جِسمي نَحيل بِالحَبِّ وَالحُبِّ

جِسمي نَحيل بِالحَبِّ وَالحُبِّ

ذا مِن رَبيبي وَذاكَ مِن رَبّي

ذا مِن رَبيبي وَذاكَ مِن رَبّي

My body is wasted by pimples and love.

My body is lean with love and passion

This comes from my fosterling, and that from my Lord.

Some from my beloved, some from my Lord

نارانِ نارٌ بِالطِبِّ إِن ظَهَرَت

نارانِ نارٌ بِالطِبِّ إِن ظَهَرَت

تَخفى وَنارٌ تَخفى عَن الطِبِّ

تَخفى وَنارٌ تَخفى عَن الطِبِّ

Two fires: one, if it appears, medicine makes

Two fires - one, if revealed, cured with medicine

vanish; the other remains hidden from medicine.

The other concealed from medicine

مَولايَ مَهلاً فَلَيسَ يَحمِلُ أَن

مَولايَ مَهلاً فَلَيسَ يَحمِلُ أَن

أَعتَبُ في غَيرِ مَوضِع العَتَبِ

أَعتَبُ في غَيرِ مَوضِع العَتَبِ

My lord, be gentle: it cannot bear that

My Master, wait, for I cannot bear

I be reproached where reproach is out of place.

To reproach except in the place of reproach

بي جَرَبٌ واقِعٌ مَضاريهِ

بي جَرَبٌ واقِعٌ مَضاريهِ

أَمضى مِنَ المُرهِفاتِ في النَقبِ

أَمضى مِنَ المُرهِفاتِ في النَقبِ

I have scabies, whose ravages strike

I am tried, its afflictions fixed

more keenly than sharpened blades in piercing.

More relentless than the winds in the deserts

أَغزَر مِن ماء دَمعَتي فَإِذا

أَغزَر مِن ماء دَمعَتي فَإِذا

يَئِستُ مِنهُ أَحَرّ مِن قَلبي

يَئِستُ مِنهُ أَحَرّ مِن قَلبي

It is more copious than the water of my tears; and when

More copious than my tears, so when

I despair of it, it is hotter than my heart.

I despair of it, my heart is on fire

حرمت مِن لبسة الثِيابِ فَقَد

حرمت مِن لبسة الثِيابِ فَقَد

عُرِّيتُ إِلّا مِن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبِ

عُرِّيتُ إِلّا مِن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبِ

I am deprived of wearing clothes, for I have

Deprived of wearing clothes, I have been

been stripped bare, save for wet pearls.

Stripped naked except for moist pearls

غَيرَ مَتين جِسمي عَلَيهِ إِذا

غَيرَ مَتين جِسمي عَلَيهِ إِذا

هاجَ وَصُلبي فَلَيسَ بِالصَلبِ

هاجَ وَصُلبي فَلَيسَ بِالصَلبِ

My body is not strong against it when

My body, weak against it, when

it rages; and my backbone is not firm.

Aroused, is not firm

كَأَنَّ كَفيَّ في اشتِباكِهِما

كَأَنَّ كَفيَّ في اشتِباكِهِما

جَيشانِ حَفا بِالصَعن وَالضَربِ

جَيشانِ حَفا بِالصَعن وَالضَربِ

It is as though my two palms, in their interlocking,

My hands clasping each other

were two armies closing in with thrusts and blows.

Are like two armies meeting in battle and striking

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ الأَظفارِ بَينَهُما

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ الأَظفارِ بَينَهُما

مِن أَسمَرٍ ذابِلٍ وَمِن عَضَبِ

مِن أَسمَرٍ ذابِلٍ وَمِن عَضَبِ

And between them there is nothing but fingernails,

And between them is nothing

serving as dusky, slender spears and keen swords.

Except withered dark fingers and twigs

كَأَنَّما أَنمُلي إِذا سَرَحَت

كَأَنَّما أَنمُلي إِذا سَرَحَت

في صَخرِ جِسمي الخُيول في الحَربِ

في صَخرِ جِسمي الخُيول في الحَربِ

As though my fingertips, when they roam

As if my fingers when unleashed

over the rock of my body, were horses at war.

Are horses charging in the battlefield of my body

فَتارَةً في اليَمينِ معكسه

فَتارَةً في اليَمينِ معكسه

وَتارَةً في الشِمالِ وَالقَلبِ

وَتارَةً في الشِمالِ وَالقَلبِ

Now it turns back on the right,

Sometimes driving to the right, reversing it

and now on the left and at the heart.

Other times to the left and heart

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ زارَ كنت بِهِ

حَتّى إِذا اللَيلُ زارَ كنت بِهِ

مُلقىً عَلى الظَهرِ أَو عَلى الجُنُبِ

مُلقىً عَلى الظَهرِ أَو عَلى الجُنُبِ

Till, when night comes visiting, I lie there,

Until night comes and I am with it

cast upon my back or upon my side.

Thrown on my back or side

كَأَنَّ جِسمي غَنيمَة وَيَدي

كَأَنَّ جِسمي غَنيمَة وَيَدي

بِالحَكِّ فيهِ تَجوبُ في نَهبِ

بِالحَكِّ فيهِ تَجوبُ في نَهبِ

As though my body were spoils of war, and my hand

As if my body is the spoils and my hands

roams over it, scratching as it plunders.

Plundering it, ranging in pillage

فَكُن عذري أَما مُحمَد المَأمو

فَكُن عذري أَما مُحمَد المَأمو

ل واعفوا عَن مُذنِبٍ صَبِّ

ل واعفوا عَن مُذنِبٍ صَبِّ

So be my excuse, now, Muhammad, the one I hope

So forgive me, O Muhammad, my protector

for; and pardon a love-stricken sinner.

And pardon a sinful supplicant

فَما عَلى ما شَكَوتُ مُحتَمَل العَت

فَما عَلى ما شَكَوتُ مُحتَمَل العَت

بِ فاصفَح وَعدِّ عَن ذَنبي

بِ فاصفَح وَعدِّ عَن ذَنبي

For, with what I have complained of, I cannot bear re-

For I cannot withstand the reproach

proach; so pardon, and pass over my sin.

For what I complained, so overlook and disregard my sin