وَعاذِرٍ قَد كانَ لي عاذِلا

وَعاذِرٍ قَد كانَ لي عاذِلا

في أَرَبٍ قَد صارَ لي آمِلا

في أَرَبٍ قَد صارَ لي آمِلا

And one who excuses me once reproached me

My reproacher was once my censurer

for a desire he now hopes will be fulfilled for me.

In a time that has now become my hope

آدَ بِقَلبي وَهوَ في طَيِّهِ

آدَ بِقَلبي وَهوَ في طَيِّهِ

فَصارَ مَحمولاً بِهِ حامِلا

فَصارَ مَحمولاً بِهِ حامِلا

He weighed upon my heart while held within its folds,

My inner self melted for him while he was cloaked

and so, borne by it, he became its bearer.

So it became something carried by the bearer

وَدونَ ماءِ الحُسنِ مِن وَقدِهِ

وَدونَ ماءِ الحُسنِ مِن وَقدِهِ

مايَصدُرُ الطَرفُ بِهِ ناهِلا

مايَصدُرُ الطَرفُ بِهِ ناهِلا

And before beauty’s water lies some of his blaze,

Without the water of beauty from his kindling

which sends the gaze away thirsty.

My gaze could not be sated by it

وَكانَ قَلبي دونَهُ واقِداً

وَكانَ قَلبي دونَهُ واقِداً

وَماءُ جَفني فَوقَهُ جائِلا

وَماءُ جَفني فَوقَهُ جائِلا

And my heart burned before him,

While my heart was kindled below him

while my eyelid’s water swirled above it.

And the water of my eyelids pouring above him

أَخوضُ في الحُبِّ بِهِ لُجَّةً

أَخوضُ في الحُبِّ بِهِ لُجَّةً

لَم تَرمِ بي مِن سَلوَةٍ ساحِلا

لَم تَرمِ بي مِن سَلوَةٍ ساحِلا

In loving him I wade through a deep sea

I delve into love with him in a deep sea

that has not cast me onto a shore of forgetfulness.

That has not cast me onto moistened shores

أَما تَرى أُعجوبَةً أَن تَرى

أَما تَرى أُعجوبَةً أَن تَرى

في الحُبِّ مَقتولاً فَدى قاتِلا

في الحُبِّ مَقتولاً فَدى قاتِلا

Do you not see a marvel in seeing,

Do you not see the marvel that you may behold

in love, a slain man who ransomed his slayer?

One slain by love, ransoming his killer?

وَيُجتَنى نورُ نَسيبي بِهِ

وَيُجتَنى نورُ نَسيبي بِهِ

غَضّاً وَجِسمي غُصناً ذابِلا

غَضّاً وَجِسمي غُصناً ذابِلا

And through him the blossoms of my love verse are plucked,

And the light of my beloved is shrouded by it

fresh, while my body is a withering branch.

Languid, while my body becomes a withered branch

عُلَّقتُهُ أَحوى اللَمى أَحوَراً

عُلَّقتُهُ أَحوى اللَمى أَحوَراً

عاطِرَ أَنفاسِ الصِبا عاطِلا

عاطِرَ أَنفاسِ الصِبا عاطِلا

I was enamored of him—dusky-lipped, with eyes of deep black and clear white,

I idolized him, bending with love-sickness

fragrant with the breaths of youth, unadorned;

Fragrant with the breaths of forgotten youth

مُعتَدِلاً مُعتَدِياً في الهَوى

مُعتَدِلاً مُعتَدِياً في الهَوى

أَحبِب بِهِ مُعتَدِلاً مائِلا

أَحبِب بِهِ مُعتَدِلاً مائِلا

well-proportioned, yet transgressing in love.

Upright or violating propriety in passion

How lovable he is—upright, yet swaying!

I loved him upright yet inclining

غَشيتُ مِن مُقلَتِهِ بابِلاً

غَشيتُ مِن مُقلَتِهِ بابِلاً

سِحراً وَمِن لَحظَتِهِ نابِلا

سِحراً وَمِن لَحظَتِهِ نابِلا

In his eye I encountered Babylon—

I was bewitched by his eyelashes and glance

in its sorcery—and in his glance, an archer.

Enchanted and made tearful by his melting look

شَطَّ وَلي مِن شَغَفٍ فِكرَةٌ

شَطَّ وَلي مِن شَغَفٍ فِكرَةٌ

أَراهُ في مِرآتِها ماثِلا

أَراهُ في مِرآتِها ماثِلا

He went far away, but I have a thought born of passion,

Desire has let loose my thoughts like mares

in whose mirror I see him standing before me.

I see him reflected in their galloping stampede

فَما أَراهُ ظاعِناً راحِلاً

فَما أَراهُ ظاعِناً راحِلاً

إِلّا أَراهُ قاطِناً نازِلا

إِلّا أَراهُ قاطِناً نازِلا

Thus I never see him setting out, departing,

Whenever I see him departing and traveling

without seeing him dwelling, staying.

I find him staying and lodging

وَإِنَّ لي طَرفاً بِهِ ساهِداً

وَإِنَّ لي طَرفاً بِهِ ساهِداً

وَجداً وَدَمعاً هامِراً هامِلا

وَجداً وَدَمعاً هامِراً هامِلا

And indeed, I have an eye kept wakeful for him

And I have an eye that keeps vigil with him

by longing, and tears pouring, streaming,

My inner depths, tears and sighs keeping pace

كَأَنَّ نَومي ضَلَّ عَن ناظِري

كَأَنَّ نَومي ضَلَّ عَن ناظِري

فَباتَ دَمعي سائِلاً سائِلا

فَباتَ دَمعي سائِلاً سائِلا

as though my sleep had strayed from my eye,

As if my sleep had strayed from my eyes

and so my tears spent the night flowing, asking after it.

So my tears flowed ceaselessly through the night