كأَنك بي قَدْ مِتُّ بَعْدَ قليلِ

كأَنك بي قَدْ مِتُّ بَعْدَ قليلِ

بماءِ دُمُعي أَو بنار غَلِيلي

بماءِ دُمُعي أَو بنار غَلِيلي

It is as though you see me dead before long,

It's as if you see me die soon

By the water of my tears or the fire of my burning longing.

By my tears or burning anguish

وأَتعبُ خَلْقِ اللهِ قَلْبي لأَنَّه

وأَتعبُ خَلْقِ اللهِ قَلْبي لأَنَّه

أَلوفٌ رماهُ دهرُهُ بَمَلُولِ

أَلوفٌ رماهُ دهرُهُ بَمَلُولِ

And the weariest of God's creatures is my heart, for it

And I burden the hearts of people because

Is devoted, yet its fate has afflicted it with one who soon tires.

Fate has wounded it with afflictions

قضى اللهُ أَنَّ العِشْقَ يَقْضِي إِذا قَضَى

قضى اللهُ أَنَّ العِشْقَ يَقْضِي إِذا قَضَى

بقَتْلِ نُفُوسِ أَو بأَسْرِ عُقُولِ

بقَتْلِ نُفُوسِ أَو بأَسْرِ عُقُولِ

God decreed that love, whenever it judges, must sentence

God has decreed that love, when it rules

Souls to death or minds to captivity.

Kills souls or imprisons minds

وأَنَّ كَثِيراً صُنْعُه بكُثَيِّر

وأَنَّ كَثِيراً صُنْعُه بكُثَيِّر

وغيرُ جَمِيلٍ فعلُه بجميل

وغيرُ جَمِيلٍ فعلُه بجميل

And that it wrought much upon Kuthayyir,

And that the deeds of many with many

And its treatment of Jamil was anything but beautiful.

Are ugly, though they themselves are beautiful

أَخُو العِشْقِ يَوْمَ العَيْشِ يُسْمَى بعاشِقٍ

أَخُو العِشْقِ يَوْمَ العَيْشِ يُسْمَى بعاشِقٍ

وثانيه يُسْمى بينهم بِقَتيل

وثانيه يُسْمى بينهم بِقَتيل

Love's companion, on the day he lives, is called a lover,

The lover in life is called a lover

And the next day, among them, he is called a slain man.

And after death he's called the slain

وعيشتُه معدُومةُ ووفاتُه

وعيشتُه معدُومةُ ووفاتُه

بِيَوْمِ مُقَامٍ أَو بيَوْمِ رحيل

بِيَوْمِ مُقَامٍ أَو بيَوْمِ رحيل

And his life is nonexistent, and his death

His life is ephemeral; his death

Comes on a day of staying or a day of departure.

On a day of bliss or day of departure

وطال عذابي إِذْ قُتِلتُ لأَنني

وطال عذابي إِذْ قُتِلتُ لأَنني

قُتِلتُ بسيفٍ للحاظِ كليل

قُتِلتُ بسيفٍ للحاظِ كليل

And my torment was prolonged as I was slain, for I

Long has my torment been since I was slain

Was slain by a blunt sword of glances.

For I was slain by a sword of smooth blade

وممّا دهاني أَنَّ لي أَلفَ حاسدٍ

وممّا دهاني أَنَّ لي أَلفَ حاسدٍ

على مَنْ لها في النَّاس أَلْفَ خَليل

على مَنْ لها في النَّاس أَلْفَ خَليل

And among my afflictions is that I have a thousand enviers

What pained me more is that I have thousands envious

Over one who has a thousand lovers among the people.

Of her who has thousands of friends

تَجيءُ إِلى هذا بغيرِ رسالةٍ

تَجيءُ إِلى هذا بغيرِ رسالةٍ

وتَعْقُدُ عن ذَا بَعْدَ أَلْفِ رسُولِ

وتَعْقُدُ عن ذَا بَعْدَ أَلْفِ رسُولِ

She comes to this one without a message,

You come to her without a message

And holds back from that one after a thousand messengers.

And neglect that one though a thousand messengers

فغايةُ سؤلي أَصبحَتْ مَنْ أُحِبُّها

فغايةُ سؤلي أَصبحَتْ مَنْ أُحِبُّها

على أَنَّها وللهِ غايةُ سُولِي

على أَنَّها وللهِ غايةُ سُولِي

So she whom I love has become all I ask for,

So the aim of my request has become that I love her

Though, by God, she is my utmost desire.

Though, by God, she is the aim of my madness

وقالت لأَيّامِ المسرَّة قصِّري

وقالت لأَيّامِ المسرَّة قصِّري

وقلت لليلاتِ الإِساءَةِ طُولِي

وقلت لليلاتِ الإِساءَةِ طُولِي

And she said to the days of joy: 'Be brief,'

And she said to the days of joy, be short

And I said to the nights of mistreatment: 'Grow long.'

And I said to the nights of misery, be long