أَتُرَاكَ بالهِجْرانِ حينَ فَتَكْتَ في

أَتُرَاكَ بالهِجْرانِ حينَ فَتَكْتَ في

قَلْبي عَلِمْتَ بِمَا يُجَنّ فَتكْتَفِي

قَلْبي عَلِمْتَ بِمَا يُجَنّ فَتكْتَفِي

I wonder: when, through abandonment, you ravaged my

I wonder: when, through estrangement, you struck mercilessly at

heart, did you know what it concealed, and thus content yourself?

My heart, did you know what lay hidden there, and so feel satisfied?

عَاهَدْتني أَنْ لا تَخُونَ وَلُمْتَ في

عَاهَدْتني أَنْ لا تَخُونَ وَلُمْتَ في

طَلبي وَفاءَكَ بالعُهُودِ وَلَمْ تَفِ

طَلبي وَفاءَكَ بالعُهُودِ وَلَمْ تَفِ

You vowed to me that you would not betray, yet blamed me for

You pledged to me that you would not betray, yet blamed me for

seeking your fidelity to the covenants—though you did not fulfill them.

Asking you to keep your pledges, though you did not keep them.

إنْ جَالَ طَرْفي في سِوَاكَ فَلا غُفي

إنْ جَالَ طَرْفي في سِوَاكَ فَلا غُفي

أوْ حالَ قَلْبي عَنْ هَواكَ فلا عُفِي

أوْ حالَ قَلْبي عَنْ هَواكَ فلا عُفِي

If my gaze should roam to anyone but you, may it know no sleep;

If my gaze strays to anyone but you, may it never sleep;

or if my heart should turn from your love, may it never be pardoned.

Or if my heart turns from loving you, may it never be pardoned.

أَنَا صَابِرٌ بَلْ شَاكِرٌ في الحُبِّ إنْ

أَنَا صَابِرٌ بَلْ شَاكِرٌ في الحُبِّ إنْ

أَخْلَفْتَ عَهْدَ الوَصْلِ أَوْ لَمْ تُخلِفِ

أَخْلَفْتَ عَهْدَ الوَصْلِ أَوْ لَمْ تُخلِفِ

I am patient—indeed, grateful—in love, whether

I am patient—rather, grateful—in love, whether

you break the covenant of union or do not break it.

You break the pledge of union or do not break it.

لكنّني أَهْوَى وَفاكَ وَفَاكَ إِذْ

لكنّني أَهْوَى وَفاكَ وَفَاكَ إِذْ

أَحْبَبْتُ نَيْلَ تَشَرُّفٍ وتَرشُّفِ

أَحْبَبْتُ نَيْلَ تَشَرُّفٍ وتَرشُّفِ

Yet I love your fidelity—and your mouth—for I

But I love your fidelity and your mouth, since

desired the honor of attaining it and sipping from it.

I desired to gain honor and sip from your lips.

وَأَبثُّ وَجْدِي في الهَوَى بِتَوصُّلٍ

وَأَبثُّ وَجْدِي في الهَوَى بِتَوصُّلٍ

وَتَوسُّلٍ وَتَطفُّلٍ وَتَلَطُّفِ

وَتَوسُّلٍ وَتَطفُّلٍ وَتَلَطُّفِ

And I pour out my passion in love by seeking access,

And I pour out my passion in love by seeking access,

by entreaty, importunity, and gentle coaxing.

And entreaty, and coming unbidden, and gentle persuasion.

تاللَهِ لَمْ أَتَوقَّ فِي وَجْدِي وَقَدْ

تاللَهِ لَمْ أَتَوقَّ فِي وَجْدِي وَقَدْ

نادَى هَواكَ جَوىً وَلَمْ أَتوقَّفِ

نادَى هَواكَ جَوىً وَلَمْ أَتوقَّفِ

By God, I did not guard myself amid my ardor, once

By God, I did not guard myself in my passion, even as

your love summoned the fire within me, nor did I hold back.

Love for you summoned anguish, and I did not hold back.

