لَيتَ الَّذي خَلَقَ العُيونَ السودا

لَيتَ الَّذي خَلَقَ العُيونَ السودا

خَلَقَ القُلوبَ الخافِقاتِ حَديدا

خَلَقَ القُلوبَ الخافِقاتِ حَديدا

If only he who created black eyes

If only He who created the dark eyes

Would that He who fashioned eyes of black,

Had made throbbing hearts of iron.

Had created the throbbing hearts as iron

Had forged the beating hearts of iron,

لَولا نَواعِسُها وَلَولا سِحرُها

لَولا نَواعِسُها وَلَولا سِحرُها

ما وَدَّ مالِكُ قَلبِهِ لَو صيدا

ما وَدَّ مالِكُ قَلبِهِ لَو صيدا

Were it not for her languid eyes, were it not for her spell,

Were it not for their glances and magic

Were it not for their languor and their spell,

No master of his own heart would wish to be captured.

No lover would have loved, not even an idol

No master of his heart would wish to be snared.

عَوِّذ فُؤادَكَ مِن نِبالِ لِحاظِها

عَوِّذ فُؤادَكَ مِن نِبالِ لِحاظِها

أَو مُت كَما شءَ الغَرامُ شَهيدا

أَو مُت كَما شءَ الغَرامُ شَهيدا

Invoke protection for your heart against the arrows of her glances,

Protect your heart from the arrows of her glances

Shield your heart from the arrows of her glance,

Or die a martyr, as passion wills.

Or die as love decrees you a martyr

Or die, as passion wills, a martyr.

إِن أَنتَ أَبصَرتَ الجَمال وَلَم تَهِم

إِن أَنتَ أَبصَرتَ الجَمال وَلَم تَهِم

كُنتَ اِمرَأً خَشِنَ الطِباعِ بَليدا

كُنتَ اِمرَأً خَشِنَ الطِباعِ بَليدا

If you behold beauty and do not fall in love,

If you saw beauty and were not tempted

For if you beheld beauty and did not fall,

You would be a coarse-natured, dull-witted man.

You would be a man of coarse nature, numb

You would be a man of coarse and dull nature.

وَإِذا طَلَبتَ مَعَ الصَبابَةِ لَذَّةً

وَإِذا طَلَبتَ مَعَ الصَبابَةِ لَذَّةً

فَلَقَد طَلبَتَ الضائِعَ المَوجودا

فَلَقَد طَلبَتَ الضائِعَ المَوجودا

And if you seek pleasure along with longing,

And if with youth, you sought pleasure

And if you sought pleasure alongside pining,

Then you have sought what is lost yet present.

You would seek the unattainable

You have sought a thing lost, though it exists.

يا وَيحَ قَلبي إِنَّهُ في جانِبي

يا وَيحَ قَلبي إِنَّهُ في جانِبي

وَأَظُنُّهُ نائي المَزارِ بَعيدا

وَأَظُنُّهُ نائي المَزارِ بَعيدا

Alas for my heart! It is here beside me,

Oh my heart, it lies next to me

Woe to my heart! Though it lies within my chest,

Yet I think it far away, its dwelling remote.

And I think it is far from my burial site

I deem it wandering far in distant lands,

مُستَوفِزٌ شَوقاً إِلى طَحبابِهِ

مُستَوفِزٌ شَوقاً إِلى طَحبابِهِ

المَرءُ يَكرَهُ أَن يَعيشَ وَحيدا

المَرءُ يَكرَهُ أَن يَعيشَ وَحيدا

Poised to spring with longing for its loved ones;

Inciting longing for her cheeks

Restless with longing for its beloveds,

A person hates to live alone.

One dislikes living lonely

For a man hates to live his life alone.

بَرَأَ الإِلَهُ لَهُ الضُلوعَ وِقايَةً

بَرَأَ الإِلَهُ لَهُ الضُلوعَ وِقايَةً

وَأَرَتهُ شِقوَتُهُ الضُلوعَ قُيودا

وَأَرَتهُ شِقوَتُهُ الضُلوعَ قُيودا

God fashioned ribs for it as protection,

God exonerated it with ribs for protection

God fashioned the ribs to be its shield,

Yet its misery showed it those ribs as fetters.

