مَضى الوَصلُ إِلّا مُنيَةً تَبعَثُ الأَسى

مَضى الوَصلُ إِلّا مُنيَةً تَبعَثُ الأَسى

أُداري بِها هِمَّتي إِذا اللَيلُ عَسعَسا

أُداري بِها هِمَّتي إِذا اللَيلُ عَسعَسا

Union has passed, save for a wish that stirs sorrow,

The union has passed away, leaving behind only demise which evokes sorrow.

With which I soothe my yearning when night grows dark.

I occupy my worries with it when the night grows dark.

أَتاني حَديثُ الوَصلِ زوراً عَلى النَوى

أَتاني حَديثُ الوَصلِ زوراً عَلى النَوى

أَعِد ذَلِكَ الزورَ اللَذيذَ المُؤَنِّسا

أَعِد ذَلِكَ الزورَ اللَذيذَ المُؤَنِّسا

False tidings of reunion reached me despite the distance;

The talk of union came to me falsely, over my companions.

Repeat that sweet, consoling lie.

Repeat that sweet, comforting falsehood.

وَيا أَيُّها الشَوقُ الَّذي جاءَ زائِراً

وَيا أَيُّها الشَوقُ الَّذي جاءَ زائِراً

أَصَبتَ الأَماني خُذ قُلوباً وَأَنفُسا

أَصَبتَ الأَماني خُذ قُلوباً وَأَنفُسا

And O longing, you who came as a visitor,

O longing which came visiting,

You have attained your wishes; take hearts and souls.

You have attained wishes, take hearts and souls.

وَيا أَرَقَ الهِجرانِ بِاللَهِ خَلِّ لي

وَيا أَرَقَ الهِجرانِ بِاللَهِ خَلِّ لي

مِنَ النَومِ ما أُقري الخَيالَ المُعَرِّسا

مِنَ النَومِ ما أُقري الخَيالَ المُعَرِّسا

And O sleeplessness of estrangement, for God’s sake leave me

O most sleepless of estrangements, for God’s sake give me

Enough sleep to host the phantom lodging for the night.

Some slumber to appease my fanciful imagination.

كَسانِيَ موسى مِن سَقامِ جُفونِهِ

كَسانِيَ موسى مِن سَقامِ جُفونِهِ

رِداءً وَسَقّاني مِنَ الحُبِّ أَكؤُسا

رِداءً وَسَقّاني مِنَ الحُبِّ أَكؤُسا

Musa fashioned from the languor of his eyelids

Like Moses, homesickness has clothed me

A robe for me, and gave me cups of love to drink.

In a cloak and given me cups of love to drink.

فَلا صَرَّدَ اللَهُ الشَرابَ الَّذي سَقى

فَلا صَرَّدَ اللَهُ الشَرابَ الَّذي سَقى

وَلا خَلَعَ اللَهُ الرِداءَ الَّذي كَسا

وَلا خَلَعَ اللَهُ الرِداءَ الَّذي كَسا

So may God never chill the drink he served,

May God never remove the drink which He gave,

And may God never strip away the robe he bestowed.

May God never take away the cloak in which He clothed me.

تَلاقَت لِشَكوى البَينِ أَنفاسُنا فَقُل

تَلاقَت لِشَكوى البَينِ أَنفاسُنا فَقُل

شَذا الرَوضِ في حَرِّ الهَجيرِ تَنَفَّسا

شَذا الرَوضِ في حَرِّ الهَجيرِ تَنَفَّسا

Our breaths met to lament separation, so say:

Our sighs met to complain of separation, so say:

The garden’s fragrance breathed in the midday heat.

The breeze of the garden exhaled in the heat of desolation.

وَنادَيتُ بِالتَرحالِ عَنهُ تَصَنُّعاً

وَنادَيتُ بِالتَرحالِ عَنهُ تَصَنُّعاً

لَعَلَّ النَوى مِنهُ تُلَيِّنُ ما قَسا

لَعَلَّ النَوى مِنهُ تُلَيِّنُ ما قَسا

And I announced my departure from him as a pretense,

I called for leaving him, pretending,

Hoping distance from him might soften what had hardened.

Hoping that my companions might soften what had hardened.

وَقُلتُ عَساهُ إِن رَحَلتُ يَرِقُّ لي

وَقُلتُ عَساهُ إِن رَحَلتُ يَرِقُّ لي

وَقَد نَسَخَت لا عِندَهُ ما اِدَّعَت عَسى

وَقَد نَسَخَت لا عِندَهُ ما اِدَّعَت عَسى

And I said: Perhaps, if I leave, he will be tender toward me;

I said perhaps if I depart he will yearn for me,

Yet his ‘No’ had already annulled what ‘Perhaps’ had claimed.

But he has no “perhaps” or “maybe.”

وَقالَ اِرضَ هُجراني بَديلَ النَوى وَقُل

وَقالَ اِرضَ هُجراني بَديلَ النَوى وَقُل

لَعَلَّ مُنايانا تَحَوَّلنَ أَبؤُسا

لَعَلَّ مُنايانا تَحَوَّلنَ أَبؤُسا

And he said: Be content with my estrangement instead of departure, and say:

He said: “Be content with my estrangement in place of company and say

Perhaps our hopes have turned into woes.

Perhaps our deaths will turn out more anguished.”

أُنادي سُلُوّي لِلَّذي حَلَّ مِنكَ بي

أُنادي سُلُوّي لِلَّذي حَلَّ مِنكَ بي

كَأَنّي أُنادي أَو أُكَلِّمُ أَخرَسا

كَأَنّي أُنادي أَو أُكَلِّمُ أَخرَسا

I call upon my solace for what has befallen me through you,

I call my consolation for what has befallen me from you

As though I were calling or speaking to someone mute.

As if calling out or speaking to one mute.