إِني وحقِّكَ ما لِصَبْرِي أَوّلٌ

إِني وحقِّكَ ما لِصَبْرِي أَوّلٌ

لما نأَيتَ ولا لهمِّيَ آخِرُ

لما نأَيتَ ولا لهمِّيَ آخِرُ

Indeed, by your honor, my patience has no beginning

I swear by your truth, I have no patience at first

Since you went away, nor does my sorrow have an end.

When you are absent, nor respite at last

فلئن سلوتَ فإِنَّني بِكَ وَالِهٌ

فلئن سلوتَ فإِنَّني بِكَ وَالِهٌ

ولئن نسيتَ فإِنَّ قلبيَ ذاكر

ولئن نسيتَ فإِنَّ قلبيَ ذاكر

So even if you have ceased to love, I am distraught with love for you;

So if you ask, I am infatuated with you

And even if you have forgotten, my heart remembers.

And if you forget, my heart remembers

والله ما وجهُ الصَّباحِ بِمُسْفِرٍ

والله ما وجهُ الصَّباحِ بِمُسْفِرٍ

عِنْدي ولا بدرُ الدَّياجي سافرُ

عِنْدي ولا بدرُ الدَّياجي سافرُ

By God, the face of morning is not radiant

By Allah, the morning is not cheerful for me

To me, nor is the full moon of the dark nights unveiled.

Nor the full moon shining bright

وعجبتُ للكَاسَاتِ كيف تبَسَّمَتْ

وعجبتُ للكَاسَاتِ كيف تبَسَّمَتْ

في مَجْلسٍ ما أَنتَ فيه حاضرُ

في مَجْلسٍ ما أَنتَ فيه حاضرُ

And I marveled at the cups—how could they smile

And I wondered how the cups smiled

In a gathering where you are not present?

In a gathering you did not attend

يا ليتَ شِعْري كيف أَصْبَحَ عندكُمْ

يا ليتَ شِعْري كيف أَصْبَحَ عندكُمْ

قَلْبي فَقَلْبي في الخليطِ مُسَافِرُ

قَلْبي فَقَلْبي في الخليطِ مُسَافِرُ

Oh, would that I knew how it fares among you—

Oh how I wish I knew how is

My heart, for my heart travels with the company.

My heart with you all, while traveling afar

بل مرّ يسبِقُهُ لأَنَّ أَحِبَّتِي

بل مرّ يسبِقُهُ لأَنَّ أَحِبَّتِي

لما سَرُوا رَكِبُوا وقلبيَ طائرُ

لما سَرُوا رَكِبُوا وقلبيَ طائرُ

Rather, it went on ahead of them, for my loved ones,

Nay, it went ahead for my loved ones

When they journeyed by night, rode while my heart flew.

When they traveled, mounted it and flew

هجم الفراقُ ووجه وَصْلِكَ ضَاحِكٌ

هجم الفراقُ ووجه وَصْلِكَ ضَاحِكٌ

ودَنَا البُعَادُ وغُصْنُ قُرْبِكَ نَاضِرُ

ودَنَا البُعَادُ وغُصْنُ قُرْبِكَ نَاضِرُ

Separation burst in while the face of union with you was laughing,

Absence attacked, while your beautiful face smiled

And distance drew near while the bough of nearness to you was flourishing.

And distance approached, while the branch of your nearness flourished

أَلْبَسْتَني سُقْمَ الجُفُونِ وأَنْتَ لِي

أَلْبَسْتَني سُقْمَ الجُفُونِ وأَنْتَ لِي

بالبَيْنِ مثلُ الجفْنِ أَيْضاً كَاسِرُ

بالبَيْنِ مثلُ الجفْنِ أَيْضاً كَاسِرُ

You clothed me in the languor of eyelids, and you

You dressed me in the sickness of sleeplessness, while you

Break me through parting too, just as the eyelid does.

Broke my eyelid like the separation did

يا دمعُ لا تَمْتُنْ عليّ بنَصْرَة

يا دمعُ لا تَمْتُنْ عليّ بنَصْرَة

حسبي من الخِذْلان أَنَّك ناصرُ

حسبي من الخِذْلان أَنَّك ناصرُ

O tears, do not hold your help over me;

Oh tears do not fail me with help

Having you as my helper is desertion enough for me.

It is enough treachery that you are a helper

لي في غرامي فيكَ لاحٍ واحدٌ

لي في غرامي فيكَ لاحٍ واحدٌ

وإِذا أَرَدْتَ ففيك أَلفٌ عاذِرُ

وإِذا أَرَدْتَ ففيك أَلفٌ عاذِرُ

In my passion for you, I have a single reproacher,

For me in my passion for you, there is but one solution

And if you wish, a thousand excuse me on your account.

And if you wanted, in you there are thousands of excuses

ما كنتُ أَعلمُ أَنَّ مصراً بابلٌ

ما كنتُ أَعلمُ أَنَّ مصراً بابلٌ

حتى علمتُ بأَنَّ طرفَكَ ساحِرُ

حتى علمتُ بأَنَّ طرفَكَ ساحِرُ

I did not know that Egypt was Babylon

I did not know that Egypt was Babylon

Until I learned that your gaze was a sorcerer.

Until I learned your glance was sorcery