حُبٌّ وَهَجرٌ عَلى جِسمٍ بِهِ سَقَمٌ

حُبٌّ وَهَجرٌ عَلى جِسمٍ بِهِ سَقَمٌ

العَيشُ عَن ذا سريعاً سَوفَ يَنصَرِمُ

العَيشُ عَن ذا سريعاً سَوفَ يَنصَرِمُ

Love and estrangement weigh on a body afflicted with sickness.

Love and separation in a body sick with grief,

Life will soon be cut off from this man.

Life for one like this will soon slip away.

حَياةُ ذا مَوتُهُ وَالمَوتُ عيشَتُهُ

حَياةُ ذا مَوتُهُ وَالمَوتُ عيشَتُهُ

ما خَيرُ عَيشٍ إِذا ما زالَتِ النِّعَمُ

ما خَيرُ عَيشٍ إِذا ما زالَتِ النِّعَمُ

This man's life is his death, and death is his life.

His life is his death, and his death is his life,

What good is life when blessings have vanished?

What good is life when blessings fade?

أَرى المُحِبّينَ قَد طالَ البَلاءُ بِهِم

أَرى المُحِبّينَ قَد طالَ البَلاءُ بِهِم

حَتَّى كَأَنَّ هَواهُم فيهُم نِقَمُ

حَتَّى كَأَنَّ هَواهُم فيهُم نِقَمُ

I see that lovers' affliction has lasted long,

I see lovers whom ordeals have long afflicted,

until their passion seems like torment within them.

It's as if their passion itself plagues them.

عَرَفتُ ذلِكَ في نَفسي وَعِلَّتُهُم

عَرَفتُ ذلِكَ في نَفسي وَعِلَّتُهُم

قَد يرحَمونَ وَلَم أرحم كما رحموا

قَد يرحَمونَ وَلَم أرحم كما رحموا

I have known this in myself, and their ailment too;

I know this in myself and understand their plight,

they are sometimes shown mercy, but I was not shown mercy as they were.

They may show mercy while I did not have mercy as they did.

جاءَ الكِتابُ بِما قَد كُنتُ أَحذره

جاءَ الكِتابُ بِما قَد كُنتُ أَحذره

يا وَيلَتا لِيَ مِمَّا سَطر القَلَمُ

يا وَيلَتا لِيَ مِمَّا سَطر القَلَمُ

The letter came with what I had been dreading.

The message came with what I had feared,

Oh, woe to me for what the pen has written!

Oh what grief for me from what the pen has writ!

قالَت تَحَقَّق ما كُنّا نُزَنُّ بِهِ

قالَت تَحَقَّق ما كُنّا نُزَنُّ بِهِ

فَالنَّارُ بَينَ ذَوي الأَضغانِ تضطرِمُ

فَالنَّارُ بَينَ ذَوي الأَضغانِ تضطرِمُ

She said, "What we were suspected of has been confirmed;

She said: what we were wary of has come true,

for the fire blazes among those who bear grudges.

So the fire blazes among the spiteful.

إِلَيكَ عَنّي فَإِنَّ القَومَ قَد نَذَروا

إِلَيكَ عَنّي فَإِنَّ القَومَ قَد نَذَروا

أَن يَقتُلوكَ أَلا فَاسلَم وَلا سَلِموا

أَن يَقتُلوكَ أَلا فَاسلَم وَلا سَلِموا

Keep away from me, for the people have vowed

Seek refuge in You from me, for the people have vowed

to kill you. Take heed: stay safe—and may they not be safe!"

To kill you - flee from them, do not be harmed!

لَولا مَخافَةُ أَن يَشجى بقيلهُم

لَولا مَخافَةُ أَن يَشجى بقيلهُم

لما تَفَوَّهَ مِنهُم بِالوَعيدِ فَمُ

لما تَفَوَّهَ مِنهُم بِالوَعيدِ فَمُ

Were it not for fear of being saddened by their words,

Had I not feared that their threats would hurt him

no mouth among them would have uttered a threat.

None of their threats would have crossed my lips.

لا كُنت إِن عاقَني عَن أَن أَزورَكُم

لا كُنت إِن عاقَني عَن أَن أَزورَكُم

وَكُلُّهُم شاهِدٌ خَوفٌ لما زَعَموا

وَكُلُّهُم شاهِدٌ خَوفٌ لما زَعَموا

May I cease to exist if I am kept from visiting you—

Even if they forbid me from visiting you,

with them all present—by fear of what they claimed.

While they all watch on in fear of what they claimed,