قامَت بِعَذلي لَدى المَحبوبِ أَقوام

قامَت بِعَذلي لَدى المَحبوبِ أَقوام

وَصَمَّموا عَذلتي عَنهُ وَقَد حاموا

وَصَمَّموا عَذلتي عَنهُ وَقَد حاموا

People rose to reproach me in my beloved's presence.

Some people stood against me before my beloved

And they resolved to turn me from him with reproaches, circling round.

And insisted on keeping me away from him, though they were misguided

وَكُلَّما رُمت قُربا مِن شَمائِلِهِ

وَكُلَّما رُمت قُربا مِن شَمائِلِهِ

جاءَت تهددني لِلحَظ أَسهام

جاءَت تهددني لِلحَظ أَسهام

And whenever I sought closeness to his charms,

And whenever I tried to get closer to his features

Arrows of the glance came threatening me.

Their arrows came threatening me with misfortune

كَأَنَّهُم بعنادى عصبة كَفَروا

كَأَنَّهُم بعنادى عصبة كَفَروا

ما حل في قَلبِهِم صدق وَاِسلام

ما حل في قَلبِهِم صدق وَاِسلام

As though, in opposing me, they were a band of unbelievers;

It was as if they were an obstinate gang of unbelievers

No sincerity or Islam had settled in their hearts.

In whose hearts dwelt no truth or submission

ضَلوا لِطُغيانِهِم جَهلا بحكمة مِن

ضَلوا لِطُغيانِهِم جَهلا بحكمة مِن

بِأَمرِهِ كانَ اِيجادُ وَاِعدام

بِأَمرِهِ كانَ اِيجادُ وَاِعدام

They strayed through their rebellion, ignorant of the wisdom of the One

They went astray in their tyranny, ignorant of the wisdom of Him

By whose command creation and annihilation came to be.

By whose command creation and destruction come to be

وَأَبرَموا قَتلتي بِالبُعد عَن رَشَأ

وَأَبرَموا قَتلتي بِالبُعد عَن رَشَأ

لَولاهُ ما رَفَعتُ لِلحُبِّ أَعلام

لَولاهُ ما رَفَعتُ لِلحُبِّ أَعلام

And they sealed my death through separation from a fawn,

And they plotted my death through separation from the fresh pasture

Without whom I would never have raised love's banners.

Without which I would not have raised the banners of love

هُم اِستَجَدّوا ببحر الحُب ما وَهَنوا

هُم اِستَجَدّوا ببحر الحُب ما وَهَنوا

وَما اِستَكانوا وَما خاضوا وما عاموا

وَما اِستَكانوا وَما خاضوا وما عاموا

They are newcomers to love's sea; they have not weakened,

They embarked upon the sea of love without weakening or humbling

Nor yielded, nor waded in, nor swum.

Without yielding or swimming or effort

لَم يَعلَموا اِن قَضيت العُمر في الجج

لَم يَعلَموا اِن قَضيت العُمر في الجج

وَلي بِبَحر الهَوى عوم وَأَعوام

وَلي بِبَحر الهَوى عوم وَأَعوام

They did not know that I had spent my life in the depths,

They did not know that I have spent my life in ardour

And have years of swimming in the sea of passion.

Swimming in the sea of passion for years

فَكَم رَبِحتَ عُقودا مِنهُ مثمنة

فَكَم رَبِحتَ عُقودا مِنهُ مثمنة

وَطالب الدر لا يُثنيه أَوهام

وَطالب الدر لا يُثنيه أَوهام

So how many precious necklaces you have gained from it!

So how many precious necklaces have I gained from Him

And illusions do not deter the seeker of pearls.

While the pearl seeker is not discouraged by fantasies

وَكَم صدمت بِشَعب في مَسالِكِه

وَكَم صدمت بِشَعب في مَسالِكِه

حَتّى اِستَوى فيهِ عِندي الزبد وَالخام

حَتّى اِستَوى فيهِ عِندي الزبد وَالخام

And how often I struck a reef in its channels,

And how many times have I crashed against rocks in His paths

Until its foam and raw matter were alike to me.

Until foam and gems were the same to me

وَكل ما نالَني في الوَجد يَعلَمُهُ

وَكل ما نالَني في الوَجد يَعلَمُهُ

ذاكَ الغَزالُ كَما خصته أَقلام

ذاكَ الغَزالُ كَما خصته أَقلام

And all that befell me in yearning is known to

And He knows all that has come upon me in passion

That gazelle, as pens have singled him out.

As I have described to that gazelle in my poems

لكِنَّهُ سالِك أُسلوب عصبته

لكِنَّهُ سالِك أُسلوب عصبته

في كُل ما قَعَدوا عَنهُ وَما قالوا

في كُل ما قَعَدوا عَنهُ وَما قالوا

Yet he follows his band's way,

But he follows the ways of his gang

In all they held back from and all they said.

In all they desisted from and said

بِالحِقدِ هاموا وَحاشا اِن أَمثَلَهُم

بِالحِقدِ هاموا وَحاشا اِن أَمثَلَهُم

بِآل يوسِف مذفى جهلَهُم هاموا

بِآل يوسِف مذفى جهلَهُم هاموا

They were crazed with spite; far be it from me to liken them

With malice they erred, far from resembling

To Yusuf's kin, since they wandered in their ignorance.

The family of Joseph though their ignorance made them stumble

وَاِن تَلوا في الهَوى آيات غرته

وَاِن تَلوا في الهَوى آيات غرته

وَجودِها وَاِن صَلوا وَاِن صاموا

وَجودِها وَاِن صَلوا وَاِن صاموا

Even if, in passion, they recited the verses of his radiant brow

And if they recited verses of love's deception in devotion

And of its bounty, even if they prayed and even if they fasted,

Whether praying or fasting

اِني أَرى في مَجاري لَحظِهِم أَبَدا

اِني أَرى في مَجاري لَحظِهِم أَبَدا

مَناويا هي في الاِحشامِ اِسهام

مَناويا هي في الاِحشامِ اِسهام

I always see in the paths of their glances

I always see in the course of their glances

Hostile designs that contribute to shaming [wording uncertain].

Arrows that in the darkness are quivers

اِخشي عَلى الريم مِن نَجوى ضَغائِنِهم

اِخشي عَلى الريم مِن نَجوى ضَغائِنِهم

لاِن اليَتهم في الغَدرِ ضَرغام

لاِن اليَتهم في الغَدرِ ضَرغام

Fear for the gazelle from the secret whisperings of their grudges,

I fear for the gaze from the whispering of their resentments

For their oath is a lion in treachery.

Since their hands are quick to betray

يَدي عَلى الكَبدِ في صُبح بدا وَمَسى

يَدي عَلى الكَبدِ في صُبح بدا وَمَسى

عَلى شَقيق لَهُ في الحَي ما داموا

عَلى شَقيق لَهُ في الحَي ما داموا

My hand is upon my liver when morning dawns, and at evening,

My hand is on my heart morning and night

For a full brother of his among the clan, as long as they remain.

For one who still lives though his companion is no more