اِقرَا الدَموعَ فَإِنَّها عُنواني

اِقرَا الدَموعَ فَإِنَّها عُنواني

وَأَنا كِتابُ كَتائِبِ الأَشجانِ

وَأَنا كِتابُ كَتائِبِ الأَشجانِ

Read the tears, for they are my title.

Read my tears, for they are my title,

And I am the book of sorrow's battalions.

And I am the book of melancholic passions,

مِثلُ الكِتابِ ضَنىً وَمِثلُ يَراعِهِ

مِثلُ الكِتابِ ضَنىً وَمِثلُ يَراعِهِ

بَل خَطِّهِ بَل شَكلِهِ المُتَفاني

بَل خَطِّهِ بَل شَكلِهِ المُتَفاني

In my wasting, I am like a book, and like its reed pen—

Like the book, sorrowful, and like its reader,

Rather, its script; rather, its vanishing vowel marks.

Nay, like its line, nay, like its vanishing shape,

لَم يَبقَ مِنّي في العُيونِ بَقِيَّةٌ

لَم يَبقَ مِنّي في العُيونِ بَقِيَّةٌ

وَاللَهُ يُبقي لي الَّذي أَفاناني

وَاللَهُ يُبقي لي الَّذي أَفاناني

Nothing of me remains in the eyes,

Nothing of me remains in the eyes,

And may God preserve for me the one who wasted me away.

And God keeps for me that which made me vanish,

لَو لَم أَكُن كَالخَطِّ مِن سُقمٍ لَما

لَو لَم أَكُن كَالخَطِّ مِن سُقمٍ لَما

رَجَعَ اللَواحِظَ فِيَّ مَن يَقراني

رَجَعَ اللَواحِظَ فِيَّ مَن يَقراني

Were I not like script through sickness,

Had I not been like the line, sickly,

Whoever reads me would not return his gaze to me,

He who observes me would not have returned to me,

مُتَبَيِّناً بَيتي كَحَرفِ مُشكِلٍ

مُتَبَيِّناً بَيتي كَحَرفِ مُشكِلٍ

أَعيا بِما أَعطى يَدَ البُنيانِ

أَعيا بِما أَعطى يَدَ البُنيانِ

Deciphering my verse like a puzzling letter

Making clear my verse like an ambiguous letter,

That baffled the builder's hand by what it offered.

Perplexed at what the hand of building gave,

هَيهاتَ تثنيني النَواظِرُ بَعدَ ما

هَيهاتَ تثنيني النَواظِرُ بَعدَ ما

أَمَرَ الحَبيبُ صُدودَهُ فَمَحاني

أَمَرَ الحَبيبُ صُدودَهُ فَمَحاني

Gazes can never bring me back, now that

Alas! The glances will not make me deviate after

The beloved commanded his aversion, and it erased me.

My beloved ordered his aversion to erase me,

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلغَرامِ زِيادَةٌ

في كُلِّ يَومٍ لِلغَرامِ زِيادَةٌ

تُبدي عَلَيَّ زِيادَةَ النُقصانِ

تُبدي عَلَيَّ زِيادَةَ النُقصانِ

Each day brings an increase in passion

Every day the passion increases upon me,

That reveals in me an increase in diminishment.

Revealing unto me the increase of diminution,

مُذ قُلتَ إِنّي كَالكِتابِ لِيَثْنِني

مُذ قُلتَ إِنّي كَالكِتابِ لِيَثْنِني

ما قُلتُ ذاكَ طَوى الهَوى وَطَواني

ما قُلتُ ذاكَ طَوى الهَوى وَطَواني

Since you said I am like a book, let me be folded

Since you said I am like the book in order to dissuade me,

By what I said; that one folded passion and folded me.

I said not that, passion has folded and bent me,

مَنْ لا أَراهُ مِنْ تَوَقُّدِ نورِهِ

مَنْ لا أَراهُ مِنْ تَوَقُّدِ نورِهِ

وَمِنَ السَقامِ فَلا يَكادُ يَراني

وَمِنَ السَقامِ فَلا يَكادُ يَراني

The one I cannot see for the blazing of his light,

He who does not see me from the kindling of his light,

And who, because of my sickness, can scarcely see me.

And from the sickness, he can barely see me,

فَلَوَ اَنّني نِلتُ المُنى بِعِناقِهِ

فَلَوَ اَنّني نِلتُ المُنى بِعِناقِهِ

ما بانَ مِنّا لِلعُيونِ اِثنانِ

ما بانَ مِنّا لِلعُيونِ اِثنانِ

Had I attained my wishes by embracing him,

If only I had attained the wish through his embrace

The eyes would not have seen two of us.

