يا لاعِباً بِحَياتي

يا لاعِباً بِحَياتي

وَهاجِراً ما يُؤاتي

وَهاجِراً ما يُؤاتي

O you who toy with my life,

O you who play with my life

Oh you who toys with my life,

and shun what would please,

And migrate with no gain

And forsakes what is rightful,

وَزاهِداً في وِصالي

وَزاهِداً في وِصالي

وَمُشمِتاً بي عُداتي

وَمُشمِتاً بي عُداتي

and disdain union with me,

And abstain from my union

And renounces union with me,

and make my enemies gloat over me,

And gloat at my enemies

And gives my enemies cause to rejoice over me,

وَحامِلَ القَلبِ مِنّي

وَحامِلَ القَلبِ مِنّي

عَلى سِنانِ قَناةِ

عَلى سِنانِ قَناةِ

and bear my heart away

And carry my heart from me

And you who bears my heart

upon the point of a spear,

On the peaks of a canal

Upon the spearhead of a lance,

وَمُسكِنَ الروحِ ظُلماً

وَمُسكِنَ الروحِ ظُلماً

حَبسَ الهَوى مِن لَهاتي

حَبسَ الهَوى مِن لَهاتي

and unjustly lodge my soul

And dwell the soul in darkness

And who unjustly imprisons my spirit,

in love's prison within my throat:

Imprisoning passion from my sighs

Stifling the breath of passion in my throat,

هَذا كِتابي إِلَيكُم

هَذا كِتابي إِلَيكُم

مِدادُهُ عَبَراتي

مِدادُهُ عَبَراتي

this is my letter to you,

This is my message to you

This is my letter to you,

its ink is my tears.

Its ink my tears

Its ink formed of my tears,

لَو أَنَّ لي مِنكَ نَصفاً

لَو أَنَّ لي مِنكَ نَصفاً

أَو قابِلاً لِبَراتي

أَو قابِلاً لِبَراتي

Had I fairness from you,

If I had from you but half

If only I could find justice from you,

or someone receptive to my letter,

Or a receptive ear for my troubles

Or one who accepts my plea,

ما باتَ قَلبي رَهيناً

ما باتَ قَلبي رَهيناً

لِأَنجُمٍ طالِعاتِ

لِأَنجُمٍ طالِعاتِ

my heart would not have spent the night captive

My heart would not be held captive

My heart would not have remained a hostage

to rising stars.

By rising stars

To the rising stars,

يا بِدعَةً في مِثالٍ

يا بِدعَةً في مِثالٍ

لا مُدرِكاً بِالصِفاتِ

لا مُدرِكاً بِالصِفاتِ

O marvel embodied in a form,

O singular in example

Oh unique wonder of form,

whom none can grasp through description!

With no peer in virtues

Unreachable by descriptions,

فَالوَجهُ بَدرُ تَمامٍ

فَالوَجهُ بَدرُ تَمامٍ

بِعَينِ ظَبيٍ فَلاةِ

بِعَينِ ظَبيٍ فَلاةِ

For your face is a moon at its full,

A full moon is your face

For the face is a full moon,

with the eye of a desert gazelle.

With the eye of a gazelle of the wilderness

With the eyes of a desert gazelle,

مُفَرَّدٌ بِنَعيمٍ

مُفَرَّدٌ بِنَعيمٍ

مِنَ الظِباءِ اللَواتي

مِنَ الظِباءِ اللَواتي

Singled out by luxurious ease

Alone in bliss

Singular in his grace,

from among the gazelles that

Among the gazelles, companions mine

Among the gazelles that

تَرودُ بَينَ ظِباءٍ

تَرودُ بَينَ ظِباءٍ

مَصائِفٍ وَمَشاتي

مَصائِفٍ وَمَشاتي

roam among gazelles

Wandering among fellow gazelles

Roam among the herds

of summer and winter haunts.

In summer and winter pastures

In summer and winter pastures,

وَالجيدُ جيدُ غَزالٍ

وَالجيدُ جيدُ غَزالٍ

وَالغِنجُ غِنجُ فَتاةِ

وَالغِنجُ غِنجُ فَتاةِ

And your neck is a gazelle's neck,

Your neck a gazelle’s neck

The neck is the neck of a fawn,

and your coquetry is a maiden's coquetry.

Your side lock a girl’s side lock

And the coquetry is the coquetry of a maiden,

مُذَكَّرٌ حينَ يَبدو

مُذَكَّرٌ حينَ يَبدو

مُؤَنَّثُ الخَلَواتِ

مُؤَنَّثُ الخَلَواتِ

Masculine when he appears,

Masculine when in view

Masculine when he appears in public,

feminine in seclusion,

Feminine in seclusion

Feminine in moments of seclusion,

مِن فَوقِ خَدٍّ أَسيلٍ

مِن فَوقِ خَدٍّ أَسيلٍ

يُضيءُ في الظُلُماتِ

يُضيءُ في الظُلُماتِ

from above a smooth cheek,

Above a smooth cheek it shines

Upon a smooth cheek

he shines in the darkness.

Lighting the darknesses

That illuminates the darkness.