أَلا يا شِبهَ لُبنى لا تُراعي

أَلا يا شِبهَ لُبنى لا تُراعي

وَلا تَتَيَمَّمي قُلَلَ القِلاعِ

وَلا تَتَيَمَّمي قُلَلَ القِلاعِ

Ah, likeness of Lubna, do not be afraid,

Alas, O likeness of Labna, do not go away,

Nor make for the summits of the crags.

Nor yearn for the summits of fortresses,

فَواكَبَدي وَعاوَدَني رُداعي

فَواكَبَدي وَعاوَدَني رُداعي

وَكانَ فُراقُ لِبنى كَالجَداعِ

وَكانَ فُراقُ لِبنى كَالجَداعِ

Alas for my liver! My sickness afflicts me again,

My chest has struggled and my mantle has often returned to me,

And parting from Lubna was like a mutilating disease.

While parting with Labna was like branding with fire.

تَكَنَّفَني الوُشاةُ فَأَزعَجوني

تَكَنَّفَني الوُشاةُ فَأَزعَجوني

فَيا لِلَّهِ لِلواشي المُطاعِ

فَيا لِلَّهِ لِلواشي المُطاعِ

The slanderers surrounded me and drove me away.

The slanderers crowded around me and disturbed me,

So, God help me against the slanderer whose word is obeyed!

Oh God, cursed be the obeyed slanderer,

فَأَصبَحتُ الغَداةَ أَلومُ نَفسي

فَأَصبَحتُ الغَداةَ أَلومُ نَفسي

عَلى شَيءٍ وَلَيسَ بِمُستَطاعِ

عَلى شَيءٍ وَلَيسَ بِمُستَطاعِ

So that morning I began to blame myself

So I woke up in the morning blaming myself

For something beyond my power,

For something beyond my power,

كَمَغبونٍ يَعَضُّ عَلى يَدَيهِ

كَمَغبونٍ يَعَضُّ عَلى يَدَيهِ

تَبَيَّنَ غَبنَهُ بَعدَ البَياعِ

تَبَيَّنَ غَبنَهُ بَعدَ البَياعِ

Like a cheated man who bites his hands,

Like a cheated man biting his hands,

Who realized his loss after the sale.

His loss became evident after selling.

بِدارِ مَضيعَةٍ تَرَكَتكَ لُبنى

بِدارِ مَضيعَةٍ تَرَكَتكَ لُبنى

كَذاكَ الحينُ يُهدى لِلمُضاعِ

كَذاكَ الحينُ يُهدى لِلمُضاعِ

Lubna left you in a place of abandonment;

In the house you left, Labna, forgotten,

Thus doom is bestowed upon the forsaken.

That's how the lost are now gifted.

وَقَد عِشنا نَلَذُّ العَيشَ حينا

وَقَد عِشنا نَلَذُّ العَيشَ حينا

لَوَ اِنَّ الدَهرَ لِلإِنسانِ راعِ

لَوَ اِنَّ الدَهرَ لِلإِنسانِ راعِ

And we lived, savoring life for a time—

We had lived enjoying life for a while,

If only Time were humankind's guardian!

If only fate would care for man,

وَلَكِنَّ الجَميعَ إِلى اِفتِراقٍ

وَلَكِنَّ الجَميعَ إِلى اِفتِراقٍ

وَأَسبابُ الحُتوفِ لَها دَواعِ

وَأَسبابُ الحُتوفِ لَها دَواعِ

But all who are together are bound to part,

But everything leads to separation,

And the causes of death have their own promptings.

And causes of death have their own ways.