وأَغَنَّ من أربابِه أُرزى به

وأَغَنَّ من أربابِه أُرزى به

قلبي إلى أَوصابه أَوصَى به

قلبي إلى أَوصابه أَوصَى به

And a sweet-voiced one, by whom I am afflicted among his masters;

He sang more beautifully than the ones who adored him,

he consigned my heart to its torments.

My heart guided me to his gentle companions.

ذي شافعٍ يوم النَّوى أضحى به

ذي شافعٍ يوم النَّوى أضحى به

شُكرُ الهَوَى العُذرِيِّ من أَصحَابِه

شُكرُ الهَوَى العُذرِيِّ من أَصحَابِه

With an intercessor on parting’s day, through whom arose

He is an intercessor on the day of agony, I made an offering of him,

gratitude for chaste love from its companions.

Gratitude for love excuses me from his friends.

أسلى به عن كلِّ مَن أحبَبتُه

أسلى به عن كلِّ مَن أحبَبتُه

وأَظلُّ دون الخلقِ من أَسلابِه

وأَظلُّ دون الخلقِ من أَسلابِه

Through him I forget everyone I have loved,

He consoled me about all those I used to love,

and, apart from all others, remain among his spoils.

And I preferred him above all his peers.

ويُغيرُني في الحُبِّ ما ألقى بهِ

ويُغيرُني في الحُبِّ ما ألقى بهِ

فأَوَدُّ لو وُرِّيتُ عن ألقابه

فأَوَدُّ لو وُرِّيتُ عن ألقابه

And what I encounter through him changes me in love,

In love, what I experience with him changes me;

so I wish I were hidden from his titles.

I wish I could discard all his attributes.

كم مَنزلٍ بالأَبرقين ثَوى بهِ

كم مَنزلٍ بالأَبرقين ثَوى بهِ

لم يَقضِ فيه الصَّبُّ حقَّ ثوابهِ

لم يَقضِ فيه الصَّبُّ حقَّ ثوابهِ

How many a dwelling at al-Abraqayn he stayed in,

How many encampments where the lightning stayed did he reside

where the lovesick lover never paid its due recompense.

Where passion did not fulfill its reward?

أَتُرى به الحبيب نخوة قادرٍ

أَتُرى به الحبيب نخوة قادرٍ

فيَسُومني للعزِّ لثمَ تُرابه

فيَسُومني للعزِّ لثمَ تُرابه

Could the beloved have the haughtiness of one with power,

Will I see the beloved with valor able

and so, for honor, make me kiss his dust?

To bargain me for honor, then dust?

فرحا به الطللان حين رآهما

فرحا به الطللان حين رآهما

ما بين رَملَةِ عالج فرحابه

ما بين رَملَةِ عالج فرحابه

The two ruined camps rejoiced in him when he saw them,

The gazelles were delighted when they saw him

between the sand tract of ʿĀlij and its open spaces.

Between the sands of Al-Aj and Farhah.

ووَشى به خَطُّ العذارِ بخدِّه

ووَشى به خَطُّ العذارِ بخدِّه

مالا أعارت لحظه فوشَى به

مالا أعارت لحظه فوشَى به

And the line of down upon his cheek betrayed him;

And he adorned the cheek of separation with his line,

it lent his glance wealth, then betrayed him.

That did not pay attention when he adorned it.

وَجَوَى به قلبٌ تَضاعَفَ حُبُّه

وَجَوَى به قلبٌ تَضاعَفَ حُبُّه

وبِردِّ جوَّاه لرد جوابه

وبِردِّ جوَّاه لرد جوابه

And a heart whose love had doubled pined for him,

And a heart whose love has doubled flirted with him

and by repelling its anguish, to return his answer.

With the coldness of its flirtation to respond.

إن كنتَ تطمعُ في هواه فغابه

إن كنتَ تطمعُ في هواه فغابه

فالليثُ لا يُسطَى عليه بغابه

فالليثُ لا يُسطَى عليه بغابه

If you hope for his love, beware his thicket:

If you aspire for his love then lose him,

for the lion is not assailed in his thicket.

The lion cannot be tempted with his absence.

بَصَري وسمعي في الهوى طلابه

بَصَري وسمعي في الهوى طلابه

عَبثاً كما طلت دماء طُلاَبه

عَبثاً كما طلت دماء طُلاَبه

My sight and hearing are his seekers in love,

My eyesight and hearing in love are seeking him

in vain, as his seekers’ blood went unavenged.

In vain, like his pursuers sought his blood.

وشرى به قلبي غداةَ فراقه

وشرى به قلبي غداةَ فراقه

صبرٌ مرير بين كأسِ شَرَابهِ

صبرٌ مرير بين كأسِ شَرَابهِ

And my heart was traded for him on the morning of his parting,

And after his departure, my heart bought with him

by bitter patience, amid the cup of his drink.

A bitter patience between the cup of his drink.

وجنى به ثَمَرَ الصَّبَابة يانعاً

وجنى به ثَمَرَ الصَّبَابة يانعاً

صب ألم بدارِه وَجَنابِهِ

صب ألم بدارِه وَجَنابِهِ

And through him the ripe fruit of longing was gathered

And he harvested the ripe fruits of youth,

by a lovesick man who visited his dwelling and its precincts.

Pouring pain on his home and his family.

ومن العجائبِ مَنزِلٌ أَزوي به

ومن العجائبِ مَنزِلٌ أَزوي به

وأذوبُ من ظمأ فلا أَزوي بِهِ

وأذوبُ من ظمأ فلا أَزوي بِهِ

And among the marvels is a dwelling where I withdraw,

Of wonders, an abode I visit with him

and melt with thirst, yet do not withdraw there.

And melt of thirst, but am not sated with him.