إِنّي مَشوقٌ إِلى رُؤيا الحَبيبِ وَقَد

إِنّي مَشوقٌ إِلى رُؤيا الحَبيبِ وَقَد

طالَ البِعادُ فَزَادَت فيهِ أَشجاني

طالَ البِعادُ فَزَادَت فيهِ أَشجاني

Indeed, I yearn to behold the beloved, and already

I long for the sight of the beloved, and indeed

the separation has grown long, increasing my sorrows.

Separation has lasted long, and my sorrows have grown in it.

أَوَدُّ لَوَ اِنَّهُ يَوماً يُقَطِّعُني

أَوَدُّ لَوَ اِنَّهُ يَوماً يُقَطِّعُني

مِن نَحوِ وَجهي وَلَو ما كنتُ بِالجاني

مِن نَحوِ وَجهي وَلَو ما كنتُ بِالجاني

I wish that one day he might cut me to pieces,

I wish that one day he would cut me to pieces

coming at me face-to-face, though I had done no wrong—

From the direction of my face, even if I were not guilty,

مُصَغِّراً قِطَعِي في مِديَةٍ صَدِئت

مُصَغِّراً قِطَعِي في مِديَةٍ صَدِئت

كَليلَةِ الحدِّ لَم تَقطَع بِجُثمانِ

كَليلَةِ الحدِّ لَم تَقطَع بِجُثمانِ

making my pieces ever smaller with a rusted knife,

Making my pieces small with a rusted knife,

blunt-edged, one that has never cut through a body;

Blunt-edged, one that has never cut through a body;

وَأَن يديرَ لِظَهري حينَ يَقطَعُهُ

وَأَن يديرَ لِظَهري حينَ يَقطَعُهُ

وَجهي وَأَنّي أَراهُ مِنهُ بِالدّاني

وَجهي وَأَنّي أَراهُ مِنهُ بِالدّاني

and that, toward my back as he cuts it, he turn

And that, as he cuts my back, he turn toward it

my face, so that I may behold him close at hand;

My face, and that I see him close at hand;

وَأَن يَطول في تَقطيعِهِ زمناً

وَأَن يَطول في تَقطيعِهِ زمناً

عَساهُ يَملَأ مِن رُؤياهُ أَجفاني

عَساهُ يَملَأ مِن رُؤياهُ أَجفاني

and that he take a long while cutting me,

And that he linger long in cutting me to pieces,

that perhaps my eyes may be filled with the sight of him.

Perhaps he will fill my eyelids with the sight of him.