بأية حجة منع الوصالا

بأية حجة منع الوصالا

حبيب صدعن كبر وصالا

حبيب صدعن كبر وصالا

On what grounds did he withhold union—

Why did you forbid our meeting,

A beloved who, out of pride, spurned union?

My beloved, though longing afflicts me?

وريم قد كساه الله حسنا

وريم قد كساه الله حسنا

وافرغ في شمائله الجمالا

وافرغ في شمائله الجمالا

And a white gazelle whom God has clothed in beauty,

God has clothed him with beauty,

And poured loveliness into his qualities.

And filled his features with charm.

لعل له وكم قد مال عني

لعل له وكم قد مال عني

ولا عجب اذا ما الغصن مالا

ولا عجب اذا ما الغصن مالا

Perhaps he has [a reason]—and how often he has turned away from me!

Perhaps he has turned from me -

And no wonder when the bough bends.

No wonder if the branch should bend.

اقول له بذل الوجد صلني

اقول له بذل الوجد صلني

بقول مرتفعا بالعجب لالا

بقول مرتفعا بالعجب لالا

I say to him, humbled by longing, 'Unite with me.'

I say to him, crying with passion

With a lofty, conceited reply: 'No, no.'

In wonder, "Why this aloofness?"

يؤجج بالتباعد نار قلبي

يؤجج بالتباعد نار قلبي

ويجعله له للفتك خالا

ويجعله له للفتك خالا

By keeping his distance, he kindles my heart's fire,

Our separation fans the fire of my heart,

And makes it a target for his deadly assault.

Leaving it to him, exposed to harm.

اطالبه الوفاء وقد اراني

اطالبه الوفاء وقد اراني

طلبت بما احاوله المحالا

طلبت بما احاوله المحالا

I demand faithfulness of him, yet he has shown me

I ask his faithfulness, though I know

That I have sought the impossible in what I pursue.

I attempt the impossible.

ترقرق فيه ماء الحسن حتى

ترقرق فيه ماء الحسن حتى

تقاطر منه شمائله وسالا

تقاطر منه شمائله وسالا

Beauty's water shimmered within him, until

The water of beauty flows in him

His graces dripped and flowed from him.

Trickling from his features.

وتاه على محبيه علوا

وتاه على محبيه علوا

وقد مزج الملاحة والدلالا

وقد مزج الملاحة والدلالا

And he exalted himself proudly over his lovers,

He wandered, exalted above his lovers,

And he had mingled loveliness with coyness.

Mixing coyness and charm.

ومن اجفانه قد سل بيضا

ومن اجفانه قد سل بيضا

وعلم قدم السمر اعتدالا

وعلم قدم السمر اعتدالا

And from his eyelids he has drawn gleaming swords,

From his eyelids flowed whiteness,

And taught the feet of tawny spears to stand straight.

And his dark hair showed balance.

وابرز من خلال الجفن سحرا

وابرز من خلال الجفن سحرا

يفسر شأنه السحر الحلالا

يفسر شأنه السحر الحلالا

And brought forth enchantment through his eyelid,

From between his lashes came magic

Whose nature reveals the meaning of lawful magic.

Explaining lawful witchery.

وابدع بالمقال فلست ادري

وابدع بالمقال فلست ادري

اخمرا كان ذلك ام مقالا

اخمرا كان ذلك ام مقالا

And he excelled in speech, so I do not know

With his words he created perfection -

Whether that was wine or words.

I know not if that was wine or words.

مشى فظننت ان البدر يمشي

مشى فظننت ان البدر يمشي

وطل فخلت طلعته الهلالا

وطل فخلت طلعته الهلالا

He walked, so I thought the full moon was walking;

He walked, and I thought the moon walked,

And he appeared, so I took his face for the crescent moon.

He appeared, and his appearance was the crescent.

وماس مع الدلال فهز رمحا

وماس مع الدلال فهز رمحا

ورش بلطف رمشته نبالا

ورش بلطف رمشته نبالا

And he swayed with coyness, setting a spear aquiver,

Touching charm, he shook a spear,

And gently showered arrows with his blink.

