دَعني وَلا تلحني في دَمعيَ الهِتنِ

دَعني وَلا تلحني في دَمعيَ الهِتنِ

فَما بَكيتُ بقدر الشَجو وَالشَجَنِ

فَما بَكيتُ بقدر الشَجو وَالشَجَنِ

Leave me, and do not reproach me for my streaming tears.

Leave me be, and do not blame me for my tears of passion,

For I have not wept in proportion to my grief and sorrow.

For I have not wept to the extent of my longing and yearning.

باِصطِبارٍ بعد ما عَبثَت

باِصطِبارٍ بعد ما عَبثَت

أَيَدي المَنايا بِذاكَ المَنظَرِ الحَسَنِ

أَيَدي المَنايا بِذاكَ المَنظَرِ الحَسَنِ

With patient endurance, after havoc was wrought

With patience, after the hands of fate toyed

By the hands of death upon that beautiful form.

With that beautiful sight.

كَيفَ اِصطِباري وَما حُمِّلتُ من حَزَن

كَيفَ اِصطِباري وَما حُمِّلتُ من حَزَن

يَهُدُّ أَيسرهُ الحِصنين مِن حُصُنِ

يَهُدُّ أَيسرهُ الحِصنين مِن حُصُنِ

How can I endure, when the sorrow laid upon me

How can I be patient, when I am laden with sorrow,

Would, at its slightest, topple two of the fortresses?

That makes the strongest forts totter?

قَد كانَ في الحُلمِ لي عَبداً وَكُنتُ لَهُ

قَد كانَ في الحُلمِ لي عَبداً وَكُنتُ لَهُ

بِحُكمِ حُبّي لَهُ عَبداً بِلا ثَمَن

بِحُكمِ حُبّي لَهُ عَبداً بِلا ثَمَن

He was my slave in a dream, and I was his—

In dreams I had a servant, and I was to him,

By virtue of my love for him, a slave without a price.

By virtue of my love for him, a servant without price.

وَما أَرَدتُ تَناسيه لأسلوَه

وَما أَرَدتُ تَناسيه لأسلوَه

إِلّا وَذكرَّنيه هَزّةُ الغُصُن

إِلّا وَذكرَّنيه هَزّةُ الغُصُن

I never tried to forget him, seeking solace,

I did not want to forget him, so I could tease him,

But a branch's swaying reminded me of him.

Except that the shaking of the branch reminded me of him.

لا أَرتَجي عَودَه في يَقظَتي أَبَداً

لا أَرتَجي عَودَه في يَقظَتي أَبَداً

فَلَيتَه رده في رقدتي وَسَنى

فَلَيتَه رده في رقدتي وَسَنى

I have no hope of his ever returning while I am awake.

I do not hope for his return in my waking, ever,

If only my slumber would bring him back in my sleep!

I wish he would return to me in my slumber and dreams.

أَو لَيته دامَ لي مِن بعد مَعرِفَتي

أَو لَيته دامَ لي مِن بعد مَعرِفَتي

أَو لَيتَ معرفتي أَيامَ لَم تَكُنِ

أَو لَيتَ معرفتي أَيامَ لَم تَكُنِ

Or if only he had remained mine after I came to know him,

Oh, that after knowing him he had stayed with me,

Or if only my days of knowing him had never been.

Or that I had never known him.

يا نزهة العَين في جدّ وَفي لَعِب

يا نزهة العَين في جدّ وَفي لَعِب

وَمُنية النَفس في سِرِّ وَفي عَلَنِ

وَمُنية النَفس في سِرِّ وَفي عَلَنِ

O delight of the eye, in earnest and in play,

O delight of the eye, in earnest and in jest,

And the soul's desire, in secret and in public,

And death of the soul, in secret and openly.

وَأحدقَ الناسِ في صَيد وأحسنهم

وَأحدقَ الناسِ في صَيد وأحسنهم

رَمياً وَأَبعَد مِن بخل وَمِن جُبُنِ

رَمياً وَأَبعَد مِن بخل وَمِن جُبُنِ

And the keenest-eyed of people in the hunt, and their best

Keenest of people in hunting, and best of them

At shooting, and the furthest from stinginess and cowardice.

In shooting, farthest from stinginess and cowardice.

ما مالَ بَعدَكَ لي قَلبٌ إِلى أَحدِ

ما مالَ بَعدَكَ لي قَلبٌ إِلى أَحدِ

وَجداً ولا سَكنَت نَفسي إِلى سَكَنِ

وَجداً ولا سَكنَت نَفسي إِلى سَكَنِ

Since you, my heart has inclined toward no one

Since you left, my heart has not inclined

In love, nor has my soul found rest with a companion.

To anyone, in earnest or in jest, nor has my soul found rest.

مَنظَراً مُذ غِبتَ يُعجِبُها

مَنظَراً مُذ غِبتَ يُعجِبُها

عَيني وَلا سَمِعَت مُسَحسَناً أُذُني

عَيني وَلا سَمِعَت مُسَحسَناً أُذُني

A sight, since you vanished, that delights

My eyes have not seen a sight, since you went away,

My eye; nor has my ear heard anything pleasing.

