أَيا ربعَ صبري كيف طاوَعَك البلى

أَيا ربعَ صبري كيف طاوَعَك البلى

فجَدَّدتَ عَهْدَ الشَوقِ في دِمَنِ الهوى

فجَدَّدتَ عَهْدَ الشَوقِ في دِمَنِ الهوى

O dwelling of my patience, how did decay yield to you?

O my enduring patience, how time has worn you down,

So you renewed longing's bond amid love's ruins,

Renewing the pact of yearning in the abode of love.

وَأَجْرَيْتَ ماءَ الوَصْلِ في تُربَةِ الجَفا

وَأَجْرَيْتَ ماءَ الوَصْلِ في تُربَةِ الجَفا

فَأَورَقَ غُصْنُ الحُبِّ في روضَةِ الرِّضَا

فَأَورَقَ غُصْنُ الحُبِّ في روضَةِ الرِّضَا

and made the water of union flow through the soil of estrangement,

You let the water of union flow in the dust of estrangement,

so love's branch put forth leaves in the garden of contentment.

So the branch of love blossomed in the garden of contentment.

أَرَدْتَ بتجْديدِ الهوى ذكرَ ما مضى

أَرَدْتَ بتجْديدِ الهوى ذكرَ ما مضى

فأَحْيَيْتَ عَهدَ الحُبِّ في مأْتمِ النَّوى

فأَحْيَيْتَ عَهدَ الحُبِّ في مأْتمِ النَّوى

You wished, by renewing love, to recall what had passed,

You wanted, by renewing passion, to recall what had passed,

so you revived love's bond amid the mourning of separation.

Bringing to life the pact of love in the wake of sorrow.

وَكَشَّفْتَ غيمَ الغَدْرِ عن قَمَرِ الوفا

وَكَشَّفْتَ غيمَ الغَدْرِ عن قَمَرِ الوفا

فَأَشْرقَ نُورُ الوَصْلِ عن ظُلَمِ الجَفا

فَأَشْرقَ نُورُ الوَصْلِ عن ظُلَمِ الجَفا

And you cleared betrayal's clouds from the moon of fidelity,

You uncovered the cloud of betrayal from the moon of loyalty,

so union's light shone forth from estrangement's darkness.

So the light of union shone amidst the darkness of abandonment.

كَأَنَّك عايَنتَ الذِّي بي مِنَ الهوى

كَأَنَّك عايَنتَ الذِّي بي مِنَ الهوى

فَقَاسَمْتَني البلوى وقاسمتُكَ البِلى

فَقَاسَمْتَني البلوى وقاسمتُكَ البِلى

As though you had witnessed the passion within me,

As if you saw the passion in me,

so you shared my affliction, and I shared your decay.

So you shared my afflictions as I shared your trials.

وَدارَتْ بُروجُ اليأسِ في فَلَكِ الرَّجا

وَدارَتْ بُروجُ اليأسِ في فَلَكِ الرَّجا

وَهَبَّ نَسِيمُ الشَّوقِ في أَمَلِ المُنى

وَهَبَّ نَسِيمُ الشَّوقِ في أَمَلِ المُنى

And despair's constellations revolved in hope's sphere,

The stars of despair revolved in the sky of hope,

and longing's breeze blew through the hope of wishes.

And the breeze of longing blew in the harbor of wishes.

لَئِنْ ماتَ يأْسِي منهُ إِذْ عاشَ مَطْمعي

لَئِنْ ماتَ يأْسِي منهُ إِذْ عاشَ مَطْمعي

فَإِنّي قَدِ اسْتَمْسَكْتُ مِنْ لَحْظِهِ الرَّجَا

فَإِنّي قَدِ اسْتَمْسَكْتُ مِنْ لَحْظِهِ الرَّجَا

If indeed my despair of him has died as my hope came alive,

If my despair dies in me while my hopes still live,

then I have held fast to hope from his glance.

I have grasped in its glance the rope of hope.

وَما ذَكَرَتْكَ النَّفْسُ إِلا تَصاعَدَتْ

وَما ذَكَرَتْكَ النَّفْسُ إِلا تَصاعَدَتْ

إِلَى العَيْنِ فَانهَلَّتْ مع الدَّمْعِ فِي البُكا

إِلَى العَيْنِ فَانهَلَّتْ مع الدَّمْعِ فِي البُكا

And my soul never remembered you without rising

Whenever my soul recalled you,

to my eye, then pouring forth with the tears in weeping.