And with the softness of his glance, he shot arrows.

تبسم فانجلا بالثغر در

تبسم فانجلا بالثغر در

ببارقة المحاسن قد تلالا

ببارقة المحاسن قد تلالا

He smiled, and pearls were unveiled at his mouth;

He smiled, and pearls shone from his mouth

They sparkled with a flash of loveliness.

With the brilliance of his beauty's hills.

وفاجأ عاشقيه بسهم طرف

وفاجأ عاشقيه بسهم طرف

كفاهم بعد غزته القتالا

كفاهم بعد غزته القتالا

And he caught his lovers unawares with an arrow of his glance,

His glance surprised his lovers with arrows,

Which spared them battle after its piercing blow.

After his conquest, ending the battle.

تفكر فيه يا هذا لتلفى

تفكر فيه يا هذا لتلفى

بطرز الآدميين الغزالا

بطرز الآدميين الغزالا

Ponder him, you there, and you will find

Think of this human being, and you will find

The gazelle in human guise.

The ways of gazelles in him.

وتشهد بالذوائب منه ليلا

وتشهد بالذوائب منه ليلا

وفي الخدين للشمس المثالا

وفي الخدين للشمس المثالا

And in his tresses you will behold a night,

By his coquetry you witness the night,

And in his cheeks the likeness of the sun.

And the sun's likeness in his cheeks.

رعاه الله من ظبي غرير

رعاه الله من ظبي غرير

على الليث الهصور قد استطالا

على الليث الهصور قد استطالا

May God guard him, that guileless gazelle,

May God protect him from the dangerous gazelle,

Who has lorded it over the ferocious lion.

Who has grown tall before the brave lion.

لقد رقت حواشيه ولكن

لقد رقت حواشيه ولكن

قسا قلبا فاكسبني انتحالا

قسا قلبا فاكسبني انتحالا

Indeed, his contours are delicate, yet

His features have softened, but his heart

His heart grew hard, bringing me pretense [unclear wording].

Has hardened, bringing me anguish.

حفظت له عهود الحب حتى

حفظت له عهود الحب حتى

منعت لغير طلعته الخيالا

منعت لغير طلعته الخيالا

I kept love's covenants for him, even

I kept my love's promises to him

Denying my imagination any face but his.

Until I deprived any but him from my imagination.

فزاد بعيد ذا هجرا وتيها

فزاد بعيد ذا هجرا وتيها

واورثني التلهف والملالا

واورثني التلهف والملالا

So, soon after that, he grew more estranged and haughty,

So he increased in remoteness and wandering,

And bequeathed me anguish and weariness.

Leaving me burning with anxiety and boredom.

كذا الغزلان تنفر لا لقصد

كذا الغزلان تنفر لا لقصد

ولا سبب نؤوا وانذهالا

ولا سبب نؤوا وانذهالا

Such are gazelles: they flee, not by design

Thus gazelles are startled without cause,

Nor for a cause, in withdrawal and bewilderment.

Fleeing in panic and alarm.

أعاتبه فلم يفقه عتابا

أعاتبه فلم يفقه عتابا

واسئله فلم يجب السؤالا

واسئله فلم يجب السؤالا

I reproach him, yet he has understood no reproach;

I reproach him but he does not understand rebuke,

And I ask him, yet he has not answered the question.

I question him but he does not answer.

ولما ان اطال وتاه ظلما

ولما ان اطال وتاه ظلما

وعدوانا ووعد القرب طالا

وعدوانا ووعد القرب طالا

And when he delayed and grew haughty, in injustice

When he lengthened his distance and wandered in injustice and tyranny,

And aggression, and the promise of nearness dragged on,

Though promising nearness, prolonging it,

نظمت به الوجود وعن صفاء

نظمت به الوجود وعن صفاء

تركت الكل للباري تعالى

تركت الكل للباري تعالى

I set existence in order through him, and out of sincerity

I composed him as existence, and in purity

Left everything to the Creator—exalted be He.

Left all else to the Exalted Creator.