مَنْ لم يُشاهِدْ مَوْقِفاً لفِراقِ

مَنْ لم يُشاهِدْ مَوْقِفاً لفِراقِ

لَمْ يَدْرِ كَيْفَ تَولّهُ العُشَّاقِ

لَمْ يَدْرِ كَيْفَ تَولّهُ العُشَّاقِ

Whoever has not witnessed a scene of parting

He who has never witnessed the moment of farewell,

Has not known how distraught lovers become.

Knows nothing of how lovers drift into despair.

إنْ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَرَهُ فسائِلْ مَنْ رأى

إنْ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَرَهُ فسائِلْ مَنْ رأى

يُخْبِرْكَ عن وَلَهِيْ وهَوْلِ سياقي

يُخْبِرْكَ عن وَلَهِيْ وهَوْلِ سياقي

If you have not seen it, ask someone who has;

If you have not seen it, then ask one who has beheld,

He will tell you of my frenzy and the terror of my death-throes:

To tell you of my madness and the terror of my end,

مِنْ حَرِّ أنفاسٍ وخَفْقِ جَوانحٍ

مِنْ حَرِّ أنفاسٍ وخَفْقِ جَوانحٍ

وصُدوعِ أكْبادٍ وفَيْضِ مآقِ

وصُدوعِ أكْبادٍ وفَيْضِ مآقِ

Of burning breaths and throbbing ribs,

Of burning sighs and the rib-cage's wild beat,

And livers splitting and eye-corners overflowing.

Of shattered hearts, and eyes where torrents flow.

دُهِيَ الفُؤادُ فلا لِسانٌ ناطِقٌ

دُهِيَ الفُؤادُ فلا لِسانٌ ناطِقٌ

عِنْدَ الوَداعِ ولا يَدٌ متراقِ

عِنْدَ الوَداعِ ولا يَدٌ متراقِ

The heart was stricken: no tongue could speak

My heart was struck; now no tongue can speak,

At farewell, nor could any hand rise.

At the hour of parting, nor can any hand extend.

ولَقَدْ أُشيرُ لِمَنْ تكلَّف رِحْلَةً

ولَقَدْ أُشيرُ لِمَنْ تكلَّف رِحْلَةً

أنْ عُجْ عَليَّ ولو بقَدْرِ فُواقِ

أنْ عُجْ عَليَّ ولو بقَدْرِ فُواقِ

Indeed, I gesture to the one who undertook a journey:

I signaled to the one who burdened himself to leave,

Turn aside to me, even for a moment.

To turn toward me, if only for a fleeting breath,

عَلّي أُراجِعُ مِنْ ذَماي حشاشَةً

عَلّي أُراجِعُ مِنْ ذَماي حشاشَةً

أشكو بها بَعْضَ الذي أنا لاقِ

أشكو بها بَعْضَ الذي أنا لاقِ

Perhaps I may regain a remnant of my ebbing life,

That I might retrieve a spark of my fading life,

With which to lament some of what I endure.

With which to voice a fraction of the pain I bear.

فمضى ولَمْ تَعْطِفهُ نَحْويَ ذمَّةٌ

فمضى ولَمْ تَعْطِفهُ نَحْويَ ذمَّةٌ

هَيْهاتَ لا يَثْني عَلى مُشْتاقِ

هَيْهاتَ لا يَثْني عَلى مُشْتاقِ

So he went on; no bond of loyalty turned him toward me.

But he passed on, turned by no bond or pact towards me;

In vain! He will not turn back toward a yearning lover.

Alas! He does not pause for one who yearns.

يا صاحِبَيَّ وقَدْ مَضى حُكْمُ الهَوى

يا صاحِبَيَّ وقَدْ مَضى حُكْمُ الهَوى

رُوحا عَلَيَّ بِشيمةِ الإشْفاقِ

رُوحا عَلَيَّ بِشيمةِ الإشْفاقِ

O my two companions, now that love's decree has taken effect,

O my two friends, now that Love’s decree is passed,

Bring me relief in a spirit of compassion.

Bring comfort to my soul with the grace of pity,

واسْتَقْبلاها نَسْمَةً من أرضِكُمْ

واسْتَقْبلاها نَسْمَةً من أرضِكُمْ

فَلَعَلَّ نَفحتها تَحُلُّ وَثاقي

فَلَعَلَّ نَفحتها تَحُلُّ وَثاقي

And welcome it—a breeze from your land—

And welcome the breeze blowing from your land,

For perhaps its breath will loosen my bonds.