My tears rose to my eyes, pouring with weeping.

تُواصِلُنِي طوراً وَتهجرُ تارةً

تُواصِلُنِي طوراً وَتهجرُ تارةً

أَلا رُبَّ هَجْرٍ جَرَّ أَسبابَهُ الصَّفا

أَلا رُبَّ هَجْرٍ جَرَّ أَسبابَهُ الصَّفا

You grant me union at times, and forsake me at others.

You join me for a while, then abandon me again -

Ah, many a parting has been brought about by affection.

Oh, how much parting has led to reunion!

أَرى الغَيَّ رُشداً في هواهُ وإِنَّني

أَرى الغَيَّ رُشداً في هواهُ وإِنَّني

لأَقْنَعُ بِالشَّكْوى إِلى خيرِ مُشْتَكى

لأَقْنَعُ بِالشَّكْوى إِلى خيرِ مُشْتَكى

I see error as right guidance in love for him, and I

I see passion as guidance in its love, and yet

am indeed content to complain to the best hearer of complaints.

I am content to complain to the best one to complain to.

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنِّي بِعْتُ عِزّي بِذِلَّةٍ

أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنِّي بِعْتُ عِزّي بِذِلَّةٍ

وَطاوَعْتُ ما تهوى لِطَوْعِكَ ما تَشا

وَطاوَعْتُ ما تهوى لِطَوْعِكَ ما تَشا

Have you not seen that I sold my dignity for abasement,

Have you not seen that I sold my pride for humiliation,

and obeyed what you desire, yielding to you in whatever you wish?

And obeyed what you desire for obedience’s sake?

وَما وَحَياة الحُبِّ حُلْتُ عَن الَّذي

وَما وَحَياة الحُبِّ حُلْتُ عَن الَّذي

عَهِدْتَ وَلكن كلُّ شيءٍ إِلى انْتها

عَهِدْتَ وَلكن كلُّ شيءٍ إِلى انْتها

And, by the life of love, I have not departed from what

By the life of love I have not turned from what

you knew of me; yet everything comes to an end.

You promised, but all things come to an end.

وَرَيَّانَ مِنْ ماءِ الشَّبابِ كَأَنَّما

وَرَيَّانَ مِنْ ماءِ الشَّبابِ كَأَنَّما

يُوَرِّدُ ماءَ الحُسْن في خدِّهِ الحَيَا

يُوَرِّدُ ماءَ الحُسْن في خدِّهِ الحَيَا

And one brimming with the water of youth, as though

He came radiant with the water of youth, as though

modesty tinged the water of beauty in his cheek rose-red.

He brings the water of beauty flowing in his cheek.

إِذا قَابَلَ الليلَ البهيمَ بوَجهه

إِذا قَابَلَ الليلَ البهيمَ بوَجهه

أَرَاكَ ضياءَ الصُّبْح في ظلمةِ الدُّجى

أَرَاكَ ضياءَ الصُّبْح في ظلمةِ الدُّجى

When he meets the pitch-black night with his face,

When he faces the ugly night with his face,

he shows you dawn's radiance amid the darkness of night.

I see you the radiance of dawn in the darkness of night.

أَبى لحظُ طَرْفي أَن يفارقَ طَرْفَهُ

أَبى لحظُ طَرْفي أَن يفارقَ طَرْفَهُ

فلو رُمْتُ أَثنيهِ عَن الطَّرْفِ ما انْثَنَى

فلو رُمْتُ أَثنيهِ عَن الطَّرْفِ ما انْثَنَى

My eye's gaze refused to part from his eye,

My glance refused to leave his glance -

so if I tried to turn it from that eye, it would not turn.

If I tried to turn it away, it would not turn.

أُشَبِّهُ صُدْغَيْهِ بِخدَّيْهِ إِذْ بدا

أُشَبِّهُ صُدْغَيْهِ بِخدَّيْهِ إِذْ بدا

بِسَالِفَتَي ريمٍ وَعِطفينِ من رَشا

بِسَالِفَتَي ريمٍ وَعِطفينِ من رَشا

I liken his temples, together with his cheeks, as he appeared,

I compare his cheeks to his cheeks when there appeared

to a white gazelle's two neck-sides and a fawn's two flanks.

My saliva and both curves of my cheek.

