شِفارُ الهَوى قَصَّت جَناحي فَلَم أَطِر

شِفارُ الهَوى قَصَّت جَناحي فَلَم أَطِر

وَقَد يَطمَعُ المَقصوصُ أَن يَتَرَيَّشا

وَقَد يَطمَعُ المَقصوصُ أَن يَتَرَيَّشا

Love’s blades clipped my wings, and I could not fly;

Love's blades clipped my wing, so I could not fly.

The wings of passion have clipped my wings, so I cannot fly,

The blades of passion clipped my wings so I could not fly, / Though the clipped one still covets that his feathers might grow anew.

yet one whose wings are clipped may hope to grow new feathers.

Yet one whose wings are clipped may hope to grow feathers again.

Though the clipped may hope again to flutter and to fly.

I rent the collars of tears at the ruins when they were effaced, / And I cried out to the abode of intimacy, "Why have you become so desolate?"

شَقَقتُ جُيوبَ الدَمعِ في الربعِ إِذ عفا

شَقَقتُ جُيوبَ الدَمعِ في الربعِ إِذ عفا

وَنادَيتُ ربعَ الأُنسِ ما لك موحِشا

وَنادَيتُ ربعَ الأُنسِ ما لك موحِشا

I tore open the bosom of my tears at the encampment when it lay effaced,

I rent the collars of tears at the dwelling when it lay effaced,

My eyes rained tears in the empty quarter, and I called

We testify that the rain of our eyes has watered you, / While that from which you sought rain has only yielded thirst.

and called, “Abode of companionship, why are you desolate?”

And I called: 'Dwelling of companionship, why are you desolate?'

To the quarter of intimates - how lonesome and shy!

We drank of it and increased in mad passion and burning thirst; / Can the eyes ever extinguish the fire ignited within the vitals?

شَهِدنا لَقَد أَرواكَ غَيثُ عُيونِنا

شَهِدنا لَقَد أَرواكَ غَيثُ عُيونِنا

وَأَمّا الَّذي اِستَمطَرت مِنهُ فَأَعطَشا

وَأَمّا الَّذي اِستَمطَرت مِنهُ فَأَعطَشا

We bear witness: the rain of our eyes has indeed watered you;

We were there; the rain of our eyes indeed quenched your thirst,

Indeed we saw you were the rain of our eyes,

May God heal the livers of lovers from burning sorrow, / And restrain the tongue of tears concerning them, for often has it betrayed their secrets.

but the one from whom you begged rain left you thirsty.

But the one from whom you begged rain grew thirsty.

While that from which we drew rain left us dry.

They suffered in Udhri love even if they found happiness in it, / And they died, though had union been their cure, it would have given them life.

شَرِبناهُ فاِزدَدنا هُياماً وَغلَّةً

شَرِبناهُ فاِزدَدنا هُياماً وَغلَّةً

وَهَل يُطفئُ العينان ما شَبَّ في الحَشا

وَهَل يُطفئُ العينان ما شَبَّ في الحَشا

We drank it, only to grow more love-mad and more parched—

We drank it, and our lovesick frenzy and burning thirst increased.

We drank it, and became more lovesick and confused,

I became enamored with one who resembles the gazelle when he gazes, / And resembles the bamboo branch when he walks.

can two eyes extinguish what has blazed within the breast?

And can the two eyes quench what has flared within the breast?

Can two eyes quench what flared up in the soul?

A young fawn of intimacy hunted my heart with his glance, / And a peacock of beauty has built its nest within my soul.

شَفى اللَهُ أَكبادَ المُحِبّينَ مِن جَوى

شَفى اللَهُ أَكبادَ المُحِبّينَ مِن جَوى

وَكَفَّ لِسانَ الدَمعِ عَنهُم فَكَم وَشى

وَكَفَّ لِسانَ الدَمعِ عَنهُم فَكَم وَشى

May God heal lovers’ hearts of consuming passion,

May God heal lovers' livers of love's burning anguish,

May God heal the livers of lovers from passion,

I wielded patience for my heart against the radiance of his face, / But no sooner do I see him than I am struck with bewilderment.

and silence the tongue of tears away from them—how often it has betrayed them!

And keep the tongue of tears from them—how often it has betrayed their secrets!

And stop the tongue of tears from them - how much it let fly!

I was mighty in strength and patience, yet he demolished me; / It is grief enough that the fawn lays low the lion.

شَقوا بِالهَوى العذرِيِّ لَو سَعِدوا بِهِ

شَقوا بِالهَوى العذرِيِّ لَو سَعِدوا بِهِ

وَماتوا وَلَو داواهُم الوَصل عَيَّشا

وَماتوا وَلَو داواهُم الوَصل عَيَّشا

They suffered through chaste ʿUdhri love—had they but found happiness in it!—

They suffered in chaste love—if only they had found happiness in it!

They were martyred by chaste love, and if union revived them,

and died; had union healed them, it would have restored them to life.

And they died; had union healed them, it would have kept them alive.

They'd have died again - union gives life to then die.

شُغِفتُ بِمَن يحكي الغَزالَ إِذا رَنا

شُغِفتُ بِمَن يحكي الغَزالَ إِذا رَنا

وَيَحكي قَضيبَ الخَيزران إِذا مَشى

وَيَحكي قَضيبَ الخَيزران إِذا مَشى

I am enamored of one who resembles a gazelle when he gazes,

I was smitten with one who resembles a gazelle when he gazes,

I'm passionate for one whose gait mimics the graceful deer,

and resembles a supple bamboo stem when he walks:

And resembles a bamboo stem when he walks.

And whose posture mimics the bending branches of trees.

شُوَيدنُ أُنسٍ صادَ قَلبي بِلَحظِهِ

شُوَيدنُ أُنسٍ صادَ قَلبي بِلَحظِهِ

وَطاووسُ حُسنٍ في فُؤادي عَشَّشا

وَطاووسُ حُسنٍ في فُؤادي عَشَّشا

a darling little fawn who captured my heart with his glance,

A tame little fawn captured my heart with his glance,

An intimate of beauty hunted my heart with his glance,

a peacock of beauty who has nested in my heart.

And a peacock of beauty nested in my heart.

A peacock of beauty nested in my heart and took roost.

شَرَعتُ بِقَلبي الصَبرَ عَن حرِّ وَجهِهِ

شَرَعتُ بِقَلبي الصَبرَ عَن حرِّ وَجهِهِ

فَما هُوَ إِلّا أَن أَراهُ فَأدهَشا

فَما هُوَ إِلّا أَن أَراهُ فَأدهَشا

I armed my heart with patience against the ardor of his face,

I enjoined my heart to endure separation from his fair face,

I set out to be patient despite his radiant face,

yet as soon as I see him, I stand bewildered.

But no sooner do I see him than I am bewildered.

But I cannot help but see him and feel amazed.

شَديد القُوى وَالصَبر كُنتُ فَهَدَّني

شَديد القُوى وَالصَبر كُنتُ فَهَدَّني

كَفى حزناً أَن يَصرَعَ الأَسد الرَشا

كَفى حزناً أَن يَصرَعَ الأَسد الرَشا

Strong in both might and patience I once was, but he broke me;

I was mighty in strength and patience, yet he shattered me.

Strong and patient was I, yet he tamed me.

sorrow enough that a young gazelle should fell a lion.

It is sorrow enough that the fawn should fell the lion.

It's sorrow enough that the lion was felled by the fly.