And its misfortune made the ribs fetters

But misery showed it the ribs are but chains.

فَإِذا هَفا بَرقُ المُنى وَهَفا لَهُ

فَإِذا هَفا بَرقُ المُنى وَهَفا لَهُ

هاجَت دَفائِنُهُ عَلَيهِ رُعودا

هاجَت دَفائِنُهُ عَلَيهِ رُعودا

And when hope's lightning flickers and the heart flutters toward it,

So when the lightning of wishes flashed for him

When the lightning of hope flashes and it flutters,

Its buried feelings surge against it as thunderclaps.

His passions raged at him like thunder

Buried secrets storm against it like thunder.

جَشَّمتُهُ صَبراً فَلَمّا لَم يَطُق

جَشَّمتُهُ صَبراً فَلَمّا لَم يَطُق

جَشَّمتُهُ التَصويب وَالتَصعيدا

جَشَّمتُهُ التَصويب وَالتَصعيدا

I burdened it with patience; when it could not endure,

I adorned it with patience but when it could not endure

I tasked it with patience, but when it could not bear,

I burdened it with descent and ascent.

I adorned it with aiming and climbing

I tasked it with heavy sighs, rising and falling.

لَو أَستَطيعُ وَقَيتُهُ بَطشَ الهَوى

لَو أَستَطيعُ وَقَيتُهُ بَطشَ الهَوى

وَلَوِ اِستَطاعَ سَلا الهَوى مَحمودا

وَلَوِ اِستَطاعَ سَلا الهَوى مَحمودا

If I could, I would shield it from love's violence;

If I could protect it from love’s tyranny

Could I, I would have spared it the assault of love,

And if it could, it would forget love and be praised.

And if one could resist love’s tyranny, praiseworthy

And could it, it would have forgot love and been praised.

هِيَ نَظرَةٌ عَرَضَت فَصارَت في الحَشا

هِيَ نَظرَةٌ عَرَضَت فَصارَت في الحَشا

نارا وَصارَ لَها الفُؤادُ وَقودا

نارا وَصارَ لَها الفُؤادُ وَقودا

It was a passing glance that became within my breast

It was a glance that passed by and turned

It was a glance that passed, then lodged in the gut,

A fire, and the heart became its fuel.

My heart into fire and made it firewood

A fire for which the heart became the fuel.

وَالحُبُّ صَوتٌ فَهوَ أَنَّةُ نائِحٍ

وَالحُبُّ صَوتٌ فَهوَ أَنَّةُ نائِحٍ

طَورا وَآوِنَةً يَكونُ نَشيدا

طَورا وَآوِنَةً يَكونُ نَشيدا

And love is a voice: it is a mourner's moan

And love is a voice, it is the wail of a mourner

Love is a voice: at times the moan of a mourner,

At times, and at other times it is a song.

At times, and at others it is a song

And at other moments, it becomes a song.

يَهَبُ البَواغِمَ أَلسُناً صَدّاحَةً

يَهَبُ البَواغِمَ أَلسُناً صَدّاحَةً

فَإِذا تَجَنّى أَسكَتَ الغِرّيدا

فَإِذا تَجَنّى أَسكَتَ الغِرّيدا

It gives soft-calling beasts ringing tongues;

It makes the twittering birds eloquent

It grants the mute beasts singing tongues,

But when it deals unjustly, it silences the songster.

But when it withdraws, it silences the warbler

But when it turns cruel, it silences the nightingale.

ما لي أُكَلِّفُ مُهجَتي كَتمَ الأَسى

ما لي أُكَلِّفُ مُهجَتي كَتمَ الأَسى

إِن طالَ عَهدُ الجُرحِ صارَ صَديدا

إِن طالَ عَهدُ الجُرحِ صارَ صَديدا

Why do I burden my soul with hiding sorrow?

Why do I task my love to conceal sorrow?

