يا لاحِ في سُمْرٍ كالسُّمْرِ

يا لاحِ في سُمْرٍ كالسُّمْرِ

مهلا فإن صبري كالصَّبْرِ

مهلا فإن صبري كالصَّبْرِ

O censurer of dusky beauties like tawny spears,

O sailor in the night as dark as jet,

Gently—for my patience is bitter as aloe.

Be gentle, for my patience is patient yet.

لم تُغْمِض مذ جَفاني

لم تُغْمِض مذ جَفاني

أجفاني

أجفاني

They have not closed since he shunned me—

You have not closed your eyelids, fraught with pain,

my eyelids.

Since you made my eyelids ache in vain,

وصار دمعي شاني

وصار دمعي شاني

في شاني

في شاني

And my tears have become my disfigurement

And my tears pour down like sudden rain,

in my plight.

In sudden rain.

والحب مذ بلاني

والحب مذ بلاني

أبلاني

أبلاني

And love, since it afflicted me,

And love has brought me bane,

has worn me away.

Brought me bane!

يا صاح كم أَسْرِي معْ أسرِي

يا صاح كم أَسْرِي معْ أسرِي

اعذِرْ فوجه عُذْري معْ عذري

اعذِرْ فوجه عُذْري معْ عذري

O friend, how often I journey by night while captive!

O friend, my secrets and my bond lie bare,

Pardon me: the grounds of my excuse lie upon my cheeks.

Excuse me, but my plea is my despair.

أود لك خفضا

أود لك خفضا

لا خفضا

لا خفضا

I wish you ease,

I wish you well,

not abasement.

Not ill.

ها قد رجعت أرضى

ها قد رجعت أرضى

كي ترضى

كي ترضى

See, I am content again,

See, I'm appeased and healed,

so that you may be content.

If you are healed.

ديني لعلّ يُقْضَى

ديني لعلّ يُقْضَى

أن يُقْضَى

أن يُقْضَى

My debt—perhaps it will be decreed

My guilt perhaps will thus be stilled,

that it be paid.

Be stilled.

هلا اغتنمت أجرى كم أجرِي

هلا اغتنمت أجرى كم أجرِي

واعلم بأن هجري كالهجر

واعلم بأن هجري كالهجر

Why not seize my reward? How much I run!

Why don't you seize your wage, so hard to gain?

And know that my abandonment is like foul speech.

And know my estrangement's like estrangement's pain.

يا ليت من بَراني

يا ليت من بَراني

أَبْراني

أَبْراني

Oh, would that he who wasted me

Would he who brought me low

would heal me!

Uplift me now,

أوليت من عَداني

أوليت من عَداني

أعْداني

أعْداني

Or would that he who passed me by

Or he who wrought me woe

would infect me

Make peace! My wine is life itself to me.

من ريقه الجاني

من ريقه الجاني

للجاني

للجاني

with his saliva, which does harm,

My lips are castle keeps that shelter me.

for the gatherer.

Look on my state defiled!

مخامر لخمري كالخمر

مخامر لخمري كالخمر

محصن بثغر كالثغر

محصن بثغر كالثغر

Mingling with my wine like wine,

My state!

fortified by a mouth like a frontier stronghold.

I'm captive to your guile,

انظر لسوء حالي

انظر لسوء حالي

يا حال

يا حال

Look at my wretched state,

Your guile.

O sweet one!

So hear my tale, beguiled

ملكتني بخالي

ملكتني بخالي

يا خال

يا خال

You have captured me with my beauty spot,

And pale.

O carefree one!

Now the poetry calls,

ها فاسمع مقالي

ها فاسمع مقالي

يا قال

يا قال

Now hear my words,

It calls!

O you who hate me!

A poem decked in flowers like flowers bright,

قد دق عليك مالشَّعر

قد دق عليك مالشَّعر

موشح بزهر كالزهر

موشح بزهر كالزهر

It has grown subtle for you—[unclear phrase concerning hair]—

Musk-scented, blooming in the blackest night.

a muwashshah adorned with blossoms like bright stars.