أما والعَينُ تُبكيها طُلولٌ

أما والعَينُ تُبكيها طُلولٌ

لِمَن تهوى وتُدميها شؤونُ

لِمَن تهوى وتُدميها شؤونُ

Lo, by the eye, made to weep by ruins

While my eyes shed copious tears

of the one it loves, and made to bleed by tear ducts—

For the one whose love rends me,

ألِيَّةَ مغرمٍ يبدي سُلُوًّا

ألِيَّةَ مغرمٍ يبدي سُلُوًّا

وفي أحشائه الوجد الكمين

وفي أحشائه الوجد الكمين

the oath of a lover who displays detachment,

For which enamored being does he show kindness,

while passion lies hidden in his breast.

While anguish lurks within his soul?

يكتِّمُ سِرَّه بالصَّبر حتَّى

يكتِّمُ سِرَّه بالصَّبر حتَّى

يَبوح بِسرِّه الدَّمع الهتون

يَبوح بِسرِّه الدَّمع الهتون

He conceals his secret through patience, until

He hides his secret with patience until

streaming tears disclose his secret.

Tears of sorrow reveal his secret.

يطيع غرامه دمعٌ كريمٌ

يطيع غرامه دمعٌ كريمٌ

ويعصي أمْرَهُ صَبْرٌ ضنين

ويعصي أمْرَهُ صَبْرٌ ضنين

Generous tears obey his passion,

Obedient tears of a noble man,

and miserly patience defies his command.

While patience stubbornly disobeys.

يقول إذا ذكرتُ له عذولاً

يقول إذا ذكرتُ له عذولاً

له دين وللعشاق دين

له دين وللعشاق دين

He says, when I mention a reproacher to him,

He says, when I mention to him a beauty,

"He has his creed, and lovers have theirs."

"Each has his faith, and lovers have theirs."

لقد فتكت بي الأحداق حتَّى

لقد فتكت بي الأحداق حتَّى

جُنِنْتُ وما الهوى إلاَّ جنون

جُنِنْتُ وما الهوى إلاَّ جنون

Indeed, eyes have ravaged me until

Eyes have ravaged me until

I went mad—and love is nothing but madness.

I am crazed, for passion is naught but madness.

وما يُدريك ما طَعَنتْ قدود

وما يُدريك ما طَعَنتْ قدود

مهفهفةٌ وما فتكت عيون

مهفهفةٌ وما فتكت عيون

And how can you know whom figures have pierced—

How can you know what slender waists have stabbed

slender figures—and whom eyes have slain?

With glances, and what eyes have rent?

فذا منها وما قَتَلَتْ قتيل

فذا منها وما قَتَلَتْ قتيل

وذا منها وما طَعَنَتْ طعين

وذا منها وما طَعَنَتْ طعين

So this one is slain by them, though they have not killed,

This was slain by her, and that

and this one is pierced by them, though they have not stabbed.

Wounded by her, pierced and bleeding.

ألينُ وأشتكي منها فتقسو

ألينُ وأشتكي منها فتقسو

فكم تقسو عليَّ وكم ألين

فكم تقسو عليَّ وكم ألين

I soften and complain of her, so she grows harsh;

She is gentle, yet I complain of her, so often

how harsh she is to me, and how I soften!

Cruel to me, while I remain tender.

وإنَّ الظاعنين وإنْ تناءت

وإنَّ الظاعنين وإنْ تناءت

عليها لي وإن نزحت ديون

عليها لي وإن نزحت ديون

And indeed the departing ones, though they grow distant,

Though slanderers turn from her,

owe me debts, though they have gone far away.

I remain hers though fortunes depart.

وللمستغرمين بعينِ نجدٍ

وللمستغرمين بعينِ نجدٍ

غداة البين إذ خَفَّ القطين

غداة البين إذ خَفَّ القطين

And the love-stricken at Najd's spring,

For those impassioned by eyes in Najd

on the morning of parting, when the dwellers departed,

On the morrow of separation, when the fires die down,

قلوبٌ عند كاظمةٍ رهون

قلوبٌ عند كاظمةٍ رهون

وما قُبِضَتْ إذَنْ تلك الرهون

وما قُبِضَتْ إذَنْ تلك الرهون

have hearts held in pledge at Kazima,

Hearts held ransom,

and those pledges were not collected then.

Those ransoms never reclaimed.

فلا صبرٌ على نأيٍ مقيمٌ

فلا صبرٌ على نأيٍ مقيمٌ

ولا دَمعٌ على سرٍّ أمين

ولا دَمعٌ على سرٍّ أمين

So no patience endures through separation,

No patience remains for an absent one,

and no tears can be trusted with a secret.

No tear remains for a secret kept.