رأى اللوم من كل الجهات فراعه

رأى اللوم من كل الجهات فراعه

فلا تنكروا اعراضه وامتناعه

فلا تنكروا اعراضه وامتناعه

He saw reproach from every quarter, and it frightened him.

He saw blame from all sides, so it alarmed him,

So do not find his turning away and refusal strange.

So do not deny his indifference and refusal,

ولا تسألوني عن فؤادي فإنني

ولا تسألوني عن فؤادي فإنني

علمت بقينا انه قد اضاعه

علمت بقينا انه قد اضاعه

And do not ask me about my heart, for I

And do not ask me about my heart, for I

know for certain that he has cast it away.

Have realized with certainty that he has lost it,

له اللّه ظبيا كل شيء بروعه

له اللّه ظبيا كل شيء بروعه

وباليت لي شيئا يزيل ارتياعه

وباليت لي شيئا يزيل ارتياعه

God protect him—a gazelle whom everything frightens!

May Allah protect him, so gentle in his manner,

And would that I had something to dispel his fear!

Would that I had something to dispel his anxiety,

وبالبته لو كان من أول الهوى

وبالبته لو كان من أول الهوى

اطاع عذولي واكتفينا نزاعه

اطاع عذولي واكتفينا نزاعه

And would that, from the beginning of love, he had

And certainly if he had, from the start of love,

obeyed my reprover, and we had been spared his wrangling.

Obeyed my madness, we would have limited our conflict,

فما رادنا بالسوء الا لسانه

فما رادنا بالسوء الا لسانه

وما خرب الدنيا سوى ما اشاعه

وما خرب الدنيا سوى ما اشاعه

For only his tongue sought to harm us,

For we only wished him ill out of his tongue’s doings,

and nothing ruined the world but what he spread abroad.

And nothing ruined the world but what he spread,

اشاع الذي اغرى بنا السن العدا

اشاع الذي اغرى بنا السن العدا

وطير عن وجه التغالي قناعه

وطير عن وجه التغالي قناعه

He spread what turned our enemies' tongues against us,

He spread what incited against us the old age of separation,

and whisked the veil from the face of excessive passion.

And a bird flew off with the veil of pretense from his face,

واصبح من أهوى على فيه قفلة

واصبح من أهوى على فيه قفلة

يكتم خوف الشامتين انفجاعه

يكتم خوف الشامتين انفجاعه

And the one I love came to have a lock upon his mouth,

And he woke up among those he loved with a locked heart,

hiding his grief for fear of those who would gloat.

Concealing for fear of the envious his torrent within,

وإلى على ان لا اقيم بارضه

وإلى على ان لا اقيم بارضه

وأحرمني يوم الفراق وداعه

وأحرمني يوم الفراق وداعه

And he swore that I must not remain in his land,

And he forbade me on the day we parted from living in his land,

and denied me his farewell on the day of parting.

And deprived me of bidding him farewell,

فرحت وسيري خطوة والتفاتة

فرحت وسيري خطوة والتفاتة

إلى فائت منه ارجى ارتجاعه

إلى فائت منه ارجى ارتجاعه

So I went, my progress one step and one backward glance,

I was happy for an instant, as I walked away,

toward something of him lost, which I hoped to regain.

Glancing back hoping he would call me back,

ذرعت الفلا شرقا وغرباً لاجله

ذرعت الفلا شرقا وغرباً لاجله

وصبرت اخفاف المطيّ ذراعه

وصبرت اخفاف المطيّ ذراعه

I measured the wilderness east and west for his sake,

I roamed the horizons far and wide because of him,

and made the camels' hoof-pads its cubit measure.

And endured the galloping pace of a racing camel,

فلم يبق بر ما طويت بساطه

فلم يبق بر ما طويت بساطه

ولم يبق بحر ما رفعت شراعه

ولم يبق بحر ما رفعت شراعه

So no land remained whose carpet I had not rolled up,

Until no land remained whose expanse I did not traverse,

nor any sea whose sail I had not hoisted.

