عَرَاني غَرَامٌ شَفني وَبرَاني

عَرَاني غَرَامٌ شَفني وَبرَاني

وغَادَرَ صَبرِى مُقبِلَ الدَّبَرَانِ

وغَادَرَ صَبرِى مُقبِلَ الدَّبَرَانِ

A passion seized me, wasting me and wearing me away.

Passionate love has possessed and controlled me,

And left my patience heading toward Aldebaran.

And made me abandon my patience as it fades away.

فَبِتُّ أُعَاني غُصَّةَ الصَّبرِ نَاظِراً

فَبِتُّ أُعَاني غُصَّةَ الصَّبرِ نَاظِراً

إِلَى كُلِّ نَجمٍ في المَجَرَّةِ رَانِ

إِلَى كُلِّ نَجمٍ في المَجَرَّةِ رَانِ

So I spent the night enduring patience's choking pang, gazing

I spend the night suffering the agony of patience,

at every gazing star in the Milky Way.

Staring at each star in the galaxy.

أهمُّ إِذَا الأحشَاءُ قَد جَاشَ حَميُهَا

أهمُّ إِذَا الأحشَاءُ قَد جَاشَ حَميُهَا

عَلَى كَبِدٍ حَرَّاءَ بِالطَّيَرَانِ

عَلَى كَبِدٍ حَرَّاءَ بِالطَّيَرَانِ

I think, when the heat in my entrails seethes,

When the intestines boil with fervor

over a burning liver, of taking flight.

In a burning liver due to turmoil,

خَلِيلَىَّ ِإن لَم تَجفُوا قَرقَفَ الكَرَى

خَلِيلَىَّ ِإن لَم تَجفُوا قَرقَفَ الكَرَى

مَعِى وَدِّعَاني عَنكُمَا وَدَعَاني

مَعِى وَدِّعَاني عَنكُمَا وَدَعَاني

My two friends, if you will not forgo the wine of sleep

My two friends, if the orbits of fate do not rotate,

with me, bid me farewell and leave me on my own.

Say goodbye to me, they bid me farewell.

دَعَاني لَم أبرَح عَمِيداً مُتَيَّماً

دَعَاني لَم أبرَح عَمِيداً مُتَيَّماً

وكُلُّ عَمِيدٍ لِلتَّشَوُّقِ عَانِ

وكُلُّ عَمِيدٍ لِلتَّشَوُّقِ عَانِ

Leave me; I remain love-stricken, enslaved by love.

They bid me farewell, I do not stop being a devoted, infatuated one,

And every love-stricken man is a captive to longing.

And every devotee is prone to longing.

دَعَاني دَعَاني لاَعِجُ الوَجدِ والهَوَى

دَعَاني دَعَاني لاَعِجُ الوَجدِ والهَوَى

فَلَبَّيتُهُ قَسراً أوَانَ دَعَاني

فَلَبَّيتُهُ قَسراً أوَانَ دَعَاني

Leave me—the searing fire of passion and desire called me,

They bid me, they bid me, I hasten to ecstasy and passion,

so I answered it under compulsion when it called me.

So I reluctantly responded when they bid me farewell.

ولَو أنتُمَا عَانَيتُما الوَجدَ لَم ألَم

ولَو أنتُمَا عَانَيتُما الوَجدَ لَم ألَم

فَإني لِمَا عَانَيتُمَا لَمُعَانِ

فَإني لِمَا عَانَيتُمَا لَمُعَانِ

Had you two suffered passion, I would not be blamed,

Had you two suffered the ecstasy, I would not complain,

for I surely suffer what you two have suffered.

For I suffer what you two have suffered.

فَلاَ تَعذُلاني إن بَكَيتُ بِأربُعٍ

فَلاَ تَعذُلاني إن بَكَيتُ بِأربُعٍ

لِمَريمَ عَفَّاهَا البِلَى ومَغَانِ

لِمَريمَ عَفَّاهَا البِلَى ومَغَانِ

So do not reproach me if I weep at the camps

So do not blame me if I cry for four,

of Maryam, effaced by decay, and at her haunts.

For Mary, whom time has erased, and for Magan.

فَإِنَّ أَغَاني الوُرقِ في دَوحِ أيكَةٍ

فَإِنَّ أَغَاني الوُرقِ في دَوحِ أيكَةٍ

غَنَيتُ بَِهَا عَن حُسنِ كُلَّ أغَانِ

غَنَيتُ بَِهَا عَن حُسنِ كُلَّ أغَانِ

For the songs of gray doves in a grove's spreading trees—

For the songs of leaves in the grove of Layla

with these, I have no need of the beauty of any other song.

Have made me forget the beauty of all other songs.

سَأخفي لَهَا وُدِّى عَلَى رُغمٍ مِن قِلىً

سَأخفي لَهَا وُدِّى عَلَى رُغمٍ مِن قِلىً

فَسِيَّانِ عِندِى مَن قَلَى وَبَغَاني

فَسِيَّانِ عِندِى مَن قَلَى وَبَغَاني

I shall hide my love for her, in spite of aversion,

I will conceal my love in spite of those who disdain me,

for one who spurns me and one who seeks me are alike to me.

To me, those who disdain and hate me are equal.

وَلَكِن أعِينَاني فَاني أخٌ أخُو

وَلَكِن أعِينَاني فَاني أخٌ أخُو

هوي بَدوي في قُرَى السُّنُغَانِ

هوي بَدوي في قُرَى السُّنُغَانِ

But help me, you two, for I am a brother, a man

But two eyes have helped me - a dear brother,

of passion, a Bedouin in the villages of Sunughan.

Who wanders as a Bedouin in the villages of Songan.

