ولى فولى جميل الصبر يتبعه

ولى فولى جميل الصبر يتبعه

وصرخ الدمع ما تخفيه أضلعه

وصرخ الدمع ما تخفيه أضلعه

He departed, and gracious patience departed, following him.

Patience's beauty followed his leaving

And tears cried out what his ribs conceal.

And tears screamed what his ribs concealed

جسم ملول وقلب آلف فإذا

جسم ملول وقلب آلف فإذا

حل الفراق عليه فهو موجعه

حل الفراق عليه فهو موجعه

A body easily bored and a heart that grows attached; so when

A weary body and a heart accustomed, so when

Separation falls upon him, it causes him pain.

Parting befell him, it pained him

لم يستقر به دار ولا وطن

لم يستقر به دار ولا وطن

ولا تدفا منه قط مضجعه

ولا تدفا منه قط مضجعه

He has never settled in any home or homeland,

No land or home steadied him

Nor has his bed ever grown warm from him.

Nor did any bed warm him

كأنما صيغ من رهو السحاب فما

كأنما صيغ من رهو السحاب فما

تزال ريح إلى الآفاق تدفعه

تزال ريح إلى الآفاق تدفعه

As though he were fashioned from tranquil clouds; so

As though he was molded from the essence of clouds, so

A wind never ceases to drive him toward the horizons.

The wind still pushes him towards the horizons

كأنما هو توحيد تضيق به

كأنما هو توحيد تضيق به

نفس الكفور فتأبى حين تودعه

نفس الكفور فتأبى حين تودعه

As though he were belief in God's oneness, which constricts

As though he is the oneness, which the souls of the ungrateful

The unbeliever's soul, so it refuses when you lodge it there.

Refuse when they bid him farewell

أو كوكب قاطع في الافق منتقل

أو كوكب قاطع في الافق منتقل

فالسير يغريه حيناً ويطلعه

فالسير يغريه حيناً ويطلعه

Or a star traversing the horizon, moving on;

Or a cutting star in the horizon moving

So travel lures him for a time and makes him rise.

The travel allures him at times and makes him rise at others

أظنه لوجزته أو تساعده

أظنه لوجزته أو تساعده

ألفت عليه انهمال الدمع يتبعه

ألفت عليه انهمال الدمع يتبعه

I think, if you passed him or helped him,

I think if his separation hurt him or aided him

You would grow used to tears pouring over him, following him.

The dripping of tears would follow him