قُل لِمَن أَسهَرَ بِالعَينِ الجُفون

قُل لِمَن أَسهَرَ بِالعَينِ الجُفون

مِثلُكَ التَصبارُ عَنهُ لا يَكون

مِثلُكَ التَصبارُ عَنهُ لا يَكون

Tell the one whose gaze has kept eyelids sleepless:

Tell the one whose eyes deprived of sleep

There is no enduring separation from one like you.

There can be no one as patient as you

خَفَقَ النَهرُ بِحِمصٍ بَعدَما

خَفَقَ النَهرُ بِحِمصٍ بَعدَما

بِنتَ وَالطَيرُ بَدَت مِنها شُجون

بِنتَ وَالطَيرُ بَدَت مِنها شُجون

The river in Hims trembled after

The river flowed in Hims after

you departed, and the birds revealed their sorrows.

It built its nest and in it birds showed their sorrows

وَاللَيالي بَعدَما كُنّا بِها

وَاللَيالي بَعدَما كُنّا بِها

في نَهارٍ أُلبِسَت داجي الدُجون

في نَهارٍ أُلبِسَت داجي الدُجون

And the nights, after we had dwelt within them

And the nights after we spent them

as in daylight, were clothed in murky gloom.

In a day clothed in dark clothes

يا أَخا الفَضلِ وَيا رَبَّ العُلا

يا أَخا الفَضلِ وَيا رَبَّ العُلا

وَالمَعاني الغُرِّ في تِلكَ الفُنون

وَالمَعاني الغُرِّ في تِلكَ الفُنون

O brother of virtue, O lord of eminence

O brother of nobility and lord of heights

and of radiant meanings in those arts,

And the wonderful meanings in those arts

أَينَ عَيشي بِكَ في ظِلِّ المُنى

أَينَ عَيشي بِكَ في ظِلِّ المُنى

في فُنونٍ دائِماتٍ وَفُتون

في فُنونٍ دائِماتٍ وَفُتون

where is my life with you beneath the shade of hopes,

Where is my life with you in the shade of wishes

amid lasting delights and enchantments,

In constant arts and temptations

بِخَليجٍ لَم نَزَل نُجري بِهِ

بِخَليجٍ لَم نَزَل نُجري بِهِ

قَصَبَ السَبقِ بِغاياتِ المُجون

قَصَبَ السَبقِ بِغاياتِ المُجون

by a river-channel where we never ceased to race

On a gulf where we did not stop racing in it

for the reed of victory at revelry's furthest bounds,

The rods of racing to the goals of passions

حَيثُ مَدَّ النَهرُ مِنهُ مِعصَماً

حَيثُ مَدَّ النَهرُ مِنهُ مِعصَماً

يَتَمَنّى لَثمَهُ زَهرُ الغُصون

يَتَمَنّى لَثمَهُ زَهرُ الغُصون

where the river stretched out a wrist of its own

Where the river extended from it a wrist

that the blossoms on the branches long to kiss,

The flowers of branches wish to kiss it

وَجَرى الظِلُّ عَلَيهِ سَجسَجاً

وَجَرى الظِلُّ عَلَيهِ سَجسَجاً

مِثلَما أَبصَرتَ كُحلاً في العُيون

مِثلَما أَبصَرتَ كُحلاً في العُيون

and shade flowed over it, mild and gentle,

And the shade flowed on it twisting

like kohl you have seen in the eyes?

As you saw kohl in eyes

أَتَرى الخَضراءَ تُنسي مِثلَهُ

أَتَرى الخَضراءَ تُنسي مِثلَهُ

رَجَّمَ الإِخوانُ في هَذا الظُنون

رَجَّمَ الإِخوانُ في هَذا الظُنون

Do you think al-Khadra can make you forget such a place?

Do you see the green forgets the like of it

The friends have hazarded guesses about this.

The brothers conjectured in this suspicion

يَنقَضي العامُ وَيَتلو آخَرٌ

يَنقَضي العامُ وَيَتلو آخَرٌ

وَالنَوى لا تَنقَضي هَذا جُنون

وَالنَوى لا تَنقَضي هَذا جُنون

The year passes, and another follows,

The year passes and another follows

yet separation never ends—this is madness.

And the intentions do not pass, this is madness

إِن أَساءَ الخِلُّ مِنهُ أَدَباً

إِن أَساءَ الخِلُّ مِنهُ أَدَباً

فَبِفِرطِ الشَوقِ وَالوَجدِ يَهون

فَبِفِرطِ الشَوقِ وَالوَجدِ يَهون

If ill manners have come from the friend,

If the friend was impolite

then such intense longing and love's anguish make it a small matter.

It is due to the intensity of passion and fervor it becomes easy