لمن أشكو وقلبي اليو

لمن أشكو وقلبي اليو

م من أكبر أعدائي

م من أكبر أعدائي

To whom can I complain, when today my heart

To whom can I complain, when my heart is

is among my greatest enemies?

My biggest enemy today?

لمن أشكو وعقلي اليو

لمن أشكو وعقلي اليو

م معقول بأهوائي

م معقول بأهوائي

To whom can I complain, when today my mind

To whom can I complain, when my mind is

is fettered by my passions?

Aligned with my passions?

وطرفي مُبسل لبّي

وطرفي مُبسل لبّي

ولبي جالب دائي

ولبي جالب دائي

My gaze consigns my reason to ruin,

My eyes are crying,

and my reason brings on my malady.

And my tears attract my sickness,

ولوّامي من كانوا

ولوّامي من كانوا

إذا غبت أودّائي

إذا غبت أودّائي

My reproachers are those who were,

While my blamers were once

when I was absent, my dear friends.

My supporters when I was absent.

ولا وأي من الألو

ولا وأي من الألو

عن الألى من اللائي

عن الألى من اللائي

Nor is there escape from neglect

None of the friends is a friend indeed

concerning those among the women.

Among the non-friends.

وقد أفسد آرابي

وقد أفسد آرابي

جميعا بعضها اللائي

جميعا بعضها اللائي

And my desires have been spoiled—

They have altogether corrupted my opinions,

all of them—by their lagging part.

Each one corrupting the other’s.

رأى نار الهوى تذكو

رأى نار الهوى تذكو

لإحراق وإصلاء

لإحراق وإصلاء

It saw passion's fire blaze

They saw the fire of love kindling

to burn and scorch.

To burn and roast me.

فما بالي بإصلائي

فما بالي بإصلائي

تلظيها وأسلائي

تلظيها وأسلائي

Why should I care if I am scorched

So why would my roasting

by its blazing, when my solace

Inflame it, and roast me?

يقول الحتف من لمج

يقول الحتف من لمج

وكوني ميت أحياء

وكوني ميت أحياء

says, 'Death comes from a morsel'?

Death says I should die,

And being dead among the living

Yet I live.

أحبّ إليّ من عيشي

أحبّ إليّ من عيشي

يوماً عيش تيتاء

يوماً عيش تيتاء

is dearer to me than living

To me, living miserably

one day a foolish woman's life.

Is better than noble death.

حياة الصَر تكدير

حياة الصَر تكدير

وصفوتها بأصفاء

وصفوتها بأصفاء

A captive's life is clouded,

The life of humiliation is misery,

and its clarity is amid smooth stones.

While its essence is most pure.

وما ينجع نصح فيه

وما ينجع نصح فيه

لو كان بأتلاء

لو كان بأتلاء

No counsel takes effect in him,

Advice benefits naught

even were it backed by guarantors.

A wicked soul enslaved by passion.

فهل من حكَم ما بيننا

فهل من حكَم ما بيننا

يقروا بإفتاء

يقروا بإفتاء

Is there an arbiter for what lies between us

Is there an arbiter between us

who will investigate and rule upon

Who can issue a decree?

عواديه ودعواه

عواديه ودعواه

بإصباحي وإمسائي

بإصباحي وإمسائي

his assaults and his claims

His habits and claims

at my dawn and my nightfall,

Are my mornings and evenings,

وثورته ورثأته

وثورته ورثأته

لأخزاي وأختائي

لأخزاي وأختائي

his fury and his appeasement,

His revolt and his balderdash

intended to shame and abase me?

Are my misfortunes and missteps.

طغا خطبي فما لي اليو

طغا خطبي فما لي اليو

م من آس وأسوائي

م من آس وأسوائي

My trouble has run rampant; today I have

My talk has exceeded bounds, so today

no healer—and my healers—

I have no supporters or helpers.

فأسوائي لا ينفك

فأسوائي لا ينفك

من لهج بأسواء

من لهج بأسواء

for my healers never cease

For my supporters can never

harping on misfortunes.

Stop the flood of misfortunes.

فلا يشغلكم هجوي

فلا يشغلكم هجوي

وتقريظي وإطرائي

وتقريظي وإطرائي

So do not busy yourselves with satirizing me,

So do not be distracted by my raving,

praising me, and flattering me.

praises and fake joy,

فراسي اليوم إمرة

فراسي اليوم إمرة

لداعي نكس أهوائي

لداعي نكس أهوائي

My head today is a pliant follower

For today my insight is commanded

at the call of my overturned passions.

