إِنَّ الوُشاةَ وَإِن لَم أَحصِهِم عَدَدا

إِنَّ الوُشاةَ وَإِن لَم أَحصِهِم عَدَدا

تَعَلَّموا الكَيدَ مِن عَينَيكَ وَالفَنَدا

تَعَلَّموا الكَيدَ مِن عَينَيكَ وَالفَنَدا

Indeed, the slanderers, though I have not counted their number,

Though I cannot number the backbiters,

Learned scheming and falsehood from your eyes.

They learned guile from your eyes and slander,

لا أَخلَفَ اللَهُ ظَنّي في نَواظِرِهِم

لا أَخلَفَ اللَهُ ظَنّي في نَواظِرِهِم

ماذا رَأَت بِيَ مِمّا يَبعَثُ الحَسَدا

ماذا رَأَت بِيَ مِمّا يَبعَثُ الحَسَدا

May God not prove my judgment of their eyes wrong:

God will not disappoint my thoughts regarding them,

What have they seen in me that arouses envy?

What did they see in me that roused envy?

هُم أَغضَبوكَ فَراحَ القَدُّ مُنثَنِياً

هُم أَغضَبوكَ فَراحَ القَدُّ مُنثَنِياً

وَالجَفنُ مُنكَسِراً وَالخَدُّ مُتَّقِدا

وَالجَفنُ مُنكَسِراً وَالخَدُّ مُتَّقِدا

They angered you, so your figure went swaying,

They angered you, so the neck bent down

And your eyelid drooped, and your cheek blazed.

And the eyelids cracked and the cheek flushed,

وَصادَفوا أُذُناً صَغواءَ لَيِّنَةً

وَصادَفوا أُذُناً صَغواءَ لَيِّنَةً

فَأَسمَعوها الَّذي لَم يُسمِعوا أَحَدا

فَأَسمَعوها الَّذي لَم يُسمِعوا أَحَدا

And they found a receptive, pliant ear,

And they met an ear, small and soft,

So they made it hear what they had told no one else.

So they made it hear what they made no one hear,

لَولا اِحتِراسِيَ مِن عَينَيكَ قُلتُ أَلا

لَولا اِحتِراسِيَ مِن عَينَيكَ قُلتُ أَلا

فَاِنظُر بِعَينَيكَ هَل أَبقَيتَ لي جَلَدا

فَاِنظُر بِعَينَيكَ هَل أَبقَيتَ لي جَلَدا

Were I not wary of your eyes, I would say: Behold—

Were it not for watching out for your eyes I would say:

Look, then, with your eyes: have you left me any endurance?

Look with your eyes - did I leave any skin?

اللَهُ في مُهجَةٍ أَيتَمتَ واحِدَها

اللَهُ في مُهجَةٍ أَيتَمتَ واحِدَها

ظُلماً وَما اِتَّخَذَت غَيرَ الهَوى وَلَدا

ظُلماً وَما اِتَّخَذَت غَيرَ الهَوى وَلَدا

For God's sake, pity a heart whose only child you have orphaned,

God orphaned a heart that lost its one,

Unjustly, though it has taken no child but love,

Unjustly, and it took no child but love,

وَروحِ صَبٍّ أَطالَ الحُبُّ غُربَتَها

وَروحِ صَبٍّ أَطالَ الحُبُّ غُربَتَها

يَخافُ إِن رَجَعَت أَن تُنكِرَ الجَسَدا

يَخافُ إِن رَجَعَت أَن تُنكِرَ الجَسَدا

And a lovesick lover's soul, whose exile love has prolonged;

And the soul of a pouring rain whose love prolonged its exile,

He fears that, if it returns, it will not recognize the body.

Fears if it returns it will not recognize the body,

دَعِ المَواعيدَ إِني مِتُّ مِن ظَمَإٍ

دَعِ المَواعيدَ إِني مِتُّ مِن ظَمَإٍ

وَلِلمَواعيدِ ماءٌ لا يَبُلُّ صَدى

وَلِلمَواعيدِ ماءٌ لا يَبُلُّ صَدى

Leave promises aside; I have died of thirst,

Leave the trysts - I am dying of thirst

And promises have water that quenches no thirst.

And the trysts have water that tastes of no echo,

تَدعو وَمَن لِيَ أَن أَسعى بِلا كَبِدٍ

تَدعو وَمَن لِيَ أَن أَسعى بِلا كَبِدٍ

فَمَن مُعيرِيَ مِن هَذا الوَرى كَبِدا

فَمَن مُعيرِيَ مِن هَذا الوَرى كَبِدا

You call—but who can help me hasten without a liver?

You call and I have no liver to run,

So who among these people will lend me a liver?

So who will lend me a liver in this world?