No sea remained whose waves I did not sail,

كأني ضمير كنت في خاطر النوى

كأني ضمير كنت في خاطر النوى

احس به وأشي السرى فأذاعه

احس به وأشي السرى فأذاعه

As though I were a hidden thought once in separation's mind,

As if I were a conscience, residing in the heart of my beloved,

which the tale-bearer of night travel sensed and divulged.

Feeling him and revealing his innermost thoughts,

اخلاي من دار الهوى زارها الحيا

اخلاي من دار الهوى زارها الحيا

ومد إليها صالح الغيث باعه

ومد إليها صالح الغيث باعه

My friends from love's abode—may rain visit it,

My friends deserted me from the abode of passion,

and may kindly rain stretch its arms toward it—

When separation moved in with its goods and took up residence,

بعيشكم عوجوا على من أضاعني

بعيشكم عوجوا على من أضاعني

وحيوه عني ثم حبوا رباعه

وحيوه عني ثم حبوا رباعه

by your lives, turn aside to him who cast me away,

With your life, you turned against the one who lost me,

and greet him for me, then cherish his dwellings.

And greeted him while shunning my square,

وقولوا فلان أوحشتنا نكاته

وقولوا فلان أوحشتنا نكاته

وما كان أحلى شعره وابتداعه

وما كان أحلى شعره وابتداعه

And say: We miss so-and-so's witticisms,

And say: "So-and-so, we miss your jokes,"

and how sweet were his poetry and inventions!

"And nothing was sweeter than your poetry and creativity,"

فتى كان كالبنيان حولك واقفا

فتى كان كالبنيان حولك واقفا

فليتك بالحسنى طلبت اندفاعه

فليتك بالحسنى طلبت اندفاعه

A youth stood around you like a building;

A lad who once stood steadfast around you,

would that you had kindly asked him to withdraw.

If only you had sought goodness when he drifted away,

أبحت العدا سمعا فلا كانت العدا

أبحت العدا سمعا فلا كانت العدا

متى وجدوا خرقا احبوا اتساعه

متى وجدوا خرقا احبوا اتساعه

You gave the enemies a hearing—may enemies be no more!

The enemies listened in, but even if the enemies,

Whenever they find a breach, they want it widened.

Whenever they found a tear, loved to widen it,

فكنت كذي عبد هو الرجل والعصا

فكنت كذي عبد هو الرجل والعصا

تجنى بلا ذنب عليه فباعه

تجنى بلا ذنب عليه فباعه

So you were like a man whose slave was his foot and staff:

So I was like a slave, the man and his stick,

he falsely accused him, though blameless, and sold him.

Who picks fruit without sin yet sells him,

لكل هوى واش فإن ضعضع الهوى

لكل هوى واش فإن ضعضع الهوى

فلا تلم الواشي ولم من أطاعه

فلا تلم الواشي ولم من أطاعه

Every love has a tale-bearer; if love is shaken,

For every passion there is a slanderer, so if passion

do not blame the tale-bearer, but blame whoever obeyed him.

Is shaken, do not blame the slanderer or the one who obeyed,

إذا كنت تسقى الشهد ممن تحبه

إذا كنت تسقى الشهد ممن تحبه

فدع كل ذي عذل يبيع فقاعه

فدع كل ذي عذل يبيع فقاعه

If you are given honey to drink by someone you love,

If you water your loved one with honey

leave every reprover to sell his frothy brew.

Let those with a grudge sell their empty bubbles,

وقولوا رأينا من حمدت افتراقه

وقولوا رأينا من حمدت افتراقه

ولم ترنا من لم تذم اجتماعه

ولم ترنا من لم تذم اجتماعه

And say: We saw the one whose departure you praised,

And say: "We saw the one whose parting we praised,

but you never showed us anyone whose company you did not fault.