Why do I force my soul to hide its grief?

If a wound lingers long, it turns to pus.

If the wound's breach lasts long, it becomes malignant

If the wound is long kept, it turns to festering pus.

وَيَلَذُّ نَفسي أَن تَكونَ شَقِيَّةً

وَيَلَذُّ نَفسي أَن تَكونَ شَقِيَّةً

وَيَلَذُّ قَلبي أَن يَكونَ عَميدا

وَيَلَذُّ قَلبي أَن يَكونَ عَميدا

And my soul delights in being wretched,

And my soul delights in being wretched

My soul finds pleasure in being wretched,

And my heart delights in being stricken with love.

And my heart delights in being steadfast

And my heart finds delight in being enthralled.

إِن كُنتَ تَدري ما الغَرامُ فَداوِني

إِن كُنتَ تَدري ما الغَرامُ فَداوِني

أَو لا فَخَلِّ العَذل وَالتَفنيدا

أَو لا فَخَلِّ العَذل وَالتَفنيدا

If you know what passion is, then heal me;

If you know what love is, then cure me

If you know what passion is, then cure me,

Or if not, leave off reproach and fault-finding.

Or else refrain from rebuke and denial

If not, then cease your blame and refutation.

يا هِندُ قَد أَفنى المَطالُ تَصَبُّري

يا هِندُ قَد أَفنى المَطالُ تَصَبُّري

وَفَنَيتُ حَتّى ما أَخافُ مَزيدا

وَفَنَيتُ حَتّى ما أَخافُ مَزيدا

O Hind, delay has exhausted my patience;

O Hind, hopes have exhausted my patience

O Hind, delay has exhausted my patience,

And I have wasted away, till I fear nothing more.

And I am exhausted, fearing no further calamity

And I have withered until I fear no further pain.

ما هَذِهِ البيضُ الَّتي أَبصَرتُها

ما هَذِهِ البيضُ الَّتي أَبصَرتُها

في لِمَّتي إِلّا اللَيالي السودا

في لِمَّتي إِلّا اللَيالي السودا

These white hairs that I have seen

What is this whiteness that I see

What is this whiteness I have seen,

Among my locks are nothing but the black nights.

In my beard, but the dark nights?

Upon my temples, but the darkness of nights?

ما شِبتُ مِن كِبَر وَلَكِنَّ الَّذي

ما شِبتُ مِن كِبَر وَلَكِنَّ الَّذي

حَمَّلتِ نَفسي حَمَّلتُهُ الفودا

حَمَّلتِ نَفسي حَمَّلتُهُ الفودا

I have not grown gray from age; rather, what

I have not grown old with age

I did not turn gray from age, but that with which

You laid upon my soul, I laid upon the hair at my temples.

But that which I burdened myself with has bent my back

You burdened my soul, I have burdened my temples.

هَذا الَّذي أَبلى الشَباب وَرَدَّهُ

هَذا الَّذي أَبلى الشَباب وَرَدَّهُ

خَلقا وَجَعَّدَ جَبهَتي تَجعيدا

خَلقا وَجَعَّدَ جَبهَتي تَجعيدا

This is what wore youth away and left it

This is what has worn out my youth and dispelled it

This is what wore out youth and returned it

Threadbare, and deeply wrinkled my brow.

In creation, and furrowed my brow in folds

In tatters, and carved deep wrinkles on my brow.

عَلَّمتِ عَيني أَن تَسُحَّ دُموعُها

عَلَّمتِ عَيني أَن تَسُحَّ دُموعُها

بِالبُخلِ عَلَّمتِ البَخيلَ الجودا

بِالبُخلِ عَلَّمتِ البَخيلَ الجودا

You taught my eye to pour out its tears;

You taught my eyes to wipe their tears stingily

You taught my eye to pour forth its tears;

Through miserliness, you taught the miser generosity.

You taught the stingy man generosity!

Through stinginess, you taught the miser generosity.

