فَإِن يَحجُبوها أَو يَحُل دونَ وَصلِها

فَإِن يَحجُبوها أَو يَحُل دونَ وَصلِها

مَقالَةُ واشٍ أَو وَعيدُ أَميرِ

مَقالَةُ واشٍ أَو وَعيدُ أَميرِ

So if they hide her away, or union with her is barred by

If they veil her or hinder our tryst

a slanderer's words or a ruler's threat,

By threats from a spy or command of the Emir,

فَلَم يَحجُبوا عَينَيَّ عَن دائِمِ البَكا

فَلَم يَحجُبوا عَينَيَّ عَن دائِمِ البَكا

وَلَن يَملِكوا ما قَد يَجُنَّ ضَميري

وَلَن يَملِكوا ما قَد يَجُنَّ ضَميري

yet they have not kept my eyes from ceaseless weeping,

They have not veiled my eyes that weep constantly

and they will never control what my heart may conceal.

Nor will they possess what my conscience holds dear.

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو ما أُلاقي مِنَ الهَوى

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو ما أُلاقي مِنَ الهَوى

وَمِن حُرَقٍ تَعتادُني وَزَفيرِ

وَمِن حُرَقٍ تَعتادُني وَزَفيرِ

To God I complain of what I suffer from love,

I complain to God of the pangs of passion,

and of burning pangs that revisit me, and deep sighs,

Of burning affliction and many a tear,

وَمِن كُرَبٍ لِلحُبِّ في باطِنِ الحَشا

وَمِن كُرَبٍ لِلحُبِّ في باطِنِ الحَشا

وَلَيلٍ طَويلِ الحُزنِ غَيرِ قَصيرِ

وَلَيلٍ طَويلِ الحُزنِ غَيرِ قَصيرِ

and of love's anguish in the depths of my breast,

Of innermost grief for the joys of love lost

and a night long with sorrow, not brief.

In long, sorrowful nights with no end in sight.

سَأَبكي عَلى نَفسي بِعَينٍ غَزيرَةٍ

سَأَبكي عَلى نَفسي بِعَينٍ غَزيرَةٍ

بُكاءَ حَزينٍ في الوِثاقِ أَسيرِ

بُكاءَ حَزينٍ في الوِثاقِ أَسيرِ

I shall weep for myself with an eye pouring tears,

With copious weeping my sad eyes will rain

the weeping of a sorrowful captive in bonds.

A woeful lament as a captive in chains.

وَكُنّا جَميعاً قَبلَ أَن يَظهَرَ النَوى

وَكُنّا جَميعاً قَبلَ أَن يَظهَرَ النَوى

بِأَنعَمِ حالَي غِبطَةٍ وَسُرورِ

بِأَنعَمِ حالَي غِبطَةٍ وَسُرورِ

And we were together before separation arose,

Ere the buds showed we shared in delight,

in the sweetest states of bliss and joy.

Blessed days of joy and of cheer.

فَما بَرِحَ الواشونَ حَتّى بَدَت لَنا

فَما بَرِحَ الواشونَ حَتّى بَدَت لَنا

بُطونُ الهَوى مَقلوبَةً بِظُهورِ

بُطونُ الهَوى مَقلوبَةً بِظُهورِ

So the slanderers did not cease until we saw

No sooner the spies spied buds than they turned

love's bellies overturned into backs.

And showed but the backs of their rears in flight.

لَقَد كُنتِ حَسبَ  النَفسِ لَو دامَ وَصلُنا

لَقَد كُنتِ حَسبَ النَفسِ لَو دامَ وَصلُنا

وَلَكِنَّما الدُنيا مَتاعُ غُرورِ

وَلَكِنَّما الدُنيا مَتاعُ غُرورِ

You would indeed have been enough for my soul, had our union lasted,

You'd think, if our love lasted, my soul would rest sated

but this world is merely a deceptive pleasure.

But naught in this world is safe from Time’s blight

لَوَ اَنَّ اِمرَأً أَخفى الهَوى عَن ضَميرِهِ

لَوَ اَنَّ اِمرَأً أَخفى الهَوى عَن ضَميرِهِ

لَمِتُّ وَلَم يَعلَم بِذاكَ ضَميري

لَمِتُّ وَلَم يَعلَم بِذاكَ ضَميري

If a man could hide love from his own heart,

If a man hides his love, my soul cannot know,

I would have died, and my heart would not have known of it.

Nor can my conscience touch what's from sight.