أحْبابَنا هلْ لَنا بعْدَ النّوى طمَعُ

أحْبابَنا هلْ لَنا بعْدَ النّوى طمَعُ

في القُرْبِ أو هلْ زمانُ الأُنْسِ يرْتَجِعُ

في القُرْبِ أو هلْ زمانُ الأُنْسِ يرْتَجِعُ

Our beloveds, have we any hope after separation

Our loved ones, is there still hope after our resolve

of nearness, or will the time of intimacy return?

Of nearness, or will the time of companionship return?

إذا تذكّرتُ ما بَيْني وبيْنَكُمُ

إذا تذكّرتُ ما بَيْني وبيْنَكُمُ

يكادُ قلبيَ من ذِكْراهُ ينْصَدِعُ

يكادُ قلبيَ من ذِكْراهُ ينْصَدِعُ

When I recall what lay between me and you,

When I remember what was between you and I

my heart nearly splits at the memory of it.

My heart almost splits with the memory.

ولّتْ صباحاً رِكابُ القومِ مُسرِعةً

ولّتْ صباحاً رِكابُ القومِ مُسرِعةً

والدّمْعُ ينزِلُ والأنْفاسُ ترتَفِعُ

والدّمْعُ ينزِلُ والأنْفاسُ ترتَفِعُ

In the morning, the people's riding camels sped away,

The riders departed at dawn hurriedly

while tears fell and sighs rose.

While tears fell and sighs arose.

ما أمّلوا للحِمى رُجْعَى فلَيْتَهُمُ

ما أمّلوا للحِمى رُجْعَى فلَيْتَهُمُ

لو أنّهُم لجميلِ الصبْرِ قد رجَعوا

لو أنّهُم لجميلِ الصبْرِ قد رجَعوا

They hoped for no return to the sanctuary; if only they

They did not hope for recovery from lovesickness, if only

had returned to gracious patience.

They had returned to the goodness of patience.

ما لِي وللصّبرِ أسْتَجْدي عوارِفَهُ

ما لِي وللصّبرِ أسْتَجْدي عوارِفَهُ

لكنّهُ سنَنٌ في الحُبّ مُتَّبَعُ

لكنّهُ سنَنٌ في الحُبّ مُتَّبَعُ

What have I to do with patience, begging its favors?

Why do I implore patience when it fails me?

Yet it is a path followed in love.

But it is the way of love to persevere.

كُنّا كما شاءَتِ الآمالُ في دَعَةٍ

كُنّا كما شاءَتِ الآمالُ في دَعَةٍ

والوصْلُ متّصِلٌ والشّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعُ

والوصْلُ متّصِلٌ والشّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعُ

We were at ease, just as our hopes desired,

We were at ease as hopes desired,

with union unbroken and our company gathered together.

Reunited and gathered together.

ففرّقَ الدّهْرُ ظُلْماً بينَنا وغَدا

ففرّقَ الدّهْرُ ظُلْماً بينَنا وغَدا

ما كان طوْعَ يدَيْنا وهْوَ مُمْتَنِعُ

ما كان طوْعَ يدَيْنا وهْوَ مُمْتَنِعُ

Then time unjustly parted us, and now

Time unjustly separated us and went on

what once lay within our grasp is beyond reach.

As if what was in our hands was now out of reach.

ما كان ظنّيَ أنّ القُرْبَ يُعقِبُهُ

ما كان ظنّيَ أنّ القُرْبَ يُعقِبُهُ

بعْدٌ ولا أنّ طولَ الوصْلِ ينقَطِعُ

بعْدٌ ولا أنّ طولَ الوصْلِ ينقَطِعُ

I never thought that nearness would be followed

I did not expect nearness to be followed

by distance, or that enduring union would be severed.

By distance, nor that long companionship would cease.

ما كُنْتُ أحسِبُ أنّ الوجْدَ يُذهِلُني

ما كُنْتُ أحسِبُ أنّ الوجْدَ يُذهِلُني

كمْ عاشِقٍ غرّهُ من قَبْليَ الطّمَعُ

كمْ عاشِقٍ غرّهُ من قَبْليَ الطّمَعُ

I never thought that longing would bewilder me;

I did not reckon that passion would make me lose my mind,

how many a lover before me has hope deceived!

How many lovers before me were deluded by hope!

يا مَنْ تملّكَني حُبّاً أيَجْملُ بي

يا مَنْ تملّكَني حُبّاً أيَجْملُ بي

صبْرٌ وعيني على مرْآكَ لا تقَعُ

صبْرٌ وعيني على مرْآكَ لا تقَعُ

O you who have possessed me through love, does it befit me

O you who possessed me with love, how beautiful

to be patient, when my eye cannot fall upon you?

Patience is, while my eyes long for the sight of you.

تَضيقُ في عينيَ الدُنْيا إذا أنا لا

تَضيقُ في عينيَ الدُنْيا إذا أنا لا

أراكَ فيها ورحْبُ الأرضِ مُتَّسعُ

أراكَ فيها ورحْبُ الأرضِ مُتَّسعُ

The world grows narrow to my eye when I do not

The world seems narrow in my eyes when

see you in it, though the earth's expanse is vast.

I do not see you in it, though the earth is vast.

مَن لي بطَيْفِ خَيالٍ منْكَ يَطْرُقُني

مَن لي بطَيْفِ خَيالٍ منْكَ يَطْرُقُني

إنّي بأيْسَرِ حظٍّ منْهُ أقْتَنِعُ

إنّي بأيْسَرِ حظٍّ منْهُ أقْتَنِعُ

Who will bring me a dream-phantom of you to visit me by night?

If only a phantom image of you would visit me,

Indeed, I am content with the slightest share of it.

I would be content with the slightest glimpse.

راموا سُلُوّيَ عن ربْعٍ حَلَلْتَ بِه

راموا سُلُوّيَ عن ربْعٍ حَلَلْتَ بِه

هيْهاتَ ما دونَه في العيْشِ مُنتفَعُ

هيْهاتَ ما دونَه في العيْشِ مُنتفَعُ

They sought to make me forget a dwelling where you had stayed;

They asked me to describe the encampment where you stayed,

Impossible! Apart from it, there is nothing to enjoy in life.

Alas! Apart from it life brings no profit.

مَن باتَ يَلْقى الذي ألقاهُ منْ ألَمٍ

مَن باتَ يَلْقى الذي ألقاهُ منْ ألَمٍ

فليْسَ يعلَمُ ما ياتي وما يدَعُ

فليْسَ يعلَمُ ما ياتي وما يدَعُ

Whoever spends the night enduring the pain I endure

He who spends the night suffering what I suffered,

does not know what he does or what he leaves undone.

Does not know what will come or what will pass.