لقد ظن العذول نسيت حاشا

لقد ظن العذول نسيت حاشا

هوى من حبه سكن المشاشا

هوى من حبه سكن المشاشا

The reproacher thought I had forgotten—far from it—

The fool thought I forgot, never!

The love of one whose love has settled in my very bones.

The passion of his love settled in my heart.

ذهلت به فلم اعبأ بنفسي

ذهلت به فلم اعبأ بنفسي

ولا ثوبا اردت ولا فراشا

ولا ثوبا اردت ولا فراشا

I was so lost in him that I cared nothing for myself,

I was dazed with him, and cared not for myself,

Wanting neither a garment nor a bed.

Neither clothes nor bedding did I want.

والبس من رقيق النسج شاشا

والبس من رقيق النسج شاشا

ولب جوانحي اضحى محاشا

ولب جوانحي اضحى محاشا

I wear gauze of finely woven fabric,

And I wore the finest spun garment,

While the core within my ribs has become scorched.

And my wings became a dwelling place.

يرد العقل قلبي عن هواه

يرد العقل قلبي عن هواه

وكيف يرد وهو غدا فراشا

وكيف يرد وهو غدا فراشا

Reason would turn my heart away from its love;

Reason desires to return my heart from its passion,

But how can it turn it back, when it has become a moth?

But how can it return when it has become its home?

رمى حب الفؤاد بسهم وجد

رمى حب الفؤاد بسهم وجد

فادماه وسهم الصبر طاشا

فادماه وسهم الصبر طاشا

Love struck the heart with an arrow of longing,

Love's arrow pierced my heart,

And made it bleed, while patience's arrow went astray.

Wounding it, while the arrow of patience was shattered.

ومن عجب متى مرت بفكري

ومن عجب متى مرت بفكري

شمائله تقيم به اندهاشا

شمائله تقيم به اندهاشا

And a wonder it is: whenever they cross my mind,

How wondrous! Whenever his features crossed my mind,

His qualities stir astonishment there.

They left me in awe and wonder.

به قد عشت ميتا في هواه

به قد عشت ميتا في هواه

وتعجب دعد كيف الميت عاشا

وتعجب دعد كيف الميت عاشا

Through him I have lived dead in love with him,

For his love I lived as one dead,

And Da‘d marvels: how did the dead man live?

And be amazed - how did the dead live?

فاخلو والنصول تنوش كلى

فاخلو والنصول تنوش كلى

وللعذال ادّرع القماشا

وللعذال ادّرع القماشا

I withdraw alone while spearheads assail my kidneys,

So leave me, and the gazelles graze freely,

And against the reproachers I put on cloth as armor.

While I cloak myself in fabric.

فنارى لا تزال تؤج اجا

فنارى لا تزال تؤج اجا

وماطر دمعتي يسقى العطاشا

وماطر دمعتي يسقى العطاشا

My fire still blazes fiercely,

My fire continues blazing,

And the rain-cloud of my tears waters the thirsty.

While my tears water the thirsty.

يجانبني فينزلني دمشقا

يجانبني فينزلني دمشقا

بفكرته وقد يحتل شاشا

بفكرته وقد يحتل شاشا

He shuns me, yet lodges me in Damascus

He shuns me, settling in Damascus,

Through thought of him, though he may dwell in Shash.

While his memory resides in Aleppo.

ورب مخادع ابدى وداداً

ورب مخادع ابدى وداداً

اليّ وقلبه ملىء اغتشاشا

اليّ وقلبه ملىء اغتشاشا

Many a deceiver has shown affection

How many deceitful ones feigned affection,

To me, while his heart was full of deceit.

While their hearts were filled with hatred!

اقول له هداك الله تبغي

اقول له هداك الله تبغي

بما خادعت للجيف انتهاشا

بما خادعت للجيف انتهاشا

I tell him: May God guide you! You seek,

I say to him whom God has led astray -

Through your deception, to tear at carrion.

With your deception, only rot awaits you.

وقف يا خائنا قد خان عهدي

وقف يا خائنا قد خان عهدي

ولا تأمن فيمضي الله ماشا

ولا تأمن فيمضي الله ماشا

Stop, you traitor who has betrayed my covenant,

Stop, O traitor, for you have betrayed my covenant,

And feel no safety: God carries out what He wills.

And do not feel safe, for God goes on.

نقضت صريح عهدك عن هنات

نقضت صريح عهدك عن هنات

وليس بغافل مولاك حاشا

وليس بغافل مولاك حاشا

You broke your explicit pledge over petty faults,

You have plainly broken your solemn oath,

Yet your Lord is not heedless—far from it.

And your Master is not unaware - never!

صدعت القلب لا تبعا لواش

صدعت القلب لا تبعا لواش

بغش الطبع حسنت الغشاشا

بغش الطبع حسنت الغشاشا

You shattered the heart, not at a slanderer's bidding;

You have split my heart without a companion to console me,

With your innate deceit, you made the cheat seem fair.

