فَلا وَصلُها يَبدو فَتَبلى بِلا بِلى

فَلا وَصلُها يَبدو فَتَبلى بِلا بِلى

وَلا ليَ صَبرٌ مُنجِدٌ فأخونُها

وَلا ليَ صَبرٌ مُنجِدٌ فأخونُها

So no union with her is in sight, and she wastes away without decay;

Her union does not appear, so it fades without fading

nor have I patience to sustain me, that I might betray her.

And I have no helping patience, so I betray her

نَحيلَةُ جَفنِ العينِ مِن غيرِ عِلَّة

نَحيلَةُ جَفنِ العينِ مِن غيرِ عِلَّة

كَذاكَ سُيوفُ الهندِ تَبلى جُفونُها

كَذاكَ سُيوفُ الهندِ تَبلى جُفونُها

Her eyelid is slender, though not from illness;

The eyelid is delicate without illness

so too the scabbards of Indian swords wear thin.

Thus are the Indian swords, their eyelids wear away

أَرى سودَها أَمضى وأفتك في الحَشا

أَرى سودَها أَمضى وأفتك في الحَشا

فَما بالُ أَنقاها بَياضاً ثَمينُها

فَما بالُ أَنقاها بَياضاً ثَمينُها

I find her dark eyes sharper and deadlier in the heart;

I see her blackness is permanent and most manifest in beauty

then what of her purest white—her precious one?

So why did I find her whiteness precious?

وَلَم أَنسها يَومَ النَوى إِذ تَحَجَّبَت

وَلَم أَنسها يَومَ النَوى إِذ تَحَجَّبَت

وَقَد غَفلَ الواشي وَغابَت عيونُها

وَقَد غَفلَ الواشي وَغابَت عيونُها

Nor have I forgotten her on the day of parting, when she veiled herself,

And I did not forget her the day she was veiled

while the tale-bearer was heedless and her watchers were absent.

While the spy was heedless and her eyes disappeared

فَفاضَت دُموعُ العَينِ حَتّى رأَيتَني

فَفاضَت دُموعُ العَينِ حَتّى رأَيتَني

تَلفَّتُّ نحو الدارِ لا أَستَبينُها

تَلفَّتُّ نحو الدارِ لا أَستَبينُها

Then tears overflowed from my eyes, until you saw me

So the tears of my eyes overflowed until you saw me

turn toward the house, unable to make it out.

Turning to the house, unable to discern it

فَما أَسبَلتِ إِذ أَعرضت من ستورها

فَما أَسبَلتِ إِذ أَعرضت من ستورها

بأَمنع مِمّا أَرسلَتها جُفونُها

بأَمنع مِمّا أَرسلَتها جُفونُها

So the veils she let fall as she turned away

So why did you not let down your veil when you turned from her curtains?

were no greater barrier than what her eyelids let flow.

More unwilling than what her eyelids let down

لَو لَم تَخُن في يَمينها

لَو لَم تَخُن في يَمينها

وَمُدَّت لِتَوديع اليَّ يَمينُها

وَمُدَّت لِتَوديع اليَّ يَمينُها

If only she had not been false to her oath,

If she had not betrayed her oath

while her right hand was held out to me in farewell.

And extended to bid me farewell with her right hand

وَنَفسٌ إِذا هَبَّت جَنوب تَنَفَّسَت

وَنَفسٌ إِذا هَبَّت جَنوب تَنَفَّسَت

تَحِنُّ اِشتِياقاً لَو شَفاها حَنينُها

تَحِنُّ اِشتِياقاً لَو شَفاها حَنينُها

And a soul that sighs when a south wind blows

A soul when it blows south breathes

yearns with longing—if only its yearning could heal it!

Yearning, if only its lips smelled of its sighing

فبالشرف الا عَلى هَواها وَشُكرِها

فبالشرف الا عَلى هَواها وَشُكرِها

نَدى شَرفِ الدين بنِ عصرون دينُها

نَدى شَرفِ الدين بنِ عصرون دينُها

So its love and gratitude are for the highest honor;

So by the honor but for her passion and gratitude

the bounty of Sharaf al-Din Ibn Asrun is its creed.

The call of the honor of Sharaf ad-Din Ibn Asrun his religion

مَتى قَصَدت في طُرقها دونَ عزه

مَتى قَصَدت في طُرقها دونَ عزه

فَلا اِنفرجت عَن سَهلِ أَمرٍ حزونُها

فَلا اِنفرجت عَن سَهلِ أَمرٍ حزونُها

Whenever it aims, along its paths, at anything short of his glory,

When she intended in her ways without his glory

then may its rugged paths never open onto an easy course.

Neither an easy matter relieved her gloom

وَإِن طَمعَت مِن غَيرِهِ في نَوالِهِ

وَإِن طَمعَت مِن غَيرِهِ في نَوالِهِ

فَلا صَدقَت فيما رَجَتهُ ظُنونُها

فَلا صَدقَت فيما رَجَتهُ ظُنونُها

And if it hopes for his bounty from anyone else,

And if she hoped from another for his bestowal

then may its expectations never prove true in what it hoped for.

Neither were true the things she wished in her thoughts