طَيف أَلَمَّ بِمُدنِفِ

طَيف أَلَمَّ بِمُدنِفِ

أَجفانُهُ لَم تَطرف

أَجفانُهُ لَم تَطرف

A phantom visited one wasted by love,

A spectre pained the lover

whose eyelids had not closed.

His eyelids did not blink

أَسرى بِهِ فكر نَمى

أَسرى بِهِ فكر نَمى

وَأزارهُ سرٌّ خَفي

وَأزارهُ سرٌّ خَفي

A growing thought carried it through the night,

A thought captured him

and a hidden secret sent it to visit.

And a secret veiled him

فَأَتى إِلَيَّ يَخوضُ في

فَأَتى إِلَيَّ يَخوضُ في

ضَحضاح دَمع مُسرف

ضَحضاح دَمع مُسرف

So it came to me, wading through

He came to me, delving

a shallow pool of excessive tears,

Into copious tears overflowing

وَيَقول لي مَولايَ لَم

وَيَقول لي مَولايَ لَم

تَرَع الوِداد وَلَم تَفِ

تَرَع الوِداد وَلَم تَفِ

and said to me, “My lord, you have not

And said, my beloved, why

cherished affection, nor kept faith.

Did you not tend devotion nor excel

ما صَبر يَعقوب الهَوى

ما صَبر يَعقوب الهَوى

وَسَلوّه عَن يوسف

وَسَلوّه عَن يوسف

What patience has love's Jacob,

What patience did Jacob have

and what solace apart from Joseph?”

When asked of Joseph?

فَأَجَبتُهُ بِتوجس

فَأَجَبتُهُ بِتوجس

وَتَذَلُل وَتَلهف

وَتَذَلُل وَتَلهف

So I answered it with apprehension,

So I answered him with apprehension

and with submission and yearning:

And pleading and yearning

أَفديك ما هَذا الجَفا

أَفديك ما هَذا الجَفا

يا قاتِلي وَمعنفي

يا قاتِلي وَمعنفي

“I would give my life for you! What is this coldness,

My life for you! What is this aloofness

O my slayer and chastiser?

That kills and repels me?

لا وَالَّذي قَد أَودَع ال

لا وَالَّذي قَد أَودَع ال

جسرات قَلب المُدنف

جسرات قَلب المُدنف

No, by Him who has placed the

No - by Him who has deposited

sorrows [reading uncertain] in the lovesick sufferer's heart,

In the heart of the lover

لَم أَسَل قُربك إِنَّما ال

لَم أَسَل قُربك إِنَّما ال

أَيام لي لَم تُسعف

أَيام لي لَم تُسعف

I have not ceased longing for your nearness; only the

I did not seek your nearness

days have failed to help me.

But time has not aided me

ما حِيلَتي وَالدَهر خَص

ما حِيلَتي وَالدَهر خَص

مي وَالزَمانُ مسوفي

مي وَالزَمانُ مسوفي

What can I do, when fate is an adversary

What can I do? Fate has opposed me

of mine, and time keeps putting me off?

And days have betrayed me

إِن المَحبة وَالوَفا

إِن المَحبة وَالوَفا

طَبعي بِغَير تَكَلُف

طَبعي بِغَير تَكَلُف

Indeed, love and faithfulness

For love and loyalty

are my nature, without affectation.

Are my nature without pretense

أَنا مِن صَفا لَكَ وُدُهُ

أَنا مِن صَفا لَكَ وُدُهُ

لَكِنَّني لَم أُنصِف

لَكِنَّني لَم أُنصِف

I am one whose affection for you is pure,

I, of purity to you, my affection

yet I have not been treated fairly.”

But I have not been just

يَبكي المُحب لِتَنطَفي

يَبكي المُحب لِتَنطَفي

نار الغَرام المُتلف

نار الغَرام المُتلف

The lover weeps to quench

The lover weeps so the fires

the fire of consuming passion.

Of passionate love are quenched

فَالدَمع فَوقَ خُدودِهِ

فَالدَمع فَوقَ خُدودِهِ

يَجري وَنار الشَوق في

يَجري وَنار الشَوق في

So tears upon his cheeks

And tears flow down his cheeks

flow, while longing's fire burns within.

While the flames of longing are within

وَيَح الغَريب قَضى أَسى

وَيَح الغَريب قَضى أَسى

وَحَبيبُهُ لَم يَعرف

وَحَبيبُهُ لَم يَعرف

Alas for the stranger—he died of sorrow,

Oh stranger! He has spent sorrow

and his beloved did not know.

While his beloved does not know him