وكَم لي بِالجَزيرَةِ مِن خَلِيلٍ

وكَم لي بِالجَزيرَةِ مِن خَلِيلٍ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنِّي مُجتَلاهُ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنِّي مُجتَلاهُ

And how many a dear friend I have in al-Jazira,

How many friends I have in this land

the sight of whom is dearer to me than my own self!

Who I love more than myself when we meet

نَأَى عَنِّي فَلا تَسأَل بِحَالِي

نَأَى عَنِّي فَلا تَسأَل بِحَالِي

وَمَا طَرفٌ يُفَارِقهُ سَنَاهُ

وَمَا طَرفٌ يُفَارِقهُ سَنَاهُ

He has gone far from me, so do not ask about my state.

He has distanced himself from me, so do not ask how I am

And what is an eye whose light forsakes it?

No eye parts from remembering him

فَقَد أَنحَى الفِراقُ عَلَى وُجُودِي

فَقَد أَنحَى الفِراقُ عَلَى وُجُودِي

وَغَيَّرَ جُملَتِي إِلا هَوَاهُ

وَغَيَّرَ جُملَتِي إِلا هَوَاهُ

For separation has assailed my being,

For separation has inclined upon my existence

and changed all of me except my love for him.

And changed my state but for his love

وَتُدنيهِ ليَ الأَشوَاقُ حَتَّى

وَتُدنيهِ ليَ الأَشوَاقُ حَتَّى

كَأَنِّي حَيثُ لَم تَحضُر نَوَاهُ

كَأَنِّي حَيثُ لَم تَحضُر نَوَاهُ

And yearnings draw him close to me, until

And his approaching has brought my longings so close

it is as though I were where he had never been absent.

It's as if I'm where his glance has not arrived

فَمَا أَعمَلتُ طَرفِي فِي مَكَانٍ

فَمَا أَعمَلتُ طَرفِي فِي مَكَانٍ

لِفَرطِ تَخَيُّلِي إِلا أَرَاهُ

لِفَرطِ تَخَيُّلِي إِلا أَرَاهُ

So I have never cast my gaze anywhere

So I have not rested my eyes anywhere

without seeing him—so vivid is my imagining.

Due to my constant imagining of him but that I see him