يَدي كُلّ قتّالٍ وَطَرفكَ لا يَدي

يَدي كُلّ قتّالٍ وَطَرفكَ لا يَدي

فَلا تَخشَ في قَتلي سِوى اللَه يا ظَبيُ

فَلا تَخشَ في قَتلي سِوى اللَه يا ظَبيُ

Every slayer pays blood money, but your glance pays none.

My hand opposes every slayer, yet against your glance, my hand is powerless;

So fear none but God in killing me, O gazelle.

So fear none but God regarding my slaying, O gazelle.

يَميناً لَقَد أَفنى هَواكَ تَجَلُّدي

يَميناً لَقَد أَفنى هَواكَ تَجَلُّدي

وَأَروى فُؤادي حَيثُ لَم أَدرِ ما الغيُّ

وَأَروى فُؤادي حَيثُ لَم أَدرِ ما الغيُّ

I swear, love for you has consumed my fortitude,

I swear a solemn oath: your love has utterly annihilated my endurance,

And quenched my heart when I knew not what waywardness was.

And saturated my heart with passion when I yet knew not what error was.

يَقولونَ أَقصر كم فُؤادُكَ هائِماً

يَقولونَ أَقصر كم فُؤادُكَ هائِماً

فَقُلتُ دَعوني إِنَّما يَسمَعُ الحَيُّ

فَقُلتُ دَعوني إِنَّما يَسمَعُ الحَيُّ

They say, "Desist! How long will your heart remain lovesick?"

They say, "Desist! How long will your heart remain lost in distraction?"

So I said, "Leave me alone; only the living hear."

So I replied, "Let me be; surely only the living can hear."

يَموتُ أَسيرُ الحُبِّ قَبلَ اِنطِلاقِهِ

يَموتُ أَسيرُ الحُبِّ قَبلَ اِنطِلاقِهِ

وَما بيدِ المَملوكِ مِن أَمرِهِ شَيُّ

وَما بيدِ المَملوكِ مِن أَمرِهِ شَيُّ

Love's captive dies before his release,

The captive of love dies before his release,

And a slave has no control over his own affairs.

And the owned slave holds no power over his own fate.

يَسيرٌ عَلَيَّ الخَطبُ حينَ أَلِفتُهُ

يَسيرٌ عَلَيَّ الخَطبُ حينَ أَلِفتُهُ

وَأُلبستُهُ مُستَحسِناً فَهوَ لي زيُّ

وَأُلبستُهُ مُستَحسِناً فَهوَ لي زيُّ

The ordeal is easy for me now that I have grown used to it,

The calamity seems light to me now that I have grown accustomed to it,

And I was clothed in it, finding it pleasing, so it is my garb.

And I have donned it approvingly, so it has become my raiment.

يَكادُ الصَفا القاسي يَذوبُ صَبابَةً

يَكادُ الصَفا القاسي يَذوبُ صَبابَةً

إِذا وَطئتهُ الخُردُ اللَعسُ اللميُ

إِذا وَطئتهُ الخُردُ اللَعسُ اللميُ

The hard rock nearly melts with longing

The hard, solid rock nearly melts from the heat of longing,

When shy maidens with dark, dusky lips tread upon it.

Whenever the shy, dark-lipped maidens tread upon it.

يَئِستُ مِنَ السُلوانِ حَتّى نَكرتُهُ

يَئِستُ مِنَ السُلوانِ حَتّى نَكرتُهُ

فَلَو أَنَّني غيلانُ ما سُلِيَت مَيُّ

فَلَو أَنَّني غيلانُ ما سُلِيَت مَيُّ

I despaired of forgetting, until I found it strange;

I have despaired of solace until I no longer recognize it,

So, were I Ghaylan, Mayy would not be forgotten.

For even if I were Ghilan, Mayy would never be forgotten.

يَنابيعُ دَمعي مِن جُفوني تَحَدَّرَت

يَنابيعُ دَمعي مِن جُفوني تَحَدَّرَت

سَقَت رَبعَكُم حَتّى أَضَرَّ بِهِ السَقيُ

سَقَت رَبعَكُم حَتّى أَضَرَّ بِهِ السَقيُ

Fountains of my tears streamed down from my eyelids;

The springs of my tears have poured down from my eyelids,

They watered your dwelling until the watering harmed it.

Watering your dwelling-place until the deluge caused it harm.

يَهجن الهَوى حَتّى يرينَ كَيوسفٍ

يَهجن الهَوى حَتّى يرينَ كَيوسفٍ

وَيَذمُمنَ حُسناً زانَهُ الحَليُ وَالوَشيُ

وَيَذمُمنَ حُسناً زانَهُ الحَليُ وَالوَشيُ

They scorn love until they see someone like Yusuf,

They stir up passion until they appear as fair as Joseph,

And they disparage beauty adorned by jewelry and brocade.

And they disdain any beauty that requires jewelry and brocade.

يَكِلُّ وَيَعيا مَنطِقي وَشَكِيَّتي

يَكِلُّ وَيَعيا مَنطِقي وَشَكِيَّتي

وَمَنطِقُ مِثلي لا كَليل وَلا عَيُّ

وَمَنطِقُ مِثلي لا كَليل وَلا عَيُّ

My speech and my complaint grow weary and falter,

My speech and my complaint grow weary and falter,

Yet the speech of one like me is neither feeble nor inarticulate.

Though the speech of one such as I is neither dull nor inarticulate.