لَعَلَّ خِلافي لِلعَواذِلِ يَشفَعُ

لَعَلَّ خِلافي لِلعَواذِلِ يَشفَعُ

إِلى مَن مَتى أَشكو الهَوى لَيسَ يَسمَعُ

إِلى مَن مَتى أَشكو الهَوى لَيسَ يَسمَعُ

Perhaps my defiance of the reproachers will intercede

My pleading with the beauties may intercede

with one who never listens when I complain of love.

To one whom when shall I complain of love, he hears not

وَقَد كُنتُ أُشكي القَلبَ سَيفاً بِجَفنِهِ

وَقَد كُنتُ أُشكي القَلبَ سَيفاً بِجَفنِهِ

فَلا عَجَبٌ إِن كانَ يُحنى وَيُقطَعُ

فَلا عَجَبٌ إِن كانَ يُحنى وَيُقطَعُ

And I used to make the heart lament a sword in his eyelid,

I used to complain of a heart being a sword in its eyelids

so no wonder if it is bent and cut.

No wonder if it bends and breaks

إِذا دَخَلَت بَينَ القُلوبِ قَطيعَةٌ

إِذا دَخَلَت بَينَ القُلوبِ قَطيعَةٌ

فَلا تَبعَثِ الأَقوالَ ما لَيسَ يَنفَعُ

فَلا تَبعَثِ الأَقوالَ ما لَيسَ يَنفَعُ

When estrangement enters between hearts,

When aloofness comes between hearts

do not send words that are of no use.

Words will not avail what is of no use

وَلَو نَفَعَت عِندَ الحَبيبِ ضَراعَةٌ

وَلَو نَفَعَت عِندَ الحَبيبِ ضَراعَةٌ

كَفَت أَدمُعٌ عَن مُهجَةٍ تَتَضَرَّعُ

كَفَت أَدمُعٌ عَن مُهجَةٍ تَتَضَرَّعُ

And if humble pleading were of use with the beloved,

Even if pleading were useful to the beloved

tears would suffice on behalf of a pleading soul.

Tears suffice a ardently pleading lover

وَكانَ اللِقا مِن مُفرَدي مِنهُ مُفرَداً

وَكانَ اللِقا مِن مُفرَدي مِنهُ مُفرَداً

فَيا زَمَني أَلّا تُثَنّي وَتَجمَعُ

فَيا زَمَني أَلّا تُثَنّي وَتَجمَعُ

And my meeting with him was a single, solitary encounter;

Being alone with him was singularly mine

so, O my time, will you not double it and multiply it?

Oh my time, do not fold and gather

لَيالٍ تَقَضَّت لَيسَ يَوماً بِراجِعٍ

لَيالٍ تَقَضَّت لَيسَ يَوماً بِراجِعٍ

إِلَيها وَلَكِنَّ اللَيالي سَتَرجِعُ

إِلَيها وَلَكِنَّ اللَيالي سَتَرجِعُ

Nights have passed; there is never a return

Nights passed with no day coming back

to them, though the nights will return.

To them, but the nights will come back

فَيا لَيتَ أَسبابَ اللَيالي تَقَطَّعَت

فَيا لَيتَ أَسبابَ اللَيالي تَقَطَّعَت

كَأَسبابِنا فيها إِذا تَتَقَطَّعُ

كَأَسبابِنا فيها إِذا تَتَقَطَّعُ

Oh, if only the bonds of the nights had snapped,

Would that the causes of the nights were cut

like our bonds within them when they snap.

Like our causes in them when severed

وَإِن فَرَطَت مِنّا وَأَعيا اِتِّباعُها

وَإِن فَرَطَت مِنّا وَأَعيا اِتِّباعُها

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ النَفسَ لا تَتَتَبَّعُ

فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ النَفسَ لا تَتَتَبَّعُ

And if they have slipped away from us and following them has proved too hard,

If they slipped from us and following them grew hard

oh, if only the soul would not keep pursuing them.

Would that the soul does not keep following

وَإِن كانَ قَلبٌ بَينَ جَنبَيَّ حاضِرٌ

وَإِن كانَ قَلبٌ بَينَ جَنبَيَّ حاضِرٌ

فَلَيتَ هُمومَ القَلبِ لا تَتَنَوَّعُ

فَلَيتَ هُمومَ القَلبِ لا تَتَنَوَّعُ

And if a heart is present between my sides,

If there is a heart present between my ribs

then if only the heart's sorrows did not take different forms.

Would that the heart's concerns do not vary

وَبَيني وَبَينَ النائِباتِ وَقائِعٌ

وَبَيني وَبَينَ النائِباتِ وَقائِعٌ

يُهَوِّنُها المَوتُ الَّذي أَتَوَقَّعُ

يُهَوِّنُها المَوتُ الَّذي أَتَوَقَّعُ

And between me and calamities are battles

Between me and misfortunes some events

made lighter by the death I expect.

Made easier by death I expect

أَبى طَمَعي في زَهرَةِ العَيشِ أَنَّني

أَبى طَمَعي في زَهرَةِ العَيشِ أَنَّني

بِها سَوفَ لا تَبقى وَبي لَستُ أَطمَعُ

بِها سَوفَ لا تَبقى وَبي لَستُ أَطمَعُ

My hope for life's bloom is thwarted, for I

My hope in life's bloom refused that

have no hope in it—it will not last—nor in myself.

It will remain while I do not hope

فَكُلُّ زَمانٍ لَيسَ لي فيهِ صاحِبٌ

فَكُلُّ زَمانٍ لَيسَ لي فيهِ صاحِبٌ

وَكُلُّ حَبيبٍ ما لَهُ فِيَّ مَوضِعُ

وَكُلُّ حَبيبٍ ما لَهُ فِيَّ مَوضِعُ

So I have no companion in any age,

Every era that has no friend of mine

and no beloved has a place within me.

And every beloved who has no place for me