing but killing me with a piercing cry

And if you refuse anything but my death with a cry

From your eyes’ enchantment, flatterers are of no avail.

From the magic of your eyes, no spells will help

لِلَّيلِ في أعيُني حكمٌ تعهَّدها

لِلَّيلِ في أعيُني حكمٌ تعهَّدها

وللفراقِ إذا ما بِنْتِ تنفيذُ

وللفراقِ إذا ما بِنْتِ تنفيذُ

Night has a decree within my eyes that has taken charge of them,

Night's rule has undertaken to detain my eyes

And separation, when you depart, carries it out.

And when you execute parting, exile is ordained