وَعاشِقٍ جاءَهُ كِتابُ

وَعاشِقٍ جاءَهُ كِتابُ

فَزالَ عَنهُ بِهِ العَذابُ

فَزالَ عَنهُ بِهِ العَذابُ

And a lover received a letter;

A lover received a letter

So through it his torment left him.

Which removed his torment

وَقالَ قَد خَصَّني حَبيبي

وَقالَ قَد خَصَّني حَبيبي

بِنِعمَةٍ ما لَها ثَوابُ

بِنِعمَةٍ ما لَها ثَوابُ

And he said, “My beloved has indeed singled me out

He said, my beloved has blessed me

With a favor beyond repayment.

With a gift that has no reward

فَحُقَّ لي أَن أَتيهَ تيهاً

فَحُقَّ لي أَن أَتيهَ تيهاً

يَقصُرُ عَن وَصفِهِ الخِطابُ

يَقصُرُ عَن وَصفِهِ الخِطابُ

So I may rightly swell with such pride

So it is right that I go to him lost

That words fall short of describing it.”

Words fall short of describing him

حَتّى رَمَتهُ بِصَرفِ دَهرٍ

حَتّى رَمَتهُ بِصَرفِ دَهرٍ

عُيونُ حُسّادِهِ الصِلابُ

عُيونُ حُسّادِهِ الصِلابُ

Until a turn of fortune was hurled at him

Until the eyes of his envious enemies

By the hard eyes of his enviers.

Pelted him with piercing glances

فَاِستَلَّ مِنهُ الكِتابَ واشٍ

فَاِستَلَّ مِنهُ الكِتابَ واشٍ

بِحيلَةٍ شَأَنُها عُجابُ

بِحيلَةٍ شَأَنُها عُجابُ

Then a tale-bearer filched the letter from him

So he took the letter by force

Through a trick of an astonishing kind.

With a trick that is wondrous

فَلَيسَ يَهنيهِ طيبُ عَيشٍ

فَلَيسَ يَهنيهِ طيبُ عَيشٍ

وَلا طَعامٌ وَلا شَرابُ

وَلا طَعامٌ وَلا شَرابُ

So the sweetness of life gives him no joy,

He is not gratified by the joy of life

Nor food, nor drink.

Nor food nor drink