يَمُدُّ الدُجى في لَوعَتي وَيَزيدُ

يَمُدُّ الدُجى في لَوعَتي وَيَزيدُ

وَيُبدِئُ بَثّي في الهَوى وَيُعيدُ

وَيُبدِئُ بَثّي في الهَوى وَيُعيدُ

The darkness prolongs my anguish and increases it,

Night's gloom intensifies my torment and adds more,

And starts my sorrow in love anew, and repeats it.

And renews my grief about passion and repeats it.

إِذا طالَ وَاِستَعصى فَما هِيَ لَيلَةٌ

إِذا طالَ وَاِستَعصى فَما هِيَ لَيلَةٌ

وَلَكِن لَيالٍ ما لَهُنَّ عَديدُ

وَلَكِن لَيالٍ ما لَهُنَّ عَديدُ

When it lengthens and grows unyielding, it is not one night,

Though long, protracted, it's no single night -

But nights beyond all counting.

Rather nights without number or count.

أَرِقتُ وَعادَتني لِذِكرى أَحِبَّتي

أَرِقتُ وَعادَتني لِذِكرى أَحِبَّتي

شُجونٌ قِيامٌ بِالضُلوعِ قُعودُ

شُجونٌ قِيامٌ بِالضُلوعِ قُعودُ

I lay awake, and at the memory of my loved ones there returned to me

Insomnia keeps me awake - memories of my beloved

Sorrows, standing and sitting within my ribs.

Return, and I toss with anguish in my ribs.

وَمَن يَحمِلِ الأَشواقَ يَتعَب وَيَختَلِف

وَمَن يَحمِلِ الأَشواقَ يَتعَب وَيَختَلِف

عَلَيهِ قَديمٌ في الهَوى وَجَديدُ

عَلَيهِ قَديمٌ في الهَوى وَجَديدُ

And whoever bears longings tires, visited in turn

Whoever carries ardour grows weary and differs -

By what is old in love and what is new.

Both old and new in passion feel this.

لَقيتَ الَّذي لَم يَلقَ قَلبٌ مِنَ الهَوى

لَقيتَ الَّذي لَم يَلقَ قَلبٌ مِنَ الهَوى

لَكَ اللَهُ يا قَلبي أَأَنتَ حَديدُ

لَكَ اللَهُ يا قَلبي أَأَنتَ حَديدُ

You have met in love what no heart has met;

You suffered what no heart has suffered of love -

God help you, my heart—are you made of iron?

God bless you, O my heart! Are you made of steel?

وَلَم أَخلُ مِن وَجدٍ عَلَيكَ وَرِقَّةٍ

وَلَم أَخلُ مِن وَجدٍ عَلَيكَ وَرِقَّةٍ

إِذا حَلَّ غيدٌ أَو تَرَحَّلَ غيدُ

إِذا حَلَّ غيدٌ أَو تَرَحَّلَ غيدُ

And I have never lacked anguish for you and tenderness,

No tenderness for you did I omit when a youth departed

When graceful maidens settle or graceful maidens depart.

Or an encampment moved on.

وَرَوضٍ كَما شاءَ المُحِبّونَ ظِلُّهُ

وَرَوضٍ كَما شاءَ المُحِبّونَ ظِلُّهُ

لَهُم وَلِأَسرارِ الغَرامِ مَديدُ

لَهُم وَلِأَسرارِ الغَرامِ مَديدُ

And a garden whose shade, just as lovers wished,

A garden whose shade the lovers desired as they wished -

Stretched far for them and for love's secrets.

For them and love's secrets it has great expanse.

تُظَلِّلُنا وَالطَيرَ في جَنَباتِهِ

تُظَلِّلُنا وَالطَيرَ في جَنَباتِهِ

غُصونٌ قِيامٌ لِلنَسيمِ سُجودُ

غُصونٌ قِيامٌ لِلنَسيمِ سُجودُ

Shading us and the birds within its bounds

Branches overshadow us and the birds around it -

Were upright boughs, bowing low before the breeze.

