لَم يَقضِ ذو الشَجوِ مِمَّن شَفَّهُ أَرَبا

لَم يَقضِ ذو الشَجوِ مِمَّن شَفَّهُ أَرَبا

وَقَد تَمادى بِهِ زَيغُ الهَوى حِقَبا

وَقَد تَمادى بِهِ زَيغُ الهَوى حِقَبا

The sorrowing lover has not attained his desire from her who wasted him away,

He who pines did not recover from the one who cured him for a time

And love's waywardness has led him on for ages,

And desire's deviation persisted with him for epochs

في إِثرِ غانِيَةٍ لَم تُمسِ طِيَّتُها

في إِثرِ غانِيَةٍ لَم تُمسِ طِيَّتُها

إِلّا المُنى أَمَماً مِنّا وَلا صَقَبا

إِلّا المُنى أَمَماً مِنّا وَلا صَقَبا

In pursuit of a beauty whose destination has never been

After a flirtatious one whose character was never touched

Near us or close at hand, except in wishes.

Except by wishes from us, not intimacy

إِذا أَقولُ صَحا عَنها يُعاوِدُهُ

إِذا أَقولُ صَحا عَنها يُعاوِدُهُ

رَدعٌ يَهيجُ عَلَيهِ الشَوقَ وَالطَرَبا

رَدعٌ يَهيجُ عَلَيهِ الشَوقَ وَالطَرَبا

Whenever I say, 'He has sobered from loving her,' there returns to him

When I say I've gotten over her, reluctance stirs him up

A relapse that stirs longing and restless passion in him.

And longing and fervor return to him

وَالدَمعُ لِلشَوقِ مِتباعٌ فَما ذُكِرَت

وَالدَمعُ لِلشَوقِ مِتباعٌ فَما ذُكِرَت

إِلّا تَرَقرَقَ دَمعُ العَينِ فَاِنسَكَبا

إِلّا تَرَقرَقَ دَمعُ العَينِ فَاِنسَكَبا

And tears are longing's constant followers: she is never mentioned

And tears follow longing so whenever she was mentioned

But the eye's tears well up and pour forth.

The eye's tears flowed and poured down

لَم يُسلِهِ النَأيُ عَنها حينَ باعَدَها

لَم يُسلِهِ النَأيُ عَنها حينَ باعَدَها

وَلَم يَنَل بِالهَوى مِنها الَّذي طَلَبا

وَلَم يَنَل بِالهَوى مِنها الَّذي طَلَبا

Distance from her did not console him when he drew away from her,

Absence did not console him when it distanced her

Nor did he gain from her, through love, what he sought.

And he did not attain through desire what he sought

فَهوَ كَشِبهِ المُعَنّى لا يَموتُ وَلا

فَهوَ كَشِبهِ المُعَنّى لا يَموتُ وَلا

يَحيا وَقَد جَشَّمَتهُ بِالهَوى تَعَبا

يَحيا وَقَد جَشَّمَتهُ بِالهَوى تَعَبا

So he is like a tormented man: he neither dies nor

So he is like one fading, neither dying nor

Lives, and she has burdened him with weariness through love.

Living, and desire has burdened him with fatigue

مُرَنَّحُ العَقلِ قَد مَلَّ الحَياةَ وَمَن

مُرَنَّحُ العَقلِ قَد مَلَّ الحَياةَ وَمَن

يَعلَق هَوى مِثلِها يَستَوجِبِ العَطَبا

يَعلَق هَوى مِثلِها يَستَوجِبِ العَطَبا

Reeling in mind, he has grown weary of life; and whoever

The mind is broken, weary of life, and whoever

Falls in love with one like her deserves ruin.

Clings to desire for the likes of her deserves to perish

سَيفانَةٌ أوتِيَت في حُسنِ صورَتِها

سَيفانَةٌ أوتِيَت في حُسنِ صورَتِها

عَقلاً وَخُلقاً نَبيلاً كامِلاً عَجَبا

عَقلاً وَخُلقاً نَبيلاً كامِلاً عَجَبا

Slender as a sword, she was granted, along with her lovely form,

Sufyana was granted, in the beauty of her form

Intelligence and a noble, perfect, wondrous character.

Intellect and noble, perfect character, wonder