Perhaps its gentle breath will loose my bonds.

إنّي لَيَشْفيني النَّسيمُ إذا سَرى

إنّي لَيَشْفيني النَّسيمُ إذا سَرى

مُتَضَوِّعاً من تِلْكُمُ الآفاقِ

مُتَضَوِّعاً من تِلْكُمُ الآفاقِ

Indeed, the breeze heals me when it travels by night,

For truly, the zephyr heals me when it flows,

Wafting fragrance from those horizons.

Wafting its fragrance from those distant horizons.

مَنْ مُبْلغٌ بالجزعِ أهلَ مَوَدَّتي

مَنْ مُبْلغٌ بالجزعِ أهلَ مَوَدَّتي

أنِّي على حُكْمِ الصَّبابةِ باقِ

أنِّي على حُكْمِ الصَّبابةِ باقِ

Who will tell my loved ones at al-Jizʿ

Who will convey to my beloveds in the winding valley,

That I remain under the rule of yearning?

That I remain steadfast under the rule of ardent love?

ولئن تحوَّل عهدُ حُبِّهِمُ نَوىً

ولئن تحوَّل عهدُ حُبِّهِمُ نَوىً

ما حُلْتُ عَنْ عَهْدي وعَنْ مِيْثاقي

ما حُلْتُ عَنْ عَهْدي وعَنْ مِيْثاقي

Even if the covenant of their love has turned to separation,

And though their covenant of love has turned to distance,

I have not swerved from my pledge or my covenant.

I have not wavered from my vow, nor from my pact.

أنِفَتْ خَلائقيَ الكِرامُ لخِلَّتي

أنِفَتْ خَلائقيَ الكِرامُ لخِلَّتي

نَسَباً إلى الإخْلالِ والإخْلاقِ

نَسَباً إلى الإخْلالِ والإخْلاقِ

My noble nature refuses to let my friendship

My noble nature disdained, for the sake of my friendship,

Be kin to faithlessness or decay.

Any kinship with betrayal or the breaking of faith.

قَسماً به ما اسْتَغْرَقتني فِكْرَةٌ

قَسماً به ما اسْتَغْرَقتني فِكْرَةٌ

إِلّا وفِكْري فيهِ واستغراقي

إِلّا وفِكْري فيهِ واستغراقي

By him I swear: no thought has ever engrossed me

I swear by Him: no thought has ever engrossed me,

Without my thought and my absorption being in him.

Unless my thought and total immersion were of him.

لي أنَّةٌ عند العشِيِّ لَعَلَّهُ

لي أنَّةٌ عند العشِيِّ لَعَلَّهُ

يُصغي لها وكذا معَ الإشراقِ

يُصغي لها وكذا معَ الإشراقِ

I sigh at evening, hoping that he

I breathe a moan at twilight, hoping perchance,

Will listen to it—and likewise at sunrise.

He might incline to hear it—and likewise at the dawn.

أبْكي إذا هَبَّ النسيمُ فإن تَجِدْ

أبْكي إذا هَبَّ النسيمُ فإن تَجِدْ

بَلَلاً به فَبِدَمْعِيَ المُهْراقِ

بَلَلاً به فَبِدَمْعِيَ المُهْراقِ

I weep when the breeze rises; and if you find

I weep whenever the breeze blows; so if you find,

Any moisture in it, it is from my shed tears.

Moisture within the wind, know it is my spilled tears.

أُومي بِتَسْليمٍ إليهِ مع الصَّبا

أُومي بِتَسْليمٍ إليهِ مع الصَّبا

فالذِّكْرُ كُتبي والرِّفاقُ رِفاقي

فالذِّكْرُ كُتبي والرِّفاقُ رِفاقي

I gesture a greeting to him with the east wind;

I gesture a greeting to him upon the East Wind,

For remembrance is my correspondence, and travelers my companions.

For memory serves as my missives, and the winds my couriers.

مَنْ لي على شَحْطِ المَزارِ بنازحٍ

مَنْ لي على شَحْطِ المَزارِ بنازحٍ

أدنى لِقَلْبي مِن جَوى أشواقي

أدنى لِقَلْبي مِن جَوى أشواقي

Who will bring me, despite his distant dwelling, one far away,

Who will bring me, despite the vast distance of our meeting place,

Yet nearer to my heart than the burning of my longings?

That distant one, who is closer to my heart than the burning of my desire?

