Missing him much

Bismillah.

Is your thought of a dear neighbor from Zi Salam,

causing those tears of blood?

Or is it the harsh winds from Khazimah -
and all those places in Madinah?
Or could it be the blinding light
striking in the middle of the night
from Mount Idham?

Why are you still crying
when you have consoled yourself:

Oh please don't cry!
Why is your heart still restless
when you have said to yourself:
Oh please calm down!

Do you think one who is drunk with love
could hide his feelings
behind all the crying and unsettled soul?
Your deep affection is making you weep
on the lover's roof you sit

Your mind wanders
as you become sleepless

thinking about the fragrant Al Baan tree

and Mount Al Alam
at Madinah the blessed city

How can you hide your love
when it is well witnessed by a fair judge

- those endless tears and weak physique

from missing him much

And your missing him is obvious

crying makes your cheeks pink
like the reddish Anam branches

your uneasiness is making you thin

In the stillness of the night

my thoughts fly to my beloved

so I sleep not

That's what love does

when it conquers the heart

Making all pleasures to become bitter

Oh you who blame me for my love

One who is drunk with love potion
should be forgiven

If you only knew

the pains of a lover

you will not belittle her!

- Loosely translated and adapted from Chapter 1 of Qasidah Burdah