هُم حَمَّلوني في الهَوى فَوقَ طاقَتي

هُم حَمَّلوني في الهَوى فَوقَ طاقَتي

فَمِن أَجلِهِم قامَت عَلَيَّ قِيامَتي

فَمِن أَجلِهِم قامَت عَلَيَّ قِيامَتي

They have burdened me in love beyond my strength.

They burdened me with passion beyond my capacity,

So, because of them, my Day of Resurrection has come upon me.

So because of them my resurrection was upon me.

وَما كُنتُ لَولا هَجرِهِم وَصدُودِهم

وَما كُنتُ لَولا هَجرِهِم وَصدُودِهم

حَليفَ ضَنىً مَلَّ الطَبيبُ إعادَتي

حَليفَ ضَنىً مَلَّ الطَبيبُ إعادَتي

Were it not for their abandonment and rejection, I would not be

And I would not have been, were it not for their estrangement and aloofness,

a companion of wasting sickness, whom the physician has tired of revisiting.

An ally of grief that the healer despaired of curing me.

بِحَقِّكُم يا جائِرينَ تَعَطَّفوا

بِحَقِّكُم يا جائِرينَ تَعَطَّفوا

فَقَد رَقَّ لي مِن جَورِكُم كُلُّ شامِتِ

فَقَد رَقَّ لي مِن جَورِكُم كُلُّ شامِتِ

By your worth, O cruel ones, show compassion;

I implore you, oh you who have done me wrong, be kind

for your cruelty has moved all who gloat to pity me.

For I am saddened by every gloating enemy of yours.

وَلا تَبخَلوا أَن تَسمَحوا لي بِنَظرَةٍ

وَلا تَبخَلوا أَن تَسمَحوا لي بِنَظرَةٍ

تُخَفِّفُ أَشجاني وَفَرطِ صَبابَتي

تُخَفِّفُ أَشجاني وَفَرطِ صَبابَتي

And do not begrudge me a glance

Do not be stingy to allow me a glance

that eases my sorrows and the intensity of my longing.

That might alleviate my sorrows and the excess of my youth.

سَأَلتُ فُؤادي الصَبرَ عَنكُم فَقالَ لي

سَأَلتُ فُؤادي الصَبرَ عَنكُم فَقالَ لي

إِلَيكَ فَإِنَّ الصَبرَ مِن غيرِ عادَتي

إِلَيكَ فَإِنَّ الصَبرَ مِن غيرِ عادَتي

I asked my heart for patience away from you, and it told me:

I asked my heart to be patient with you, but it said to me

Away with you! For patience is not my habit.

“To you, for patience is not of my making.”

أَضُمُّ عَلى الداءِ الدَفينِ جَوانِحي

أَضُمُّ عَلى الداءِ الدَفينِ جَوانِحي

وَأُظهِرُ مِن خَوفِ الرَقيبِ بَشاشَتي

وَأُظهِرُ مِن خَوفِ الرَقيبِ بَشاشَتي

I draw my ribs close around the buried illness,

I conceal the chronic illness in my bosom

and display my cheerfulness for fear of the watcher.

And I feign cheerfulness fearing the watchman.

وَلَيسَ تَلافي مُذ رُميتُ بِهَجرِكُم

وَلَيسَ تَلافي مُذ رُميتُ بِهَجرِكُم

عَجيبٌ وَلَكِنَّ العَجيبَ سَلامَتي

عَجيبٌ وَلَكِنَّ العَجيبَ سَلامَتي

And my ruin, since I was struck by your abandonment, is not

And since you estranged me I have not found

strange; but what is strange is my survival.

Solace, but the wonder is my deliverance.

وَكَيفَ اِشتِغالي عَنكُم لا عَدِمتكُم

وَكَيفَ اِشتِغالي عَنكُم لا عَدِمتكُم

وَنارُ الأَسى وَالشَوقِ مِلءُ حَشاشَتي

وَنارُ الأَسى وَالشَوقِ مِلءُ حَشاشَتي

And how could I turn my thoughts from you—may I never lose you—

And how can I be distracted from thoughts of you when you are not here

while the fire of grief and longing fills what life remains in me?

While the fire of anguish and longing fills my senses?

فَوا حَسرَتي طالَ الأَسى وتَصَرَّمَت

فَوا حَسرَتي طالَ الأَسى وتَصَرَّمَت

دُهوري وَلا قَضَّيتُ مِنكُم لُبانَتي

دُهوري وَلا قَضَّيتُ مِنكُم لُبانَتي

Alas for my sorrow! Grief has lasted long, and gone are

Oh what regrets! Sorrows have lasted long

my years, yet I have not gained from you what I desire.

And my days have gone by without fulfilling my wishes from you.

لَهُ قَدُّ عَسّالٍ وَحُسن مُعَيشِقٍ

لَهُ قَدُّ عَسّالٍ وَحُسن مُعَيشِقٍ

وَلي قَلبُ مَحزون وَنَظرَة باهِتِ

وَلي قَلبُ مَحزون وَنَظرَة باهِتِ

He has the stature of a swaying spear and the beauty of a winsome beloved;

He has the grace of a honey bee and the beauty of a gazelle,

and I have a sorrowful heart and a bewildered gaze.

While I have a sorrowful heart and a fading glance.