قلبي من الطرفِ السَّقيم سقيمُ

قلبي من الطرفِ السَّقيم سقيمُ

لو أنَّ من أشكو إليه رحيمُ

لو أنَّ من أشكو إليه رحيمُ

My heart is sick from the sickly gaze.

My heart from the frail side is frail

If only the one to whom I complain were merciful.

If only he to whom I complain is kind

أضحى يُنَغِّصُنِي النسيمَ نسيمُه

أضحى يُنَغِّصُنِي النسيمَ نسيمُه

أفلا يُهنيني النسيمَ نسيمُ

أفلا يُهنيني النسيمَ نسيمُ

His breeze has come to spoil the breeze for me;

The breeze with its breeze makes me miserable

Then can no breeze make the breeze pleasant to me?

Why doesn't the breeze make me happy with its breeze

مِنْ وجهها أبداً نهارٌ واضحٌ

مِنْ وجهها أبداً نهارٌ واضحٌ

من فرعها ليلٌ عليه بهيم

من فرعها ليلٌ عليه بهيم

From her face comes an ever-radiant day;

From her face is ever daylight

From her tresses, a pitch-dark night lies over it.

From her branch is night over which stars keep vigil

إنْ أقبلتْ فالبدرُ لاح وإن مَشَتْ

إنْ أقبلتْ فالبدرُ لاح وإن مَشَتْ

فالغصنُ راح وإنْ رنَتْ فالرِّيم

فالغصنُ راح وإنْ رنَتْ فالرِّيم

If she approaches, the full moon appears; and if she walks,

If she turns her face the full moon shines and if she walks

Then a bough sways; and if she gazes, there is the white gazelle.

The bough stirs and if she sings the wild cows moo

نعمتْ بها عَيني فطالَ عذابُها

نعمتْ بها عَيني فطالَ عذابُها

ولكَمْ عذابٌ قد جناه نعيم

ولكَمْ عذابٌ قد جناه نعيم

My eye delighted in her, and its torment grew long;

My eyes enjoyed her so her torment was prolonged

And how much torment bliss has brought about!

And how much torment does pleasure hide

نظرتْ فأقصدتِ الفؤادَ بسهمِها

نظرتْ فأقصدتِ الفؤادَ بسهمِها

ثم انثنَتْ نَحْوِي فكِدتُ أهيم

ثم انثنَتْ نَحْوِي فكِدتُ أهيم

She looked and struck my heart dead with her arrow;

She glanced at me and aimed at my heart with her arrow

Then she turned toward me, and I nearly went mad with love.

Then she inclined towards me and I almost swooned

ويْلاهُ إنْ نَظَرتْ وإن هِيَ أعْرضتْ

ويْلاهُ إنْ نَظَرتْ وإن هِيَ أعْرضتْ

وقعُ السِّهام ونَزْعُهُنَّ أليم

وقعُ السِّهام ونَزْعُهُنَّ أليم

Alas for me, whether she looks or turns away!

Woe to me if she looks and woe if she turns away

The arrows' impact, and their withdrawal, are painful.

The arrows strike as she draws them out, painfully

ولمَا دَهَتْنِي دون عيني عينُها

ولمَا دَهَتْنِي دون عيني عينُها

لكنَّ غِبَّ النظرتيْن وخيم

لكنَّ غِبَّ النظرتيْن وخيم

Nor would her eye have afflicted me without my own;

And when her eyesapproach mine beneath my eyes

But the aftermath of the two glances is dire.

But the two glances were fleeting and momentary

ولما البليَّةُ من خصيمٍ واحدٍ

ولما البليَّةُ من خصيمٍ واحدٍ

ما لم يكن للمرء منه خصيم

ما لم يكن للمرء منه خصيم

Nor does calamity come from a single adversary,

And when calamity comes from a single foe

Unless a man has an adversary within himself.

One who was no foe becomes like a foe

يا مستحلَّ دمي مُحَرِّم رَحْمتي

يا مستحلَّ دمي مُحَرِّم رَحْمتي

ما أنصفَ التحليل والتحريم

ما أنصفَ التحليل والتحريم

O you who deem my blood lawful, yet forbid mercy toward me,

O you who legitimize shedding my blood, unlawful to spill

Such permission and prohibition are unjust.

Legitimacy and prohibition were not just

إن الذي وهبتْ يداه مثلكم

إن الذي وهبتْ يداه مثلكم

يا آل وهب للْعُلا لكريم

يا آل وهب للْعُلا لكريم

Indeed, he whose hands gave the likes of you

They who endowed the likes of you, O family of Wahb

To glory, O house of Wahb, is truly generous.

With sublime nobility, were generous

ولئن تَهيَّأ للزمانِ وِلادكم

ولئن تَهيَّأ للزمانِ وِلادكم

إن الزمان بمثلكم لعقيمُ

إن الزمان بمثلكم لعقيمُ

And though Time was able to bring you to birth,

And if there comes a time your equals are born

Time is surely barren of your like.