وَمَنَعتِ قَلبي أَن يَقَرَّ قَرارَهُ

وَمَنَعتِ قَلبي أَن يَقَرَّ قَرارَهُ

وَلَقَد يَكونُ عَلى الخُطوبِ جَليدا

وَلَقَد يَكونُ عَلى الخُطوبِ جَليدا

And you kept my heart from settling in peace,

And you prevented my heart from settling

You forbade my heart to rest in its place,

Though it can be steadfast against calamities.

And it can be cold to calamities

Though it was once steadfast against calamity.

دَلَّهَتني وَحَمَيتِ جَفني غَمضَهُ

دَلَّهَتني وَحَمَيتِ جَفني غَمضَهُ

لا يُستَطاعُ مَعَ الهُمومِ هُجودا

لا يُستَطاعُ مَعَ الهُمومِ هُجودا

She bewildered me, and you denied my eyelid its closing;

You seduced me, and protected my eyelid from closing

You drove me mad and denied my eyelid sleep;

Sleep is impossible amid cares.

With sorrows, prostration cannot be endured

Slumber is impossible amidst such cares.

لا تَعجَبي أَنَّ الكَواكِبَ سُهَّدٌ

لا تَعجَبي أَنَّ الكَواكِبَ سُهَّدٌ

فَأَنا الَّذي عَلَّمتُها التَسهيدا

فَأَنا الَّذي عَلَّمتُها التَسهيدا

Do not marvel that the stars are sleepless;

Do not wonder that the planets are compliant to me

Do not marvel that the stars are sleepless,

For I am the one who taught them sleeplessness.

I am the one who taught them compliance

For I am the one who taught them how to wake.

أَسمَعتُها وَصفَ الصَبابَةِ فَاِنثَنَت

أَسمَعتُها وَصفَ الصَبابَةِ فَاِنثَنَت

وَكَأَنَّما وَطِئَ الحُفاةُ صُرودا

وَكَأَنَّما وَطِئَ الحُفاةُ صُرودا

I told them of longing, and they turned away,

I heard her describe the charms of youth

I told them the tale of passion, and they recoiled,

As though barefoot folk had trodden cold, exposed ground,

And it curled up as if the barefoot had stepped on thorns

As if the barefoot trod upon frozen heights,

مُتَعَثِّراتٍ بِالظَلامِ كَأَنَّما

مُتَعَثِّراتٍ بِالظَلامِ كَأَنَّما

حالَ الظَلامُ أَساوِدا وَأُسودا

حالَ الظَلامُ أَساوِدا وَأُسودا

Stumbling through the dark, as though

Stumbling in the darkness as if

Stumbling through the darkness, as if

The darkness had turned to black serpents and lions.

The darkness had turned ashen and black

The dark had turned to vipers and to lions.

وَأَنَّها عَرِفَت مَكانَكَ في الثَرى

وَأَنَّها عَرِفَت مَكانَكَ في الثَرى

صارَت زَواهِرُها عَلَيكِ عُقودا

صارَت زَواهِرُها عَلَيكِ عُقودا

And they knew your place upon the earth;

And that she knew your place in the earth

And because they knew your place upon the earth,

Their bright ones became necklaces upon you.

So its flowers have garlanded you

Their shining lights became necklaces for you.

أَنتِ الَّتي تُنسي الحَوائِجَ أَهلَها

أَنتِ الَّتي تُنسي الحَوائِجَ أَهلَها

وَأَخا البَيانِ بَيانَهُ المَعهودا

وَأَخا البَيانِ بَيانَهُ المَعهودا

You are she who makes people forget their needs,

You who make people forget their worries

You are the one who makes men forget their needs,

And the master of eloquence his accustomed eloquence.

And the most eloquent orator his usual eloquence

And makes the orator forget his eloquence.

ما شِمتُ حُسنَكَ قَطُّ إِلّا راعَني

ما شِمتُ حُسنَكَ قَطُّ إِلّا راعَني

فَوَدِدتُ لَو رُزِقَ الجَمالُ خُلودا

فَوَدِدتُ لَو رُزِقَ الجَمالُ خُلودا

Never have I beheld your beauty but it awed me,

I have never sensed your beauty but it shook me

I never glimpsed your beauty but it awed me,

So I wished that beauty were granted immortality.