By the call of my wayward passions.

فلا مطمع في رشد

فلا مطمع في رشد

خليع رقّ أغوائي

خليع رقّ أغوائي

There is no hope of right guidance

So I have no hope of sanity

for a libertine in bondage to my seducers.

From a debauched soul enslaved by passions.

إذا وقصت به عنقي

إذا وقصت به عنقي

فلا تشكوا لأذمائي

فلا تشكوا لأذمائي

If my neck is broken by it,

If it cuts off my neck with them,

do not complain of my mortal wounding.

Then do not complain to my enemies.

وأن شجت به رأسي

وأن شجت به رأسي

فلا تبكوا لإدمائي

فلا تبكوا لإدمائي

And if my head is gashed by it,

If it splits my head with them,

do not weep over my bleeding.

Then do not weep for my blood.

وأن هثمت به سنّي

وأن هثمت به سنّي

فلا تعموا عن المائي

فلا تعموا عن المائي

And if my tooth is shattered by it,

If it breaks my teeth with them,

do not turn a blind eye to my gestures.

Then do not blind yourselves to my water.

وأن بُخفت به عيني

وأن بُخفت به عيني

فلا تكروا لإعمائي

فلا تكروا لإعمائي

And if my eye is gouged out by it,

If it gouges out my eye with them,

do not doze over my blindness.

Then do not deny my blindness.

جرى المقدور من قدم

جرى المقدور من قدم

بتضليلي وإشقائي

بتضليلي وإشقائي

From of old, fate has run its course

My fate was sealed from the start,

in leading me astray and making me wretched.

With my misguidance and misery.

فلو شاء لأبقاني

فلو شاء لأبقاني

معافيً أي إبقاء

معافيً أي إبقاء

Had it willed, it would have kept me

If He wished, He would have kept me

unharmed—kept utterly safe.

Safe and sound, by any preservation.

ولو شاء لأعمانِ

ولو شاء لأعمانِ

يَ عن لقاء سوقاء

يَ عن لقاء سوقاء

And had it willed, it would have blinded me

If He wished, He would have blinded

to the sight of a long-legged woman.

Me from seeing any market.

دعوا ذا الوجد يشقيني

دعوا ذا الوجد يشقيني

ويمنيني بإشفاء

ويمنيني بإشفاء

Leave this longing to torment me

Leave this loving one to torment me,

and beguile me with hopes of healing.

And heal me with recovery.

وهذا العشق يضنيني

وهذا العشق يضنيني

ولا تعنوا بإشفائي

ولا تعنوا بإشفائي

This passion wastes me away;

While this love makes me thinner,

do not concern yourselves with curing me.

And do not care about curing me.

فذا عظمي وذا جلدي

فذا عظمي وذا جلدي

وذا شأني وإنشائي

وذا شأني وإنشائي

For this is my bone, and this my skin,

For this is my bone, and my skin,

and this my affair and my own creation.

My affair and my creation.

فما يدخل ما بيني

فما يدخل ما بيني

وبين هوى بأحشائي

وبين هوى بأحشائي

So none intrudes between me

Nothing comes between me

and the passion within my entrails

And the love in my core

سوى فظّ فضولي

سوى فظّ فضولي

زنيمٍ شر مشاء

زنيمٍ شر مشاء

except a coarse meddler,

Except the gross impulsiveness

a baseborn man, the worst of roving gossips.

Of an evil, vile fellow.

إذا أسمعكم عتْباً

إذا أسمعكم عتْباً

فعدوني من الشاء

فعدوني من الشاء

If I make you hear reproach,

When you blame me,

then count me among the sheep.

Consider me one of the sheep.

ولا تبقوا على طوقي

ولا تبقوا على طوقي

وجلبابي وأعضائي

وجلبابي وأعضائي

Do not spare my collar,

And do not remain around my neck,

my cloak, or my limbs.

My robe, and my limbs.

فإن الفدْم مَن يسمع

فإن الفدْم مَن يسمع

ذا عذْل بإغضاء

ذا عذْل بإغضاء

For the dullard is one who listens

For the noble person is one who hears

to a reproacher in silent forbearance;

Reproach with disregard.

وإن الحر من يُسمع

وإن الحر من يُسمع

عَتْباً تِلو إرضاء

عَتْباً تِلو إرضاء

while the free man is one who voices

While the free person is one who hears

reproach after appeasement.

Blame followed by apology.