لا تطلبنَّ الامرَ بعدَ قَواتِه

لا تطلبنَّ الامرَ بعدَ قَواتِه

هَيهاتِ يَحيا الميت بعد وَفاتهِ

هَيهاتِ يَحيا الميت بعد وَفاتهِ

Do not seek a thing after it has slipped away.

Seek not the order after losing command,

Never shall the dead man live after his death.

Alas, the dead live not after their passing.

يا من سلانا ثم رام ودادنا

يا من سلانا ثم رام ودادنا

قَد فاتَ ما قد فات من اوقاتهِ

قَد فاتَ ما قد فات من اوقاتهِ

O you who forgot us, then sought our affection,

O you who drew us close but then wished our love,

What has passed of its time has indeed passed—

What's passed is gone, those times are not returning.

أَيّامَ كنّا في المحبّة والولا

أَيّامَ كنّا في المحبّة والولا

متوازنَين نتيه في لذّاتهِ

متوازنَين نتيه في لذّاتهِ

The days when we, in love and devotion,

Days when we loved each other and were one,

Were in balance, lost in its delights.

Wand'ring in pleasure, balance undiscerning.

أَمّا اذِ اِختلف التوازُن في الهَوى

أَمّا اذِ اِختلف التوازُن في الهَوى

ما بيننا وَمَضى على علّاتِهِ

ما بيننا وَمَضى على علّاتِهِ

But now that the balance in love has shifted

But when in passion love lost equilibrium,

Between us, and it has gone on with all its flaws,

No balance left between us, only yearning.

فكما اذا اختلف التوازُنُ في الهَوا

فكما اذا اختلف التوازُنُ في الهَوا

ومِن المُحال توقُّعٌ لِثباتِهِ

ومِن المُحال توقُّعٌ لِثباتِهِ

So, as when balance is disturbed in the air,

For when in passion love loses its balance,

It is impossible to expect it to remain steady.

And its persistence is beyond discerning.