إِذا ما انتضى سيفَ المَلاحةِ طَرْفُهُ

إِذا ما انتضى سيفَ المَلاحةِ طَرْفُهُ

فَلَيْسَ لراءٍ طَرْفَهُ لَمْ يَمُتْ عَزَا

فَلَيْسَ لراءٍ طَرْفَهُ لَمْ يَمُتْ عَزَا

Whenever his eye unsheathes the sword of beauty,

When the sword of his glance is unsheathed,

there is no solace for anyone who sees his eye and does not die.

No human has a glance that did not die by it.

أَبى أَن تنيلَ القلبَ رِقَّةُ كَأْسِهِ

أَبى أَن تنيلَ القلبَ رِقَّةُ كَأْسِهِ

وَدقَّتْ عن التشبيهِ في اللطفِ بِالهوا

وَدقَّتْ عن التشبيهِ في اللطفِ بِالهوا

He refused to let his cup's delicacy touch the heart,

The softness of his cup refused to touch the heart -

and it was too fine in delicacy to be compared with air.

It was too subtle in grace to compare to passion.

كَأَنَّ بَقايا ما عفا من حَبَابها

كَأَنَّ بَقايا ما عفا من حَبَابها

بقيةُ طَلٍّ فوق وَرْدٍ مِنَ الندى

بقيةُ طَلٍّ فوق وَرْدٍ مِنَ الندى

As though the remnants of its fading bubbles

As if the remnants of his vanished loved ones

were lingering dewdrops upon a rose.

Were traces of dew above roses from the wetness.

وَنَدْمانِ صدقٍ قال لي بعد رقدةٍ

وَنَدْمانِ صدقٍ قال لي بعد رقدةٍ

أَلا فَاسْقِني كأساً عَلى شدَّة الظَّما

أَلا فَاسْقِني كأساً عَلى شدَّة الظَّما

And a faithful drinking companion said to me after a nap:

And the regret of a sincerity that said to me after slumber:

"Come, give me a cup to drink in my fierce thirst."

“Give me a cup for my burning thirst.”

فناولتُه كأساً فَثنّى بمثلها

فناولتُه كأساً فَثنّى بمثلها

فقابلني حسنَ القبولِ كما انثنى

فقابلني حسنَ القبولِ كما انثنى

So I handed him a cup, and he followed it with another like it.

So I handed him a cup and he responded in kind,

Then he met me with a gracious welcome as he turned back.

Meeting my good offering as he inclined.

تحَامى الكرى حتَّى كأَنَّ جفونَهُ

تحَامى الكرى حتَّى كأَنَّ جفونَهُ

عليه لهُ مِنْها رقيبٌ من الكرى

عليه لهُ مِنْها رقيبٌ من الكرى

He shunned sleep, until it was as though his eyelids

Destiny protected him as if its eyelids

had set a watcher of their own over him to guard him against sleep.

Were a guardian for him against destiny.

وليلٍ تَمادى طولهُ فَقَصَرتُه

وليلٍ تَمادى طولهُ فَقَصَرتُه

بِرَاحٍ تُعيرُ المَاءَ مِنْ صفوِها صفا

بِرَاحٍ تُعيرُ المَاءَ مِنْ صفوِها صفا

And a night whose length dragged on—I shortened it

And a night whose length I shortened

with wine that lends water clarity from its own purity.

With winds that mock the water for its purity.

تَجَافَتْ جُفونُ الشَّرْبِ فِيهِ عَنِ الكرى

تَجَافَتْ جُفونُ الشَّرْبِ فِيهِ عَنِ الكرى

فَمِنْ بينِ نشوانٍ وَآخَرَ ما انْتَشى

فَمِنْ بينِ نشوانٍ وَآخَرَ ما انْتَشى

The drinkers' eyelids shunned sleep that night,

The eyelids of drinking in it dried from the wine-skins,

among them one drunk and another who had not grown tipsy.

So they drank until their heads

وَقَدْ شَربوا حتَّى كأَنَّ رؤوسَهُمْ

وَقَدْ شَربوا حتَّى كأَنَّ رؤوسَهُمْ

مِنَ السُّكْرِ فِي أَعْنَاقها سِنَةُ الكرى

مِنَ السُّكْرِ فِي أَعْنَاقها سِنَةُ الكرى

And they had drunk until it seemed their heads

Seemed from the drunkenness on their necks

had, from drunkenness, sleep's drowsiness in their necks.

The constellation of the wine-skin.