And we did not see anyone whose company we did not criticize,"

وأين الذي كالسيف حدا وجوهرا

وأين الذي كالسيف حدا وجوهرا

لمن رام يبلو ضره وانتفاعه

لمن رام يبلو ضره وانتفاعه

And where is he who was like a sword in edge and substance,

"And where is the one who was sharp as a sword in edge and essence,

to whoever sought to test his harm and usefulness?

For anyone who sought to touch his harm or gain his benefit?"

وما كنتما الا براعا وكاتبا

وما كنتما الا براعا وكاتبا

فمل والقى في التراب براعه

فمل والقى في التراب براعه

You two were nothing but a reed pen and a writer,

You two were but a paper and a writer,

then he grew weary and threw his pen into the dust.

So dictate and cast the paper to the dust,

فإن اطرق الغضبان او خط في الثرى

فإن اطرق الغضبان او خط في الثرى

فقولوا فقد القى اليكم سماعه

فقولوا فقد القى اليكم سماعه

If the angry one lowers his head or draws lines in the earth,

If the angry one falls silent or draws lines in the sand,

then speak, for he has lent you his ear.

Then say: He has cast his hearing aside to you,

عسى يذكر المشتاق في طي رقعة

عسى يذكر المشتاق في طي رقعة

فحسب الأماني ان تروني رقاعه

فحسب الأماني ان تروني رقاعه

Perhaps he will mention the yearning lover in the folds of a note;

Perhaps the longing one will remember on a piece of paper,

it is enough for my wishes that you show me his letters.

So hopes are enough if you just envision me as scribbles,

قرب كتاب كان اشهى من اللقا

قرب كتاب كان اشهى من اللقا

إذا ضمه المهجور أطفى التياعه

إذا ضمه المهجور أطفى التياعه

Many a letter was more eagerly desired than a meeting:

A book was closer to me than seeing him,

when the forsaken lover embraced it, it quenched his anguish.

When the abandoned one held it, it calmed his agony,

وباللّه كفوا ان تمادى فإنه

وباللّه كفوا ان تمادى فإنه

رقيق حواشي الطبع أخشى انصداعه

رقيق حواشي الطبع أخشى انصداعه

And by God, desist if he persists, for he

For God’s sake, refrain, for he continues, and he

is delicate at the edges of his nature; I fear he may crack.

Is sensitive, I fear his mind will shatter,

وإياكم تعصوا هواه إذا قسا

وإياكم تعصوا هواه إذا قسا

فما حبه من كان يأبى اتباعه

فما حبه من كان يأبى اتباعه

And beware opposing his wishes when he is harsh,

And beware disobeying his passion if it hardens,

for no one who refuses to follow him has loved him.

For none who loved refused to follow it,

وباللّه كفوا عن حديثي فإنه

وباللّه كفوا عن حديثي فإنه

ملول وأخشى ان تثير واصداعه

ملول وأخشى ان تثير واصداعه

And by God, stop speaking of me, for he

For God’s sake, stop discussing me, for

tires easily, and I fear you may stir up his headache.

I am weary, and I fear it will stir up a headache in him,

ولا تجلبوا ذكري له بحياتكم

ولا تجلبوا ذكري له بحياتكم

فإن حبيبي لا أحب صداعه

فإن حبيبي لا أحب صداعه

Do not bring him any mention of me, by your lives,

And do not bring up my memory when he is alive,

for I do not like my beloved to have a headache.

For I do not want my beloved to suffer pain,

وان نصب الشكوى علي فسابقوا

وان نصب الشكوى علي فسابقوا

وقولوا نعم نشكو إليك طاعه

وقولوا نعم نشكو إليك طاعه

And if he brings a complaint against me, be quick

If he complains of me, be quick to say:

and say: Yes, we complain to you of his character.

“Yes, we complain to you of obeying him,”

وان تنظروا في وجهه شاهد الفلا

وان تنظروا في وجهه شاهد الفلا

فخلوا اتباعي واستنخير واتباعه

فخلوا اتباعي واستنخير واتباعه

And if you see a sign of aversion on his face,

If you look upon the face that witnessed the horizons,

then stop following me, and [unclear phrase] following him.

