يا مَنْ كتمتُ غَرَامَهُ

يا مَنْ كتمتُ غَرَامَهُ

حتى أضرَّ بيَ الغرامْ

حتى أضرَّ بيَ الغرامْ

O you, my love for whom I concealed,

O you whose love I concealed

Until passion harmed me.

Until love pained me

وَالى العذولُ ملامَه

وَالى العذولُ ملامَه

والصبُّ يؤلمهُ الملامْ

والصبُّ يؤلمهُ الملامْ

The reproacher kept up his reproaches,

While the blameworthy blamed

And reproach pains the lovesick lover.

And the youth pained by blame

هلاَّ رَعَيْتَ ذِمَامَه

هلاَّ رَعَيْتَ ذِمَامَه

والحبُّ أيْسَرُهُ ذِمَامْ

والحبُّ أيْسَرُهُ ذِمَامْ

Why did you not honor his bond—

If only you had restrained it

When love's least demand is a bond of honor—

For love tames it easily

وَجَزَيْتَهُ بِوشدَادِه

وَجَزَيْتَهُ بِوشدَادِه

وَيَبْقَى اللَّومْ

وَيَبْقَى اللَّومْ

And repay him with his [unclear term]?

And repaid it with fidelity

And blame remains,

Blame remains not

مِنْ دُونِ

مِنْ دُونِ

بُغْيَتِهِ ذَمِيمَا

بُغْيَتِهِ ذَمِيمَا

Apart from

Its craving is vile

His desire, contemptible.

I did not panic from thirst

ما كنتُ أَفْزَعُ للظَّمَا

ما كنتُ أَفْزَعُ للظَّمَا

لو كانُ تُروِيني الدموعْ

لو كانُ تُروِيني الدموعْ

I would not have dreaded thirst,

If tears would quench me

If tears could quench my thirst.

Your mouth sufficed whenever

حسبي بثغركَ كلما

حسبي بثغركَ كلما

أعيا مَدَايَ به المنوعْ

أعيا مَدَايَ به المنوعْ

Your mouth suffices me whenever

The withheld tired me

The withholding one frustrates my efforts to reach it.

Preoccupied with the echo of departure

مُعَنّى بهاجرةِ الصّدى

مُعَنّى بهاجرةِ الصّدى

مَنَعْتَ الحومْ

مَنَعْتَ الحومْ

Tormented by the midday heat of thirst,

You prevented intimacy and it is my habit to yearn

You have forbidden circling,

A branch that bent with coolness

وعادةٌ لي

وعادةٌ لي

أنْ أَحُومَا

أنْ أَحُومَا

And it is my habit

The drunkenness of youth leaning on it

To circle round.

I gave it what it does not want

غُصْنٌ غدا ملْ البرودْ

غُصْنٌ غدا ملْ البرودْ

سُكْرُ الشَّبابِ بِهِ يميل

سُكْرُ الشَّبابِ بِهِ يميل

A bough that now [fills?] the robes,

Of its love though it is stingy

Youth's intoxication makes him sway.

I still surrender to rejection

أعطيتُهُ ما لا يريدْ

أعطيتُهُ ما لا يريدْ

من حُبِّهِ وهو البخيل

من حُبِّهِ وهو البخيل

I gave him what he does not want,

Until lassitude shrouded me

Of love for him, while he is miserly.

So when I attain your company

ما زلتُ أخضعُ للصدودْ

ما زلتُ أخضعُ للصدودْ

حتَّى تكنَّفَني الخمول

حتَّى تكنَّفَني الخمول

I kept bowing to rejection,

That day I will become a leader in the world

Until obscurity surrounded me.

How homesickness shreds me

فمتى ظَفِرْتُ بِوَصْلِكُمْ

فمتى ظَفِرْتُ بِوَصْلِكُمْ

فذاكَ اليومْ أصبحتُ

فذاكَ اليومْ أصبحتُ

So whenever I attain union with you,

For Umm Al-Ala

Then, on that day, I shall become

The burden of passion left me

في الدُّنيا زَعيما

في الدُّنيا زَعيما

كم ذا تُقَطّعني النَّوى

كم ذا تُقَطّعني النَّوى

A leader in this world.

Only remnants of determination

How long will separation tear me apart,

I cry you as long as crying lasts

شَوْقاً إلى أم العلاءِ

شَوْقاً إلى أم العلاءِ

لم يُبْقِ لي حَمْلُ الهَوَى

لم يُبْقِ لي حَمْلُ الهَوَى

In longing for Umm al-Ala?

And I am apt to crying

The burden of passion has left me nothing

If you deprived my eyelids of sweet sleep

إلا بَقَايا من ذَمَاءِ

إلا بَقَايا من ذَمَاءِ

أبكيكِ ما شاءَ البكا

أبكيكِ ما شاءَ البكا

But remnants of lingering life.

Then long ago I found bliss in you

I weep for you as long as weeping wills,

I burdened myself with its death

وأنا خليقٌ بالبكاءِ

وأنا خليقٌ بالبكاءِ

فلئنْ منعتِ

فلئنْ منعتِ

And it befits me to weep.

While I am resentful in its place

For even if you have denied

In one whose glance shows

مُقْلَتِي لذيذَ النَّومْ

مُقْلَتِي لذيذَ النَّومْ

فلقد نعمتُ

فلقد نعمتُ

My eye the sweetness of sleep,

Either coquetry or immorality

Still, I have indeed known bliss

She started betraying its ghost

فيكِ قديما

فيكِ قديما

حَمَّلْتُ نفسي حَتْفَها

حَمَّلْتُ نفسي حَتْفَها

In you, long ago.

While by your right I do not betray

I burdened my soul with its own doom,

Oaths pass

وأنا بموضعها ضنينُ

وأنا بموضعها ضنينُ

في منْ يبينُ بطرفها

في منْ يبينُ بطرفها

Though I jealously cherish its dwelling-place,

And cease, O people

For one in whose gaze appears

While I remain faithful

إما دلالٌ أو مجون

إما دلالٌ أو مجون

باتتْ تُخَوِّنُ طيفها

باتتْ تُخَوِّنُ طيفها

Either coquetry or wantonness.

To my oath

She spent the night accusing her dream-phantom of betrayal,

وَأنا وحقِّكَ لا أَخونُ

وَأنا وحقِّكَ لا أَخونُ

تَمْضِي العهودْ

تَمْضِي العهودْ

And I, by your honor, do not betray.

The pledges pass away,

وَتَاتِي مِلاَّشْ يا قَومْ

وَتَاتِي مِلاَّشْ يا قَومْ

وَأنا على

وَأنا على

And come to nothing, O people,

And I stand by

عَهْدي مُقيما

عَهْدي مُقيما

My pledge, steadfast.