That pleases them, nor have my ears heard sweet singing.

لَهفي عليه غَداة الرَوعِ مِن أَسد

لَهفي عليه غَداة الرَوعِ مِن أَسد

خالٍ مِن الغِشِّ مَملوءٌ مِن الفِطَنِ

خالٍ مِن الغِشِّ مَملوءٌ مِن الفِطَنِ

My anguish for him—a lion on the morning of terror!

I yearn for him after being startled awake

Free of deceit, filled with keen insight,

By a lion devoid of guile, full of sagacity.

حاوِ الشَمائِلِ مَعسولٌ خَلائقُه

حاوِ الشَمائِلِ مَعسولٌ خَلائقُه

صافي الأَديمِ أَبيُّ لَينٌ خَشن

صافي الأَديمِ أَبيُّ لَينٌ خَشن

Possessing fine qualities, his character honey-sweet,

Of beautiful features, his manners pleasing,

Clear-skinned, unbowed, gentle, stern.

Pure of lineage, gentle yet firm.

رَماهُ في رأسِهِ سَهماً فَأَقصدهُ

رَماهُ في رأسِهِ سَهماً فَأَقصدهُ

دَهرٌ كنائنُه مَلىء مِن المِحَنِ

دَهرٌ كنائنُه مَلىء مِن المِحَنِ

It shot him in the head with an arrow and struck him dead—

Fate aimed an arrow at his head and hit the mark,

Time, whose quivers are full of trials.

Its quiver full of tribulations.

شَلَّت يَدا عابثٍ أَهوى بمُديَتِه

شَلَّت يَدا عابثٍ أَهوى بمُديَتِه

مَزحاً فَقَرَّقَ بَينِ الروح وَالبَدَنِ

مَزحاً فَقَرَّقَ بَينِ الروح وَالبَدَنِ

Paralyzed be the hands of a fool who brought down his knife

The hands of a wanton jester, jesting,

In jest, and sundered soul from body.

Tore asunder the spirit and the body.

صَبراً لما تحدث الأَيامُ مِن حَدَث

صَبراً لما تحدث الأَيامُ مِن حَدَث

فالدَهر في جورِه جارٍ عَلى سَنَنِ

فالدَهر في جورِه جارٍ عَلى سَنَنِ

Have patience with whatever calamities the days bring,

Patience, for whatever events time brings forth,

For Time pursues a fixed course in its injustice.

For fate is tyrannical in its injustice.

فالصَبرُ أَجمَلُ ثَوب أَنتَ لابِسَهُ

فالصَبرُ أَجمَلُ ثَوب أَنتَ لابِسَهُ

لِنازِل وَالتَعزّي أَحسَنُ السُنَنِ

لِنازِل وَالتَعزّي أَحسَنُ السُنَنِ

For patience is the finest garment you can wear

Patience is the most beautiful garment worn

In calamity; and seeking solace is the best of ways.

By the afflicted, and consoling the best tradition.

وَهوَّن الوجد إِنّي لا أَرى أَحَداً

وَهوَّن الوجد إِنّي لا أَرى أَحَداً

بِفُرقة الأَلِف يَوماً غير مُمتَحَنِ

بِفُرقة الأَلِف يَوماً غير مُمتَحَنِ

And my anguish was eased by this: I see no one

It alleviates anguish, for I see no one

Who has not one day been tried by parting from a beloved.

Unperturbed after separation from a dear one.

يا ناصِر الدين يا مَن لا شَبيهَ له

يا ناصِر الدين يا مَن لا شَبيهَ له

لا زِلتَ وَالسَعد مقرونين في قَرَن

لا زِلتَ وَالسَعد مقرونين في قَرَن

O Nasir al-Din, O you who have no equal,

O supporter of the faith, O peerless one,

May you and good fortune always be bound by one tether.

Good fortune and you are paired together.

وَدامَ رَبعُك مأهولاً بِساكِنه

وَدامَ رَبعُك مأهولاً بِساكِنه

معطى السُرور وَمَمنوعاً مِن الحَزَن

معطى السُرور وَمَمنوعاً مِن الحَزَن

And may your abode remain inhabited by its resident,

May your abode remain populated by its dweller,

Granted joy and shielded from sorrow.

Bestowing joy and safe from sorrow.

يا أَشجَعَ الناس مِن عُجم ومن عَرَب

يا أَشجَعَ الناس مِن عُجم ومن عَرَب

وَأَكرَمَ الناسِ مِن شام ومن يَمَن

وَأَكرَمَ الناسِ مِن شام ومن يَمَن

O bravest of people, among non-Arabs and Arabs,

O boldest of people, of non-Arabs and Arabs,

And most generous of people, from the Levant and Yemen,

O most generous people, of Syria and Yemen.

عِش سالِماً في نَعيم لا اِنقضاءَ لَهُ

عِش سالِماً في نَعيم لا اِنقضاءَ لَهُ

يَفديكَ كُلُّ الوَرى من

يَفديكَ كُلُّ الوَرى من

Live safe and sound in bliss without end.

Live in bliss without end,

May all creation ransom you from...

All creation ransoms you with their souls.