1. As if your love was meant to torment me
So I'll never be pleased with you
١. كأَنَّ هَواكُم كانَ لي فيكُم عَذلا
فَلستُ بِراضٍ مِنكُم أبَداً فِعلا
2. I endured your abandonment of me and your departure
While I gave you that flattery and union
٢. أخَذتُ تَجنِّيكُم عَليَّ وهَجركُم
وأَعطَيتُكُم ذاكَ التَّملُّقَ والوَصلا
3. And I made you go from one state to another so you would know
Which of the two tastes sweeter
٣. وناقَلتُكم حالاً بِحالٍ لتَعلَموا
إِذا ذُقتُم الحالَينِ أيُّهما أَحلَى
4. And when sleep responded to me I said hastily
Instead of leaving, oh night, oh night, wait a while
٤. وَلمَّا استَجابَ النَّومُ لي قُلتُ مُسرِعاً
مكانَ انصرف يا لَيلُ يا لَيلُ قِف مَهلا
5. I asked you not to go for a little while for I
Asked fate to make eyes abandon sleep
٥. سَألتُكَ لا تَبرَح قَليلاً فإنَّني
سَأَلتُ الكَرى أَن يَهجُرَ الأعيُنَ النُّجلا
6. And if you're one who avoids its glances
Replace it with the light of dawn and use the view
٦. وَإن كُنتَ ممَّن يَتَّقي لَحظاتها
فعِدها بِضَوءِ الصُّبحِ واستَعملِ المَطلا
7. And oh time of lovers, take revenge for them
For you have captured many of your people and killed them
٧. ويا زَمنَ العُشَّاقِ خُذها بِثارِهم
فَقَد أكثرَت في أهلِكَ الأسرَ والقَتلا
8. And he recited, his eyelid enchanted his utterance
Until it learned what it had dictated
٨. وأغيدَ أملَى طَرفه سِحرَ لَحظِهِ
عَلى لَفظِه حتَّى تَعلَّمَ ما استَملا
9. I'm amazed that when he got up to leave due to his forbearance
It was as if he never knew ignorance in the past
٩. عَجِبتُ وقَد رامَ النُّهوضَ لحِلمِهِ
كأن لَم يَكُن فيما مَضى يَعرِفُ الجَهلا
10. And it wasn't forbearance I saw in him, but rather
His backside carries a heavy load behind him
١٠. وَما كانَ حِلماً من رَأيتُ وإنَّما
تُحمِّلُهُ الأَردافُ من خلفِهِ ثِقلا
11. And for love there are goals, the most difficult of which is infatuation
And it has become easy for me since it came to me effortlessly
١١. وللحبِّ غاياتٌ وأصعَبُها الرَّدى
وقَد صارَ عِندي عندَما نالَني سَهلا
12. The generosity of a soul I have given to
The branch of my argument against those who blamed me
١٢. سَماحةُ نَفسٍ بِالمنونِ جَعلتُها
لفَرعِ احتِجاجي عندَ مَن لامَني أَصلا
13. As if with infatuation I have tortured my heart
A dew, so it's as if I was its merit in the first place
١٣. كأنَّ رَدىً عذَّبتُ قَلبي بِحبِّه
ندىً فَكأنِّي كنتُ في حُبِّهِ الفَضلا
14. And no one like him was generous before, but rather
It is said he came with generosity from one who knew stinginess
١٤. وما مِثلُهُ مِن قَبل جادَ وإنَّما
يُقالُ أتَى بالجودِ من عرفَ البُخلا
15. And if it weren't for the era's stinginess sending
The people delegation after delegation to him, he would've taken action
١٥. ولَو لَم يَكُن بخلَ الزَّمانِ مُوفّداً
إِلَيهِ الوَرى وَفداً لأَلزَمَه الفِعلا
16. His generosity is seen urging poverty upon himself
To implore God not to lift the drought and famine
١٦. يُرى جودُه خَوفَ الغِنى عنه داعِياً
إِلى اللَّهِ أن لا يَرفَعَ القَحطَ والمَحلا
17. For he does not live on earth guaranteeing
That if she thirsts he will make up for the absent rain
١٧. علَى أنَّه ما عاشَ في الأَرضِ ضَامِنٌ
إِذا ظمِئَت أن يَخلِفَ العارِضَ الوَبلا
18. Compassionate to her children, kind
To her people until he sees them as family
١٨. شَفيقاً عَلى أبنائِها متَعَطِّفاً
عَلى أهلِها حتَّى يَراهُم لَه أَهلا
19. A gallant man whose hopes my saddle unpacked at his door
And it would not accept any door to unpack at except his
١٩. فَتىً حطَّتِ الآمالُ رَحلي بِبابِه
وما رَضيَت باباً تَحطُّ بِه رَحلا
20. For every spring has its season, and its spring
Stays with us - we never knew it had a season
٢٠. لِكُلِّ رَبيعٍ فَصلُهُ ورَبيعُهُ
مُقيمٌ عَلَينا ما عَرَفنا لَه فَصلا
21. A brother of high ambitions that rise so high it is as if
They are a supplication that spends the night rising up wishing to ascend
٢١. أَخو هِمَّةٍ طالَت عُلواً كأنَّها
دُعاءٌ مُجابٌ باتَ يَرفَعُ فاستَعلا
22. And a mention that roams the earth until it is as if
He is trying in this time to find its equivalent
٢٢. وذكرٌ يَجولُ الأَرضَ حتَّى كأنَّه
يُحاوِلُ في هَذا الزَّمانِ لَه مِثلا
23. And determination - so if the fire of tribulations is punished
For an incident of its doing, it is prayed for through him
٢٣. وعَزمٌ إِذا نارُ الحَوادِثِ عُوقِبَت
عَلى حادِثٍ مِن فِعلِها فَبِهِ تُصلى
24. Praiseworthy qualities make a righteous man live, oh son of the righteous
Through mention that does not fade with time or wear
٢٤. خلائِق تُبقي صالِحاً يا ابنَ صالِحٍ
مِن الذِّكرِ لا يَفنى بمُكثٍ ولا يَبلَى
25. And it draws near to the healthy until it is as if
There is no jest in bringing together seriousness and jest
٢٥. وتَدنو مِن العافينَ حتَّى كأنَّها
ولا هَزلَ فيها تَجمع الجدَّ والهَزلا
26. I'm amazed by poetry whose meter was corrected for me by
My mind though I did not perceive it dazzling the mind
٢٦. عَجِبتُ لشِعرٍ صحَّ لي فيكَ نَظمُهُ
بِعَقلي ومَا عايَنتهُ يُبهِرُ العَقلا
27. It makes me reject fate which I have made
Me and you, in praise or condemnation, busy
٢٧. يُعرِّضُني للدَّهرِ صَرفٌ جَعَلتُهُ
وإِياكَ عِندَ الحَمدِ والذمِّ لي شُغلا
28. And the days have not been just when their justice
Meant injustice, but the one they wronged called for justice
٢٨. وما جارَتِ الأيامُ إِذ كانَ عدلُها
مِن الجَورِ لكِن جارَ من سامَها العَدلا