إِنِّي لأَنْأَى مُعْرِضاً عَنْ عَاذِلي

إِنِّي لأَنْأَى مُعْرِضاً عَنْ عَاذِلي

إنْ عَادَ لي أَوْ عَنَّ فِيكَ مُعَنِّفي

إنْ عَادَ لي أَوْ عَنَّ فِيكَ مُعَنِّفي

Indeed, I draw away, turning from my reproacher,

Indeed I draw away, turning away from my reproacher,

if he returns to me, or from whoever rebukes me over you.

If he returns to me, or my harsh rebuker appears on your account.

وَأَهِيمُ مِنْكَ بِمُرْسَلٍ وَمُسَلْسَلٍ

وَأَهِيمُ مِنْكَ بِمُرْسَلٍ وَمُسَلْسَلٍ

وَمُورَّدٍ وَمُجَعَّدٍ وَمُهَفْهَفِ

وَمُورَّدٍ وَمُجَعَّدٍ وَمُهَفْهَفِ

I am enthralled by your flowing locks and chainlike tresses,

And I am enraptured by your flowing and chainlike tresses,

your rosy cheek, your curls, and your slender form.

Your rosy hue, your curls, and your slender form.

لَوْ زُرْتَنِي يا مُنْيَتي وَمَنِيَّتي

لَوْ زُرْتَنِي يا مُنْيَتي وَمَنِيَّتي

وَرَحمْتَ فَرْطَ تَلهُّبي وَتَلَهُّفي

وَرَحمْتَ فَرْطَ تَلهُّبي وَتَلَهُّفي

If you visited me, O my desire and my death,

If you visited me, O my heart's desire and my death,

and pitied the extremity of my burning and yearning,

And had mercy on my excessive burning and yearning,

لرَأَيْتَ طَرْفاً لَيْسَ يُنْكِر لِلْبُكا

لرَأَيْتَ طَرْفاً لَيْسَ يُنْكِر لِلْبُكا

وَشَهدْتَ جِسْماً بالضَّنا لم يُعْرَفِ

وَشَهدْتَ جِسْماً بالضَّنا لم يُعْرَفِ

you would see an eye to which weeping is no stranger,

You would see an eye no stranger to weeping,

and behold a body wasting sickness has left unrecognizable.

And witness a body unrecognizable from wasting sickness.

لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْ قَلْبِ المُحِبِّ وَحَقِّ مَا

لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْ قَلْبِ المُحِبِّ وَحَقِّ مَا

تَرْضَى بِهِ وَبِغَيْرِ ذَا لَمْ أَحْلِفِ

تَرْضَى بِهِ وَبِغَيْرِ ذَا لَمْ أَحْلِفِ

You have never been absent from the lover’s heart—by the sanctity of what

You have not left the lover's heart—by the sanctity of what

you hold dear; by nothing other than this would I swear,

Pleases you, and by nothing else have I sworn,

إِلَّا هَواكَ وَأَنْتَ فِيها أَدَّعِي

إِلَّا هَواكَ وَأَنْتَ فِيها أَدَّعِي

أَدْرَى بِأَنِّي عَنْهُ لَمْ أَكُ أَنْكَفِي

أَدْرَى بِأَنِّي عَنْهُ لَمْ أَكُ أَنْكَفِي

save your love. And you, I maintain, in this

Except love for you; and you—as I claim here—

know best that I have never drawn back from it.

Are best aware that I have never turned away from it.

قَدْ جَارَ جَارُ الحُبِّ في قَلْبِي وَلَمْ

قَدْ جَارَ جَارُ الحُبِّ في قَلْبِي وَلَمْ

أَرَ في الصَّبَابَةِ مَنْ صَفَا مِنْ مُنْصِفِ

أَرَ في الصَّبَابَةِ مَنْ صَفَا مِنْ مُنْصِفِ

Love’s neighbor has wronged my heart, and never

Love's neighbor has wrought injustice in my heart, and never

in ardent longing have I seen a sincere one among the just.

Have I seen, in ardent love, a fair-minded soul who was sincere.