Abandon following me, take omens, and follow him,

وان رام سبي فاحدثوا لي معائباً

وان رام سبي فاحدثوا لي معائباً

وسباً بليغاً تحسنون اختراعه

وسباً بليغاً تحسنون اختراعه

And if he wishes to insult me, invent faults for me,

If he tries to criticize me, make up faults about me,

and eloquent abuse whose invention you excel at.

And criticize me eloquently in ways you invent,

ولا تختشوا إثماً فإني اجزتكم

ولا تختشوا إثماً فإني اجزتكم

إذا كان من أهواه يهوى استماعه

إذا كان من أهواه يهوى استماعه

And fear no sin, for I have given you leave,

Do not fear sin, for I permit you,

if the one I love loves hearing it.

If it comes from one whose love he enjoys hearing,

وميلوا إلىم ا مال لو كان واشيا

وميلوا إلىم ا مال لو كان واشيا

وخلوا له اوضاعه واختراعه

وخلوا له اوضاعه واختراعه

And incline toward whatever he inclines to, even if he is a tale-bearer,

Incline toward one who, if he were a slanderer,

and leave him his fabrications and inventions.

Would leave him to his own devices and inventions,

وهنوا رقيبي بالرقاد فطالما

وهنوا رقيبي بالرقاد فطالما

جعلت على جمر السهاد اضطجاعه

جعلت على جمر السهاد اضطجاعه

And congratulate my watcher on his sleep, for many a time

And cheer my spy with sleep, for long

I made him lie upon the embers of sleeplessness.

Have I left him lying awake on fiery coal,

ولا تحسدوا ود ابن يومين عنده

ولا تحسدوا ود ابن يومين عنده

فإن حبيبي تعلمون خداعه

فإن حبيبي تعلمون خداعه

And do not envy the affection a two-day newcomer enjoys with him,

Do not envy the affection of a two-day lad,

for you know my beloved's deceit.

For you know, my beloved is prone to deception,

ودوروا على حكم الغرام فإنه

ودوروا على حكم الغرام فإنه

قضى لظياء ان تهين سباعه

قضى لظياء ان تهين سباعه

And turn with love's decree, for it

Seek the rules of passion, for it has decreed

has ordained that gazelles shall humble its beasts of prey.

That its rays be disgraced by its predators,

ضعيف الهوى من باتي شكو زمانه

ضعيف الهوى من باتي شكو زمانه

واضعف منه من يرجى اصطناعه

واضعف منه من يرجى اصطناعه

Weak in love is he who spends the night complaining of his times,

The weak of passion are those who spend the night complaining of fate,

and weaker still is he who hopes for its favor.

But weaker than them is he who hopes for its reformation,

ولو علم المشتاق عقبي اتصاله

ولو علم المشتاق عقبي اتصاله

لآثر بين العاشقين انقطاعه

لآثر بين العاشقين انقطاعه

And if the yearning lover knew the outcome of his union,

If the longing one knew my state after our union,

he would, among lovers, prefer his separation.

He would prefer separation between lovers,

ومن طلب الاحباب حرصا على البقا

ومن طلب الاحباب حرصا على البقا

فما رام بين الناس الا ضياعه

فما رام بين الناس الا ضياعه

And whoever seeks loved ones out of eagerness to survive

He who seeks loved ones eagerly to endure,

has sought among people nothing but his own ruin.

Does not intend through people but to lose himself,

وكل اتحاد للهوى فيه سورة

وكل اتحاد للهوى فيه سورة

ولم يكسب المخمور الا صداعه

ولم يكسب المخمور الا صداعه

And every union holds a surge of passion,

Every joining of love contains a rift,

and the intoxicated one gains nothing but a headache.

And the intoxicated earns nothing but a headache,