فراقٌ رمى قَلبي بِسُقم وأوصابِ

فراقٌ رمى قَلبي بِسُقم وأوصابِ

وَيا لَيتَهُ للقرب من بعد أَوصى بي

وَيا لَيتَهُ للقرب من بعد أَوصى بي

Separation struck my heart with sickness and afflictions;

Parting struck my heart with sickness and pains.

would that, after driving me far, it had commended me to nearness.

And would that afterward it had commended me to reunion!

سَقِمتُ وَزادَت صبوَتي ثمّ ما اِشتَفى

سَقِمتُ وَزادَت صبوَتي ثمّ ما اِشتَفى

سقامي بِشَهدٍ من عذول وَلا صابِ

سقامي بِشَهدٍ من عذول وَلا صابِ

I sickened, and my yearning grew; yet my malady found no cure

I fell sick, and my yearning grew; then no cure came

in a reproacher’s honey, nor in bitter aloe.

for my illness through a reprover's honey or bitter sap.

كَأَنّي لَم أَمرَح وَأَمزَح مع الرشا

كَأَنّي لَم أَمرَح وَأَمزَح مع الرشا

بمصر وَلَم أَفرح بصحبي وَأَحبابي

بمصر وَلَم أَفرح بصحبي وَأَحبابي

As though I had never rejoiced and jested with the gazelle

As though I had never frolicked and joked with the young gazelle

in Egypt, nor delighted in my companions and loved ones;

in Egypt, nor rejoiced in my companions and loved ones;

وَلَم تَرَني عِندَ اِلتقاءِ حَبائبي

وَلَم تَرَني عِندَ اِلتقاءِ حَبائبي

هنالك لَم أَحفل بعلمي وآدابي

هنالك لَم أَحفل بعلمي وآدابي

as though you had never seen me when I met my beloveds,

nor had you seen me, when meeting my beloveds,

there caring nothing for my learning or my letters;

there, caring nothing for my learning or decorum;

وَلَم أَرمِ عذّالي وَأَحفظ قاتِلي

وَلَم أَرمِ عذّالي وَأَحفظ قاتِلي

وَحاجبهُ وَاللَحظُ قَوسي وَنُشّابي

وَحاجبهُ وَاللَحظُ قَوسي وَنُشّابي

nor seen me shoot at my reproachers while guarding my slayer,

nor had I shot at my reprovers and protected my slayer,

whose eyebrow and glance were my bow and arrows;

his eyebrow and glance my bow and arrows;

وَلَم يَك نَقلي اللثمَ في صحن خدّه

وَلَم يَك نَقلي اللثمَ في صحن خدّه

وَبالثغر أَو بالريق خَمري وَأَكوابي

وَبالثغر أَو بالريق خَمري وَأَكوابي

nor was a kiss upon the broad court of his cheek my wine’s relish,

nor had my sweetmeats been kisses in the dish of his cheek,

while his mouth—or his saliva—was my wine and my cups.

and in his mouth or saliva were my wine and cups;

وَلَم تسلبي يا عَزُّ قَلبيَ واجِباً

وَلَم تسلبي يا عَزُّ قَلبيَ واجِباً

فَأَمسى ذَليلاً طوع سلب وَإِيجابِ

فَأَمسى ذَليلاً طوع سلب وَإِيجابِ

Nor did you, O ‘Azz, take my heart as your rightful due,

nor had you, O 'Azz, stolen my throbbing heart,

leaving it abased, obedient alike to taking and granting.

so that it became humbled, subject to negation and affirmation;

وَلَم أَتنسّك خوف واشٍ وَأَعتَكِف

وَلَم أَتنسّك خوف واشٍ وَأَعتَكِف

ووجهك قنديلي وصدعك محرابي

ووجهك قنديلي وصدعك محرابي

Nor did I turn devout for fear of an informer and withdraw,

nor had I become an ascetic for fear of a talebearer and secluded myself,

with your face as my lamp and your temple as my prayer niche.

your face my lamp, your cleft my prayer niche.

عُهودٌ مضَت لَم يبق إِلّا اِدّكارُها

عُهودٌ مضَت لَم يبق إِلّا اِدّكارُها

وَلَم يَبق من أَسمائها غَيرُ أَلقابِ

وَلَم يَبق من أَسمائها غَيرُ أَلقابِ

Covenants have passed away; nothing remains but their remembrance,

Days have passed; nothing remains but their remembrance,

and nothing of their names remains except mere titles.

and nothing remains of their names but epithets.

وَدَهرٌ مَضى لَو كانَ بِالوَصلِ عائِداً

وَدَهرٌ مَضى لَو كانَ بِالوَصلِ عائِداً

لَزار الرِضى مِن بَعد سقم وَإِغضابِ

لَزار الرِضى مِن بَعد سقم وَإِغضابِ

An age has passed—if only it could return bearing union,

And an age has passed; if it returned with reunion,

contentment would visit after sickness and anger.

contentment would visit after sickness and vexation.

تَقضّى بإِيجازٍ وَخلَّفَ بعدهُ

تَقضّى بإِيجازٍ وَخلَّفَ بعدهُ

زَمان النَوى لا دام عِندي بإِسهابِ

زَمان النَوى لا دام عِندي بإِسهابِ

It ended with brevity, then left behind it

It ended briefly, and left behind it

an age of separation—may it not long endure for me—in prolixity.

a long-drawn time of separation with me—may it not endure!

