أياO ربLord كمhow often ذاthis البينseparation قلبيmy heart يجرحwounds
أيا رب كم ذا البين قلبي يجرح
وليلand the night هموميmy sorrows ليسdoes not يجليlifts فيصبحand so becomes morning
وليل همومي ليس يجلي فيصبح
O Lord, how often this separation wounds my heart!
Oh Lord, how long will my heart be wounded
And the night of my sorrows will not lift and yield to dawn.
And my night of worries never ends to dawn
أعاشرI associate with أقواماًpeople علىdespite أنthe fact that بعدهمdistance from them
أعاشر أقواماً على أن بعدهم
ألذsweeter منthan التقريبdrawing near منهمto them وأصلحand better
ألذ من التقريب منهم وأصلح
I keep company with people, though distance from them
I socialize with people as if when we part
Is sweeter than drawing near to them, and better.
It's better than being close which would be best
أقابلهمI meet them والقلبwhile the heart يعرضturns away عنهمfrom them
أقابلهم والقلب يعرض عنهم
وأطلبهمand I seek them والنفسwhile the soul تأبىrefuses وتجمحand runs wild
وأطلبهم والنفس تأبى وتجمح
I meet them, while my heart turns away from them,
I meet them while my heart turns away from them
And I seek them, while my soul balks and runs wild.
I seek them out while my soul refuses and recoils
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle بكيتI weep over البينseparation يضحكlaughs بعضهمsome of them
إذا ما بكيت البين يضحك بعضهم
وآخرand another يرويquenches الدمعtears والدمعwhile tears يسفحare shed
وآخر يروي الدمع والدمع يسفح
Whenever I weep over separation, some of them laugh,
When I cry over the distance some of them laugh
And tears quench another's thirst while the tears are shed.
While another narrates my tears that pour forth
لقدindeed طالhas lasted long جورُtyranny الدهرtime وهوand it مخادعٌdeceitful
لقد طال جورُ الدهر وهو مخادعٌ
فيمناهso its right hand تبكينيmakes me weep ويسراهand its left hand تمسحwipes away
فيمناه تبكيني ويسراه تمسح
Time's tyranny has indeed lasted long, and time is deceitful:
The injustice of time has been long and it is deceitful
For its right hand makes me weep, and its left wipes my tears away.
At times it makes you cry for me and at others it wipes away
فياso, O أنسsolace of روحيmy soul أنif يكنshould be مدdrawn بينناbetween us
فيا أنس روحي أن يكن مد بيننا
حجابthe veil of النوىseparation وامتدand have spread للهمfor sorrow أجنحwings
حجاب النوى وامتد للهم أجنح
So, O solace of my soul, if between us has been drawn
So oh soulmate if between us remains
The veil of separation, and sorrow's wings have spread,
The veil of estrangement and wings of worries spread wide
فقدfor it may be that تعظمgrow great الأهوالterrors ثمthen تهينهاhumble them
فقد تعظم الأهوال ثم تهينها
طوالlong اللياليthe nights والزمانand time المبرحtormenting
طوال الليالي والزمان المبرح
For terrors may grow great, then be humbled
For calamities have become grave and then diminished
By long nights and tormenting time.
Throughout the long nights and fleeting times
عليكupon you سلامpeace of اللَهGod ماas long as هبتblows الصباthe east wind
عليك سلام اللَه ما هبت الصبا
وماand as long as حنyearns مشتاقٌone who longs وناحand wails المنوحthe mourner
وما حن مشتاقٌ وناح المنوح
May God's peace be upon you as long as the east wind blows,
Upon you peace of God for as long as the morning breeze blew
And as long as one who longs yearns and the mourner wails.
And as long as a longing lover moaned and cried