Time with your equals would be barren

لتَروْن سائلكُمْ أحقَّ بمالِكم

لتَروْن سائلكُمْ أحقَّ بمالِكم

من بعضِكُمْ حتَّى يُقالَ غريم

من بعضِكُمْ حتَّى يُقالَ غريم

You surely deem the one who asks you more entitled to your wealth

You will see your questioner has more right to your wealth

Than some of you, until he is called a creditor.

Than some of you, until it is said he is covetous

ويحُلُّ في عَلْيا مَراتِب ودِّكُمْ

ويحُلُّ في عَلْيا مَراتِب ودِّكُمْ

وخصوصِكُمْ حتى يُقالَ حميمُ

وخصوصِكُمْ حتى يُقالَ حميمُ

And he occupies the highest ranks of your affection

And your exclusivity and intimacy will be dissolved

And your intimacy, until he is called a close friend.

Until it is said they were confidants

كم من مهيب منكُمُ تعنو له

كم من مهيب منكُمُ تعنو له

غُلْبُ الأُسودِ وإنَّه لحليم

غُلْبُ الأُسودِ وإنَّه لحليم

How many an awe-inspiring man among you, to whom

How many formidable among you are provoked

Thick-necked lions bow—yet he is truly forbearing!

By the oppression of the black though he be forbearing

ومُخَدَّعٍ عند السؤالِ كأنه

ومُخَدَّعٍ عند السؤالِ كأنه

غِرٌّ هناك وإنّه لحكيم

غِرٌّ هناك وإنّه لحكيم

And one readily deceived when asked, as though

And how many deceitful, who when asked seem

He were naïve in that matter—yet he is truly wise.

Ignorant, and yet are wise

ومغفَّل عن كل عثرةِ عاثرٍ

ومغفَّل عن كل عثرةِ عاثرٍ

دأبَ الغبيِّ وإنَّه لعليم

دأبَ الغبيِّ وإنَّه لعليم

And one heedless of every stumbler's misstep,

And how many listless toward every wrong

In the manner of a fool—yet he is truly knowledgeable.

With the persistence of a fool, and yet he is knowing

مِمَّنْ أقامَ له الطباعُ قناته

مِمَّنْ أقامَ له الطباعُ قناته

لا مَنْ أقام قناتَه التقويم

لا مَنْ أقام قناتَه التقويم

One whose inborn nature has set his spear-shaft straight,

Of those whom nature built his canal

Not one whose spear-shaft was straightened by discipline.

Not those who built the canal through discipline

لله أمرُكُمُ الذي لو أنَّهُ

لله أمرُكُمُ الذي لو أنَّهُ

رجلٌ لقال له الرجالُ وسيم

رجلٌ لقال له الرجالُ وسيم

God be praised for your conduct, which, if it were

God's command concerning you, which if it were

A man, men would call him handsome.

A man, men would call him comely

لا كان فيه مع النَّماءِ نقيصةٌ

لا كان فيه مع النَّماءِ نقيصةٌ

وصفا له التَّخلْيدُ والتَتْميم

وصفا له التَّخلْيدُ والتَتْميم

May no defect arise in it as it grows,

Without any growth or diminishment

And may perpetuity and perfection be its untroubled lot.

And accord him immortality and esteem

كم تسكتونَ عن الذي تولونَهُ

كم تسكتونَ عن الذي تولونَهُ

لتصغِّروه وإنَّه لجسيم

لتصغِّروه وإنَّه لجسيم

How often you keep silent about what you bestow,

How much you keep silent about one you befriend

To make it seem small, though it is truly immense!

To belittle him though he be momentous

والله يُعْظِمُ قدر معروف لكم

والله يُعْظِمُ قدر معروف لكم

لم تُعظِمُوه وإنَّه لعظيم

لم تُعظِمُوه وإنَّه لعظيم

And God magnifies the worth of a kindness of yours

And God magnifies the worth of a boon to you

That you have not magnified, though it is truly great.

You did not esteem though it be tremendous

واللَّهُ يبعثُني عليكُمْ إنَّني

واللَّهُ يبعثُني عليكُمْ إنَّني

بإذاعةِ العُرف السَّتِير زعيم

بإذاعةِ العُرف السَّتِير زعيم

And God sends me against you; indeed, I

And God sends me against you. Truly I

Am pledged to proclaim your hidden kindness.

Lead the discreet who keep hidden affairs

ولحَسبُكُم بنميم ما تُخفونَه

ولحَسبُكُم بنميم ما تُخفونَه

منا وللمسْكِ الذكيِّ نَمِيم

منا وللمسْكِ الذكيِّ نَمِيم

And enough for you is the tale-bearing of what you hide

Your maligning what you hide from us is enough

From us; fragrant musk, too, has a tale to tell.

For the chaste and silent spy