We two would not have appeared to the eyes,

ما صَحَّ عَن إِسنادِ سُقمِ قُلوبِنا

ما صَحَّ عَن إِسنادِ سُقمِ قُلوبِنا

إِلّا الَّذي يُروى عَنِ الأَجفانِ

إِلّا الَّذي يُروى عَنِ الأَجفانِ

No account of our hearts' sickness is soundly attested

That which is narrated from the ascription of our hearts’ sickness,

Except what is transmitted from the eyelids.

Is only that which is narrated from the eyelids,

وَحَديثُ سُقمي في هَواهُم سائِرٌ

وَحَديثُ سُقمي في هَواهُم سائِرٌ

في أَرضِهِم بِطَريقِهِ عَن عانِ

في أَرضِهِم بِطَريقِهِ عَن عانِ

And the report of my sickness in loving them travels

And the narration of my sickness among those who love him is current,

Through their land, by its route, from a captive.

In their land, on its path, from spring to spring,

وَلَقَد بَكَيتُهُمُ بِغَيرِ مَدامِعٍ

وَلَقَد بَكَيتُهُمُ بِغَيرِ مَدامِعٍ

وَلَقَد شَكَوتُهُمُ بِغَيرِ لِسانِ

وَلَقَد شَكَوتُهُمُ بِغَيرِ لِسانِ

And I have indeed wept for them without tear ducts,

And indeed I cried over them without tears,

And I have indeed complained of them without a tongue.

And indeed I complained of them without a tongue,

وَالهَمُّ أَلطَفُ ما اِستَدَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ

وَالهَمُّ أَلطَفُ ما اِستَدَلَّ فَإِنَّهُ

لَم يَخفَ عَنهُ مَعَ الخَفاءِ مَكاني

لَم يَخفَ عَنهُ مَعَ الخَفاءِ مَكاني

And grief is the subtlest of trackers, for

And anxiety is the gentlest thing that betrayed me,

Even in concealment, my place was not hidden from it.

For it did not escape from it, despite concealment, my place,

وَكَتَمتُ حُبَّهُمُ وَكَتمي حُبَّهُم

وَكَتَمتُ حُبَّهُمُ وَكَتمي حُبَّهُم

لا بَل كَتَمتُ الحُبَّ عَن كِتماني

لا بَل كَتَمتُ الحُبَّ عَن كِتماني

I concealed my love for them, and my concealing that love—

And I concealed my love of them, and concealed my love of them,

No, rather I concealed love from my own concealment.

Nay, I concealed love from concealment itself,

مَن أَودَعَ الأَسرارَ عِندَ جَنانِهِ

مَن أَودَعَ الأَسرارَ عِندَ جَنانِهِ

فَأَنا الَّذي كاتَمتُها لِجَناني

فَأَنا الَّذي كاتَمتُها لِجَناني

Whoever entrusts secrets to his heart—

Whoever deposits secrets in his soul,

I am the one who hid them from my heart.

It is I who concealed them for my soul,

فَالسِرُّ مَحمولٌ وَلَيسَ بِحامِلٍ

فَالسِرُّ مَحمولٌ وَلَيسَ بِحامِلٍ

أَو لا فَمَوجودٌ وَلا بِمَكانِ

أَو لا فَمَوجودٌ وَلا بِمَكانِ

So the secret is borne, and is not a bearer;

Thus the secret is carried but not by a carrier,

Or rather, it exists, but in no place.

Or not, so neither present nor in a place,

قَلبي كَمِثلِ الزِندِ إِن تَترُكْهُ ما

قَلبي كَمِثلِ الزِندِ إِن تَترُكْهُ ما

يُبدي الَّذي يَخفى مِنَ النيرانِ

يُبدي الَّذي يَخفى مِنَ النيرانِ

My heart is like a fire-stick: if you leave it,

My heart is like tinder, if you leave it, it does not reveal,

It does not reveal the fire hidden within.

That which is hidden of fires,

وَالعَينُ مِثلُ العَينِ إِن تُترَكُ فَما

وَالعَينُ مِثلُ العَينِ إِن تُترَكُ فَما

تَسمو زلالَتُها إِلى الظَمآنِ

تَسمو زلالَتُها إِلى الظَمآنِ

And the eye is like a spring: if left alone,

And the eye is like the eye, if left, its limpidity,

Its clear water does not rise to the thirsty.

