كَفى حَزَناً يا طاعِنينَ مُقامي

كَفى حَزَناً يا طاعِنينَ مُقامي

وَجِسمي مَعي لَكِن هَوايَ أَمامي

وَجِسمي مَعي لَكِن هَوايَ أَمامي

My staying here is sorrow enough, O detractors.

Enough sorrow, you who blame my dwelling,

And my body is with me, but my love is ahead of me.

My body is with me, but my passion is before me,

مُقَسَّمُ لَحظٍ أَو مُعَذَّبُ مسمَعٍ

مُقَسَّمُ لَحظٍ أَو مُعَذَّبُ مسمَعٍ

بِرَوحِ نَسيمٍ أَو بِنوحِ حَمامِ

بِرَوحِ نَسيمٍ أَو بِنوحِ حَمامِ

My gaze is divided, or my hearing tormented,

Shared by every moment or tortured by every hearing,

By a breeze's soothing breath or the lament of doves.

With the spirit of a breeze or the cooing of a dove,

أُقابِلُ تِلكَ المَكرُماتِ بِمِثلِها

أُقابِلُ تِلكَ المَكرُماتِ بِمِثلِها

فَأَبكي غَماماً لِلنَدى بِغَمامِ

فَأَبكي غَماماً لِلنَدى بِغَمامِ

I repay those kindnesses in kind,

I meet those kindnesses with their like,

So I weep for a cloud of bounty with a cloud of tears.

So I weep clouds for the dew with clouds,

كَأَنّي غَريمٌ لِلسَماحِ وَلِلظِبا

كَأَنّي غَريمٌ لِلسَماحِ وَلِلظِبا

بِماءِ دُموعٍ أَو بِنارِ غَرامِ

بِماءِ دُموعٍ أَو بِنارِ غَرامِ

As though I were a debtor to generosity and to the gazelles,

As if I were ungrateful for forgiveness and for love,

With the water of tears or the fire of passion.

With tears of water or the fire of passion,

تَذَكَّرتُ عَيشاً مِنكَ غَضّاً كَأَنَّما

تَذَكَّرتُ عَيشاً مِنكَ غَضّاً كَأَنَّما

أُعيرَ اِخضِراراً مِن عِذارِ غُلامِ

أُعيرَ اِخضِراراً مِن عِذارِ غُلامِ

I recalled the fresh life you gave me, as though

I remembered a life with you, fresh as if

It had borrowed its greenness from a youth's cheek-down.

It were lent greenness from the bloom of a youth,

وَما لي عَلى الأَيّامِ بَعدَكَ مَعتَبٌ

وَما لي عَلى الأَيّامِ بَعدَكَ مَعتَبٌ

إِذا ما تَمَشّى الماءَ نَحوَ أَوامي

إِذا ما تَمَشّى الماءَ نَحوَ أَوامي

And I have no grievance against the days after you,

And I have no complaint against the days after you,

If water makes its way toward my burning thirst.

If water walks toward my streams,

تَلَقَّ ضِياءَ الصُبحِ فَهوَ مَدائِحي

تَلَقَّ ضِياءَ الصُبحِ فَهوَ مَدائِحي

وَشُمَّ نَسيمَ الرَوضِ فَهوَ سَلامي

وَشُمَّ نَسيمَ الرَوضِ فَهوَ سَلامي

Receive the light of dawn, for it is my praise.

It meets the light of dawn, and that is my praise,

And breathe in the garden's breeze, for it is my greeting.

And smells the breeze of the garden, and that is my peace,

فَإِن زادَ ماءُ النيلِ فَهوَ مَدامِعي

فَإِن زادَ ماءُ النيلِ فَهوَ مَدامِعي

وَإِن هاجَ وَقدُ القَيظِ فَهوَ ضِرامي

وَإِن هاجَ وَقدُ القَيظِ فَهوَ ضِرامي

So if the Nile's water rises, it is my tears.

And if the Nile's water increases, that is my tears,

And if midsummer's blaze rages, it is my fire.

And if the heat of summer flares up, that is my affliction.