Swaying, bowing for the breeze's worship.

تَميلُ إِلى مُضنى الغَرامِ وَتارَةً

تَميلُ إِلى مُضنى الغَرامِ وَتارَةً

يُعارِضُها مُضنى الصَبا فَتَحيدُ

يُعارِضُها مُضنى الصَبا فَتَحيدُ

They lean toward one worn out by love, and at times

At times it tilts towards passion's languor but then

The languid east wind opposes them, so they turn aside.

Youth's bloom contends with it and deflects it.

مَشى في حَواشيها الأَصيلُ فَذُهِّبَت

مَشى في حَواشيها الأَصيلُ فَذُهِّبَت

وَمارَت عَلَيها الحَليُ وَهيَ تَميدُ

وَمارَت عَلَيها الحَليُ وَهيَ تَميدُ

Late-afternoon light walked along their edges, gilding them,

The select walked its edges and it was lost to them -

And ornaments trembled upon them as they swayed.

Adornments passed by it as it slowly died.

وَقامَت لَدَيها الطَيرُ شَتّى فَآنِسٌ

وَقامَت لَدَيها الطَيرُ شَتّى فَآنِسٌ

بِأَهلٍ وَمَفقودُ الأَليفِ وَحيدُ

بِأَهلٍ وَمَفقودُ الأَليفِ وَحيدُ

And birds stood beside them in varied states: one at ease

Birds of every kind stood by it - one sociable

With its kin, another bereft of its mate, alone;

With family, another deprived of its kin, alone.

وَباكٍ وَلا دَمعٌ وَشاكٍ وَلا جَوىً

وَباكٍ وَلا دَمعٌ وَشاكٍ وَلا جَوىً

وَجَذلانُ يَشدو في الرُبى وَيُشيدُ

وَجَذلانُ يَشدو في الرُبى وَيُشيدُ

And one weeping without tears, one lamenting without anguish,

One weeps but no tears, another ardent but no passion,

And one exultant, warbling on the hills and singing aloud;

And songbirds warble in the ruins, celebrating.

وَذي كَبرَةٍ لَم يُعطَ بِالدَهرِ خِبرَةً

وَذي كَبرَةٍ لَم يُعطَ بِالدَهرِ خِبرَةً

وَعُريانُ كاسٍ تَزدَهيهِ مُهودُ

وَعُريانُ كاسٍ تَزدَهيهِ مُهودُ

And an aged one whom time had given no experience,

One gauche whom time has not taught experience,

And one naked yet clothed, delighted by cradles.

Another naked whom fortune makes smile.

غَشَيناهُ وَالأَيّامُ تَندى شَبيبَةً

غَشَيناهُ وَالأَيّامُ تَندى شَبيبَةً

وَيَقطُرُ مِنها العَيشُ وَهوَ رَغيدُ

وَيَقطُرُ مِنها العَيشُ وَهوَ رَغيدُ

We visited it when the days were dewy with youth,

We shaded it while the days donned youthfulness

And life dripped from them, abundant and easy.

And life dripped from it, opulent.

رَأَت شَفَقاً يَنعى النَهارَ مُضَرَّجاً

رَأَت شَفَقاً يَنعى النَهارَ مُضَرَّجاً

فَقُلتُ لَها حَتّى النَهارُ شَهيدُ

فَقُلتُ لَها حَتّى النَهارُ شَهيدُ

She saw a twilight glow mourning the day, stained with blood;

It saw dusk mourning the day blood-coloured,

So I told her, 'Even the day is a martyr.'

So I said, “Even daylight is a martyr.”

فَقالَت وَما بِالطَيرِ قُلتُ سَكينَةٌ

فَقالَت وَما بِالطَيرِ قُلتُ سَكينَةٌ

فَما هِيَ مِمّا نَبتَغي وَنَصيدُ

فَما هِيَ مِمّا نَبتَغي وَنَصيدُ

She asked, 'And what of the birds?' I said, 'They are at peace,

“What of the birds?” she asked. I said, “Serenity -

For they are not among what we seek and hunt.'

