سهِرْت غرَاماً والخلِيُّون نوَّم

سهِرْت غرَاماً والخلِيُّون نوَّم

وكيْفَ ينامُ المُسْتهامُ المتَيَّمُ

وكيْفَ ينامُ المُسْتهامُ المتَيَّمُ

I stayed awake in longing, while the carefree slept.

I stayed up all night in love's passion, while those who blame slept

And how can one maddened and enslaved by love sleep?

How can one possessed by love sleep, when love has made him restless?

وتادَمَني بعدَ الحبيبِ ثلاثةٌ

وتادَمَني بعدَ الحبيبِ ثلاثةٌ

غَرامي ووجْدي والسَّقامُ المخيَّمُ

غَرامي ووجْدي والسَّقامُ المخيَّمُ

And after the beloved, three kept me company:

After my beloved came three companions to stay with me

My passion, my yearning, and the sickness that has made camp.

My love, my longing, and my sickness that has set up camp

أأحْبابَنا إن كانَ قَتْلي رِضَاكُم

أأحْبابَنا إن كانَ قَتْلي رِضَاكُم

فَها مُهْجَتي طَوْعا لكم فتحكَّموا

فَها مُهْجَتي طَوْعا لكم فتحكَّموا

O our beloved ones, if killing me pleases you,

If our killing pleases you, my beloveds

Then here is my lifeblood, freely yours—do as you will.

You ignited my love and then you sat down

أقمتمْ غرامي في الهوى وقَعدْتم

أقمتمْ غرامي في الهوى وقَعدْتم

وأسهَرْتموا جَفني القَريحَ ونمْتمُ

وأسهَرْتموا جَفني القَريحَ ونمْتمُ

You made my passion rise in love, and sat down yourselves.

And deprived my eyes of sleep while you slept

And you kept my wounded eyelid wakeful, while you slept.

And you brought together my wakefulness and my watcher

وألَّفتمُ بينَ السُّهادِ وناظِري

وألَّفتمُ بينَ السُّهادِ وناظِري

فلا القَلْب يسلاكمْ ولا العينُ تكتمُ

فلا القَلْب يسلاكمْ ولا العينُ تكتمُ

And you joined sleeplessness to my eye;

So neither my heart can reach you, nor my eye conceal you

So the heart does not forget you, nor does the eye conceal it.

You promised we’d meet with kindness

وعاهَدْتمونا أنكم تحسنو اللِّقا

وعاهَدْتمونا أنكم تحسنو اللِّقا

فلمَّا تملَّكتمْ قيادي هجرْتمُ

فلمَّا تملَّكتمْ قيادي هجرْتمُ

And you promised us a gracious meeting,

But when you took charge of me, you shunned me

Then, when you took hold of my reins, you abandoned me.

I have no fault with you except that

وما لي ذنبٌ عندَكمُ غير أنَّني

وما لي ذنبٌ عندَكمُ غير أنَّني

وفيْتُ لمن أغْدرْتمُ فغدَرتمُ

وفيْتُ لمن أغْدرْتمُ فغدَرتمُ

And I have no fault in your eyes except that I

I was loyal to one you betrayed, so you betrayed me

Kept faith with the one you abandoned, so you betrayed me.

Do you not fear God in killing a lover?

أما تتَّقونَ الله في قتْل عاشِقٍ

أما تتَّقونَ الله في قتْل عاشِقٍ

أمنتم صُروفَ الحادِثاتِ أمنتمُ

أمنتم صُروفَ الحادِثاتِ أمنتمُ

Do you not fear God when killing a lover?

Did you feel secure from the turns of fate?

Do you feel safe from the turns of calamity—do you feel safe?

I fell in love with you as a child, not knowing what love was

تعَشَّقتكُم طِفلاً ولم أدْر ما الهوى

تعَشَّقتكُم طِفلاً ولم أدْر ما الهوى

فَلا تقْتُلوني أنْتمُ فيُعلَم

فَلا تقْتُلوني أنْتمُ فيُعلَم

I loved you as a child, not knowing what love was.

So do not kill me, that it may be known

So do not kill me yourselves, lest it be known.

You wounded my heart with estrangement and abandonment

جرحْتمُ فؤادي بالقَطيعَةِ والجفَا

جرحْتمُ فؤادي بالقَطيعَةِ والجفَا

فَيالَيْتكُم داوَيْتم ما قَطعتم

فَيالَيْتكُم داوَيْتم ما قَطعتم

You wounded my heart with estrangement and coldness;

I wish you would heal what you have severed

Oh, if only you would heal what you have severed!

O judge of lovers, be just in my case

فيَا قاضي العُشَّاقِ كُنْ في قضيتي

فيَا قاضي العُشَّاقِ كُنْ في قضيتي

وكُن منصفي من ظالِمٍ يتظلَّمُ

وكُن منصفي من ظالِمٍ يتظلَّمُ

So, O judge of lovers, take up my case,

And be an unbiased arbiter for one who seeks justice, wronged

And do me justice against an oppressor who claims to be wronged.

I am afflicted by one whose heart knows no tenderness

بلِيتُ بمن لا يعرفُ العطفُ قلبَهُ

بلِيتُ بمن لا يعرفُ العطفُ قلبَهُ

يعذِّبُ قلبي وهو عنْدي مكرَّمُ

يعذِّبُ قلبي وهو عنْدي مكرَّمُ

I am afflicted with one whose heart is unknown to tenderness;

He tortures my heart yet I hold him in high esteem

He torments my heart, though I hold him in honor.

How is one whose heart is with another?

فمن قَلبُه مع غيرِه كَيف حالُه

فمن قَلبُه مع غيرِه كَيف حالُه

ومن سرُّه في جفْنه كيف يكْتُم

ومن سرُّه في جفْنه كيف يكْتُم

So how fares one whose heart is with another?

How can one whose secret is in his eyelids conceal it?

And one whose secret lies in his eyelid—how can he hide it?

If I do not find you to exchange greetings

إذا لم أجدْ لي في السَّلام مُراسلاً

إذا لم أجدْ لي في السَّلام مُراسلاً

أمُرَّ على أبوابكم فأسلّم

أمُرَّ على أبوابكم فأسلّم

If I find no messenger to carry my greeting,

I will pass by your homes to greet you

I pass by your doors and offer my greeting.

After the loved ones, there is only misery for me

وما بعدَ الأحبابُ إِلا لِشِقوتي

وما بعدَ الأحبابُ إِلا لِشِقوتي

ولكن علَيّا علمُوا فتعَلّموا

ولكن علَيّا علمُوا فتعَلّموا

And the beloved grew distant only because of my ill fortune;

But they have taught me, so I have learned

But they knew about me, and so they learned.

I embarked with God's secret upon the sea of your love

ركِبتُ بسرِّ الله في بحر عِشْقكم

ركِبتُ بسرِّ الله في بحر عِشْقكم

فيا ربِّ سلّمْ أنتَ نِعْمَ المسلِّمُ

فيا ربِّ سلّمْ أنتَ نِعْمَ المسلِّمُ

By God's secret, I embarked on the sea of love for you;

O Lord, deliver me safely for You are the Best Deliverer

So, my Lord, keep me safe—how excellent a protector You are!