دَعا عَبرَتي تَجري عَلى الجَورِ وَالقَصدِ

دَعا عَبرَتي تَجري عَلى الجَورِ وَالقَصدِ

أَظُنُّ نَسيما قارَفَ الهَجرَ مِن بَعدي

أَظُنُّ نَسيما قارَفَ الهَجرَ مِن بَعدي

Let my tears flow, in excess or in moderation;

My tears flow in grief and with purpose,

I think Nasim has taken to estrangement since my departure.

I imagine a breeze that joined separation after me,

خَلا ناظِري مِن طَيفِهِ بَعدَ شَخصِهِ

خَلا ناظِري مِن طَيفِهِ بَعدَ شَخصِهِ

فَيا عَجَبا لِلدَهرِ فَقداً عَلى فَقدِ

فَيا عَجَبا لِلدَهرِ فَقداً عَلى فَقدِ

My eye has lost his dream-vision, after losing his bodily form;

My eyes are vacant after his image left,

How strange is fate—loss upon loss!

So strange is time's loss upon loss,

خَليلِيَّ هَل مِن نَظرَةٍ توصِلانَها

خَليلِيَّ هَل مِن نَظرَةٍ توصِلانَها

إِلى وَجَناتٍ يَنتَسِبنَ إِلى الوَردِ

إِلى وَجَناتٍ يَنتَسِبنَ إِلى الوَردِ

My two friends, is there a glance you can convey

My friend, is there a glance we can send

To cheeks that trace their lineage to the rose,

To gardens affiliated with roses,

وَقَدٍّ يَكادُ القَلبُ يَنقَدُّ دونَهُ

وَقَدٍّ يَكادُ القَلبُ يَنقَدُّ دونَهُ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ في قُربٍ مِنَ العَينِ أَو يُعدِ

إِذا اِهتَزَّ في قُربٍ مِنَ العَينِ أَو يُعدِ

And a figure before which the heart almost splits,

And a vine that makes the heart almost melt away,

When it sways near the eye or moves far away?

When it trembles in nearness or is counted,

بِنَفسي حَبيبٌ نَقَّلوهُ عَنِ اِسمِهِ

بِنَفسي حَبيبٌ نَقَّلوهُ عَنِ اِسمِهِ

فَباتَ غَريباً في رَجاءٍ وَفي سَعدِ

فَباتَ غَريباً في رَجاءٍ وَفي سَعدِ

My soul would ransom a beloved whose name they changed;

A beloved of mine they took from his name,

So he became a stranger in Raja and in Sa'd.

So he became a stranger, hoping and in bliss,

فَيا حائِلاً عَن ذَلِكَ الاِسمِ لا تَحُل

فَيا حائِلاً عَن ذَلِكَ الاِسمِ لا تَحُل

وَإِن جَهِدَ الأَعداءُ عَن ذَلِكَ العَهدِ

وَإِن جَهِدَ الأَعداءُ عَن ذَلِكَ العَهدِ

So, O you who have left that name, do not turn away

So woe to you who block that name, do not dissolve,

From that pledge, even if the enemies strive.

Even if enemies exert against that pact,

كَفى حَزَناً أَنّا عَلى الوَصلِ نَلتَقي

كَفى حَزَناً أَنّا عَلى الوَصلِ نَلتَقي

فُواقاً فَتَثنينا العُيونُ إِلى الصَدِّ

فُواقاً فَتَثنينا العُيونُ إِلى الصَدِّ

It is grief enough that we meet in union

It's enough of sadness that we meet in union

For a moment, then watching eyes turn us back to estrangement.

