1. Passionate love has possessed and controlled me,
And made me abandon my patience as it fades away.
١. عَرَاني غَرَامٌ شَفني وَبرَاني
وغَادَرَ صَبرِى مُقبِلَ الدَّبَرَانِ
2. I spend the night suffering the agony of patience,
Staring at each star in the galaxy.
٢. فَبِتُّ أُعَاني غُصَّةَ الصَّبرِ نَاظِراً
إِلَى كُلِّ نَجمٍ في المَجَرَّةِ رَانِ
3. When the intestines boil with fervor
In a burning liver due to turmoil,
٣. أهمُّ إِذَا الأحشَاءُ قَد جَاشَ حَميُهَا
عَلَى كَبِدٍ حَرَّاءَ بِالطَّيَرَانِ
4. My two friends, if the orbits of fate do not rotate,
Say goodbye to me, they bid me farewell.
٤. خَلِيلَىَّ ِإن لَم تَجفُوا قَرقَفَ الكَرَى
مَعِى وَدِّعَاني عَنكُمَا وَدَعَاني
5. They bid me farewell, I do not stop being a devoted, infatuated one,
And every devotee is prone to longing.
٥. دَعَاني لَم أبرَح عَمِيداً مُتَيَّماً
وكُلُّ عَمِيدٍ لِلتَّشَوُّقِ عَانِ
6. They bid me, they bid me, I hasten to ecstasy and passion,
So I reluctantly responded when they bid me farewell.
٦. دَعَاني دَعَاني لاَعِجُ الوَجدِ والهَوَى
فَلَبَّيتُهُ قَسراً أوَانَ دَعَاني
7. Had you two suffered the ecstasy, I would not complain,
For I suffer what you two have suffered.
٧. ولَو أنتُمَا عَانَيتُما الوَجدَ لَم ألَم
فَإني لِمَا عَانَيتُمَا لَمُعَانِ
8. So do not blame me if I cry for four,
For Mary, whom time has erased, and for Magan.
٨. فَلاَ تَعذُلاني إن بَكَيتُ بِأربُعٍ
لِمَريمَ عَفَّاهَا البِلَى ومَغَانِ
9. For the songs of leaves in the grove of Layla
Have made me forget the beauty of all other songs.
٩. فَإِنَّ أَغَاني الوُرقِ في دَوحِ أيكَةٍ
غَنَيتُ بَِهَا عَن حُسنِ كُلَّ أغَانِ
10. I will conceal my love in spite of those who disdain me,
To me, those who disdain and hate me are equal.
١٠. سَأخفي لَهَا وُدِّى عَلَى رُغمٍ مِن قِلىً
فَسِيَّانِ عِندِى مَن قَلَى وَبَغَاني
11. But two eyes have helped me - a dear brother,
Who wanders as a Bedouin in the villages of Songan.
١١. وَلَكِن أعِينَاني فَاني أخٌ أخُو
هوي بَدوي في قُرَى السُّنُغَانِ
12. The lands of Sudan where I stayed for so long
In a farmhouse abounding in love.
١٢. وإن تَكُ بُلدَانُ السُّودُانِ قَد طَالَمَا
أقَمتُ بِهَا في ضَيعةٍ وهَوَانِ
13. Many a soft, delicate, flirtatious, coquettish girl,
Frolicking like the branches of poplars amid acacias.
١٣. لَرُبَّ فَتَاةٍ فَعمَةِ الرِّدفِ لَدنَةٍ
تَمِيسُ كَغُصنِ ألبَانِ بَينَ غَوَانِ
14. I would play with her when weary of frivolity,
Other than her, I do not incline to frivolity.
١٤. لَهَوتُ بِها لَمَّا عَنِ اللَّهوِ قَد وَنَى
سِوَاىَ فَإني عَنهُ لَستُ بِوَانِ
15. How many perplexing problems made the champions recoil,
Yet yielded to the light of my bright understanding!
١٥. وَكَم مُشكِلٍ أَعيَا الجَهابِذَةَ انثَنَى
بِمِصبَاح فَهمِي وَاضِحَ اللَّمَعانِ
16. How many youths have I conversed with using poems
Filled with sweet words of pearly meaning!
١٦. وَكَم فِتيَةٍ سَامَرتُهُم بِقَصَائِدٍ
مُحَلاَة بألفَاظٍ بِدُرِّ مَعَانِ
17. How many supple necks that were idle before me
My creation adorned with necklaces!
١٧. وَكَم جِيدِ رَقٍّ كَانَ قَبلِى مُعَطَّلاً
فَحَلاَّهُ بِالعِقيَانِ خَطُّ بَنَاني
18. How many arrogant fools I have faced whose pride
I tamed so they submitted to my rein!
١٨. وَكَم دَاهِمٍ دَاهٍ تَلَقَّيتُ بَركَهُ
وَعَانَيتُهُ فَانقَادَ لِي بِعِنانِ
19. How many ingenious ones have I given the draft of my blame
Mixed, for them, with eloquence!
١٩. وكَم مِن بَدِيعٍ بِتُّ أسقِى عُقَارَهُ
نُدَامَايَ مَمَزُوجاً لَهُم بِبِيَانِ
20. How many fault-finders I have treated gently,
Fearing their disparagement!
٢٠. وَكَم شَانئٍ أولَيتَهُ لِينَ جَانبي
وقَرَّبتُه خَوفاً مِنَ الشَّنَآنِ
21. How many a foe whose eye I have sated
With drafts of hot, boiling water!
٢١. وكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ عَمدَ عَينَ سَقَيتُهُ
كُئوسَ حَمِيمٍ كَالعَلاقِمِمِ
22. How many times have I reached the essence of a problem
With determination, like the two fast blades of Yemen!
٢٢. وكَم تِرَةٍ أدركتُ غِبَّ طِلاَبِهَا
بِعَزمٍ كَمَاضِي الشَّفرَتَينِ يَمَاني