وإن تَكُ بُلدَانُ السُّودُانِ قَد طَالَمَا

وإن تَكُ بُلدَانُ السُّودُانِ قَد طَالَمَا

أقَمتُ بِهَا في ضَيعةٍ وهَوَانِ

أقَمتُ بِهَا في ضَيعةٍ وهَوَانِ

And though in the lands of the Sudan I have long

The lands of Sudan where I stayed for so long

dwelt in neglect and humiliation,

In a farmhouse abounding in love.

لَرُبَّ فَتَاةٍ فَعمَةِ الرِّدفِ لَدنَةٍ

لَرُبَّ فَتَاةٍ فَعمَةِ الرِّدفِ لَدنَةٍ

تَمِيسُ كَغُصنِ ألبَانِ بَينَ غَوَانِ

تَمِيسُ كَغُصنِ ألبَانِ بَينَ غَوَانِ

indeed, many a full-hipped, supple young woman,

Many a soft, delicate, flirtatious, coquettish girl,

swaying like a ban branch among beautiful women—

Frolicking like the branches of poplars amid acacias.

لَهَوتُ بِها لَمَّا عَنِ اللَّهوِ قَد وَنَى

لَهَوتُ بِها لَمَّا عَنِ اللَّهوِ قَد وَنَى

سِوَاىَ فَإني عَنهُ لَستُ بِوَانِ

سِوَاىَ فَإني عَنهُ لَستُ بِوَانِ

I dallied with her when pleasure had wearied

I would play with her when weary of frivolity,

others; as for me, I never tire of it.

Other than her, I do not incline to frivolity.

وَكَم مُشكِلٍ أَعيَا الجَهابِذَةَ انثَنَى

وَكَم مُشكِلٍ أَعيَا الجَهابِذَةَ انثَنَى

بِمِصبَاح فَهمِي وَاضِحَ اللَّمَعانِ

بِمِصبَاح فَهمِي وَاضِحَ اللَّمَعانِ

And many a problem that baffled the masters became

How many perplexing problems made the champions recoil,

clear and bright by the lamp of my understanding.

Yet yielded to the light of my bright understanding!

وَكَم فِتيَةٍ سَامَرتُهُم بِقَصَائِدٍ

وَكَم فِتيَةٍ سَامَرتُهُم بِقَصَائِدٍ

مُحَلاَة بألفَاظٍ بِدُرِّ مَعَانِ

مُحَلاَة بألفَاظٍ بِدُرِّ مَعَانِ

And many a band of young men I entertained at night with poems,

How many youths have I conversed with using poems

adorned in their wording with pearls of meaning.

Filled with sweet words of pearly meaning!

وَكَم جِيدِ رَقٍّ كَانَ قَبلِى مُعَطَّلاً

وَكَم جِيدِ رَقٍّ كَانَ قَبلِى مُعَطَّلاً

فَحَلاَّهُ بِالعِقيَانِ خَطُّ بَنَاني

فَحَلاَّهُ بِالعِقيَانِ خَطُّ بَنَاني

And many a parchment's neck was unadorned before I came;

How many supple necks that were idle before me

then my fingertips' script adorned it with pure gold.

My creation adorned with necklaces!

وَكَم دَاهِمٍ دَاهٍ تَلَقَّيتُ بَركَهُ

وَكَم دَاهِمٍ دَاهٍ تَلَقَّيتُ بَركَهُ

وَعَانَيتُهُ فَانقَادَ لِي بِعِنانِ

وَعَانَيتُهُ فَانقَادَ لِي بِعِنانِ

And many an onrushing, dire calamity—I faced its breast

How many arrogant fools I have faced whose pride

and grappled with it, till it yielded to my rein.

I tamed so they submitted to my rein!

وكَم مِن بَدِيعٍ بِتُّ أسقِى عُقَارَهُ

وكَم مِن بَدِيعٍ بِتُّ أسقِى عُقَارَهُ

نُدَامَايَ مَمَزُوجاً لَهُم بِبِيَانِ

نُدَامَايَ مَمَزُوجاً لَهُم بِبِيَانِ

And many a wondrous composition—through the night I poured its wine

How many ingenious ones have I given the draft of my blame

for my boon companions, mixed for them with eloquence.

Mixed, for them, with eloquence!

وَكَم شَانئٍ أولَيتَهُ لِينَ جَانبي

وَكَم شَانئٍ أولَيتَهُ لِينَ جَانبي

وقَرَّبتُه خَوفاً مِنَ الشَّنَآنِ

وقَرَّبتُه خَوفاً مِنَ الشَّنَآنِ

And to many a hater I showed my gentle side,

How many fault-finders I have treated gently,

and drew him close, for fear of enmity.

Fearing their disparagement!

وكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ عَمدَ عَينَ سَقَيتُهُ

وكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ عَمدَ عَينَ سَقَيتُهُ

كُئوسَ حَمِيمٍ كَالعَلاقِمِمِ

كُئوسَ حَمِيمٍ كَالعَلاقِمِمِ

And many an enemy I deliberately, knowingly made drink

How many a foe whose eye I have sated

cups of scalding water, bitter as colocynth.

With drafts of hot, boiling water!

وكَم تِرَةٍ أدركتُ غِبَّ طِلاَبِهَا

وكَم تِرَةٍ أدركتُ غِبَّ طِلاَبِهَا

بِعَزمٍ كَمَاضِي الشَّفرَتَينِ يَمَاني

بِعَزمٍ كَمَاضِي الشَّفرَتَينِ يَمَاني

And many a wrong I avenged after seeking redress,

How many times have I reached the essence of a problem

with resolve like a sharp, double-edged Yemeni sword.

With determination, like the two fast blades of Yemen!