أَزورُ فَتُقصيني وَأَنأى فَتَعتَبُ

أَزورُ فَتُقصيني وَأَنأى فَتَعتَبُ

وَأَوهَمُ أَنّي مُذنِبٌ حينَ تَغضَبُذ

وَأَوهَمُ أَنّي مُذنِبٌ حينَ تَغضَبُذ

I visit, and she turns me away; I keep my distance, and she reproaches me.

I visit, so you shun me, and keep away, so you blame me,

I visit and she casts me out; I keep my distance and she reproaches,

And I imagine I am at fault whenever she grows angry.

And I pretend I’m guilty when you get angry.

And I imagine myself a sinner whenever she grows angry.

وَأَرجو التَلاقي كُلَّما بَخِلَت بِهِ

وَأَرجو التَلاقي كُلَّما بَخِلَت بِهِ

كَذَلِكَ يُرجى البَرقُ وَالبَرقُ خُلَّبُ

كَذَلِكَ يُرجى البَرقُ وَالبَرقُ خُلَّبُ

And I hope for a meeting whenever she withholds it,

And I hope we will meet whenever you're miserly with it,

I hope for union all the more when she is stingy with it,

Just so is lightning hoped for, though the lightning brings no rain.

Just as lightning is hoped for, though lightning is deceptive.

Just as lightning is hoped for, even when it is lightning without rain.

وَأَعجَبُ مِن لاحٍ يُطيلُ مَلامَتي

وَأَعجَبُ مِن لاحٍ يُطيلُ مَلامَتي

وَيَعجَبُ مِنّي عاذِلي حينَ أَعجِبُ

وَيَعجَبُ مِنّي عاذِلي حينَ أَعجِبُ

And I marvel at a reprover who prolongs his reproach of me,

And I'm amazed by a critic who prolongs blaming me,

I marvel at the critic who prolongs his blame of me,

And my censurer marvels at me when I marvel.

And my censurer is amazed when I am amazed.

And my censurer marvels at me, while I myself am in wonder.

هُوَ البُخلُ طَبعٌ في الرِجالِ مُذَمَّمٌ

هُوَ البُخلُ طَبعٌ في الرِجالِ مُذَمَّمٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ في الغيدِ شَيءٌ مُحَبَّبُ

وَلَكِنَّهُ في الغيدِ شَيءٌ مُحَبَّبُ

Stinginess is a trait condemned in men,

Stinginess is an ingrained habit among men, despicable,

Stinginess is a trait in men that is condemned,

But in graceful women it is something endearing.

But in a tender one, it's something lovable.

But in lovely maidens, it is a quality beloved.

كَلَفتُ بِها بَيضاءَ سَكرى مِنَ الصِبا

كَلَفتُ بِها بَيضاءَ سَكرى مِنَ الصِبا

وَما شَرِبَت خَمراً وَلا هِيَ تَشرَبُ

وَما شَرِبَت خَمراً وَلا هِيَ تَشرَبُ

I fell in love with her, fair-skinned, drunk on youth,

I met her, a white sugar, still young,

I am enamored with her—fair-skinned and drunk on youth,

Yet she has drunk no wine, nor does she drink.

She hasn't drank wine, nor will she drink it.

Though she has never tasted wine, nor does she drink.

لَها الدُرُّ ثَغرٌ وَاللُجَينُ تَرائِبٌ

لَها الدُرُّ ثَغرٌ وَاللُجَينُ تَرائِبٌ

وَشَمسُ الضُحى أُمٌّ وَبَدرُ الدُجى أَبُ

وَشَمسُ الضُحى أُمٌّ وَبَدرُ الدُجى أَبُ

Her mouth is pearl, and her upper chest is silver,

She has pearl teeth and bashful glances,

Her mouth is of pearls, her bosom of silver,

And the midmorning sun is her mother, the full moon of night her father.

The sun of morning her mother, the full moon her father.

The morning sun is her mother, and the full moon of darkness her sire.

خَليلِيَ أَمّا خَدُّها فَمُوَرَّدٌ

خَليلِيَ أَمّا خَدُّها فَمُوَرَّدٌ

حَياءً وَأَمّا ثَغرُها فَهوَ أَشنَبُ

حَياءً وَأَمّا ثَغرُها فَهوَ أَشنَبُ

My friend, as for her cheek, it is rosy,

My friend, as for her cheek, it's rosy

O my friend, as for her cheek, it is flushed with roses

From modesty; and her mouth is sweet, with fine white teeth.

