من همَّ المضنى ومن شجنه

من همَّ المضنى ومن شجنه

ربعٌ بكيتُ الحبيبَ في دمنه

ربعٌ بكيتُ الحبيبَ في دمنه

Among the love-worn one's cares and sorrows

Who suffered anguish, who felt melancholy,

is a campsite in whose ruins I wept for the beloved.

In an abode whose beloved I wept over.

لولاه لم أندب الخليط ولم

لولاه لم أندب الخليط ولم

أصبُ إلى سربه ولا عينه

أصبُ إلى سربه ولا عينه

But for him, I would not have mourned the companions, nor

If not for him, I'd not mourn what's mixed up

yearned for his flock or his wide-eyed gazelles.

Nor incline toward the throng, not his eyes.

ولم أعرج على منازله

ولم أعرج على منازله

أسأل آثارهنَّ عن ظعنه

أسأل آثارهنَّ عن ظعنه

Nor would I have stopped at his dwellings,

Nor would I tread his dwellings,

asking their traces about his departure.

Asking his traces about his withdrawal.

وهذه سنّة الغرام ولا

وهذه سنّة الغرام ولا

أرغبُ عن فرضه ولا سننه

أرغبُ عن فرضه ولا سننه

And this is love's custom, and I do not

This is the law of passion—I do not

turn from its prescribed duty or its observances.

Wish to evade its duty or tradition.

ولست أشكو عيَّ الديار ولا

ولست أشكو عيَّ الديار ولا

أذمُّ دمعي إلاَّ على لسّنه

أذمُّ دمعي إلاَّ على لسّنه

And I do not complain of the dwellings' speechlessness, nor

Nor do I complain of time's cruelty or

fault my tears except for their eloquence.

Blame my tears except for his smoothness.

ساروا وأبقوا منَّا بساحتها

ساروا وأبقوا منَّا بساحتها

كل غريب يبكي على وطنه

كل غريب يبكي على وطنه

They departed, leaving in their courtyard, from among us,

They went away, leaving in its plains

every exile weeping for his homeland.

Every stranger crying for his homeland.

من لمحبِ كان عاذلهُ

من لمحبِ كان عاذلهُ

يجني ثمار السرور من حزنه

يجني ثمار السرور من حزنه

Who is there for a lover whose reproacher was

One who loved yet blamed his love

reaping the fruits of joy from his sorrow?

Reaps fruits of joy from his sadness.

لم يدرِ ما لوعة الفراق ولا

لم يدرِ ما لوعة الفراق ولا

قبيح وجه الغرام من حسنه

قبيح وجه الغرام من حسنه

He did not know what parting's anguish was, nor

He never knew the agony of parting or

distinguish love's ugly face from its fair one.

The ugliness of love from its beauty.

لو حلَّ برح الجوى بمهجته

لو حلَّ برح الجوى بمهجته

لدق معنى السقام في بدنه

لدق معنى السقام في بدنه

Had the torment of lovesickness settled in his heart,

If it camped in the heart's expanse,

the very essence of sickness would grow thin in his frame.

It would strike meaning into the body.

لا تلحني على السهاد له

لا تلحني على السهاد له

اسهرني ما تراه من وسنه

اسهرني ما تراه من وسنه

Do not reproach me for staying awake for him:

Do not blame me for wakefulness—keep me

the drowsiness you see in him has kept me awake.

Awake with all you see of his idol.

لولا ولوعي بلين قامته

لولا ولوعي بلين قامته

ما شاقني صادحٌ على فننه

ما شاقني صادحٌ على فننه

But for my passion for his supple stature,

If not for my melting at his soft stature,

no singing bird on its bough would have stirred my longing.

No ardent critic moved me to his ways.

ولم أقف باكياً على حقف نعـ

ولم أقف باكياً على حقف نعـ

ـمان ولا شاكياً إلى غصنه

ـمان ولا شاكياً إلى غصنه

Nor would I have stood weeping on the dune of Naʿ—

Nor did I stand weeping at the lichens of Nu'man,

—mān, nor complaining to its bough.

Nor complaining to his branch.

ولا عليه من جاهلي هوى

ولا عليه من جاهلي هوى

وهو حنيفٌ يصبو إلى قرنه

وهو حنيفٌ يصبو إلى قرنه

Nor is there blame upon him from those ignorant of love,

He felt no ignorant passion from me,

while he, a true believer, yearns for his mate.

Rather, he inclined to his kin.

خذ لي أماناً من قوس حاجبه

خذ لي أماناً من قوس حاجبه

ناظرٍ كم قتلت في فتنه

ناظرٍ كم قتلت في فتنه

Win me safe conduct from the bow of his eyebrow—

Take security from me against his brow’s bow,

an eye in whose enchantments I have so often been slain.

A gaze that kills in its temptations!

أو لا فدعني كما يشاء يقدني الـ

أو لا فدعني كما يشاء يقدني الـ

ـوجد قود الذَّلول في رسنه

ـوجد قود الذَّلول في رسنه

Or else leave me as he wishes, to be led by

Or no—leave me be, however he wills,

passion, as a docile beast is led in its halter.

Grief leads the submissive in his path.