1. My heart is captive to the loss of the beloveds,
And the eyelids of my eyes overflow with tears.
١. فُؤَادِي لِفَقْدِ الظَّاعِنِينَ فَقِيدُ
وَأجْفَانُ عَيْنِي بِالدُّمُوعِ تَجُودُ
2. But what good is a tear that flows, when in my heart
There is for it a blazing fire between the ribs?
٢. وَهَلْ نَافِعٌ دَمْعٌ جَرَى وَبِمُهْجَتِي
لَهِيبٌ لَهُ بَيْنَ الضُّلُوعِ وُقُودُ
3. So melt, O my heart, in sorrow and turmoil,
For the fires of passion have no respite.
٣. فَيَا مُهْجَتِي ذُوبِي أسًى وَصَبَابَةً
فَلَيْسَ لِنِيرَانِ الغَرَامِ خُمُودُ
4. And flow, O my eyelids, blood and copious tears,
For the halting-place of the beloveds is far.
٤. وَيَا مُقْلَتِي سِحِّي دَمًا وَمَدَامِعًا
فَإنَّ مَزَارَ الظَّاعِنِينَ بَعِيدُ
5. Would that I knew! Will my eyes ever roam
Among the meadows where dark lions abound?
٥. فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ لِطَرْفِيَ جَوْلَةٌ
بِمَسْرَحِ غِيدٍ قَدْ حَمَتْهُ أسُودُ
6. Will I ever draw near, if only for an hour,
That frustrated longing may find relief?
٦. وَهَلْ لِيَ مِنْ قُرْبٍ وَلَوْ عُمْرُ سَاعَةٍ
فَيُشْفَى مَشُوقٌ قَدْ بَرَاهُ صُدُودُ
7. Can I return to the dwellings of my loved ones?
Alas! What is past does not come back again.
٧. وَهَلْ لِي إلَى رَبْعِ الأحِبَّةِ عَوْدَةٌ
وَهَيْهَاتَ مَا قَدْ فَاتَ لَيْسَ يَعُودُ
8. The nights gave me their sweetest drink, then failed me;
Such is the way of nights, they know no covenants.
٨. سَقَتْنِي اللَّيَالِي صَفْوَهَا ثُمَّ كِدْنَ لي
كَذَاكَ اللَّيَالِي مَا لَهُنَّ عُهُودُ
9. My sickness was renewed by their disloyalty,
And at every moment their perfidy was renewed.
٩. وَجَدَّدَ سُقْمِي مَا عَفَا مِنْ وَفَائِهَا
وَفِي كُلّ وَقْتٍ خُلْفُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ
10. A moon kept me sleepless in the night because of it
I stayed awake in passion while eyes slept.
١٠. وَأرَّقَنِي فِي اللَّيْلِ بَدْرٌ لأجْلِهِ
سَهِرْتُ غَرَامًا وَالْعُيُونُ رُقُودُ
11. I embrace its brightness though it is waning,
And I behold it at the full though it is content.
١١. أعَانِقُ مِنْهُ الغَضَّ وَهْوَ مُهَفْهَفٌ
وَأشْهَدُ مِنْهُ البَدْرَ وَهْوَ سَعِيدُ
12. And I sinfully kiss that inebriating cup
When I throw the pearl necklace and it is scattered.
١٢. وَألْثِمُ فَاهُ السُّكَّرِيَّ رُضَابُهُ
مَتَى رُمْتُ عِقْدَ الدُّرّ وَهْوَ نَضِيدُ
13. They say, “Avoid its glance, for its eyes are sickening.”
But to hearts they are destructive.
١٣. يَقُولُونَ جَنِّبْ لَحْظَهُ فَجُفُونُهُ
مِرَاضٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْقُلُوبِ تُبِيدُ
14. They do not know that eyes are piercing swords,
And that the hearts of lovers are submissive fawns.
١٤. وَمَا عَلِمُوا أنَّ العُيُونَ صَوَارِمٌ
وَأنَّ قُلُوبَ العَاشِقِينَ غُمُودُ
15. That the wick of love in the law of passion
Is kindled by the sparks from those very eyes and dies a martyr.
١٥. وَأنَّ فَتِيلُ الحُبّ في شِرْعَةِ الهَوَى
بِأسْبَابِ هَاتِيكَ الجُفُونِ شَهِيدُ