With shyness, and as for her mouth, it pouts.

From modesty; and as for her mouth, it is lustrous and cool.

لَئِن فَرَّقَت بَينَ الغَواني جَمالَها

لَئِن فَرَّقَت بَينَ الغَواني جَمالَها

لَدامَ لَها ما يَجعَلُ الغيدَ تَغضَبُ

لَدامَ لَها ما يَجعَلُ الغيدَ تَغضَبُ

Even if she distributed her beauty among the lovely women,

If her beauty divides lovers,

Were she to divide her beauty among all other women,

She would still have enough to make the graceful women angry.

Her coquetry will last, vexing the tender one.

She would retain enough to make the beauties burn with envy.

وَلَو أَنَّ رُهبانَ الصَوامِعِ أَبصَروا

وَلَو أَنَّ رُهبانَ الصَوامِعِ أَبصَروا

مَلاحَتَها وَاللَهِ لَم يَتَرَهَّبوا

مَلاحَتَها وَاللَهِ لَم يَتَرَهَّبوا

And had the monks of the hermitages beheld

If the monks in monasteries saw

And if the monks in their hermitages were to glimpse

Her loveliness, by God, they would not have become monks.

Her charms, by God, they would not devote themselves.

Her grace, by God, they would no longer live as monks.

تُكَلِّفُني في الحُبِّ ما لا أُطيقُهُ

تُكَلِّفُني في الحُبِّ ما لا أُطيقُهُ

وَتَضحَكُ إِمّا جِئتُها أَتَعَتَّبُ

وَتَضحَكُ إِمّا جِئتُها أَتَعَتَّبُ

She demands of me in love what I cannot bear,

She overburdens me in love beyond my strength,

She burdens me in love with what I cannot bear,

And she laughs whenever I come to her complaining.

Then laughs when I come complaining to her.

And she laughs whenever I come to her to plead my case.

أَفاتِنَتي حَسبُ المُتَيَّمِ ما بِهِ

أَفاتِنَتي حَسبُ المُتَيَّمِ ما بِهِ

وَحَسبُكِ أَنّي دونَ ذَنبٍ أُعَذَّبُ

وَحَسبُكِ أَنّي دونَ ذَنبٍ أُعَذَّبُ

O my enchantress, the love-stricken has enough to bear;

My temptress, judging by my suspicion, is untroubled,

O my enchantress, this thrall has suffered enough;

And let it suffice you that I am tormented without fault.

While for me, guiltless, to be tormented suffices!

Let it suffice you that I am tortured without a sin.

أُحِبُّكِ حُبَّ النازِحِ الفَردِ أَهلَهُ

أُحِبُّكِ حُبَّ النازِحِ الفَردِ أَهلَهُ

فَهَل مِنكِ حُبُّ الأَهلِ مَن يَتَغَرَّبُ

فَهَل مِنكِ حُبُّ الأَهلِ مَن يَتَغَرَّبُ

I love you as a lonely man far from home loves his family;

I love you with the loner's love for his family—

I love you with the longing of a lonely exile for his kin,

So will you give the love a family bears for one far from home?

Is there for you a family's love for one far away?

So do you hold for the stranger the love that family feels?

وَهَبتُكِ قَلبي وَاِستَعَضتُ بِهِ الأَسى

وَهَبتُكِ قَلبي وَاِستَعَضتُ بِهِ الأَسى

وَهَبتُكِ شَيئاً في الوَرى لَيسَ يوهَبُ

وَهَبتُكِ شَيئاً في الوَرى لَيسَ يوهَبُ

I gave you my heart, and received sorrow in exchange for it.

I gave you my heart, consoling myself for sorrow,

I gifted you my heart and received sorrow in return,

I gave you something not bestowed among humankind.

Gave you something in life that cannot be granted.

I gave you something that, among mortals, is not to be given away.

فَإِن يَكُ وَصلٌ فَهوَ ما أَتَطَلَّبُ

فَإِن يَكُ وَصلٌ فَهوَ ما أَتَطَلَّبُ

وَإِن يَكُ بُعدٌ فَالمَنِيَّةُ أَقرَبُ

وَإِن يَكُ بُعدٌ فَالمَنِيَّةُ أَقرَبُ

So if there is union, it is what I seek;

If there is union, that is what I seek,

So if there is to be union, that is what I seek,

And if there is separation, then death is nearer.

If there is distance, death is nearer.

And if there is to be separation, then death is closer at hand.