أَقولُ لسعدٍ حين لام على الهوى

أَقولُ لسعدٍ حين لام على الهوى

أَيُجْديكَ لَومٌ مرَّةً فتلومُ

أَيُجْديكَ لَومٌ مرَّةً فتلومُ

I say to Sa‘d, when he blamed me for love:

I say to Sa'd, when he reproached me for love:

I say to Saad when he blamed me for passion

“Has blame ever profited you, that you persist in blaming?

Does reproach ever help you, that you reproach me?

Does blame help you though you blame?

تلوم على ما لا يفيدك لومُه

تلوم على ما لا يفيدك لومُه

وما العشق إلاَّ لائم وملوم

وما العشق إلاَّ لائم وملوم

You blame me for something whose reproach avails you nothing;

You reproach me for what it does you no good to reproach.

You blame what its blame does not benefit you

love is nothing but one who blames and one who is blamed.”

And love is nothing but a reproacher and one reproached.

And passion is nothing but blame and blamed

وإنِّي على ما بي فقد يستفزّني

وإنِّي على ما بي فقد يستفزّني

غرامٌ بسلمى حادث وقديمُ

غرامٌ بسلمى حادث وقديمُ

Despite all I suffer, I may still be stirred

And despite what afflicts me, I am still stirred

And though I am on what I am, it may provoke me

by love for Salma—newly born and ancient.

By love for Salma, both new and old.

A passion for Salma happened and was old

شكوتك ما يلقى فؤادي من الأَسى

شكوتك ما يلقى فؤادي من الأَسى

وما كلُّ من أشكو إليه رحيم

وما كلُّ من أشكو إليه رحيم

I complained to you of the anguish my heart endures,

I complained to you of the sorrow my heart endures,

Your complaint does not meet my heart from sorrow

though not everyone to whom I complain is merciful—

And not everyone I complain to is merciful.

Not everyone I complain to is kind

فؤاد شجاه ما شجى كلّ وامقٍ

فؤاد شجاه ما شجى كلّ وامقٍ

وما هو بعد الرَّاحلين مقيمُ

وما هو بعد الرَّاحلين مقيمُ

a heart grieved by what grieves every ardent lover,

A heart grieved by what has grieved every lover,

A heart its passion pained what pained every loving one

a heart that cannot remain once the beloved depart.

Nor does it stay behind after those who have left.

And it is not after the departed staying

أرى صبوة المشتاق دائمة المدى

أرى صبوة المشتاق دائمة المدى

فما بال صبر الصّبّ ليس يدوم

فما بال صبر الصّبّ ليس يدوم

I see that the yearning of one who longs endures forever;

I see the yearning lover's passion lasting forever;

I see the youth of the longing everlasting

why, then, does the impassioned lover’s patience never last?

Why, then, does the lovesick lover's patience not endure?

So why is the patience of the patient not lasting?

وبين الظّباء السَّانحات عشيَّةً

وبين الظّباء السَّانحات عشيَّةً

رماني فلم يُخطِ الحشاشة ريم

رماني فلم يُخطِ الحشاشة ريم

Among the gazelles passing by one evening,

And among the gazelles crossing rightward one evening,

And between the gazelles freely wandering at night

a white gazelle shot me, striking the very core of my heart.

A white gazelle shot me and did not miss my very heart.

It shot me and the archer did not miss his mark

ويا ظبية الوعساء من جانب الحمى

ويا ظبية الوعساء من جانب الحمى

بَخلْتِ ولي دمع عليك كريم

بَخلْتِ ولي دمع عليك كريم

O doe of the sandy hills, from the sacred pasture’s edge,

And O gazelle of the soft sands, from the sanctuary's edge,

O gazelle of the rugged side from the side of love

you withheld your favors, while my tears for you flowed freely.

You have been miserly, while my tears for you are generous.

You were stingy and for you my tear was generous

وفي القلب منِّي والغرام سريرة

وفي القلب منِّي والغرام سريرة

وإنِّي بها لولا الدُّموع كتوم

وإنِّي بها لولا الدُّموع كتوم

Within my heart, passion and I share a secret,

And in my heart and passion lies a secret;

And in the heart from me and passion a secret

and but for my tears, I would keep it well concealed.

And, but for tears, I would keep it well concealed.

And I with it unless for tears am silent

ظماً لثناياك العِذاب وإنَّها

ظماً لثناياك العِذاب وإنَّها

عَذابٌ لقلبي يا أُميمُ أليم

عَذابٌ لقلبي يا أُميمُ أليم

I thirst for your sweet front teeth, though they are

I thirst for your sweet front teeth, and indeed they

Thirst for your cheeks the torment and it is

a painful torment to my heart, O Umaym.

Are a painful torment to my heart, O Umaym.

A torment for my heart, O faithful, painful

رضابك يروي القلب وهو مُمَنَّعٌ

رضابك يروي القلب وهو مُمَنَّعٌ

وطرفك يشفي الدَّاء وهو سقيم

وطرفك يشفي الدَّاء وهو سقيم

The nectar of your mouth would quench the heart, yet it is withheld;

Your mouth's moisture quenches the heart, though it is withheld;

Your refusal satisfies the prohibited heart

your languid eye cures the malady, though it is itself ailing.

And your gaze heals the sickness, though it is itself ailing.

And your glance heals the sick though he is frail

ولولاك ما هاجت بقلبيَ زفرة

ولولاك ما هاجت بقلبيَ زفرة

ولا هاج مِنِّي أربُعٌ ورسوم

ولا هاج مِنِّي أربُعٌ ورسوم

But for you, no sigh would have surged within my heart,

And but for you, no sigh would rise in my heart,

And were it not for you no sigh burst in my heart

nor would deserted dwellings and their traces have stirred me.

Nor would campsites and traces stir me.

Nor did I, out of four, burst forth with rules

ولا شاقني برقٌ يحاكي وميضه

ولا شاقني برقٌ يحاكي وميضه

ثناياك إذ أَصبو لها وأشيم

ثناياك إذ أَصبو لها وأشيم

No lightning would have filled me with longing, its flash resembling

Nor would lightning stir my longing, its flash resembling

Nor did a lighting strike me that mimics in its flash

your teeth, as I yearn for them and watch it gleam.

Your front teeth, as I yearn for them and watch the lightning.

Your cheeks when I incline towards them and sniff

وأَهتزُّ في ذكر العُذَيب وبارقٍ

وأَهتزُّ في ذكر العُذَيب وبارقٍ

كما مال بالغصن الرَّطيب نسيم

كما مال بالغصن الرَّطيب نسيم

I tremble at the mention of al-‘Udhayb and Bāriq,

And I tremble at the mention of al-'Udhayb and Bariq,

And I shudder in remembering al-Udhayb and Baraq

as a breeze bends the tender bough.

As a breeze bends a tender bough.

As the delicate branch bent with the breeze