لَعَلَّكَ تُصغي ساعَةً وَأَقولُ

لَعَلَّكَ تُصغي ساعَةً وَأَقولُ

لَقَد غابَ واشٍ بَينَنا وَعَذولُ

لَقَد غابَ واشٍ بَينَنا وَعَذولُ

Perhaps you will listen a while, and I will speak.

Perhaps you will listen for a while as I say:

The tale-bearer and the reproacher between us have indeed gone.

A companion has been absent between us, and is gone.

وَفي النَفسِ حاجاتٌ إِلَيكَ كَثيرَةٌ

وَفي النَفسِ حاجاتٌ إِلَيكَ كَثيرَةٌ

أَرى الشَرحَ فيها وَالحَديثُ يَطولُ

أَرى الشَرحَ فيها وَالحَديثُ يَطولُ

And my soul has many requests to make of you;

My soul has many needs for you,

I see that explaining them and speaking of them would take long.

I see explanation in it, and the talk is long.

تَعالَ فَما بَيني وَبَينِكَ ثالِثٌ

تَعالَ فَما بَيني وَبَينِكَ ثالِثٌ

فَيَذكُرُ كُلٌّ شَجوَهُ وَيَقولُ

فَيَذكُرُ كُلٌّ شَجوَهُ وَيَقولُ

Come, for there is no third person between you and me,

Come, so there is no third between me and you,

so each may recount his sorrow and speak.

Each mentioning their passion, and speaking.

وَإِيّاكَ عَن نَشرِ الحَديثِ فَإِنَّني

وَإِيّاكَ عَن نَشرِ الحَديثِ فَإِنَّني

بِهِ عَن جَميعِ العالَمينَ بَخيلُ

بِهِ عَن جَميعِ العالَمينَ بَخيلُ

And beware of divulging our talk, for I

And beware of spreading the talk, for I

am stingy with it, withholding it from all the world.

Am stingy with it to all people.

بِعَيشِكَ حَدِّثني بِمَن قَتَلَ الهَوى

بِعَيشِكَ حَدِّثني بِمَن قَتَلَ الهَوى

فَإِنّي إِلى ذاكَ الحَديثُ أَميلُ

فَإِنّي إِلى ذاكَ الحَديثُ أَميلُ

By your life, tell me of those whom love has slain,

Tell me of your life, who killed passion,

for I am drawn to that tale.

For I am inclined to that talk.

وَما بَلَغَ العُشّاقُ حالاً بَلَغتُها

وَما بَلَغَ العُشّاقُ حالاً بَلَغتُها

هُناكَ مُقامٌ ما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

هُناكَ مُقامٌ ما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

And no lovers have reached the state I have reached;

Lovers have not reached a state I have reached,

there lies a station to which no path leads.

There is a position there, to which there is no way.

وَما كُلُّ مَخضوبِ البَنانِ بُثَينَةٌ

وَما كُلُّ مَخضوبِ البَنانِ بُثَينَةٌ

وَما كُلُّ مَسلوبِ الفُؤادِ جَميلُ

وَما كُلُّ مَسلوبِ الفُؤادِ جَميلُ

And not everyone with dyed fingertips is Buthayna,

Not every reddened-lipped one is a kiss,

and not everyone whose heart is stolen is Jamil.

Nor every bare-chested one, beautiful.

وَياعاذِلي قَد قُلتَ قَولاً سَمِعتُهُ

وَياعاذِلي قَد قُلتَ قَولاً سَمِعتُهُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَولٌ عَلَيَّ ثَقيلُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ قَولٌ عَلَيَّ ثَقيلُ

And, O my reproacher, I have heard what you said;

And oh, you who blame me, you have said a saying I heard,

but that speech weighs heavily upon me.

But it is a saying heavy upon me.

عَذَرتُكَ إِنَّ الحُبَّ فيهِ مَرارَةٌ

عَذَرتُكَ إِنَّ الحُبَّ فيهِ مَرارَةٌ

وَإِنَّ عَزيزَ القَومِ فيهِ ذَليلُ

وَإِنَّ عَزيزَ القَومِ فيهِ ذَليلُ

I have excused you, for love has bitterness within it,

I pardon you - love has bitterness in it,

and in it, one honored by his people is humbled.

And the dear one of people is humiliated in it.

أَأَحبابَنا هَذا الضَنى قَد أَلِفتَهُ

أَأَحبابَنا هَذا الضَنى قَد أَلِفتَهُ

فَلَو زالَ لَاستَوحَشتُ حينَ يَزولُ

فَلَو زالَ لَاستَوحَشتُ حينَ يَزولُ

O our beloved ones, I have grown used to this wasting sickness;

Oh beloveds, have you become accustomed to this withdrawal?

so if it vanished, I would feel desolate when it was gone.

If it went, I would become lonely when it passes.

وَحَقِّكُمُ لَم يَبقَ فِيَّ بَقِيَّةٌ

وَحَقِّكُمُ لَم يَبقَ فِيَّ بَقِيَّةٌ

فَكَيفَ حَديثي وَالغَرامُ طَويلُ

فَكَيفَ حَديثي وَالغَرامُ طَويلُ

By your honor, not a remnant remains in me;

And your rights - nothing remains in me,

so how can I tell my tale, when passion lasts so long?

So how can my talk be long, and passion lengthy?

وَإِنّي لَأَرعى سِرَّكُم وَأَصونُهُ

وَإِنّي لَأَرعى سِرَّكُم وَأَصونُهُ

عَنِ الناسِ وَالأَفكارُ فيَّ تَجولُ

عَنِ الناسِ وَالأَفكارُ فيَّ تَجولُ

And I surely watch over your secret and guard it

I shepherd your secret and protect it

from people, while thoughts roam within me.

From people, and thoughts wander in me.

دَعوا ذِكرَ ذاكَ العَتبِ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

دَعوا ذِكرَ ذاكَ العَتبِ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

إِلى كَم كِتابٌ بَينَنا وَرَسولُ

إِلى كَم كِتابٌ بَينَنا وَرَسولُ

Leave off mentioning those reproaches, ours and yours;

Leave mention of that reproach from us and you,

how long must letters and messengers pass between us?

To how many a book between us, and messenger!

وَرُدّوا نَسيماً جاءَ مِنكُم يَزورُني

وَرُدّوا نَسيماً جاءَ مِنكُم يَزورُني

فَإِنّي عَليلٌ وَالنَسيمُ عَليلُ

فَإِنّي عَليلٌ وَالنَسيمُ عَليلُ

And send back the breeze that came from you to visit me;

And return a breeze that came from you visiting me,

for I am languid, and the breeze is languid too.

For I am sick, and the breeze is sick.

وَلي عِندَكُم قَلبٌ أَضَعتُم عُهودَهُ

وَلي عِندَكُم قَلبٌ أَضَعتُم عُهودَهُ

عَلى أَنَّهُ جارٌ لَكُم وَنَزيلُ

عَلى أَنَّهُ جارٌ لَكُم وَنَزيلُ

And I have a heart in your keeping whose pledges you have neglected,

And I have a heart with you, you forgot its covenant,

although it is your neighbor and your guest.

That it is a neighbor to you, and lodger.