إنْ غابَ عنْ عَيْني فَمثْواهُ الحَشا

إنْ غابَ عنْ عَيْني فَمثْواهُ الحَشا

وسُراهُ بَيْنَ القَلْبِ والأحْداقِ

وسُراهُ بَيْنَ القَلْبِ والأحْداقِ

Though he is absent from my eye, his home is within my breast,

If he is absent from my sight, his dwelling is my soul,

And his night journey lies between my heart and my eyes.

And his spirit travels between my heart and my gaze.

جارَتْ عَليَّ يَدُ النَّوى بفِراقه

جارَتْ عَليَّ يَدُ النَّوى بفِراقه

آهاً لِما جَنَتِ النَّوى بفِراقِ

آهاً لِما جَنَتِ النَّوى بفِراقِ

The hand of separation wronged me by parting me from him;

The hand of Separation has dealt unjustly with me in his loss;

Ah, for what separation has wrought through parting!

Ah! How cruel the crime that Separation has committed!

أحْبابَ قَلْبي هَلْ لِماضي عَيْشِكُمْ

أحْبابَ قَلْبي هَلْ لِماضي عَيْشِكُمْ

رَدٌّ فَيُنْسَخَ بُعْدُكم بِتَلاقِ

رَدٌّ فَيُنْسَخَ بُعْدُكم بِتَلاقِ

O my heart's beloveds, can the old life with you

O beloveds of my heart, is there for our past life together,

Return, so your distance may be erased by reunion?

A return, that your distance might be annulled by reunion?

أمْ هَلْ لأَثْوابِ التَّجلُّد راقعٌ

أمْ هَلْ لأَثْوابِ التَّجلُّد راقعٌ

إذْ لَيْسَ مِن داءِ المحبَّةِ راقِ

إذْ لَيْسَ مِن داءِ المحبَّةِ راقِ

Or is there a mender for the robes of fortitude,

Or is there any mender for the tattered robes of my patience,

Since none can charm away the sickness of love?

Since there exists no healer for the malady of love?

ما غابَ كوكبُ حُسْنِكُمْ عنْ ناظِري

ما غابَ كوكبُ حُسْنِكُمْ عنْ ناظِري

إِلّا وأمْطرتِ الدِّما آماقىِ

إِلّا وأمْطرتِ الدِّما آماقىِ

The star of your beauty never vanished from my sight

The star of your beauty has never set from my gaze,

Without the corners of my eyes raining blood.

Without my eyes raining down tears of blood.

إيهٍ أُخَيَّ أدرْ عليَّ حَديثَهُمْ

إيهٍ أُخَيَّ أدرْ عليَّ حَديثَهُمْ

كأْساً ذَكَتْ عَرْفاً وطيبَ مَذاقِ

كأْساً ذَكَتْ عَرْفاً وطيبَ مَذاقِ

Say on, my little brother; pass me talk of them,

Come then, my brother, pour out their story for me,

A cup rich in fragrance and sweet to taste.

Like a wine cup fragrant with scent and sweet to the taste.

وإذا جَنحتَ لماءٍ اَوْ طَرَبٍ فمنْ

وإذا جَنحتَ لماءٍ اَوْ طَرَبٍ فمنْ

دَمْعي الهَمُوعِ وقَلبيَ الخفَّاقِ

دَمْعي الهَمُوعِ وقَلبيَ الخفَّاقِ

And if you seek water or rapture, draw from

And if you incline toward water or toward song, then take them

My streaming tears and my fluttering heart.

From my flowing tears and my wildly beating heart.

ذِكراهُ راحي والصَّبابةُ حَضْرَتي

ذِكراهُ راحي والصَّبابةُ حَضْرَتي

والدَّمْعُ ساقِيَتي وأنْت السَّاقي

والدَّمْعُ ساقِيَتي وأنْت السَّاقي

Remembrance of him is my wine, and yearning my gathering;

His memory is my wine, and ardent love my company;

Tears are my watercourse, and you the cupbearer.

My tears provide the drink, and you are the cupbearer.

فَلْيَسْلُ عَنِّي مَنْ لَحاني إنَّني

فَلْيَسْلُ عَنِّي مَنْ لَحاني إنَّني

راضٍ لما لاقَيْتُه وأُلاقي

راضٍ لما لاقَيْتُه وأُلاقي

Let whoever reproached me forget me, for I

So let the one who blames me desist and turn away,

Am content with what I have endured and still endure.

For I am content with all I have suffered, and all I shall yet endure.