جفتني أنْ صددتُ ولي لديها

جفتني أنْ صددتُ ولي لديها

أسيرا ذِلّةٍ بدنٌ ونفسُ

أسيرا ذِلّةٍ بدنٌ ونفسُ

She shunned me for turning away, though in her keeping are

You spurned me when I sought you, though for you

My body and soul, two captives of humiliation.

I am a captive, abject in body and soul.

وأغضبها انصرافُ الطرفِ عنها

وأغضبها انصرافُ الطرفِ عنها

وفيه عليَّ خُسران ووكسُ

وفيه عليَّ خُسران ووكسُ

And turning my gaze away from her angered her,

My looking away angered you, though in it

Though that brings me loss and deprivation.

For me was loss and humiliation.

ولكني عشِيتُ لنورِ شمس

ولكني عشِيتُ لنورِ شمس

ملاحظتي لها سَرقٌ وخَلْس

ملاحظتي لها سَرقٌ وخَلْس

But I was dazzled by the light of a sun;

But I feared that the light of the sun observing us

My glances at her are stolen and furtive.

Would be theft and shame on my part.

وأنَّى لي بنظرةِ مستديم

وأنَّى لي بنظرةِ مستديم

إذا ما قابلتْ عينيَّ شمس

إذا ما قابلتْ عينيَّ شمس

And how could I hold a steady gaze

How could I gaze steadily

When a sun confronts my eyes?

If my eyes met the sun?

وكم صدَّتْ وإن لم أجنِ ذنباً

وكم صدَّتْ وإن لم أجنِ ذنباً

وأعقبَ صدَّها قَطْبٌ وعبْس

وأعقبَ صدَّها قَطْبٌ وعبْس

And how often she turned away, though I had done no wrong,

Often you spurned me though I sinned not,

And frowning and scowling followed her turning away.

And after your spurning came frowning and sullenness.

فلم أعتب لذاك وإن أضاقت

فلم أعتب لذاك وإن أضاقت

عليَّ الأرضَ حتى قلت حبْس

عليَّ الأرضَ حتى قلت حبْس

Yet I did not reproach her for that, though she made

Yet I did not complain of that, though you straitened

The earth so cramped for me that I said, 'A prison!'

The earth for me until I felt it a prison.

أيا شمس النهارِ سَناً وعزّاً

أيا شمس النهارِ سَناً وعزّاً

يقصِّر عنهما نظرٌ ولمسُ

يقصِّر عنهما نظرٌ ولمسُ

O sun of day, whose radiance and majesty

O sun of the day, exalted in glory and age,

Lie beyond the reach of sight and touch!

Sight and touch fall short of reaching you.

أحِلٌّ أن تنامي عن سهادي

أحِلٌّ أن تنامي عن سهادي

ولي مذ بانَ عني النومُ خمس

ولي مذ بانَ عني النومُ خمس

Is it lawful for you to sleep, heedless of my sleeplessness,

It is right that you set away from my pillow

While five nights have passed since sleep left me?

Though sleep has been banished from me this five nights.

ولم آمل غداً لكِ فيه عدل

ولم آمل غداً لكِ فيه عدل

وإلا قلتُ خير منه أمس

وإلا قلتُ خير منه أمس

And never have I hoped for a tomorrow of fairness from you,

I hoped not tomorrow would bring you justice,

Without saying, 'Yesterday was better than it.'

Else I should have said: Better than this was yesterday.

أبشُّ وتعبسين وذاك بخسٌ

أبشُّ وتعبسين وذاك بخسٌ

وليس يحل في الإسلام بخس

وليس يحل في الإسلام بخس

I smile while you frown, and that is shortchanging;

You frown at me and that is injustice,

And shortchanging is not lawful in Islam.

And it is not lawful in Islam to act unjustly.

تطيعين الوشاةَ إذا وشَوْا بي

تطيعين الوشاةَ إذا وشَوْا بي

وأكثرُ قيلهم دَحْسٌ وحدس

وأكثرُ قيلهم دَحْسٌ وحدس

You obey the slanderers when they slander me,

You obey the slanderers when they slander me

And most of their talk is malicious insinuation and conjecture.

And most of their talk is raving and guesswork.

وكم واشٍ وشى بكِ غير آلٍ

وكم واشٍ وشى بكِ غير آلٍ

فآب وحظُه تَعْس ونكس

فآب وحظُه تَعْس ونكس

And many a slanderer has slandered you, sparing no effort,

Many a slanderer has slandered me, bent on mischief,

Yet returned with misery and downfall as his lot.

Then slipped and his fortune was misery and overthrow.

أميّز كل شيءٍ من أموري

أميّز كل شيءٍ من أموري

سوى أمري لديكِ ففيه لبس

سوى أمري لديكِ ففيه لبس

I can make sense of everything in my affairs,

I distinguish each thing in my affairs

Except my affair with you, for there is confusion in it.

Except my affair with you - in that is confusion.

أيسفكُ للوشاة دم ثمينٌ

أيسفكُ للوشاة دم ثمينٌ

وقيمةُ كل ما يَحكون فَلسُ

وقيمةُ كل ما يَحكون فَلسُ

Is precious blood to be shed for slanderers,

For slanderers I do not shed precious blood,

When all they recount is worth a single fals?

And the value of all they say is a flea.

غرستِ هوى فَربيه بحفظٍ

غرستِ هوى فَربيه بحفظٍ

فليس يُرَبّ بالتضييع غرس

فليس يُرَبّ بالتضييع غرس

You planted love, so nurture it with care;

You planted a love - then tend it with care,

For no sapling is nurtured through neglect.

For a plant is not tended by neglecting it.