كل يحب ولا تصح مودة

كل يحب ولا تصح مودة

إلا إذا ما أخلصتها المحنة

إلا إذا ما أخلصتها المحنة

Everyone loves, but no affection proves true

Every love is unsound unless purified by tribulation.

unless an ordeal has purified it.

Had the assayers not helped it with fire,

لولا الصيارفة استعانت بالحمى

لولا الصيارفة استعانت بالحمى

في نقدها خفيت عليها الفضة

في نقدها خفيت عليها الفضة

Had the money-changers not sought help from heat

Its silver would have remained hidden from them.

in their assaying, silver would have eluded them.

By God, I have never revealed a singular love,

والله ما أدلى بحب مفرد

والله ما أدلى بحب مفرد

لكن بحب مازجته حمية

لكن بحب مازجته حمية

By God, I do not plead on the strength of love alone,

But love alloyed with passion.

but with love mingled with loyal pride.

And indeed I was jealous to see

ولقد أغار على علائك أن أرى

ولقد أغار على علائك أن أرى

يوماً وفي عنقي لغيرك منهة

يوماً وفي عنقي لغيرك منهة

And indeed I jealously guard your eminence, lest I be seen

One day, around another's neck, a charm.

one day with a favor owed to another upon my neck.

And I wanted to turn desire away from myself out of jealousy,

وأرد عن نفسي النوال حمية

وأرد عن نفسي النوال حمية

فيكم وفيٌّ وبي إليه ضرورة

فيكم وفيٌّ وبي إليه ضرورة

And I turn bounty away from myself out of loyal pride

Though you are faithful, and I am compelled to you.

for you, ever faithful, though I have pressing need of it.

And I blamed your generosity though the slanderers impugned you,

وعذرت جودك والوشات تصده

وعذرت جودك والوشات تصده

عني وبعد العذر مالي حجة

عني وبعد العذر مالي حجة

And I excused your generosity, while the slanderers turn it

And after blaming, I had no argument.

away from me; after that excuse, I have no plea.

More harmful than one who throws you aspersions is a sincere backbiter

وأضر من يرميك واش صادق

وأضر من يرميك واش صادق

فيما يقول تجوز منه الكذبة

فيما يقول تجوز منه الكذبة

And the most harmful of those who assail you is a truthful talebearer,

In what he says, though falsehood from him is allowable.

in what he says: even a lie from him is accepted.

And indeed I fled - does one flee out of fear

ولقد فررت وهل يفر مخافة

ولقد فررت وهل يفر مخافة

من محسن من ليس منه زلة

من محسن من ليس منه زلة

And I did flee; yet would one flee in fear

Of a benefactor from whom no sin has occurred?

from a benefactor when one has committed no fault?

But a matter I wanted clear remained obscure

لكن خفى أمر أردت وضوحه

لكن خفى أمر أردت وضوحه

لمَّا خفى لتزول عني الظنة

لمَّا خفى لتزول عني الظنة

But a matter was obscure; I wanted it made plain,

When it was obscure, so suspicion would leave me.

since it was obscure, so that suspicion might leave me.

And I wanted you to know, though my affair is in my hands,

واردت أن تدري وأمري في يدي

واردت أن تدري وأمري في يدي

إن الوفاء على النوى لي شيمة

إن الوفاء على النوى لي شيمة

And I wanted you to know, while my affairs were in my own hands,

That fidelity to purpose is my quality.

that fidelity despite separation is my nature.

And my knowledge of your worth remained

وبان معرفتي لقدرك ما بقى

وبان معرفتي لقدرك ما بقى

معها لقدر سواك عندي قيمة

معها لقدر سواك عندي قيمة

And my recognition of your worth became clear: no longer

Such that no other's worth had value to me.

did anyone else's standing have value in my eyes beside it.

It is not that I wish to turn from you if I am hidden, and I have

لا عنك أرغب أن خفيت وليس لي

لا عنك أرغب أن خفيت وليس لي

فيمن سواك وإن تودد رغبة

فيمن سواك وإن تودد رغبة

My being out of sight is no aversion to you; nor have I

No desire in any but you, even if he is affectionate.

any desire for another, even if he shows me affection.

He turns his cheek towards the mirage, seeing in his eyes

أيدير ناحية السراب لحاظه

أيدير ناحية السراب لحاظه

من بين عينيه البحار العذبة

من بين عينيه البحار العذبة

Would one turn his glances toward a mirage

The fresh waters between them.

with seas of sweet water before his very eyes?

That the waves strike both its edges?

أنا ذا على شط فكيف تيممى

أنا ذا على شط فكيف تيممى

والشط تضرب حافتيه الموجة

والشط تضرب حافتيه الموجة

Here I am upon a shore—how could I perform ablution with dust,

They said, "Come!" But I said, "None other than you

while waves beat against both edges of the shore?

Made me stumble, because of your levity."

قالوا هلمّ فقلت غير محامل

قالوا هلمّ فقلت غير محامل

غيري أزدهته لمن دعاه الخفة

غيري أزدهته لمن دعاه الخفة

They said, 'Come!' I replied, without obliging them:

I was not - though seventy years had trained me -

'It was someone else whom levity drew to whoever called him.'

Of those who have every white old and fat.

ما كنت والسبعون قد حنكنني

ما كنت والسبعون قد حنكنني

ممن لديه كل بيضا شحمة

ممن لديه كل بيضا شحمة

I was not—and seventy years have seasoned me—

I deemed none of them worthy to satisfy my want,

one who takes every white thing for a lump of fat.

And want makes lawful the forbidden.

لم استبح منهم يداً لضرورتي

لم استبح منهم يداً لضرورتي

ومع الضرورة تستباح الميتة

ومع الضرورة تستباح الميتة

I did not permit myself a helping hand from them in my need,

And I did this considering myself - I have no claim

though necessity makes carrion lawful.

But you have a boon upon me.

وفعلت ذا نظرا لنفسي ليس لي

وفعلت ذا نظرا لنفسي ليس لي

لكن لكم فيه عليّ المنّة

لكن لكم فيه عليّ المنّة

And I did this out of regard for myself; no thanks are due to me,

And your call, "Come," so sometimes he stands for me

but to you: for this I am in your debt.

With a wedding night that would violate my honor.

ونداك معوان فمره يقوم لي

ونداك معوان فمره يقوم لي

بأروش ما تجنى علي العفة

بأروش ما تجنى علي العفة

Your bounty is a ready helper; bid it pay me

By God, without him my dwellings are so gloomy

damages for what self-restraint inflicts upon me.

Their emptiness is painful solitude.

والله أن منازلي لخلوها

والله أن منازلي لخلوها

منه لمظلمة عليّ الوحشة

منه لمظلمة عليّ الوحشة

By God, my dwellings, because they are empty

So your call is like rain one time shunning us

of it, are dark to me with desolation.

And visiting times again, and we forget the time.

فنداك مثل الغيث يهجر مرة

فنداك مثل الغيث يهجر مرة

ويزور مرات فننسى المرة

ويزور مرات فننسى المرة

For your bounty is like rain: it stays away once,

Upon you a thousand greetings - thus,

and visits many times, so we forget that one absence.

Thus, thus multiplied.

فعليك ألف تحية في مثلها

فعليك ألف تحية في مثلها

في مثلها في مثلها مضروبة

في مثلها في مثلها مضروبة

So upon you be a thousand greetings, multiplied by as many,

by as many, and by as many again.