أَأَحباب قَلبي كَيفَ حلّلتم الأَسى

أَأَحباب قَلبي كَيفَ حلّلتم الأَسى

وَأحرمتمُ نَومي يلِمُّ بأَهدابي

وَأحرمتمُ نَومي يلِمُّ بأَهدابي

O beloveds of my heart, how could you make sorrow lawful

O beloveds of my heart, how have you made sorrow lawful

and forbid my sleep from alighting upon my lashes?

and forbidden my sleep to alight upon my lashes?

صبوتُ لكم حبّاً وَإِنّي لمؤمن

صبوتُ لكم حبّاً وَإِنّي لمؤمن

فَيا عجباً منّي أَنا المؤمن الصابي

فَيا عجباً منّي أَنا المؤمن الصابي

I yearned for you in love, though I am a believer—

I yearned for you in love, though I am indeed a believer;

what a marvel that I am the believer, yet the Sabaean!

how strange I am—a believer, yet love-smitten!

وَلَو أَنَّني أُوتيت رشدي فيكمُ

وَلَو أَنَّني أُوتيت رشدي فيكمُ

لَكانَ اِتّباعي لِلعَواذِل أَولى بي

لَكانَ اِتّباعي لِلعَواذِل أَولى بي

Had I been granted right guidance concerning you,

And had I been granted sound judgment concerning you,

following the reproachers would have become me better.

following the reprovers would have been better for me.

بدين الوَفا لا أَبعد اللَه عهده

بدين الوَفا لا أَبعد اللَه عهده

عِدوا بعد هَذا العتب قَلبي بإعتابِ

عِدوا بعد هَذا العتب قَلبي بإعتابِ

By the faith of fidelity—may God never banish its age—

By the faith of loyalty—may God never banish its covenant—

after this reproach, promise my heart reconciliation.

promise my heart, after this reproach, that you will make amends.

سقِمتُ لقرب العاذلين وَجهلهم

سقِمتُ لقرب العاذلين وَجهلهم

فَلا طرفُ إِبلال وَلا قلبُ إِلبابِ

فَلا طرفُ إِبلال وَلا قلبُ إِلبابِ

I have sickened from the reproachers’ nearness and their ignorance:

I fell sick from the reprovers' nearness and their ignorance,

no glimpse of recovery, no heart’s return to reason.

so no eye finds recovery, no heart finds understanding.

تَطابق عِندي الحزنُ لمّا هجرتمُ

تَطابق عِندي الحزنُ لمّا هجرتمُ

بقرب لأعداء وَبعد لأحبابِ

بقرب لأعداء وَبعد لأحبابِ

Grief was made complete for me when you abandoned me:

Grief was compounded for me when you deserted me,

enemies brought near, and loved ones held afar.

with enemies near and beloveds far away.

وممّا شجاني أَنَّني يَومَ بينِهم

وممّا شجاني أَنَّني يَومَ بينِهم

وهبت رقادي وَالصَباح لنهّابِ

وهبت رقادي وَالصَباح لنهّابِ

Among the things that grieved me, on the day they parted,

And what grieved me was that, on the day of their departure,

was that I surrendered my sleep and the morning to a plunderer.

I gave my sleep and the morning to a plunderer.

فطِر في الدُجى يا طَرفُ أَو قع فَلَن تَرى

فطِر في الدُجى يا طَرفُ أَو قع فَلَن تَرى

صَباحاً وَطِرفُ الليل أسوده كابي

صَباحاً وَطِرفُ الليل أسوده كابي

Fly through the darkness, O eye, or alight—you shall not see

So fly through the darkness, O eye, or fall: you will never see

a dawn, while the edge of night, its blackness, lowers gloomily.

a dawn, while night's black steed falters.

ولمّا تَوَلَّوا سِرتُ أَتبعُ إِثرهم

ولمّا تَوَلَّوا سِرتُ أَتبعُ إِثرهم

وَأَدمع عَيني عنهم كنّ حجّابي

وَأَدمع عَيني عنهم كنّ حجّابي

When they departed, I went following their traces,

And when they turned away, I walked, following their tracks,

while the tears of my eyes became a veil between us.

and my eye's tears were my gatekeepers, screening them from me.

أُسارِقُهم بِاللَحظ مِن حذر العدى

أُسارِقُهم بِاللَحظ مِن حذر العدى

وَما كنت فيهم قبل هَذا بمرتابِ

وَما كنت فيهم قبل هَذا بمرتابِ

I stole glances at them, wary of the enemies,

I stole glances at them for fear of the enemies,

though before this I had never doubted them.

though before this I had had no misgivings about them.

وأَقرع سنّي إِذ تَوَلّوا نَدامَةً

وأَقرع سنّي إِذ تَوَلّوا نَدامَةً

وَسيفُ اِصطِباري بَعدَ أَن رَحَلوا نابي

وَسيفُ اِصطِباري بَعدَ أَن رَحَلوا نابي

I gnash my teeth in regret because they departed,

And I gnash my teeth in remorse at their turning away,

and the sword of my endurance, after they left, has lost its edge.

and since they departed, the sword of my endurance is blunt.

فَليت الَّذي يَهوى فراق أَحبّتي

فَليت الَّذي يَهوى فراق أَحبّتي

فدىً لِلَّذي يَهوى اِجتِماعي بأَحبابي

فدىً لِلَّذي يَهوى اِجتِماعي بأَحبابي

Would that whoever desires my loved ones’ separation

Would that whoever desires separation from my loved ones

were a ransom for whoever desires my reunion with them.

were a ransom for whoever desires my reunion with my beloveds.