لم أَذُقْ بعد ريقِه البابِليَّهْ

لم أَذُقْ بعد ريقِه البابِليَّهْ

كل نُعْمىَ بالبَيْنِ فَهْيَ بَلِيَّهْ

كل نُعْمىَ بالبَيْنِ فَهْيَ بَلِيَّهْ

Since tasting his saliva, I have tasted no Babylonian wine.

I have not yet tasted her sweet Babylonian kiss.

Every blessing, with separation, becomes a calamity.

All joys in separation are but misery.

إِنَّني في النَّعيمِ لكنَّ نفْسي

إِنَّني في النَّعيمِ لكنَّ نفْسي

بنعِيمي إِذ غبتِ عَنْهُ شقيَّه

بنعِيمي إِذ غبتِ عَنْهُ شقيَّه

I am in bliss, yet my soul

Though I live in luxury, my soul

is wretched amid my bliss, since you have left it.

Is miserable when absent from you.

أَيُّ قلبٍ به أَلذُّ وأَهوى

أَيُّ قلبٍ به أَلذُّ وأَهوى

ذاك بَيْنٌ لم يُبْقِ مني بَقيَّه

ذاك بَيْنٌ لم يُبْقِ مني بَقيَّه

With what heart can I take pleasure and love?

What heart finds most delight and longing?

That parting has left no remnant of me.

That heart whose remnants in me are few.

إِنَّني مذ نأَيْتُ عنك نَأَتْ رُو

إِنَّني مذ نأَيْتُ عنك نَأَتْ رُو

حِي وراحَتْ من عِطْفِيَ الأَريحيَّه

حِي وراحَتْ من عِطْفِيَ الأَريحيَّه

Since I went far from you, my soul has gone far—

Since I've been away from you, vitality

and openheartedness has departed from my side.

And comfort have left my gentle limbs.

لم يَرُقْني ولا حَلا بِفؤادِي

لم يَرُقْني ولا حَلا بِفؤادِي

لا غَزاليَةٌ ولا غَزَليِه

لا غَزاليَةٌ ولا غَزَليِه

Nothing pleases me or tastes sweet to my heart—

Neither a gazelle nor love songs

neither a gazelle-like beauty nor a love lyric.

Delight or soothe my heart.

لست أَرْضَى بالشمس عنكِ بديلاً

لست أَرْضَى بالشمس عنكِ بديلاً

هي مكسوفةٌ وأَنتِ مُضيَّه

هي مكسوفةٌ وأَنتِ مُضيَّه

I will not accept the sun as a substitute for you:

I find no substitute for you in the sun,

it is eclipsed, while you are radiant.

For it is eclipsed while you are radiant.

كان وعدي نَقْداً كما كان طَني

كان وعدي نَقْداً كما كان طَني

فقضى اللهُ أَن يكون نَسِيَّه

فقضى اللهُ أَن يكون نَسِيَّه

My promise was ready cash, as I had expected [uncertain reading],

My promise was as solid as clay,

but God decreed that it should be deferred payment.

Yet God willed it be forgotten.

سوف آتيكُمُ وقد أَثْقَل التِبْ

سوف آتيكُمُ وقد أَثْقَل التِبْ

رُ المطايَا ولا أَقولُ المطيَّه

رُ المطايَا ولا أَقولُ المطيَّه

I shall come to you, with gold dust weighing down

I will come to you though the mounts

the mounts—I do not say a single mount.

Weigh down the steeds which I do not call swift.

إِن تغب عنكمُ الهديّةُ مني

إِن تغب عنكمُ الهديّةُ مني

فسآتيكم بِنفْسِي هديَّه

فسآتيكم بِنفْسِي هديَّه

If my gift does not reach you,

If a gift from me has been absent,

then I shall come to you, myself a gift.

I will come to you myself as a gift.