إذا قلتُ هذا حين أسلو يَهيجُني

إذا قلتُ هذا حين أسلو يَهيجُني

نسيمُ الصبا من حيثُ يَطّلِعُ الفجرُ

نسيمُ الصبا من حيثُ يَطّلِعُ الفجرُ

Whenever I say, “Now is when I shall forget,” I am stirred again

When I say, “This is the time I shall cease to pine,” I am stirred

by the east wind, blowing from where dawn rises.

by the east wind's breeze from where dawn rises.

وانّي لَتَعْروني لذِكراكِ فَتْرةٌ

وانّي لَتَعْروني لذِكراكِ فَتْرةٌ

كَما انْتَفَضَ العُصفورُ بَلّلهُ القَطْر

كَما انْتَفَضَ العُصفورُ بَلّلهُ القَطْر

Indeed, at the remembrance of you, a spell of weakness comes over me,

And a languor surely comes over me at the memory of you,

as a sparrow shudders when the raindrops have drenched it.

as a sparrow shakes itself when rain has drenched it.

هَجَرْتُكِ حتّى قيل لا يَعْرِفُ الهوى

هَجَرْتُكِ حتّى قيل لا يَعْرِفُ الهوى

وزُرْتُك حتى قيل ليس له صبر

وزُرْتُك حتى قيل ليس له صبر

I forsook you until it was said, “He knows nothing of love,”

I forsook you until it was said, “He knows no love,”

and visited you until it was said, “He has no patience left.”

and visited you until it was said, “He has no patience.”

صَدَقْتِ أنا الصّبّ المُصاب الذي به

صَدَقْتِ أنا الصّبّ المُصاب الذي به

تباريحُ حُبٍّ خامرَ القلبَ أو سِحْر

تباريحُ حُبٍّ خامرَ القلبَ أو سِحْر

You spoke truly: I am the afflicted, impassioned lover, beset

You spoke truly: I am the stricken lover who bears

by the torments of a love that has pervaded the heart—or by sorcery.

the torments of a love that has possessed the heart—or sorcery.

أما والذي أبكى وأضْحَكَ والذي

أما والذي أبكى وأضْحَكَ والذي

أماتَ وأحيا والذي أمرهُ الأمر

أماتَ وأحيا والذي أمرهُ الأمر

Indeed, by Him who has made men weep and laugh, and who

Indeed, by Him who causes weeping and laughter, and who

has given death and life—He whose command alone is sovereign—

causes death and gives life, and whose command is supreme:

لقد تَركَتْني أحْسُدُ الوحشَ أن أرى

لقد تَركَتْني أحْسُدُ الوحشَ أن أرى

ألِفَيْنِ منها لا يَروعُهما النّفْر

ألِفَيْنِ منها لا يَروعُهما النّفْر

you have left me envying the wild beasts whenever I see

she has indeed left me envying the wild beasts when I see

two mates among them whom groups of men do not frighten.

two mates among them whom separation does not frighten.

فيا هجرَ ليلي قد بلغتَ بِيَ المَدى

فيا هجرَ ليلي قد بلغتَ بِيَ المَدى

وزِدتّ على ما لم يكن بَلَغ الهجر

وزِدتّ على ما لم يكن بَلَغ الهجر

O Layla’s estrangement, you have driven me to the utmost limit

So O estrangement from Layla, you have brought me to the limit,

and gone beyond a point estrangement had never reached.

and gone beyond a point estrangement had never reached.

ويا حبَّها زِدْني جَوىً ليلةٍ

ويا حبَّها زِدْني جَوىً ليلةٍ

ويا سَلوةَ الأيّامِ مَوْعِدُكِ الحَشْر

ويا سَلوةَ الأيّامِ مَوْعِدُكِ الحَشْر

O love of her, increase my inward anguish for a night;

And O love of her, deepen my heartache for a night;

and O consolation of the days, your appointed time is the Resurrection.

and O solace of the days, your appointed time is the Resurrection.

عجبتُ لِسَعْيِ الدهرِ بيني وبينها

عجبتُ لِسَعْيِ الدهرِ بيني وبينها

فلمّا انقضى ما بينَنا سكن الدهر

فلمّا انقضى ما بينَنا سكن الدهر

I marvel at Time’s striving to come between her and me:

I marveled at Time's striving between me and her;

once all that lay between us had ended, Time grew still.

and when what lay between us ended, Time grew still.

وأنّي لآتيها وفي النفس هَجْرُها

وأنّي لآتيها وفي النفس هَجْرُها

بَتاتاً لأُخرى الدهر ما وَضَح الفجر

بَتاتاً لأُخرى الدهر ما وَضَح الفجر

I would come to her with the resolve within me to forsake her

And indeed I go to her, intending in my soul to forsake her

utterly, until the end of time, for as long as dawn shines clear.

irrevocably, to the end of time, as long as dawn shines.

فما هو إلاّ أن أراها فُجاءةً

فما هو إلاّ أن أراها فُجاءةً

فأبُهْتُ لا عُرْفٌ لَدَيّ ولا نُكْر

فأبُهْتُ لا عُرْفٌ لَدَيّ ولا نُكْر

Yet all it takes is for me to see her suddenly,

Yet no sooner do I see her unexpectedly

and I am struck dumb, capable neither of recognition nor denial.

than I am dumbfounded, with neither recognition nor denial in me.

تكاد يدي تَنْدَى ما لمستُها

تكاد يدي تَنْدَى ما لمستُها

ويَنْبِتُ في أطرافِها الورقُ الحُضْر

ويَنْبِتُ في أطرافِها الورقُ الحُضْر

My hand nearly grows dewy whenever I touch her,

My hand almost grows dewy whenever I touch her,

and green leaves sprout upon its fingertips.

and green leaves sprout at its fingertips.