يا قاتِلاً لا يُبالي بِالَّذي صَنَعا

يا قاتِلاً لا يُبالي بِالَّذي صَنَعا

رَمَيتَ قَلبي بِسَهمِ الحُبِّ فَاِنصَدَعا

رَمَيتَ قَلبي بِسَهمِ الحُبِّ فَاِنصَدَعا

O slayer who cares not for what he has done,

O killer who cares not for what he has done

You shot my heart with love's arrow, and it split apart.

You shot my heart with love's arrow and it cracked

لَولا القَضيبُ الَّذي يَهتَزُّ فَوقَ نَقاً

لَولا القَضيبُ الَّذي يَهتَزُّ فَوقَ نَقاً

شَكَكتُ فيكَ وَفي البَدرِ الَّذي طَلَعا

شَكَكتُ فيكَ وَفي البَدرِ الَّذي طَلَعا

Were it not for the bough swaying above a sand dune,

If not for the rod that trembles over the soft dune

I would have been unsure which was you and which the risen full moon.

I would have doubted you and the risen moon

قَد تُبتُ مِن تَوبَتي بَعدَ الصَلاحِ وَكَم

قَد تُبتُ مِن تَوبَتي بَعدَ الصَلاحِ وَكَم

مُسافِرٍ في التُقى وَالنُسكِ قَد رَجَعا

مُسافِرٍ في التُقى وَالنُسكِ قَد رَجَعا

I have repented of my repentance after righteousness—and how many

I have repented with repentance after righteousness and how many

A traveler in piety and worship has turned back!

Travelers in piety and devotion have returned

ماتَ الهُدى ثُمَّ أَحياهُ بِطَلعَتِهِ

ماتَ الهُدى ثُمَّ أَحياهُ بِطَلعَتِهِ

فَاليَومُ يُبدِعُ في قَتلي لَهُ بِدَعا

فَاليَومُ يُبدِعُ في قَتلي لَهُ بِدَعا

Guidance died; then he revived it with his countenance;

Guidance died then he revived it with his rising

So today it invents new ways to slay me for his sake.

So today it originates in my murder of him with prayer

أَلا تَرى بَهجَةَ الأَيّامِ قَد رَجِعَت

أَلا تَرى بَهجَةَ الأَيّامِ قَد رَجِعَت

وَالناسَ في مَلِكٍ وَالدينِ قَد جُمِعا

وَالناسَ في مَلِكٍ وَالدينِ قَد جُمِعا

Do you not see that the joy of the days has returned,

Do you not see the joy of days has returned

And the people and the faith have been united in a king?

And the people in a kingdom and religion gathered

يا خاضِبَ السَيفِ قَد شُدَّت مَآزِرُهُ

يا خاضِبَ السَيفِ قَد شُدَّت مَآزِرُهُ

وَاِبنَ الحُروبِ الَّتي مِن ثَديِها رَضَعا

وَاِبنَ الحُروبِ الَّتي مِن ثَديِها رَضَعا

O you who stain the sword, your waistcloths bound tight,

O reddener of the sword its wrap has been tightened

And son of wars, from whose breast you suckled!

And son of wars which from its breast he sucked

فَرَّقتَ بِالسَيفِ يا أَعلى المُلوكِ يَداً

فَرَّقتَ بِالسَيفِ يا أَعلى المُلوكِ يَداً

عَن إِبنِ مُدرِكٍ الطائي وَما جَمَعا

عَن إِبنِ مُدرِكٍ الطائي وَما جَمَعا

You scattered them with the sword, O king whose hand is highest,

You separated with the sword, O highest of kings, a hand

Away from Ibn Mudrik al-Ta'i and all he had gathered.

From the son of Mudrik the straying and what he gathered

كَم مِن عَدوٍّ أَبِحتَ السَيفَ مُهجَتَهُ

كَم مِن عَدوٍّ أَبِحتَ السَيفَ مُهجَتَهُ

وَالسَيفُ أَحسَمُ لِلداءِ الَّذي اِمتَنَعا

وَالسَيفُ أَحسَمُ لِلداءِ الَّذي اِمتَنَعا

How many a foe's lifeblood you have given over to the sword!

How many enemies have you unleashed your sword's rage on

And the sword is the surest cure for an ailment that resists.

And the sword is more decisive for the malady that resisted

دَسَستَ كَيداً لَهُ تُخفي مَسالِكَهُ

دَسَستَ كَيداً لَهُ تُخفي مَسالِكَهُ

كَأَنَّهُ فارِسٌ في قَوسِهِ نَزَعا

كَأَنَّهُ فارِسٌ في قَوسِهِ نَزَعا

You secretly laid a plot against him, concealing its paths,

You plotted against him concealing its paths

As though it were a horseman who had drawn his bow.

As if he were a knight drawing his bow taut

تَنالُ رَوعَتُهُ مَن لا يُرادُ بِهِ

تَنالُ رَوعَتُهُ مَن لا يُرادُ بِهِ

فَإِن رَأى الشَمسَ مِنهُ جانِبٌ لَمَعا

فَإِن رَأى الشَمسَ مِنهُ جانِبٌ لَمَعا

Its terror reaches those against whom it is not aimed;

His awe strikes those not meant by it

For if a side of it sees the sun, it flashes.

So if he saw a side of the sun it would shine