كَيفَ السُّلوُّ وَقَلبي لَيسَ يَنساكِ

كَيفَ السُّلوُّ وَقَلبي لَيسَ يَنساكِ

وَلا يَلَذُّ لِساني غَيرَ ذِكراكِ

وَلا يَلَذُّ لِساني غَيرَ ذِكراكِ

How can I forget, when my heart does not forget you,

How can I be calm when my heart cannot forget you,

and my tongue savors nothing but the mention of you?

And my tongue finds no sweetness but mentioning you.

أَشكو الهَوى لِتَرِقِّي يا أُمَيمَةُ لي

أَشكو الهَوى لِتَرِقِّي يا أُمَيمَةُ لي

فَطالَما رَفِقَ المَشكُوُّ بِالشَّاكي

فَطالَما رَفِقَ المَشكُوُّ بِالشَّاكي

I lament love so you may pity me, O Umayma;

I complain of passion to gentle Umaymah;

for often the one complained of has been gentle with the complainer.

For the troubled one is often soothed by the troubled.

وَلَستُ أَحسَبُ مِن عُمري وَإِن حَسُنَتْ

وَلَستُ أَحسَبُ مِن عُمري وَإِن حَسُنَتْ

أَيَّامُهُ بِكِ إِلّا يَومَ أَلقاكِ

أَيَّامُهُ بِكِ إِلّا يَومَ أَلقاكِ

And I count no part of my life—however lovely

Of my life, I count not the days though they pass pleasantly,

its days are through you—except the day I meet you.

Except the day I met you, as more than all.

وَما الحِمى لَكِ مَغنىً تَنزِلينَ بِهِ

وَما الحِمى لَكِ مَغنىً تَنزِلينَ بِهِ

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ فُؤادِ الصَبِّ مَغناكِ

وَلَيسَ غَيرَ فُؤادِ الصَبِّ مَغناكِ

And the protected pasture is no home for you to dwell in;

For you the tribe’s protection is no refuge

nor is your home anywhere but in the lovesick lover's heart.

And none but the passionate heart is your refuge.

يَشقى بِبَعضيَ بَعضِي في هَواكِ فَما

يَشقى بِبَعضيَ بَعضِي في هَواكِ فَما

لِلعَينِ باكيَةً وَالقَلبُ يَهواكِ

لِلعَينِ باكيَةً وَالقَلبُ يَهواكِ

One part of me suffers through another in loving you—so why

Part of me suffers for love of you, so my eye weeps

is my eye weeping while my heart loves you?

While my heart loves on.

إِن يَحكِ ثَغرَكِ دَمعي حِينَ أَسفَحُهُ

إِن يَحكِ ثَغرَكِ دَمعي حِينَ أَسفَحُهُ

فَإِنَّني جُدتُ لِلمَحكيِّ بِالحاكي

فَإِنَّني جُدتُ لِلمَحكيِّ بِالحاكي

If my tears resemble your mouth when I shed them,

If my tears flow when your mouth smiles,

then I have lavished the likeness upon its original.

It is because I have made of my tears pearls for your mouth’s string.

وَمِن عُقودِكَ ما أَبكي عَلَيكِ بِهِ

وَمِن عُقودِكَ ما أَبكي عَلَيكِ بِهِ

وَهَل عُقودُكِ إِلّا مِن ثَناياكِ

وَهَل عُقودُكِ إِلّا مِن ثَناياكِ

And the tears I shed for you come from your necklaces;

And if I weep over your anklet rings,

and are your necklaces made of anything but your front teeth?

Are they not fashioned of your twisting locks?

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ الدُرَّ مَسكَنُهُ

ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ الدُرَّ مَسكَنُهُ

يَكونُ جيدَكِ أَو عَينَيَّ أَوفاكِ

يَكونُ جيدَكِ أَو عَينَيَّ أَوفاكِ

I never knew that the dwelling place of pearls

I did not know the pearl’s abode

could be your neck, or my eyes, or your mouth.

Could be your cheeks, my eyes, your glances.

وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ أَراني الفَجرُ أَوَّلَهُ

وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ أَراني الفَجرُ أَوَّلَهُ

بِحَيثُ أَشرَقَ لي فيهِ مُحَيّاكِ

بِحَيثُ أَشرَقَ لي فيهِ مُحَيّاكِ

And many a night dawn showed me its beginning,

And many a night has dawn revealed me there

when your face shone for me within it.

Where your cheek’s dawning sun first shone upon me.

فَكادَ الرُّعبُ يَطوينا وَيَنشُرُنا

فَكادَ الرُّعبُ يَطوينا وَيَنشُرُنا

يُحَدِّثُ الحَيَّ عَن مَسراكِ رَيّاكِ

يُحَدِّثُ الحَيَّ عَن مَسراكِ رَيّاكِ

Then terror almost folded us up and spread us out,

Terror almost parted us, diffusing fragrance,

as your fragrance told the tribe of your night journey.

The zephyr telling the thorn-bush of your drink and your approach.

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتِ فَما ناجَى خُطاكِ ثَرىً

ثُمَّ اِنصَرَفتِ فَما ناجَى خُطاكِ ثَرىً

إِلّا تَضَوَّعَ مِسكاً طابَ مَمشاكِ

إِلّا تَضَوَّعَ مِسكاً طابَ مَمشاكِ

Then you departed; no soil whispered to your footsteps

Then you walked away. The ground touched by your steps

but breathed out musk—sweet was your path.

Breathed only sweet perfume.

وَأَنتَ يا سَعدُ تَلحاني عَلى جَزَعي

وَأَنتَ يا سَعدُ تَلحاني عَلى جَزَعي

إِذ فاتَني رَشأٌ ضَمَّتهُ أَشراكي

إِذ فاتَني رَشأٌ ضَمَّتهُ أَشراكي

And you, O Sa'd, reproach me for my anguish,

You, Sa’d, urge me to control my grief

when a young gazelle my snares had held escaped me.

Now that the deer I love has escaped my snare!

وَالصُبحُ يَعلَمُ ما أَبكى العيونَ بِهِ

وَالصُبحُ يَعلَمُ ما أَبكى العيونَ بِهِ

فَسَلْ مَباسِمَهُ عَن مَدمَعِ الباكي

فَسَلْ مَباسِمَهُ عَن مَدمَعِ الباكي

And dawn knows what it has made the eyes weep for;

Let the dawn tell, who knows my weeping,

so ask its smiling mouths about the weeper's tearful eye.

Ask its smile about the weeping eyes.