Turning our eyes aside to the barrier,

وَلَو تُمكِنُ الشَكوى لَخَبَّرَكَ البُكا

وَلَو تُمكِنُ الشَكوى لَخَبَّرَكَ البُكا

حَقيقَةَ ما عِندي وَإِن جَلَّ ما عِندي

حَقيقَةَ ما عِندي وَإِن جَلَّ ما عِندي

And if complaint were possible, weeping would tell you

If complaining enabled, crying would tell you

The truth of what I bear, however great what I bear may be:

The reality of what I have, though much I have,

هَوىً لا جَميلٌ في بُثَينَةَ نالَهُ

هَوىً لا جَميلٌ في بُثَينَةَ نالَهُ

بِمِثلٍ وَلا عَمرُ بنُ عَجلانَ في هِندِ

بِمِثلٍ وَلا عَمرُ بنُ عَجلانَ في هِندِ

A love that Jamil for Buthayna never attained

A love that no beauty in Buthaina attained equal,

In equal measure, nor Amr ibn Ajlan for Hind.

Nor lifespan of Ibn 'Ujayl in India,

غَصِبتُكَ مَمزوجاً بِنَفسي وَلا أَرى

غَصِبتُكَ مَمزوجاً بِنَفسي وَلا أَرى

لَهُم زاجِراً يَنهى وَلا حاكِماً يُعدي

لَهُم زاجِراً يَنهى وَلا حاكِماً يُعدي

I was robbed of you, mingled with my soul, and I see

I took you mingled with my soul, I see

No one to restrain them, nor a judge to grant redress.

No deterrer to forbid nor ruler to judge,

فَيا أَسَفاً لَو قابَلَ الأَسَفُ الجَوى

فَيا أَسَفاً لَو قابَلَ الأَسَفُ الجَوى

وَلَهفاً لَوَ اَنَّ اللَهفَ في ظالِمٍ يُجدي

وَلَهفاً لَوَ اَنَّ اللَهفَ في ظالِمٍ يُجدي

Ah, sorrow—if only sorrow could counter love's anguish;

Oh what a pity if sorrow met passion,

And lament—if only lament availed with a wrongdoer!

And what craving if craving helped in darkness,

أَبا الفَضلِ في تِسعٍ وَتِسعينَ نَعجَةً

أَبا الفَضلِ في تِسعٍ وَتِسعينَ نَعجَةً

غِنىً لَكَ عَن ظَبيٍ بِساحَتِنا فَردِ

غِنىً لَكَ عَن ظَبيٍ بِساحَتِنا فَردِ

Abu al-Fadl, in ninety-nine ewes

Abu Fadl, in ninety nine ewe lambs,

You have enough to do without the lone gazelle in our courtyard.

Wealth for you, without gazelle in our field, return,

أَتَأخُذُهُ مِنّي وَقَد أَخَذَ الجَوى

أَتَأخُذُهُ مِنّي وَقَد أَخَذَ الجَوى

مَآخِذَهُ مِمّا أُسِرُّ وَما أُبدي

مَآخِذَهُ مِمّا أُسِرُّ وَما أُبدي

Would you take him from me, when love's anguish has already taken

Will you take him from me, and passion already took

Its hold on what I conceal and what I reveal?

Its dues, what I confide and what I display,

وَتَخطو إِلَيهِ صَبوَتي وَصَبابَتي

وَتَخطو إِلَيهِ صَبوَتي وَصَبابَتي

وَلَم يَخطُهُ بَثّي وَلَم يَعدُهُ وَجدي

وَلَم يَخطُهُ بَثّي وَلَم يَعدُهُ وَجدي

And my infatuation and ardent longing step toward him;

And you tread to him my vigor and my prime,

Nor has my anguish passed him by, nor my passion gone beyond him.

While my separation did not tread him nor my fervor count him,

وَقُلتُ اِسلُ عَنهُ وَالجَوانِحُ حَولَهُ

وَقُلتُ اِسلُ عَنهُ وَالجَوانِحُ حَولَهُ

وَكَيفَ سُلُوُّ اِبنِ المُفَرِّغِ عَن بُردِ

وَكَيفَ سُلُوُّ اِبنِ المُفَرِّغِ عَن بُردِ

And I said, 'Forget him,' while my ribs enfolded him;

I said, ask about him, and the souls around him,

And how could Ibn al-Mufarrigh forget Burd?

And how can the son of Mufarraj ask about coolness,