يا بَيتَ عاتِكَةَ الَّذي أَتعزَّلُ

يا بَيتَ عاتِكَةَ الَّذي أَتعزَّلُ

حَذَرَ العِدى وَبِهِ الفُؤادِ مُؤَكَّلُ

حَذَرَ العِدى وَبِهِ الفُؤادِ مُؤَكَّلُ

O house of ʿAtika, from which I keep apart,

O house of Atika, which I shun

for fear of foes, though my heart is bound to it.

for fear of foes, though my heart is devoted to it.

أَصبَحتُ أَمنَحُكَ الصُدودَ وَإِنَّني

أَصبَحتُ أَمنَحُكَ الصُدودَ وَإِنَّني

قَسَماً إِلَيكَ مَعَ الصُدودِ لأَميَلُ

قَسَماً إِلَيكَ مَعَ الصُدودِ لأَميَلُ

I have come to show you cold avoidance, although I—

I have taken to shunning you, yet I

I swear—incline toward you even as I turn away.

swear I still incline toward you despite my avoidance.

وَلَقَد نَزَلتَ مِنَ الفُؤادِ بِمَنزِلٍ

وَلَقَد نَزَلتَ مِنَ الفُؤادِ بِمَنزِلٍ

ما كانَ غَيرُكَ والأَمانَة يَنزِلُ

ما كانَ غَيرُكَ والأَمانَة يَنزِلُ

You have taken within my heart a dwelling place

You have indeed settled in a place within my heart

where none but you and fidelity may dwell.

where no other, by good faith, ever dwelt.

وَلَقَد شَكَوتُ إِلَيكَ بَعضَ صَبابَتي

وَلَقَد شَكَوتُ إِلَيكَ بَعضَ صَبابَتي

وَلما كَتَمتُ مِن الصَبابَةِ أَطوَلُ

وَلما كَتَمتُ مِن الصَبابَةِ أَطوَلُ

I have complained to you of some part of my longing,

I have indeed confided some of my yearning to you,

but what I have concealed of that longing is more enduring.

yet the yearning I have concealed is greater.

فَصَددتُ عَنكَ وَما صَدَدتُ لِبغضَةٍ

فَصَددتُ عَنكَ وَما صَدَدتُ لِبغضَةٍ

أَخشَى مَقالَةَ كاشِحٍ لا يَعقِلُ

أَخشَى مَقالَةَ كاشِحٍ لا يَعقِلُ

I turned away from you, but not from hatred;

So I turned away from you, but not out of hatred;

I fear the words of a spiteful fool.

I fear the words of a spiteful foe who has no sense.

هَل عَيشُنا بِكَ في زَمانِكَ راجِعٌ

هَل عَيشُنا بِكَ في زَمانِكَ راجِعٌ

فَلَقَد تَقاعَسَ بَعدَكَ المُتَعَلِّلُ

فَلَقَد تَقاعَسَ بَعدَكَ المُتَعَلِّلُ

Will the life we lived with you, in your time, return?

Will our life with you, in your days, return?

For since your loss, even one sustained by hope has shrunk back.

For after you, the seeker of solace has indeed faltered.

إِنّي إِذا قُلتُ استَقامَ يَحُطُّهُ

إِنّي إِذا قُلتُ استَقامَ يَحُطُّهُ

خُلفٌ كَما نَظَرَ الخِلافَ الأَقبَلُ

خُلفٌ كَما نَظَرَ الخِلافَ الأَقبَلُ

Whenever I say, “He has taken the straight path,” perfidy drives him on—

Indeed, whenever I say, 'It has come right,' it is brought low

just as the cross-eyed one’s gaze runs contrary.

by a broken promise, like the contrary gaze of a cross-eyed man.

لَو بِالَّذي عالَجتُ لينَ فؤادِهِ

لَو بِالَّذي عالَجتُ لينَ فؤادِهِ

فَأَبى يَلينُ بِهِ لَلانَ الجَندَلُ

فَأَبى يَلينُ بِهِ لَلانَ الجَندَلُ

Had that with which I tried to soften his heart

Had the means I used to soften his heart—

been tried on stone—though his heart refused—the boulder would have softened.

though he would not yield—been used on stone, stone would have softened.

وَتَجَنُّبي بَيتَ الحَبيبِ أَوَدُّهُ

وَتَجَنُّبي بَيتَ الحَبيبِ أَوَدُّهُ

أُرضي البَغيضَ بِهِ حَديثٌ مُعضِلُ

أُرضي البَغيضَ بِهِ حَديثٌ مُعضِلُ

My keeping away from the beloved’s house, though I love it,

And my shunning the beloved's house, which I love,

is to placate the hateful one thereby, for fear of a grave predicament.

thereby pleasing the hated one, is a perplexing matter.

وَلَئِن صَددتُ لأَنتَ لَولا رِقبَتي

وَلَئِن صَددتُ لأَنتَ لَولا رِقبَتي

أَهوى مِن اللائِي أَزورُ وَأَدخُلُ

أَهوى مِن اللائِي أَزورُ وَأَدخُلُ

Though I turn away, you—were it not for my fear of being watched—

And though I turn away, but for my wariness you would be

are dearer to me than the women I visit and enter upon.

dearer to me than those I visit and enter.

إِنَّ الشَبابَ وَعَيشَنا اللَذَّ الَّذي

إِنَّ الشَبابَ وَعَيشَنا اللَذَّ الَّذي

كُنّا بِهِ زَمَناً نُسَرُّ وَنَجذَلُ

كُنّا بِهِ زَمَناً نُسَرُّ وَنَجذَلُ

Truly, youth and that sweet life of ours, which

Indeed, youth and our sweet life, in which

we lived awhile in happiness and exultation—

we once were gladdened and rejoiced—

ذَهَبَت بَشاشَتُهُ وَأَصبَحَ ذِكرُهُ

ذَهَبَت بَشاشَتُهُ وَأَصبَحَ ذِكرُهُ

حَزَناً يُعَلُّ بِهِ الفؤَادُ وَيُنهَلُ

حَزَناً يُعَلُّ بِهِ الفؤَادُ وَيُنهَلُ

its brightness has gone, and its remembrance has become

their brightness has departed, and their memory has become

a sorrow with which the heart is plied and from which it drinks deeply.

a sorrow the heart is made to drink, draught after draught.

إِلا تَذَكُّرَ ما مَضى وَصَبابَةً

إِلا تَذَكُّرَ ما مَضى وَصَبابَةً

مُنِيَت لِقَلبِ مُتَممٍ لا يذهَلُ

مُنِيَت لِقَلبِ مُتَممٍ لا يذهَلُ

Nothing remains but remembrance of what has passed, and a yearning

Save remembrance of what has passed, and a yearning

allotted to an enamored heart that never forgets.

fated for Mutammim's heart, which never forgets.

أَودى الشَبابُ وَأَخلَقَت لَذَّاتُهُ

أَودى الشَبابُ وَأَخلَقَت لَذَّاتُهُ

وَأَنا الحَزينُ عَلى الشَبابِ المُعوِلُ

وَأَنا الحَزينُ عَلى الشَبابِ المُعوِلُ

Youth has vanished, and its pleasures have worn away;

Youth has perished, and its pleasures have worn away;

and I am the grieving one who wails for youth.

and I am the grieving one, wailing over youth.