قُل لِلَّذي يَهوى تَفَرُّقَ بَينِنا

قُل لِلَّذي يَهوى تَفَرُّقَ بَينِنا

بِحَبلِ وِدادي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ يَفعَلُ

بِحَبلِ وِدادي أَيَّ ذَلِكَ يَفعَلُ

Say to the one who desires our separation:

Tell the one who desires our separation

What will that do to the cord of my affection?

With the rope of my love, how can he do that?

فَوَيلُ اِمِّها أُمنِيَّةً لَو تَفَهَّمَت

فَوَيلُ اِمِّها أُمنِيَّةً لَو تَفَهَّمَت

مَعانِيَها أَو كانَتِ اللُبَّ تُعمِلُ

مَعانِيَها أَو كانَتِ اللُبَّ تُعمِلُ

So woe to her mother for such a wish—if only she understood

Woe to his mother! If only she understood

Its meanings, or put her reason to work.

Its meaning or if only the mind could work

أَغَيظي تَمَنَّت أَم أَرادَت فِراقَها

أَغَيظي تَمَنَّت أَم أَرادَت فِراقَها

إِلَيَّ فَلا حاشايَ بَل أَنا أَقبَلُ

إِلَيَّ فَلا حاشايَ بَل أَنا أَقبَلُ

Did she wish to vex me, or leave the choice to part with her

Did she wish to anger me or want our separation?

To me? No—far be it from me! Rather, I accept.

No, it’s towards me so I accept

أُؤَمِّنُ فَاِدعُ اللَهَ يَجمَعُ بَينَنا

أُؤَمِّنُ فَاِدعُ اللَهَ يَجمَعُ بَينَنا

بِحَبلٍ شَديدِ العَقدِ لا يَتَحَلَّلُ

بِحَبلٍ شَديدِ العَقدِ لا يَتَحَلَّلُ

I say “Amen”; so pray to God to bring us together

I believe, so pray to God to reunite us

With a tightly knotted cord that will not come undone.

With a strongly knotted rope that won't unravel

وَدِدنا وَنُعطى ما يَجودُ لَوَ أَنَّهُ

وَدِدنا وَنُعطى ما يَجودُ لَوَ أَنَّهُ

لَنا رائِمٌ حَتّى يَأوبَ المُنَخَّلُ

لَنا رائِمٌ حَتّى يَأوبَ المُنَخَّلُ

We wished—and are granted what He bestows—that He

We love each other and are given freely what He bestows

Would cherish us until al-Munakhkhal returns.

If only for us it would last until the star disperses

لَستُ بِناسٍ ما حَيّتُ مَقالَها

لَستُ بِناسٍ ما حَيّتُ مَقالَها

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَهمِلُ

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَهمِلُ

I shall not forget, as long as I live, her words

I'm not a person whose words since living

To us that night at al-Batha, while tears flowed:

Were for us the night of al-Bat'ha and tears that flow

فَقَد غَنِيَت نَفسي وَأَنتَ بِهَمِّها

فَقَد غَنِيَت نَفسي وَأَنتَ بِهَمِّها

فَقَد جَعَلَت وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ تَذهَلُ

فَقَد جَعَلَت وَالحَمدُ لِلَّهِ تَذهَلُ

“For my soul lived with you as its concern;

So my soul is content while you are worried

Now it has begun—praise be to God—to forget.

Indeed, praise be to God, it has become confused

أَراكَ تُسَوِّني بِمَن لَستُ مِثلَهُ

أَراكَ تُسَوِّني بِمَن لَستُ مِثلَهُ

وَلِلحِفظِ أَهلٌ وَالصَبابَةِ مَنزِلُ

وَلِلحِفظِ أَهلٌ وَالصَبابَةِ مَنزِلُ

I see you equating me with one I am not like;

I see you equating me with one who is not my equal

And faithfulness has its people, and longing its home.

Yet protection has its people and youth its abode

وَلَو كُنتَ صَبّاً بي كَما أَنا صَبَّةٌ

وَلَو كُنتَ صَبّاً بي كَما أَنا صَبَّةٌ

أَطَعتَ وَلَكِنّي أَجِدُّ وَتَهزِلُ

أَطَعتَ وَلَكِنّي أَجِدُّ وَتَهزِلُ

And if you were lovesick for me, as I am lovesick,

If you were a youth like me, you would obey

You would obey; but I am earnest, and you jest.”

But I am serious and you jest

فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ مُتَحَفِّظٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ مُتَحَفِّظٍ

تَجَلَّدَ عَمداً وَهوَ لِلصُلحِ أَشكَلُ

تَجَلَّدَ عَمداً وَهوَ لِلصُلحِ أَشكَلُ

So I spoke to her as a cautious man would,

So I said to her words of a cautious man

Who deliberately steeled himself, though better suited to reconciliation:

Who deliberately endures though inclined to reconcile

أَبيني لَنا إِن كانَ هَذا تَجَنُّباً

أَبيني لَنا إِن كانَ هَذا تَجَنُّباً

لِصَرمٍ فَتَصريحُ الصَريمَةِ أَجمَلُ

لِصَرمٍ فَتَصريحُ الصَريمَةِ أَجمَلُ

“Tell us plainly: if this is avoidance

Reveal to me whether this avoidance

To sever our bond, then openly declaring that resolve is more becoming.

Is to avoid harm, for clarity is better

وَإِن كانَ إِنكاراً لِأَمرٍ كَرِهتِهِ

وَإِن كانَ إِنكاراً لِأَمرٍ كَرِهتِهِ

فَرابَكِ إِنّي تائِبٌ مُتَنَصِّلُ

فَرابَكِ إِنّي تائِبٌ مُتَنَصِّلُ

And if it is disapproval of something you disliked

And if it’s denial of something you hated

And which troubled you, I repent and seek your pardon.”

Then I repent, completely turning away

وَقَد عَلِمَت إِذ باعَدَتني تَجَنُّباً

وَقَد عَلِمَت إِذ باعَدَتني تَجَنُّباً

فَدَت نَفسَها نَفسي عَلى مَن تُعَوِّلُ

فَدَت نَفسَها نَفسي عَلى مَن تُعَوِّلُ

And she knew, when she kept me at a distance, avoiding me—

You knew when you distanced me to avoid

May my soul ransom hers—on whom she relies.

You ransomed my soul for one you rely on

هَنيئاً لِقَلبٍ كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ

هَنيئاً لِقَلبٍ كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ

إِذا شاءَ سالٍ عَنكِ أَو مُتَبَدِّلُ

إِذا شاءَ سالٍ عَنكِ أَو مُتَبَدِّلُ

Joy to a heart I once believed

Congratulations to a heart I thought

Could forget you whenever it wished, or turn to another.

If it willed, it would ask about or change you

فَمُت كَمَداً يا قَلبِ أَو عِش فَإِنَّما

فَمُت كَمَداً يا قَلبِ أَو عِش فَإِنَّما

رَأَيتُكَ بِالجافي البَخيلِ مُوَكَّلُ

رَأَيتُكَ بِالجافي البَخيلِ مُوَكَّلُ

So die of grief, O my heart, or live, for

So die suppressed, O heart, or live, for indeed

I have seen you bound only to the cold, miserly one.

I see you entrusted to the miserly and stingy