يمضي الزمانُ وأنتَ هاجر

يمضي الزمانُ وأنتَ هاجر

أو ما لهذا الهجر آخر

أو ما لهذا الهجر آخر

Time passes while you still shun me—

Time passes while you keep shunning me.

or does this estrangement have no end?

Or has this estrangement no end?

يا من تحكَّم في القلو

يا من تحكَّم في القلو

بَّ فإنه لهواك ذاكر

بَّ فإنه لهواك ذاكر

O you who rule over the hear—

O you who have held sway over

—ts: each remembers its passion for you.

hearts—for the heart remembers its love for you.

وإذا رَقَدت مُنعَّماً

وإذا رَقَدت مُنعَّماً

فاذكر شَقيّاً فيكَ ساهر

فاذكر شَقيّاً فيكَ ساهر

And when you sleep in bliss,

And when you sleep in comfort,

remember a wretch who lies awake for you.

then remember a wretch who stays awake for you.

شَتَّتَنَ ما بيني وبي

شَتَّتَنَ ما بيني وبي

نك في الهوى لو كنت عاذر

نك في الهوى لو كنت عاذر

How vast the gulf between me and—

How far apart I am from

—you in love, if only you would show mercy.

you in love—if only you would excuse me!

النارُ في كبدي وظَل

النارُ في كبدي وظَل

مُك باردٌ والجَفنُ فاتر

مُك باردٌ والجَفنُ فاتر

Fire burns in my liver, while your sha—

Fire burns in my liver, while your

—dow is cool and your eyelid languid.

saliva is cool, and the eyelid languid.

حَتَّامَ تحكمُ في نفو

حَتَّامَ تحكمُ في نفو

س العاشقين وأنتَ جائر

س العاشقين وأنتَ جائر

How long will you rule the sou—

How long will you rule over the

—ls of lovers while acting unjustly?

souls of lovers, while you are unjust?

هلا اقتَدَيتَ بعَدل مو

هلا اقتَدَيتَ بعَدل مو

لانا كمال الدين ظافر

لانا كمال الدين ظافر

Why not emulate the justice of our mas—

Why not follow the justice of

—ter, Kamal al-Din Zafir?

our lord, Kamal al-Din Zafir?

بك يا بن نصرٍ جئتُ أر

بك يا بن نصرٍ جئتُ أر

جو نُصرَةً فانعم وبادِر

جو نُصرَةً فانعم وبادِر

To you, O son of Nasr, I have come, ho—

I have come to you, O son of Nasr,

—ping for aid; be gracious and make haste.

hoping for aid; grant your favor and hasten.

وأجر من الزمن الذي

وأجر من الزمن الذي

دارت عليَّ به الدوائر

دارت عليَّ به الدوائر

And shield me from Time, through which

And shelter me from the time in which

fortune’s cycles have turned against me.

misfortunes have turned against me.

أصبحتُ في أمري ولا

أصبحتُ في أمري ولا

أشكو لغير اللَه حائِر

أشكو لغير اللَه حائِر

I have become bewildered in my affairs, and complain—

In my affairs I have become—and I do not

—to none but God.

complain to any but God—bewildered.

ولكم يُذَكّرني الشتا

ولكم يُذَكّرني الشتا

ءُ بأمره ولكم أكاسر

ءُ بأمره ولكم أكاسر

And how often win—

And how often winter reminds me

—ter reminds me of its business—and how often I haggle!

of its demands, and how often I haggle!

واللحمُ يَقبُحُ أن أعو

واللحمُ يَقبُحُ أن أعو

د لبَيعهِ والشعرُ بائر

د لبَيعهِ والشعرُ بائر

As for meat, it would be shameful to re—

And as for meat, it is shameful for me

—turn to selling it, while poetry goes unsold.

to return to selling it, while poetry goes unsold.

يا ليتني لا كنت جَ

يا ليتني لا كنت جَ

زَّاراً ولا أصبحتُ شاعِر

زَّاراً ولا أصبحتُ شاعِر

Would that I had never been a but—

Oh, if only I had never been a

—cher, nor ever become a poet.

butcher, nor become a poet!