Does not rise to the thirsty,

ما حيلَةُ الإِنسانِ في أَحبابِهِ

ما حيلَةُ الإِنسانِ في أَحبابِهِ

غَدَروا بِهِ ما حيلَةُ الإِنسانِ

غَدَروا بِهِ ما حيلَةُ الإِنسانِ

What recourse has a person with his beloveds?

What is the stratagem of man regarding his loved ones,

They betrayed him—what recourse has a person?

Who betrayed him? What is the stratagem of man?

يَرجو ثِمارَهُمُ وَما فيها رَأى

يَرجو ثِمارَهُمُ وَما فيها رَأى

ثَمَراً يَراهُ في غُصونِ البانِ

ثَمَراً يَراهُ في غُصونِ البانِ

He hopes for their fruits, but has seen in them no

He hopes for their fruits while he has not seen in them,

Fruit such as he sees upon the bān tree's branches.

A fruit he sees in the branches of separation,

أَجرى عَلى الأَعطافِ حَدَّ عِيانِهِ

أَجرى عَلى الأَعطافِ حَدَّ عِيانِهِ

وَالحَدُّ لا يَجري عَلى السَكرانِ

وَالحَدُّ لا يَجري عَلى السَكرانِ

He ran the edge of his gaze along their flanks,

He made the limit of his blindness flow,

Yet the prescribed penalty is not carried out upon the drunken.

And the limit does not flow on the intoxicated,

وَلَقَد أَرى التَثقيفَ أَولى بِالقَنا

وَلَقَد أَرى التَثقيفَ أَولى بِالقَنا

يُتَكَلَّفُ التَثقيفُ بِالأَغصانِ

يُتَكَلَّفُ التَثقيفُ بِالأَغصانِ

And indeed I see that straightening better suits spears,

And indeed I see the education more fitting for the reed,

While straightening branches is laboriously attempted.

Education is a pretense for the branches,

اللَهُ جارُهُم فَفيهِم مِثلُ ما

اللَهُ جارُهُم فَفيهِم مِثلُ ما

في أَدمُعي فيهِم مِنَ الأَلوانِ

في أَدمُعي فيهِم مِنَ الأَلوانِ

God is their protector; in them are the same

God is their neighbor! So in them is that which,

Colors as in the tears I shed for them.

Is in my tears, of colors in them,

وَأُريدُ جَمعَ الشَملِ مِنّي في الهَوى

وَأُريدُ جَمعَ الشَملِ مِنّي في الهَوى

بِهِمُ وَلَكِن ما يُريدُ زَماني

بِهِمُ وَلَكِن ما يُريدُ زَماني

And, for my part, I desire reunion in love

And I want to unite what is from me in passion,

With them, but my time does not desire it.

With them, but my time does not want me,

إِنَّ الَّذي مِنهُ الصُدودُ أَماتَني

إِنَّ الَّذي مِنهُ الصُدودُ أَماتَني

هُوَ بِالوِصالِ إِذا اِشتَهى أَحياني

هُوَ بِالوِصالِ إِذا اِشتَهى أَحياني

Indeed, the one whose aversion killed me

Indeed, he from whom comes the estrangement has killed me,

Revives me through union, if he wishes.

It is he, with union, whenever he wills, who brings me to life,

وَلَأَبلُغَنَّ مُرادَهُ في مُهجَتي

وَلَأَبلُغَنَّ مُرادَهُ في مُهجَتي

أَو لا فَإِنّا اليَومَ مُختَلِفانِ

أَو لا فَإِنّا اليَومَ مُختَلِفانِ

And I shall surely fulfill his wish concerning my heart's blood,

And I will attain his purpose in my devastation,

Or else we are at odds today.

Or not, for today we differ,

إِنسانُ عَيني بِالحَقيقَةِ دارُهُ

إِنسانُ عَيني بِالحَقيقَةِ دارُهُ

فَأَراهُ مَحمولاً عَلى أَجفاني

فَأَراهُ مَحمولاً عَلى أَجفاني

My eye's pupil is truly his home;

The human of my eye in reality, his home is it,

So I see him borne upon my eyelids.

So I see him carried on my eyelids,

وَإِذا أَتَت مِنهُ الإِساءَةُ دائِماً

وَإِذا أَتَت مِنهُ الإِساءَةُ دائِماً

فَلَأَحمِلَنَّ لَها عَلى إِحساني

فَلَأَحمِلَنَّ لَها عَلى إِحساني

And if harm comes from him continually,

And if harm comes from him always,

I shall surely bear it, relying on my kindness.

