لهفى على عمر تصرم وانقضى

لهفى على عمر تصرم وانقضى

هل رجعة فيعاد لي ما قد مضى

هل رجعة فيعاد لي ما قد مضى

Alas for a lifetime that has slipped away and ended!

I yearn for a life now old and gone,

Is there a return, so that what has passed may be restored to me?

Will it return so I regain what is past?

ردوا لويلات مضين فأضلعى

ردوا لويلات مضين فأضلعى

تحنى جوانحها على جمر الغضا

تحنى جوانحها على جمر الغضا

Bring back those brief nights gone by, for my ribs

Take back my agonized cries so I may heal,

curve inward over the embers of ghada wood.

My wings bend over embers of sorrow.

يا متلفى بصدوده رفقاً بمن

يا متلفى بصدوده رفقاً بمن

ببعادكم عن وصلكم قد عوّضا

ببعادكم عن وصلكم قد عوّضا

O you who destroy me with your aversion, be gentle with one

O you who severed ties, show kindness to one

given distance from you in place of union with you.

Whose solace for your absence was found wanting.

فوّضت فيما ترتضيه وإنني

فوّضت فيما ترتضيه وإنني

ما زلت فيما ترتضيه مفوّضا

ما زلت فيما ترتضيه مفوّضا

I have entrusted my affairs to what you approve, and I

I yielded to what you wished though I

have never ceased to entrust them to what you approve.

Still yield to what you wish.

فامنح رضاك لقاصد بك لائذ

فامنح رضاك لقاصد بك لائذ

مازلت تمنح من يلوذ بك الرضا

مازلت تمنح من يلوذ بك الرضا

So grant your favor to a seeker taking refuge in you;

Grant your consent to one who seeks you, refuge-bound—

you have always granted favor to whoever takes refuge in you.

You still confer consent on those who seek your refuge.

يا من شجاه البعد تاد بنادهم

يا من شجاه البعد تاد بنادهم

فعساك يا مهجور يوما ترتضى

فعساك يا مهجور يوما ترتضى

O you whom separation has grieved, be patient at their gathering;

O you whose absence caused him torment, his companion cries,

perhaps, O forsaken one, you will one day be accepted.

May you one day, neglected one, grant consent.

أدرك بقايا العمر ويحك وانتهض

أدرك بقايا العمر ويحك وانتهض

فالحزم يا حلف الونى أن تنهضا

فالحزم يا حلف الونى أن تنهضا

Seize what remains of life—alas for you—and rise!

Grasp the remains of life—awake!—

For resolve, O ally of languor, is to rise.

Prudence dictates you rouse from your swoon.

هذا فديتك شهر صومك راحل

هذا فديتك شهر صومك راحل

وكأنه برق أضاء فأومضا

وكأنه برق أضاء فأومضا

This month of your fasting is departing—may I be your ransom.

This, your ransom, the month of your fast departs,

And it is like lightning that shone, then flashed.

A lightning flash that brightly sparked and vanished.

أتراك قد حسنت فيه جواره

أتراك قد حسنت فيه جواره

وقضيت فيه حقوقه فقد اتقضا

وقضيت فيه حقوقه فقد اتقضا

Have you, I wonder, treated it well during its stay,

Did you draw near during it, becoming a good neighbor?

and fulfilled its dues within it? For it has ended.

Fulfilling its rights, which are now fulfilled?

ما فاز بالآمال إلا مخلص

ما فاز بالآمال إلا مخلص

فيه الوداد لمرسليه أمحضا

فيه الوداد لمرسليه أمحضا

None attained their hopes except one sincere,

None attains hopes but the sincere one

who, during it, made his love for its senders wholly pure.

Whose affection for its Sender is pure.

أسفى على شهر مسراتي به

أسفى على شهر مسراتي به

كانت تتاح فأعرضت مذ أعرضا

كانت تتاح فأعرضت مذ أعرضا

Alas for the month in which my joys

I grieve the month of my delights,

were bestowed, then turned away when it turned away.

Accessible, but I turned away once I turned away.

شهر الصيام نأى فيا عيني اسكبي

شهر الصيام نأى فيا عيني اسكبي

دمع الجفون مذهبا ومفضضا

دمع الجفون مذهبا ومفضضا

The month of fasting has gone afar; O my eye, pour out

The month of fasting has left—so pour out your tears, my eye,

the tears of the eyelids, gilded and silvered.

As profuse, flowing tears.

كم سحب أجفان به هطلت لذى

كم سحب أجفان به هطلت لذى

للرضا متعرضا

للرضا متعرضا

How many clouds of eyelids rained in it for one

How many lids by it dropped copious, indulgent tears

seeking favor,

Seeking the pleasure of the Pleased.

سهر الليالي مهملا لدموعه

سهر الليالي مهملا لدموعه

وقضى به من شوقه ما قد قضى

وقضى به من شوقه ما قد قضى

who kept vigil through the nights, giving free rein to his tears,

Nights of wakefulness, heedless of tears,

and in it fulfilled what he fulfilled of his longing.

Fulfilling from yearning what wish fulfills.

لا يجتنى ثمر المنى من روضه

لا يجتنى ثمر المنى من روضه

إلا فتى في ليله ما غمّضا

إلا فتى في ليله ما غمّضا

None gathers the fruit of hopes from its garden

None plucks the fruit of his hopes from its garden

save a youth who never closed his eyes during its night.

Save a youth who never slept during its night.