عَدِمتُكَ عاجِلاً يا قَلبُ قَلباً

عَدِمتُكَ عاجِلاً يا قَلبُ قَلباً

أَتَجعَلُ مَن هَويتَ عَلَيكَ رَبّا

أَتَجعَلُ مَن هَويتَ عَلَيكَ رَبّا

May I soon be rid of you, O heart—such a heart!

May I soon lose you as my heart, O heart!

Do you make the one you love a lord over you?

Do you make the one you love a lord over you?

بِأَيِّ مَشورَةٍ وَبِأَيِّ رَأيٍ

بِأَيِّ مَشورَةٍ وَبِأَيِّ رَأيٍ

تُمَلِّكُها وَلا تَسقيكَ عَذبا

تُمَلِّكُها وَلا تَسقيكَ عَذبا

By what counsel, by what judgment,

By what counsel, and by what judgment,

do you give her mastery, though she gives you no sweet draught?

do you give her mastery, though she gives you no sweet drink?

تَحِنُّ صَبابَةً في كُلِّ يَومٍ

تَحِنُّ صَبابَةً في كُلِّ يَومٍ

إِلى حُبّى وَقَد كَرَبَتكَ كَربا

إِلى حُبّى وَقَد كَرَبَتكَ كَربا

Every day you yearn in passionate longing

Every day you yearn with ardent longing

for a love that has brought anguish upon anguish.

for Hubba, though she has filled you with anguish.

وَتَهتَجِرُ النِساءَ إِلى هَواها

وَتَهتَجِرُ النِساءَ إِلى هَواها

كَأَنَّكَ ضامِنٌ مِنهُنَّ نَحبا

كَأَنَّكَ ضامِنٌ مِنهُنَّ نَحبا

You forsake all women for love of her,

And you forsake other women for love of her,

as though you owed them some mortal vow.

as though death from them were assured.

أَمِن رَيحانَةٍ حَسُنَت وَطابَت

أَمِن رَيحانَةٍ حَسُنَت وَطابَت

تَبيتُ مُرَوَّعاً وَتَظَلُّ صَبّا

تَبيتُ مُرَوَّعاً وَتَظَلُّ صَبّا

Is it because Rayhana is lovely and sweet

Is it for a basil sprig, lovely and fragrant,

that you spend the night afraid and the day love-struck?

that you spend your nights alarmed and your days lovesick?

تَروعُ مِنَ الصِحابِ وَتَبتَغيها

تَروعُ مِنَ الصِحابِ وَتَبتَغيها

مَعَ الوَسواسِ مُنفَرِداً مُكِبّا

مَعَ الوَسواسِ مُنفَرِداً مُكِبّا

You start at the sight of friends, yet seek her out,

You recoil from your companions and seek her,

alone with obsessive whispers, bent low.

with troubled thoughts, alone and wholly absorbed.

كَأَنَّكَ لا تَرى حَسَناً سِواها

كَأَنَّكَ لا تَرى حَسَناً سِواها

وَلا تَلقى لَها في الناسِ ضَربا

وَلا تَلقى لَها في الناسِ ضَربا

As though you saw no beauty but hers

As though you saw nothing lovely but her,

and found among all people no equal for her.

and found no equal to her among people.

وَكَم مِن غَمرَةٍ وَجَوازِ فَينٍ

وَكَم مِن غَمرَةٍ وَجَوازِ فَينٍ

خَلَوتَ بِهِ فَهَل تَزدادُ قُربا

خَلَوتَ بِهِ فَهَل تَزدادُ قُربا

How many a deep ordeal, how many a far crossing

And how many a deep ordeal and crossing of open country

have you faced alone—do you come any nearer?

have you faced alone—yet do you draw any closer?

بَكَيتَ مِنَ الهَوى وَهَواكَ طِفلٌ

بَكَيتَ مِنَ الهَوى وَهَواكَ طِفلٌ

فَوَيلَكَ ثُمَّ وَيلَكَ حينَ شَبّا

فَوَيلَكَ ثُمَّ وَيلَكَ حينَ شَبّا

You wept for love while your passion was a child;

You wept from love while your love was still an infant;

woe to you, then woe, when it grows up!

so woe to you, then woe to you when it comes of age!

إِذا أَصبَحتَ صَبَّحَكَ التَصابي

إِذا أَصبَحتَ صَبَّحَكَ التَصابي

وَأَطرابٌ تُصَبُّ عَلَيكَ صَبّا

وَأَطرابٌ تُصَبُّ عَلَيكَ صَبّا

When your morning has become all lovesick folly,

When morning comes, youthful infatuation greets you,

and raptures pour passion over you,

and raptures are poured upon you in torrents.

وَتُمسي وَالمَساءُ عَلَيكَ مُرٌّ

وَتُمسي وَالمَساءُ عَلَيكَ مُرٌّ

يُقَلِّبُكَ الهَوى جَنباً فَجَنبا

يُقَلِّبُكَ الهَوى جَنباً فَجَنبا

you reach evening, and evening is bitter to you;

And evening finds you, and the evening is bitter to you;

love tosses you from side to side.

love turns you from one side to the other.