Then I will reward it with my benefaction,

وَإِذا تَشاغَلَ بِالقَطيعَةِ في الهَوى

وَإِذا تَشاغَلَ بِالقَطيعَةِ في الهَوى

وَعَصَيتُهُ في حُكمِهِ وَعَصاني

وَعَصَيتُهُ في حُكمِهِ وَعَصاني

And if he busies himself with severing love's bond,

And if he busies himself with separation in love,

And I defy his judgment, and he defies me,

And disobeyed him in his rule and my disobedience,

فَهُناكَ قُل لِلعاذِلينَ أَنا الَّذي

فَهُناكَ قُل لِلعاذِلينَ أَنا الَّذي

لَم أَهوَهُ وَهوَ الَّذي يَهواني

لَم أَهوَهُ وَهوَ الَّذي يَهواني

Then tell the reproachers: I am the one

Then there, say to the blamers: I am he who,

Who never loved him, while he is the one who loves me.

Did not love him, and he is the one who makes me love,

اِرمِ الفُؤادَ بِكُلِّ سَهمٍ تُمضِهِ

اِرمِ الفُؤادَ بِكُلِّ سَهمٍ تُمضِهِ

لي أَضلُعٌ مِثلُ القِسِيِّ حَوانِ

لي أَضلُعٌ مِثلُ القِسِيِّ حَوانِ

Shoot the heart with every arrow you let fly;

Throw the heart with every arrow you loose,

I have ribs curved like bows.

I have ribs like the firm mountains,

بَيني وَبَينَكَ يا زَمانُ وَقائِعٌ

بَيني وَبَينَكَ يا زَمانُ وَقائِعٌ

لا يَلتَقي أَبَداً بِها الجَمعانِ

لا يَلتَقي أَبَداً بِها الجَمعانِ

Between me and you, O Time, lie battles

Between me and you, O time, are events,

In which the two hosts never meet.

The two gatherings will never meet in them,

لا يَلحَني اللاحي فَإِنَّ أَحِبَّتي

لا يَلحَني اللاحي فَإِنَّ أَحِبَّتي

أَفعالُها لا قَولُهُ يَلحاني

أَفعالُها لا قَولُهُ يَلحاني

Let no reproacher reproach me, for my beloveds'

The critic does not make me slip, for my loved ones,

Deeds—not his words—are what reproach me.

Their actions, not their words, inspire me,

بَينٌ عَلى قُربٍ كَما المَلوانِ

بَينٌ عَلى قُربٍ كَما المَلوانِ

أَخَوانِ لَم يَجمَعهُما دارانِ

أَخَوانِ لَم يَجمَعهُما دارانِ

Separation despite closeness, like night and day:

It is clear, despite nearness, like the boats,

Two brothers whom no two dwellings have brought together.

Brothers whom two houses did not unite,

وَبِنَفسِيَ القَمَرُ الَّذي ما عَنهُ لي

وَبِنَفسِيَ القَمَرُ الَّذي ما عَنهُ لي

عِوَضٌ فَلا يَتَعَرَّضِ القَمَرانِ

عِوَضٌ فَلا يَتَعَرَّضِ القَمَرانِ

And my soul would ransom that moon, for whom I have no

And by my soul is the moon, from which I have for it,

Substitute; let the sun and moon not challenge him.

No compensation, so let the two moons not interfere,

غَضبانُ قَد أَغضَبتُ فيهِ لَوائِمي

غَضبانُ قَد أَغضَبتُ فيهِ لَوائِمي

لَم أَخلُ في الحالَينِ مِن غَضبانِ

لَم أَخلُ في الحالَينِ مِن غَضبانِ

He is angry; I have indeed angered my reproachers over him.

Angry, I made those who blamed me angry,

In both cases, I have never been free of an angry one.

I was not in the two states devoid of anger,

وَأَخذتُ عَنهُ لا عَلَيهِ وَمَذهَبي

وَأَخذتُ عَنهُ لا عَلَيهِ وَمَذهَبي

أَن يُقبَلَ القَولانِ وَالوَجهانِ

أَن يُقبَلَ القَولانِ وَالوَجهانِ

I have learned from him, not taken him to task; my doctrine

And I took from him, not upon him, and my way,

Is that both opinions and both aspects be accepted.