Deceiving me with your wickedness.

وقد هارشت طبعك بالدنايا

وقد هارشت طبعك بالدنايا

وان الليث يحتقر الهراشا

وان الليث يحتقر الهراشا

You have goaded your nature to brawling with base deeds,

You have revealed your corrupt nature through worldliness,

Yet the lion scorns such snarling.

Yet even the lion scorns the barking dog.

رويدا سوف تبئك الليالي

رويدا سوف تبئك الليالي

وتصحى عقلك الدنس المطاشا

وتصحى عقلك الدنس المطاشا

Wait a little: the nights will tell you,

Wait, soon the nights will bring you regret,

And sober your foul, unbalanced mind.

And you will wake up, your foul mind muddled.

فأنت فطيمة هزلاء قامت

فأنت فطيمة هزلاء قامت

تناطح رغم صبغتها الكباشا

تناطح رغم صبغتها الكباشا

You are a scrawny weanling that has risen

You are an arrogant fool who imagines

To butt the rams, despite its coloring.

Herself a ram, though dyed like sheep.

لحا الله الزمان فقد تعدى

لحا الله الزمان فقد تعدى

وصف يصف ضمرها الجحاشا

وصف يصف ضمرها الجحاشا

God curse the age, for it has gone beyond

God has made time roll on, exceeding

A description that calls its lean beasts young asses.

Any means to describe your wicked plotting.

به راحت اسود الغاب مما

به راحت اسود الغاب مما

الكلاب روته تتخذ الحجاشا

الكلاب روته تتخذ الحجاشا

In it, the forest's lions, because of what

The black forests have found rest

The dogs have related, have taken protectors.

From the lies the dogs spread, living like reptiles.

وقد آوت سفاسفه حصونا

وقد آوت سفاسفه حصونا

واقمار الحمى سكنت عشاشا

واقمار الحمى سكنت عشاشا

Its rabble have found refuge in fortresses,

And its rabble have taken refuge in forts,

While the sanctuary's moons have dwelt in nests.

While fierce nights dwell in nests.

فلا نالت اذا قدم الاداني

فلا نالت اذا قدم الاداني

اذا شيكت من الغصص انتقاشا

اذا شيكت من الغصص انتقاشا

Then may the foot of the lowly never gain—

They will obtain no help when calamities befall,

When pricked by choking sorrows—relief from its thorns.

Stretching out their hands pitifully.

علوا وهما وعن سفه وطيش

علوا وهما وعن سفه وطيش

رأوا شتم الكرام لهم معاشا

رأوا شتم الكرام لهم معاشا

They rose in delusion, and out of folly and recklessness

Haughtiness and foolishness made them

Regarded insulting the noble as their livelihood.

Take insulting the noble as livelihood.

قد خبطوا بلا دين وآذوا

قد خبطوا بلا دين وآذوا

وجوها في محافلها بشاشا

وجوها في محافلها بشاشا

They struck blindly, without faith, and wounded

In ignorance they claimed knowledge, and how many

Faces that smiled in their gatherings.

Noses have tasted the thorns from their thickets!

بجهل ابرزوا علما وكم قد

بجهل ابرزوا علما وكم قد

انوف ضخامهم ذاقت خشاشا

انوف ضخامهم ذاقت خشاشا

In ignorance they flaunted learning; how often

So will the dead ever, O Da'ad,

Have the noses of their mighty ones tasted a nose-peg!

Taste delight when the living are revived?

فهل يا دعد ميت الفضل يوما

فهل يا دعد ميت الفضل يوما

تذوق مشاش رمته انتعاشا

تذوق مشاش رمته انتعاشا

So, Da‘d, can one dead to virtue ever

And will the washed turn upon the filthy rabble,

Taste revival in the very bones of his rotted remains?

And take away what their winds have spread?

وينقلب المجن على طغام

وينقلب المجن على طغام

ويسلب من تجاوزها الرياشا

ويسلب من تجاوزها الرياشا

And will the shield turn against the rabble,

I am amazed at time, which once was

And strip whoever oversteps it of his finery?

When the son of the esteemed feared to harm.

عجبت من الزمان وكان يوما

عجبت من الزمان وكان يوما

اذا آذى ابن مكرمة تحاشا

اذا آذى ابن مكرمة تحاشا

I marvel at the age, which once,

We have left all to the Creator, openly,

When it harmed a son of honor, would hold back.

He who sees secrets, though we are dust.

تركنا الكل للباري وجهراً

تركنا الكل للباري وجهراً

يرى الاسرار من هو بعد عاشا

يرى الاسرار من هو بعد عاشا

We have left all to the Creator, and openly

Whoever lives thereafter will see the secrets.