لَمّا دَنا البَينُ بَينُ الحَيِّ وَاِقتَسَموا

لَمّا دَنا البَينُ بَينُ الحَيِّ وَاِقتَسَموا

حَبلَ النَوى فَهوَ في أَيديهِمُ قِطَعُ

حَبلَ النَوى فَهوَ في أَيديهِمُ قِطَعُ

When parting—the clan’s departure—drew near, and they divided

When parting drew near between the beloved and I, they shared

the cord of separation, leaving it in pieces in their hands,

The rope of love between them into pieces torn,

جادَت بِأَدمُعِها لَيلى وَأَعجَلَني

جادَت بِأَدمُعِها لَيلى وَأَعجَلَني

وَشكُ الفِراقِ فَما أُبقي وَما أَدَعُ

وَشكُ الفِراقِ فَما أُبقي وَما أَدَعُ

Layla poured forth her tears, and I was hurried

Layla wept copious tears that hastened our parting

by the imminence of parting: what shall I keep, and what shall I leave?

While the pain of separation remains and does not depart

يا قَلبُ وَيحَكَ ما عَيشي بِذي سَلَمٍ

يا قَلبُ وَيحَكَ ما عَيشي بِذي سَلَمٍ

وَلا الزَمانُ الَّذي قَد مَرَّ مُرتَجَعُ

وَلا الزَمانُ الَّذي قَد مَرَّ مُرتَجَعُ

O heart, alas for you! Neither my life at Dhu Salam

Oh my heart, woe to you, neither in well-being do I live

nor the time that has passed can be brought back.

Nor in days gone by, returning back no more

أَكُلَّما بانَ حَيٌّ لا تُلائِمَهُم

أَكُلَّما بانَ حَيٌّ لا تُلائِمَهُم

وَلا يُبالونَ أَن يَشتاقَ مَن فَجَعوا

وَلا يُبالونَ أَن يَشتاقَ مَن فَجَعوا

Whenever a clan departs—one with whom you find no accord

Whenever a loved one appears with whom I’m incompatible

and who care not whether the one they bereaved yearns—

And who care not that their absence makes me sore

عَلَّقتِني بِهَوىً مُردٍ فَقَد جَعَلَت

عَلَّقتِني بِهَوىً مُردٍ فَقَد جَعَلَت

مِنَ الفِراقِ حَصاةَ القَلبِ تَنصَدِعُ

مِنَ الفِراقِ حَصاةَ القَلبِ تَنصَدِعُ

must you bind me to ruinous love? For already

You’ve attached me to defiant passion so my heart

the heart’s stone has begun to crack from parting.

Is shattered by separation into fragments strewn