Is that the two sayings and the two faces are accepted,

وَلَهُ إِذا عَرِفَ الهَوى وَجهانِ

وَلَهُ إِذا عَرِفَ الهَوى وَجهانِ

وَلَهُ إِذا وَعَدَ الرِضا قولانِ

وَلَهُ إِذا وَعَدَ الرِضا قولانِ

And he has two faces when he knows love,

And for him if he knows passion, two faces,

And two sayings when he promises favor.

And for him if he promises acceptance, two sayings,

إِن كُنتَ تُغضِبُ إِن رَضيتُ بِكَ الهَوى

إِن كُنتَ تُغضِبُ إِن رَضيتُ بِكَ الهَوى

فَاغضَب عَلى الحُسنِ الَّذي أَرضاني

فَاغضَب عَلى الحُسنِ الَّذي أَرضاني

If you anger Love when I am pleased with you,

If you anger when I am content in passion with you,

Then be angry at the beauty that pleased me.

Then be angry at the beauty which made me content,

لَبَّيتُهُ لَمّا دَعاني بادِياً

لَبَّيتُهُ لَمّا دَعاني بادِياً

وَكَأَنَّهُ ما كانَ قَطُّ دَعاني

وَكَأَنَّهُ ما كانَ قَطُّ دَعاني

I answered him when he called me openly,

I obeyed him when he called me, initiating,

And it was as though he had never called me.

As if he had never called me before,

فَاِنصُر أَخاكَ بِأَن تُوافِقَ رَأيَهُ

فَاِنصُر أَخاكَ بِأَن تُوافِقَ رَأيَهُ

فيما يَراهُ فَذانِكَ الرَأيانِ

فيما يَراهُ فَذانِكَ الرَأيانِ

So help your brother by agreeing with his opinion

So help your brother by agreeing with his opinion,

On what he sees; those, then, are the two opinions.

In what he sees, for those are the two opinions,

ما نَصرُ مَن يَدعوكَ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ

ما نَصرُ مَن يَدعوكَ يَومَ كَريهَةٍ

بِمُجَرَّدِ التَجريدِ وَالإِثخانِ

بِمُجَرَّدِ التَجريدِ وَالإِثخانِ

Aid to one who calls you on a day of battle is not

It is not helping whom you call on a day of hatred,

Merely drawing swords and dealing grievous wounds.

With mere stripping and arming,

وَيَهيجُني الإِلفانِ إِن طارا وَإِن

وَيَهيجُني الإِلفانِ إِن طارا وَإِن

وقعا على فننٍ من الأفنانِ

وقعا على فننٍ من الأفنانِ

And the two mates stir me, whether they fly or

And they provoke me, companionship, if they fly and if,

Alight upon a branch among the branches,

They fall into arts of the arts,

إذ يَسجَعانِ فيُخرجانِ منَ الهوى

إذ يَسجَعانِ فيُخرجانِ منَ الهوى

هَذي فِعالُ سَواجِعُ الكُهّانِ

هَذي فِعالُ سَواجِعُ الكُهّانِ

As they coo, drawing forth what comes of love—

Bringing out thereby the utterances of soothsayers,

Such are the workings of the soothsayers' rhymed chants.

Did he not heed my lineage to him? For it,

أَفَلا وَعى نَسَبي إِلَيهِ فَإِنَّهُ

أَفَلا وَعى نَسَبي إِلَيهِ فَإِنَّهُ

نَسَبٌ بِهِ اِستَوجَبتُ أَن يُرعاني

نَسَبٌ بِهِ اِستَوجَبتُ أَن يُرعاني

Has he not understood my kinship with him? For it is

Is a lineage by which I deserved that he shepherd me,

A kinship by which I earned the right to his care.

I am by that which my eyelids make flow a river,

أَنا بِالَّذي تُجري جُفوني نَهرُهُ

أَنا بِالَّذي تُجري جُفوني نَهرُهُ

وَبِما أَراني الحُسنَ فَهوَ جِناني

وَبِما أَراني الحُسنَ فَهوَ جِناني

Through what my eyelids pour forth, I am his river;

And by what beauty makes me see, his gardens,

And through the beauty he showed me, he is my gardens.

Or will it not be as gardens and their rivers,

أَولا يَكونُ كَما الرِياضُ وَنَهرُها

أَولا يَكونُ كَما الرِياضُ وَنَهرُها

أَبَداً بِرَغمِ الجَدبِ مُعتَنِقانِ

أَبَداً بِرَغمِ الجَدبِ مُعتَنِقانِ

Or is it not as with gardens and their river—

Forever entwined despite drought?

Forever embracing, despite drought?