ذَكَرتُ وَصيفاً ذِكرَةَ الهائِمِ الصَبِّ

ذَكَرتُ وَصيفاً ذِكرَةَ الهائِمِ الصَبِّ

فَأَجرَيتُ سَكباً مِن دُموعي عَلى سَكبِ

فَأَجرَيتُ سَكباً مِن دُموعي عَلى سَكبِ

I remembered Wasif as a distraught, lovesick lover remembers,

I recalled a companion, recalling the memories of an obsessed wanderer,

so I let my tears flow, torrent upon torrent.

So I let flow a stream of my tears upon a stream.

أَسيرٌ بِأَرضِ الشامِ ما حَفِظوا لَهُ

أَسيرٌ بِأَرضِ الشامِ ما حَفِظوا لَهُ

ذِمامَ الهَوى فيهِ وَلا حُرمَةَ الحُبِّ

ذِمامَ الهَوى فيهِ وَلا حُرمَةَ الحُبِّ

A captive in the land of Syria—they did not uphold for him

A prisoner in the land of Syria, they did not preserve for him

the bond of affection toward him, nor the sanctity of love.

The reins of passion in it, nor the sanctity of love.

وَما كانَ مَولاهُ وَقَد سامَهُ الرَدى

وَما كانَ مَولاهُ وَقَد سامَهُ الرَدى

بِمُتَّئِدِ البُقيا وَلا لَيِّنِ القَلبِ

بِمُتَّئِدِ البُقيا وَلا لَيِّنِ القَلبِ

Nor was his master, who had made him face death,

Nor was his patron, though fate had estranged him,

careful to spare him, nor tender of heart.

With the hospitable host, nor the gentle of heart.

وَقالوا أَتى مِن جانِبِ الغَربِ مُقبِلاً

وَقالوا أَتى مِن جانِبِ الغَربِ مُقبِلاً

وَماخِلتُ أَنَّ البَدرَ يَأتي مِنَ الغَربِ

وَماخِلتُ أَنَّ البَدرَ يَأتي مِنَ الغَربِ

And they said he came, approaching from the west,

And they said he came from the direction of the West, approaching,

yet I had not thought the full moon would come from the west.

Yet I never imagined the full moon comes from the West.

وَما ذَنبُ مَقصورِ اليَدَينِ عَنِ الأَذى

وَما ذَنبُ مَقصورِ اليَدَينِ عَنِ الأَذى

رَقيقِ الحَواشي عَن مُقارَفَةِ الذَنبِ

رَقيقِ الحَواشي عَن مُقارَفَةِ الذَنبِ

And what is the fault of one whose hands are restrained from harm,

What is the sin of him with bound hands from harming,

gentle in manner, far from committing sin,

Of delicate limbs from committing sin?

عَلى خَوفِ أَعداءٍ وَرِقبَةِ كاشِحٍ

عَلى خَوفِ أَعداءٍ وَرِقبَةِ كاشِحٍ

وَعَتبِ مَليكٍ جاوَزَ الحَدَّ في العَتبِ

وَعَتبِ مَليكٍ جاوَزَ الحَدَّ في العَتبِ

living in fear of enemies and under a spiteful foe's watch,

For fear of enemies and the watching of a vigilant guard,

and the reproach of a king who exceeded all bounds in reproach?

And the reproach of a king who exceeded in reproach.

أَصادِقَتي فيكَ المُنى وَمُديلَتي

أَصادِقَتي فيكَ المُنى وَمُديلَتي

صُروفُ اللَيالي مِن شَفيعٍ وَمِن قُربِ

صُروفُ اللَيالي مِن شَفيعٍ وَمِن قُربِ

Will my hopes concerning you prove true, and will I be granted victory

My wishes for you are fortune, and my leaning toward you

by the turns of the nights over Shafiʿ and Qurb?

Are the turns of fate, from an intercessor and from being near.

مَتى تَذهَبِ الدُنيا وَلَم أُشفَ مِنهُما

مَتى تَذهَبِ الدُنيا وَلَم أُشفَ مِنهُما

فَلا أَرَبي مِنها قَضَيتُ وَلا نَحبي

فَلا أَرَبي مِنها قَضَيتُ وَلا نَحبي

If this world passes while I remain unavenged on those two,

When will the world depart and I have not been satiated from them both?

then I shall have fulfilled neither my desire from it nor my vow.

So I will neither profit from it, now that my fate is sealed, nor will I lament.