And I wished beauty was granted eternity

And I wished that beauty were granted immortality.

وَإِذا ذَكَرتُكِ هَزَّ ذِكرَكِ أَضلُعي

وَإِذا ذَكَرتُكِ هَزَّ ذِكرَكِ أَضلُعي

شَوقاً كَما هَزَّ النَسيمُ بُنودا

شَوقاً كَما هَزَّ النَسيمُ بُنودا

And when I remember you, the thought of you shakes my ribs

And when I mention you, the mention of you shakes my ribs

When I remember you, your memory shakes my ribs

With longing, as the breeze shakes banners.

With longing as the breeze shook the wet clothes

With longing, as the breeze shakes the banners.

فَحَسِبتُ سِقطَ الطَلِّ ذَوبَ مَحاجِري

فَحَسِبتُ سِقطَ الطَلِّ ذَوبَ مَحاجِري

لَو كانَ دَمعُ العاشِقينَ نَضيدا

لَو كانَ دَمعُ العاشِقينَ نَضيدا

So I took the fallen dew for the melt of my eye sockets,

I reckoned the melted pearls were my tears

I thought the falling dew was my melting eyes,

If lovers' tears were arranged in rows.

If only the tears of lovers were molten lead

If only lovers' tears were strung like pearls.

وَظَنَنتُ خافِقَةَ الغُصونِ أَضالِعاً

وَظَنَنتُ خافِقَةَ الغُصونِ أَضالِعاً

وَثِمارَهُنَّ القانِياتِ كُبودا

وَثِمارَهُنَّ القانِياتِ كُبودا

And I imagined the swaying branches as ribs,

And I fancied the fluttering of the boughs were ribs

And I imagined the fluttering branches were ribs,

And their deep-red fruits as livers.

And their ripe fruit, cherries

And their deep red fruits were bleeding hearts.

وَأَرى خَيالَكَ كُلَّ تَرفَةِ ناظِرٍ

وَأَرى خَيالَكَ كُلَّ تَرفَةِ ناظِرٍ

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن أَراهُ جَديدا

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن أَراهُ جَديدا

And I see your image with every blink of an eye,

And I see your image with every glance of the eye

I see your phantom in every blink of the eye,

And it is a wonder that I see it as new.

And it amazes me that I see it renewed

And marvel that I see it ever new.

وَإِذا سَمِعتُ حِكايَةً عَن عاشِقٍ

وَإِذا سَمِعتُ حِكايَةً عَن عاشِقٍ

عَرَضاً حَسِبتُني الفَتى المَقصودا

عَرَضاً حَسِبتُني الفَتى المَقصودا

And when I hear a tale about a lover

And when I hear a tale of a lover

And if I hear a tale about a lover,

In passing, I think myself the young man meant.

I fancy myself as the intended man

By chance, I deem myself the youth intended.

مُستَيقِظ وَيَظُنُّ أَنّي نائِمٌ

مُستَيقِظ وَيَظُنُّ أَنّي نائِمٌ

يا هِندُ قَد صارَ الذُهولُ جُمودا

يا هِندُ قَد صارَ الذُهولُ جُمودا

Awake, yet he thinks that I am asleep;

Awake and fancying that I am asleep

Awake, yet one would think that I am sleeping;

O Hind, bewilderment has become frozen stillness.

O Hind, bewilderment has become inertia

O Hind, my stupor has turned to stone-stillness.

وَلَقَد يَكونُ لِيَ السُلُوُّ عَنِ الهَوى

وَلَقَد يَكونُ لِيَ السُلُوُّ عَنِ الهَوى

لَكِنَّما خُلِقَ المُحِبُّ وَدودا

لَكِنَّما خُلِقَ المُحِبُّ وَدودا

And I may indeed find release from passion,

And keeping aloof from love can be for me

Perhaps I could find solace from this love,

Yet the lover was created loving.

But the lover was created affectionate

But the lover was created to be fond.