أَظُنُّكَ مِن حِذارِ البَينِ يَوماً

أَظُنُّكَ مِن حِذارِ البَينِ يَوماً

بِداءِ الحُبِّ سَوفَ تَموتُ رُعبا

بِداءِ الحُبِّ سَوفَ تَموتُ رُعبا

I think that one day, in dread of parting,

I think that one day, from fear of separation,

you will die of terror from love’s disease.

sick with love, you will die of terror.

أَتُظهِرُ رَهبَةً وَتُسِرُّ رَغباً

أَتُظهِرُ رَهبَةً وَتُسِرُّ رَغباً

لَقَد عَذَّبتَني رَغباً وَرَهبا

لَقَد عَذَّبتَني رَغباً وَرَهبا

Do you show fear while hiding desire?

Do you show fear while concealing desire?

You have tormented me with hope and fear.

Indeed, you have tormented me with desire and fear.

فَما لَكَ في مَوَدَّتِها نَصيبٌ

فَما لَكَ في مَوَدَّتِها نَصيبٌ

سِوى عِدَةٍ فَخُذ بِيَدَيكَ تُربا

سِوى عِدَةٍ فَخُذ بِيَدَيكَ تُربا

You have no share in her affection

So you have no share in her affection

but enmity—take dust in both your hands!

except a promise—so scoop up dust with both hands.

إِذا وُدٌّ جَفا وَأَرَبَّ وُدٌّ

إِذا وُدٌّ جَفا وَأَرَبَّ وُدٌّ

فَجانِب مَن جَفاكَ لِمَن أَرَبّا

فَجانِب مَن جَفاكَ لِمَن أَرَبّا

When one love turns cold while another remains,

When one affection turns cold and another endures,

leave whoever shuns you for whoever stays.

leave whoever shuns you for whoever stays.

وَدَع شَغبَ البَخيلِ إِذا تَمادى

وَدَع شَغبَ البَخيلِ إِذا تَمادى

فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعَ المَعروفِ شَغبا

فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعَ المَعروفِ شَغبا

Leave the niggard’s quarrel when he persists:

And leave the miser's quarrelling when he persists,

generosity is always what he quarrels with.

for he makes trouble even over kindness.

وَقالَت لا تَزالُ عَلَيَّ عَينٌ

وَقالَت لا تَزالُ عَلَيَّ عَينٌ

أُراقِبُ قَيِّماً وَأَخافُ كَلبا

أُراقِبُ قَيِّماً وَأَخافُ كَلبا

She said, “There is always an eye upon me;

And she said, 'An eye is always upon me;

I watch for a guardian, and fear a dog.”

I am wary of a guardian and fear a dog.'

لَقَد خَبَّت عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ ساهٍ

لَقَد خَبَّت عَلَيكَ وَأَنتَ ساهٍ

فَكُن خِبّاً إِذا لاقَيتَ خِبّا

فَكُن خِبّاً إِذا لاقَيتَ خِبّا

She has slyly duped you while you were heedless;

She has indeed deceived you while you were heedless;

so be crafty when you meet the crafty.

so be a trickster when you meet a trickster.

وَلا تَغرُركَ مَوعِدَةٌ لِحُبّى

وَلا تَغرُركَ مَوعِدَةٌ لِحُبّى

فَإِنَّ عِداتِها أَنزَلنَ جَدبا

فَإِنَّ عِداتِها أَنزَلنَ جَدبا

Let no promise of love beguile you,

And let no promise from Hubba deceive you,

for her promises have brought down drought.

for her promises have brought down drought.

أَلا يا قَلبُ هَل لَكَ في التَعَزّي

أَلا يا قَلبُ هَل لَكَ في التَعَزّي

فَقَد عَذَّبتَني وَلَقيتُ حَسبا

فَقَد عَذَّبتَني وَلَقيتُ حَسبا

Come, heart—give yourself to consolation:

Ah, heart, will you seek consolation?

you have tormented me, and I have met war.

For you have tormented me, and I have suffered enough.

وَما أَصبَحتَ تَأمُلُ مِن صَديقٍ

وَما أَصبَحتَ تَأمُلُ مِن صَديقٍ

يَعُدُّ عَلَيكَ طولَ الحُبِّ ذَنبا

يَعُدُّ عَلَيكَ طولَ الحُبِّ ذَنبا

What can you now hope for from a friend

And what do you now hope for from a friend

who counts your long love as a sin against you,

who counts your enduring love as a sin against you,

كَأَنَّكَ قَد قَتَلتَ لَهُ قَتيلاً

كَأَنَّكَ قَد قَتَلتَ لَهُ قَتيلاً

بِحُبِّكَ أَو جَنَيتَ عَلَيهِ حَربا

بِحُبِّكَ أَو جَنَيتَ عَلَيهِ حَربا

as though you had killed someone dear to him

as though you had slain one of his own

through loving, or had waged war upon him?

through your love, or brought war upon him?

رَأَيتُ القَلبَ لا يَأتي بَغيضاً

رَأَيتُ القَلبَ لا يَأتي بَغيضاً

وَيُؤثِرُ بِالزِيارَةِ مَن أَحَبّا

وَيُؤثِرُ بِالزِيارَةِ مَن أَحَبّا

I have seen that the heart will not visit one it hates,

I have seen that the heart will not visit someone it hates,

but favors with a visit the one it loves.

and favors with its visits the one it loves.