أَصبا الأَصيل تَحمِلي

أَصبا الأَصيل تَحمِلي

مِني رِسالة مدنف

مِني رِسالة مدنف

O east wind of evening, carry

My noble messenger, carry for me

from me a lovesick man's message.

A message of passion

وَخُذي مِن الشَرف المُني

وَخُذي مِن الشَرف المُني

ف إِلى الجَناب الأَشرَف

ف إِلى الجَناب الأَشرَف

And take your course from the lofty height

And take from me utmost honor

to the noblest presence.

To the most honorable beloved

وَتَشَبثي عَني بِأَذ

وَتَشَبثي عَني بِأَذ

يال الغَزال الأَهيف

يال الغَزال الأَهيف

And cling, on my behalf, to the hems

And complain to him bitterly

of the slender gazelle.

Of the torment of an enamored gazelle

وَأَستَأنِفي لَثم التُرا

وَأَستَأنِفي لَثم التُرا

ب لَدَيهِ لا تَستَنكِفي

ب لَدَيهِ لا تَستَنكِفي

And begin anew to kiss the dust

And resume kissing his lips

before him; do not disdain it.

Do not hesitate before him

وَصَفى لَهُ بَعض الَّذي

وَصَفى لَهُ بَعض الَّذي

لاقَيتُهُ وَتَلَطُفي

لاقَيتُهُ وَتَلَطُفي

And describe to him some of what

And describe to him some of what

I have endured, and be gentle.

I have suffered and be gentle

وَتَفرَّسي في وَجهِهِ

وَتَفرَّسي في وَجهِهِ

يَبدو الضَمير وَتَعرفي

يَبدو الضَمير وَتَعرفي

And study his face closely;

And examine his face

his inward thoughts will show, and you will know.

Where the conscience appears and you will know

فَالوَجه وَالعَينان عُن

فَالوَجه وَالعَينان عُن

وان الضَمير المُختَفي

وان الضَمير المُختَفي

For the face and the two eyes are the sign

For the face and eyes are the signs

of the thoughts hidden within.

Of the hidden conscience

وَالماء لا يَخفي القَذا

وَالماء لا يَخفي القَذا

عَن ناظر المُستَشرِف

عَن ناظر المُستَشرِف

And water does not hide the mote

And water does not conceal pebbles

from the keen observer's eye.

From the eyes of the observer

أَفَكَيفَ يَخفى الغُش في

أَفَكَيفَ يَخفى الغُش في

وَجه المَليح الأَلطَف

وَجه المَليح الأَلطَف

How, then, can deceit be hidden in

So how can deceit be hidden in the face

the face of the lovely, most gracious one?

Of the most beautiful and gentle one?

فَإِذا رَأَيتِ بِهِ الرَضى

فَإِذا رَأَيتِ بِهِ الرَضى

قُولي وَلا تَتَوقَفي

قُولي وَلا تَتَوقَفي

Then, if you see favor in him,

So when you see him satisfied

speak, and do not hesitate:

Speak and do not hesitate

هَلا رَتيت لِمُدنَفٍ

هَلا رَتيت لِمُدنَفٍ

بادي الشَجون معنف

بادي الشَجون معنف

Will you not take pity on a lovesick man,

Won't you show pity to one suffering from passion,

his sorrows plain, harshly treated—

Whose sorrows are exposed?

يَعقوب حُزن لَم يَجد

يَعقوب حُزن لَم يَجد

صَبراً لَهُ عَن يُوسف

صَبراً لَهُ عَن يُوسف

a Jacob in grief, who has not found

Jacob's sorrow found no patience in him

patience for himself apart from Joseph?

For Joseph

فعل الغَرام بِلُبِهِ

فعل الغَرام بِلُبِهِ

فعل المُدام القرقف

فعل المُدام القرقف

Passion has worked upon his mind

The agony of love did to his heart

as potent wine works.

What fermented wine does

يَمضي عَلَيهِ اللَيل بَي

يَمضي عَلَيهِ اللَيل بَي

ن تَوجُع وَتَلهف

ن تَوجُع وَتَلهف

The night passes over him between

The night passes over him

pain and anguished longing.

Between pain and sighing

قَلب يَمور وَمُقلة

قَلب يَمور وَمُقلة

أَجفانِها لَم تَطرف

أَجفانِها لَم تَطرف

A heart that seethes, and an eye

A heart in turmoil and eyelids

whose lids have not blinked.

That did not blink

كَلفتهُ صَبراً وَمَن

كَلفتهُ صَبراً وَمَن

يَشتاق غَير مُكلف

يَشتاق غَير مُكلف

You demanded patience of him; yet one

I pretended patience but how can one

who yearns is not bound by such demands.

Yearn without being compelled?

مَولايَ أَو بَقَت المُتي

مَولايَ أَو بَقَت المُتي

م بِالصُدود المُتلف

م بِالصُدود المُتلف

My lord, you have ruined the love-enthralled man

My master, or the loving one remains

with destructive rejection.

With the unresponsive beloved

يا وَيحَهُ إِذ أَنتَ لَم

يا وَيحَهُ إِذ أَنتَ لَم

تَرحَم وَلَم تَتَعَطف

تَرحَم وَلَم تَتَعَطف

Alas for him, since you have not

Oh woe to him, since you did not show

shown mercy, nor shown tenderness.

Mercy or gentleness

وَمَن الَّذي يَرعى الوَفا

وَمَن الَّذي يَرعى الوَفا

ء لِعاشق أَن لَم تَف

ء لِعاشق أَن لَم تَف

And who will keep faith

And who upholds faithfulness

with a lover, if you do not?

To a lover if you did not?

إِن أَمسَت الغَبَرات خَي

إِن أَمسَت الغَبَرات خَي

فة كاشح لَم تَزرف

فة كاشح لَم تَزرف

If at evening the tears, for fear

If the tears were pleasant like rain

of a spiteful foe, have not flowed,

I would not have held back

فَلشدَّ ما زرفت بِغَي

فَلشدَّ ما زرفت بِغَي

ر تَوقف وَتَكلف

ر تَوقف وَتَكلف

yet how abundantly they have flowed, without

I have cried without pause or pretense

pause or affectation!

The plotting of the rival troubles me, be wary and afraid

قَد طالَ مِن كَيد الرَقي

قَد طالَ مِن كَيد الرَقي

ب توجسي وَتَخَوفي

ب توجسي وَتَخَوفي

Through the watcher's scheming, long have persisted

For I will drown with my tears every harsh and turbulent one

my apprehension and my fear.

Love has become cruel and time unfaithful

فَلَأَغرَقَنَّ بِفَيض دَم

فَلَأَغرَقَنَّ بِفَيض دَم

عي كُلَّ واش مُرجف

عي كُلَّ واش مُرجف

So I shall surely drown, in the flood of my tears,

And I have found no sympathizer

every slanderer who spreads alarm.

So I complain of my darkness

وَجَفا الهَوى وَبَغى الزَمان

وَجَفا الهَوى وَبَغى الزَمان

ن وَلَم أَجِد مِن مُسعِف

ن وَلَم أَجِد مِن مُسعِف

And love was cruel, and time dealt unjustly,

To the court of a just arbitrator

and I found no one to come to my aid.

فَلأَشكُوَنَ ظَلامَتي

فَلأَشكُوَنَ ظَلامَتي

لِجَناب عَدل مُنصف

لِجَناب عَدل مُنصف

So I shall surely voice my grievance

before the presence of one just and fair.