لِي في الهوى حَرفانِ قد سَبق الجوى

لِي في الهوى حَرفانِ قد سَبق الجوى

بهِما فقاما يأسِرانِ فؤادي

بهِما فقاما يأسِرانِ فؤادي

In love I have two letters; heartache has already led the way

I have two letters in love that surpassed companions,

With them, and both arose to take my heart captive.

With them they stood to capture my heart.

فَبِذاك أقتسمُ المساءَ مع الكرَى

فَبِذاك أقتسمُ المساءَ مع الكرَى

ما بين تسهيدٍ ودَرْكِ مرادِ

ما بين تسهيدٍ ودَرْكِ مرادِ

And so I share the evening with slumber,

So with that I share the evening with worries,

Between sleeplessness and attaining my desire.

Between relaxation and reaching what I want.

واللهُ ربُّ العرشِ يعلمُ أنَّني

واللهُ ربُّ العرشِ يعلمُ أنَّني

لا أنثني عنها بِصِدقِ ودادِ

لا أنثني عنها بِصِدقِ ودادِ

And God, Lord of the Throne, knows that I

And Allah, Lord of the Throne, knows that I

Do not turn away from her, true in my affection.

Do not waver from it with sincerity and affection.

يا معشرَ العشاقِ هل أُنبِئتُمُ

يا معشرَ العشاقِ هل أُنبِئتُمُ

عن مِثلِ ذاك بِرائِحٍ أو غادِ

عن مِثلِ ذاك بِرائِحٍ أو غادِ

O company of lovers, have you been told

O people of lovers! Am I not informed

Of anything like that, by an evening or morning traveler?

Of the like of that with a scent or presence?

سُوقُوا إلى الحضَريِّ عطْفَ مودَّةٍ

سُوقُوا إلى الحضَريِّ عطْفَ مودَّةٍ

تجزيه عن هذا الأسى الوقَّادِ

تجزيه عن هذا الأسى الوقَّادِ

Bring al-Hadari the tenderness of affection

Take to Al-Hadhari kindness

To recompense him for this blazing sorrow,

That rewards him for this burning sorrow.

في ليلةٍ ذهبَ السُّهادُ بِصَفْوِها

في ليلةٍ ذهبَ السُّهادُ بِصَفْوِها

وتكاثفتْ أشجانُها لِوَفَادِ

وتكاثفتْ أشجانُها لِوَفَادِ

On a night when sleeplessness took away its serenity,

On a night when sleep lost its purity

And its sorrows gathered thick for a visitor.

And its sorrows intensified for the heartache,

دَعْ عنكَ هذا السُّهْدَ واطْوِ لهيبَه

دَعْ عنكَ هذا السُّهْدَ واطْوِ لهيبَه

فالصَّفْوُ والتَّسهيدُ رهنُ نفادِ

فالصَّفْوُ والتَّسهيدُ رهنُ نفادِ

Put this sleeplessness behind you, and fold away its flame;

Leave this relaxation and the flame of its passion,

For serenity and sleeplessness alike are bound to end.

For purity and relaxation are hostage to loss.

ولقد نصحتُ لئامَ قومٍ أدبروا

ولقد نصحتُ لئامَ قومٍ أدبروا

واستبدَلُوا بالودِّ شرَّ عنادِ

واستبدَلُوا بالودِّ شرَّ عنادِ

And I indeed counseled ignoble folk who turned away

And I have advised the critic of a people who turned away

And traded affection for the worst defiance.

And replaced affection with the evil of stubbornness.

وأمرتُهم بالخيرِ لكنْ أرسَنُوا

وأمرتُهم بالخيرِ لكنْ أرسَنُوا

سَفَهًا خطامَ المكرِ بعدَ رشادِ

سَفَهًا خطامَ المكرِ بعدَ رشادِ

And I bade them do good, but they fastened

And I commanded them with good, but they anchor

In folly, deceit's halter, after sound judgment.

Ignorance, the bridle of scheming, after guidance.

أنَّى يقُومُ الأمرُ دونَ رشادِهم

أنَّى يقُومُ الأمرُ دونَ رشادِهم

والغيُّ فاعلَمْ رأسُ كلِّ فسادِ

والغيُّ فاعلَمْ رأسُ كلِّ فسادِ

How can affairs stand without their sound judgment?

How can things go well without their guidance?

And waywardness—know this—is the source of all corruption.

And ignorance, know that it is the root of all corruption.

أمْ كيف تصمدُ للزمانِ صناعةٌ

أمْ كيف تصمدُ للزمانِ صناعةٌ

قامت دعائمُها على الأحقادِ

قامت دعائمُها على الأحقادِ

Or how can a craft withstand time,

Or how can a profession that

When its pillars are founded on grudges?

Its pillars stand on grudges withstand time?

لو أنَّهم فَطِنُوا لذلك لارتقَوا

لو أنَّهم فَطِنُوا لذلك لارتقَوا

عن كلِّ شائبةٍ مِنَ الحُسَّادِ

عن كلِّ شائبةٍ مِنَ الحُسَّادِ

Had they understood that, they would have risen

If only they realized that, they would rise

Above every taint from the envious.

Above every blemish from the envious.

لكنَّهم زلَّتْ بهم أحلامُهم

لكنَّهم زلَّتْ بهم أحلامُهم

ما إنْ لهم بينَ الورَى مِن هادِ

ما إنْ لهم بينَ الورَى مِن هادِ

But their minds made them stumble;

But their dreams slipped from them

They have no guide among humankind.

When they have no guide among people.

لو أنَّهم صبروا كصبري لم يكنْ

لو أنَّهم صبروا كصبري لم يكنْ

لهمُ بهذا الشرِّ مِن إخفادِ

لهمُ بهذا الشرِّ مِن إخفادِ

Had they been patient as I was, they would not have

If only they were patient like my patience, they would not

Rushed into this evil.

Have this evil make them stumble.

لكنَّهم ظنُّوا الأمورَ كما ارتَأَوْا

لكنَّهم ظنُّوا الأمورَ كما ارتَأَوْا

ودعاهمُ للشرِّ سوءُ عتادِ

ودعاهمُ للشرِّ سوءُ عتادِ

But they assumed matters were just as they judged,

But they thought things as they assumed

And poor preparation summoned them to evil.

And the evil of habit called them to evil.

لا تبتئِسْ فاللهُ ربُّكَ عندَه

لا تبتئِسْ فاللهُ ربُّكَ عندَه

لُطْفٌ، وللطَّاغِينَ بالمرصادِ

لُطْفٌ، وللطَّاغِينَ بالمرصادِ

Do not grieve, for God, your Lord, has

Do not despair, for Allah your Lord has

Kindness, and He lies in wait for the transgressors.

Gentleness, and for the tyrants an ambush.