That's not what we desire and hunt.”

أُحِلَّ لَنا الصَيدانِ يَومَ الهَوى مَهاً

أُحِلَّ لَنا الصَيدانِ يَومَ الهَوى مَهاً

وَيَومَ تُسَلُّ المُرهَفاتُ أُسودُ

وَيَومَ تُسَلُّ المُرهَفاتُ أُسودُ

Two kinds of quarry are lawful to us: on love's day, oryxes,

Two delights were permitted us the day of passion -

And on the day keen blades are drawn, lions.

When the fluttering doves are loosed, hawks prevail.

يُحَطَّمُ رُمحٌ دونَنا وَمُهَنَّدٌ

يُحَطَّمُ رُمحٌ دونَنا وَمُهَنَّدٌ

وَيَقتُلُنا لَحظٌ وَيَأسِرُ جيدُ

وَيَقتُلُنا لَحظٌ وَيَأسِرُ جيدُ

A spear and an Indian-steel sword are shattered before us,

A lance is shattered before us and a blade,

Yet a glance kills us, and a neck takes us captive.

And a glance kills us, a smooth cheek enslaves us.

وَنَحكُمُ حَتّى يُقبِلَ الدَهرُ حُكمَنا

وَنَحكُمُ حَتّى يُقبِلَ الدَهرُ حُكمَنا

وَنَحنُ لِسُلطانِ الغَرامِ عَبيدُ

وَنَحنُ لِسُلطانِ الغَرامِ عَبيدُ

And we rule until time itself accepts our rule,

We rule until time accepts our rule,

Yet we are slaves to love's sovereign power.

While we are slaves to passion’s sultanate.

أَقولُ لِأَيّامِ الصِبا كُلَّما نَأَت

أَقولُ لِأَيّامِ الصِبا كُلَّما نَأَت

أَما لَكَ يا عَهدَ الشَبابِ مُعيدُ

أَما لَكَ يا عَهدَ الشَبابِ مُعيدُ

I say to the days of youth whenever they grow distant:

I say to the days of youth each time they pass,

'Is there no one to bring you back, O season of youth?'

“Will not the era of youth repeat itself?”

وَكَيفَ نَأَت وَالأَمسُ آخرُ عَهدِها

وَكَيفَ نَأَت وَالأَمسُ آخرُ عَهدِها

لَأَمسُ كَباقي الغابِراتِ عَهيدُ

لَأَمسُ كَباقي الغابِراتِ عَهيدُ

And how have they grown distant, when I last knew them yesterday?

But how can it repeat when yesterday was its last day -

Indeed, yesterday is old, like all the other bygone days.

Like all things past, yesterday is forgotten.

جَزِعتُ فَراعَتني مِنَ الشَيبِ بَسمَةٌ

جَزِعتُ فَراعَتني مِنَ الشَيبِ بَسمَةٌ

كَأَنّي عَلى دَربِ المَشيبِ لَبيدُ

كَأَنّي عَلى دَربِ المَشيبِ لَبيدُ

I grew distraught; then a smile of gray hair startled me,

I was distraught so a touch of white in my hair smiled,

As though, on the road to gray hair, I were Labid.

As if ahead on the road to greying, I strayed.

وَمِن عَبَثِ الدُنيا وَما عَبَثَت سُدىً

وَمِن عَبَثِ الدُنيا وَما عَبَثَت سُدىً

شَبَبنا وَشِبنا وَالزَمانُ وَليدُ

شَبَبنا وَشِبنا وَالزَمانُ وَليدُ

And one of the world's caprices—though its play is not in vain—

Of the world's frivolity and how it vainly toyed -

Is that we reached youth and grew gray, while time is still a newborn.

We grew up and grew old while time was an infant.