ظَفرتُ بِقُربٍ مِنك حَتّى إِذا صَفَت

ظَفرتُ بِقُربٍ مِنك حَتّى إِذا صَفَت

حَياتي وَأَدنَتني إِلَيك حُظوظُ

حَياتي وَأَدنَتني إِلَيك حُظوظُ

I won the joy of closeness to you, until, just when it had grown serene—

I won nearness to you, until, just when serenity filled

I gained closeness to you until when

I triumphed in gaining your nearness, until when my life turned pure and fortunes drew me close,

my life, and my fortunes had drawn me near to you—

My life, and good fortune drew me close to you,

My life was fulfilled and my fortunes brought me near to you

I departed while my heart remained a deposit in your hands; are you, then, a faithful guardian of what is entrusted?

ظَعنتُ وَقَلبي في يَدَيك وَديعَة

ظَعنتُ وَقَلبي في يَدَيك وَديعَة

فَهَل أَنت لِلمُستَودَعاتِ حَفوظُ

فَهَل أَنت لِلمُستَودَعاتِ حَفوظُ

I journeyed away, leaving my heart in your hands for safekeeping;

I departed, my heart a trust in your hands;

I became infatuated and my heart in your hands a deposit

You have wronged my heart—how have I come to be without it, when you are my heart? Indeed, this is a vexing plight.

so are you a faithful guardian of things entrusted to you?

Are you, then, a faithful keeper of entrusted things?

So are you for deposits a protector?

I thirst, yet water cannot quench my burning need; I am scorched, as though sweltering in the heat of heavy sighs.

ظَلَمت فُؤادي كَيفَ أَصبَحتُ دونَهُ

ظَلَمت فُؤادي كَيفَ أَصبَحتُ دونَهُ

وَأَنت فُؤادي إِنّ ذا لِيَغيظُ

وَأَنت فُؤادي إِنّ ذا لِيَغيظُ

You wronged my heart: how have I come to live without it,

I wronged my heart—how have I come to be without it?

My heart darkened - how it became without it

The shadows of love turned to scorching heat, leaving me in the toxic winds of longing, from which I nearly perished.

when you are my heart? This truly fills me with rage.

And you are my heart; this is truly maddening.

While you are my heart - indeed, this angers me

I deemed that Fate would remain at peace, but alas—the war of calamities is relentless and crowding.

ظَمِئتُ وَما يَشفي لي الماءُ غلَّةً

ظَمِئتُ وَما يَشفي لي الماءُ غلَّةً

وأشوى كَأَنّي لِلزَّفيرِ أَقيظُ

وأشوى كَأَنّي لِلزَّفيرِ أَقيظُ

I thirst, yet water cannot cure the burning thirst within me;

I am thirsty, and water does not quench my burning thirst;

I thirsted and water does not quench my thirst

The sharp edges of passion, abandonment, censure, and distance—alongside a slanderer and a jealous guard watching over me.

I burn, as though I were sweltering amid my sighs.

And I am scorched, as though I spend summer amid sighs.

I yearn as if for sighing I were awake

Darkness flowing over dawn, a slender bough swaying above a sand dune—there, love struts proudly and walks with arrogance.

ظِلالُ الهَوى عادَت حَروراً فَظَلتُ في

ظِلالُ الهَوى عادَت حَروراً فَظَلتُ في

سُموم اِشتِياقٍ كِدتُ مِنهُ أَفيظُ

سُموم اِشتِياقٍ كِدتُ مِنهُ أَفيظُ

Love’s shade has turned to scorching heat, and I remain engulfed in

Love's shades turned to scorching heat, so I remained in

The shadows of passion returned hot so I remained in

By my life, lovers are graceful souls; none blame them save the hard-hearted and coarse.

the searing wind of longing, from which I nearly perish.

A searing wind of longing, from which I nearly died.

The poisons of longing, I almost because of it perished

I have risen above the envious in merit, for I am of pure origin, while every envier is but common rabble.

ظَنَنتُ بِأَنَّ الدَهرَ يَبقى مُسالِماً

ظَنَنتُ بِأَنَّ الدَهرَ يَبقى مُسالِماً

وَهَيهاتَ حَربُ النائِباتِ كَظوظُ

وَهَيهاتَ حَربُ النائِباتِ كَظوظُ

I thought that time would remain at peace with me—

I thought that time would remain peaceable,

I thought that fate would remain peaceful

but far from it! The warfare of calamities is crushing.

But far from it! The war of calamities is crushing.

Alas, the war of misfortunes is rugged

ظُباتُ الهَوى وَالهَجر وَالعَذل وَالنَوى

ظُباتُ الهَوى وَالهَجر وَالعَذل وَالنَوى

وَواشٍ وَغَيران عَلَيَّ حَفيظُ

وَواشٍ وَغَيران عَلَيَّ حَفيظُ

The blades of love, desertion, reproach, and separation,

The blade-edges of love, estrangement, reproach, and separation,

The ghosts of passion, estrangement, disdain, and enmity

a tale-bearer, and a jealous rival—all keep hostile watch over me.

And a talebearer, and a jealous one resentful of me.

And the jealous, the hostile - over me a guard

ظَلامٌ عَلى صُبح وَغُصنٌ عَلى نَقاً

ظَلامٌ عَلى صُبح وَغُصنٌ عَلى نَقاً

هُنالِكَ يَختالُ الهَوى وَيَجوظُ

هُنالِكَ يَختالُ الهَوى وَيَجوظُ

Darkness over dawn, and a willow branch upon a sandy hill—

Darkness upon dawn, and a branch upon a dune:

Darkness upon the dawn and a branch upon delicacy

there love struts proudly and swaggers.

There love struts and swaggers.

There, passion struts about and capers

ظِرافٌ لَعَمري العاشِقونَ وَإِنَّما

ظِرافٌ لَعَمري العاشِقونَ وَإِنَّما

يَلومُهُمُ قاسي الفُؤادِ غَليظُ

يَلومُهُمُ قاسي الفُؤادِ غَليظُ

Charming, by my life, are lovers; only

Charming, by my life, are lovers; and only

For my life, the passionate are gentle and yet

a hard-hearted, coarse man would blame them.

A hard-hearted, coarse man reproaches them.

Only the hard of heart blame them

ظَهَرتُ عَلى الحُسّادِ في الفَضلِ إِنَّني

ظَهَرتُ عَلى الحُسّادِ في الفَضلِ إِنَّني

صَميمٌ وَكُلُّ الحاسِدينَ وَشيظُ

صَميمٌ وَكُلُّ الحاسِدينَ وَشيظُ

I have surpassed the envious in excellence: truly, I am

I surpassed the envious in excellence; indeed, I

I appeared over the envious in merit - I am indeed

of pure stock, while every envier is an interloper.

Am of true stock, and every envier is an outsider.

The quintessence while all the envious are despicable