يا ذا الَّذي لا أَهجُرُه

يا ذا الَّذي لا أَهجُرُه

وَعَلى القلى لا أَعذُرُه

وَعَلى القلى لا أَعذُرُه

O you whom I do not forsake,

O you whom I do not abandon

yet whom I do not excuse for your aversion.

Nor do I blame though my heart burns

ماذا يُريبُكَ مِن فَتىً

ماذا يُريبُكَ مِن فَتىً

يَهوى هَواكَ وَتَقهَرُه

يَهوى هَواكَ وَتَقهَرُه

What makes you distrust a youth

What makes you doubt a lover

who longs for your love, while you oppress him?

Who adores you though you spurn?

أَمسَيتُ عَنهُ مُعرِضاً

أَمسَيتُ عَنهُ مُعرِضاً

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ يَذكُرُه

مِن غَيرِ ذَنبٍ يَذكُرُه

By evening, I had turned away from him,

I turned from him though blameless

without a fault that he could recall.

His weeping soaked his robe

فَبَكى فَبَلَّ جُيوبَهُ

فَبَكى فَبَلَّ جُيوبَهُ

دَمعٌ عَلَيهِ يَحدرُه

دَمعٌ عَلَيهِ يَحدرُه

So he wept, and his robes' bosoms were drenched

Your rejection brought what he feared

by tears he let stream down upon himself.

And left him lifeless, uninterred

وَأَتاهُ مِن إِعراضِكُم

وَأَتاهُ مِن إِعراضِكُم

ما كانَ مِنهُ يَحذرُه

ما كانَ مِنهُ يَحذرُه

And your turning away brought upon him

what he had feared would come of it.

How long will youth's sea whelm him?

أَمسى قَتيلاً لِلهَوى

أَمسى قَتيلاً لِلهَوى

مُتَعَفِّراً لا يقبرُه

مُتَعَفِّراً لا يقبرُه

By evening, he lay slain by love,

Waves of beloved’s wrath submerge

dust-covered, with none to bury him.

He thrashes midst those breakers

فَإِلى مَتى وَإِلى مَتى

فَإِلى مَتى وَإِلى مَتى

مَوجُ الصَّبابَةِ يَطمرُه

مَوجُ الصَّبابَةِ يَطمرُه

So until when, and until when,

Now sunk, now cresting their surge

will the waves of longing bury him?

When your coldness stung and bit him

سالَت عَلَيهِ بُحور عذ

سالَت عَلَيهِ بُحور عذ

رِ مِن حَبيبٍ يَقهَرُه

رِ مِن حَبيبٍ يَقهَرُه

Seas of excuses have flowed over him,

He said, though your blows were rude

from a beloved who oppresses him.

“If I've sinned, light of my eyes, forgive

فَيَظَلُّ يَسطو وسطها

فَيَظَلُّ يَسطو وسطها

طَوراً وَطَوراً تَغمُرُه

طَوراً وَطَوراً تَغمُرُه

So he keeps striking out in their midst,

The wrong, I pray you, make it right”

at times; at others they submerge him.

For favors you have granted me

قَد قالَ لَما شَفَّهُ

قَد قالَ لَما شَفَّهُ

مِنكَ الجَفاءُ وَأَضمرُه

مِنكَ الجَفاءُ وَأَضمرُه

He said, when he was worn down

I'm thankful with all my might

by your harshness and left gaunt:

So pity your prisoner, I implore

إِن كُنتُ قَد أَذنَبتُ ذَنْ

إِن كُنتُ قَد أَذنَبتُ ذَنْ

بَاً نورَ عَيني فَاِغفِرُه

بَاً نورَ عَيني فَاِغفِرُه

If I have indeed committed a sin,

Don't drive away your suitor

O light of my eye, forgive it.

If his love is your possession

وَلقَد صَنَعتَ إِلَيَّ في

وَلقَد صَنَعتَ إِلَيَّ في

ما فاتَ ما لا أَكفُرُه

ما فاتَ ما لا أَكفُرُه

And indeed you have done for me, in

Then gently, not harsh, endure

times past, kindness I will not deny.

Rebuff him not, let his calls touch you

وَشَكَرتُ ما أَولَيتَني

وَشَكَرتُ ما أَولَيتَني

وَالحَقُّ مِثلي يَشكُرُه

وَالحَقُّ مِثلي يَشكُرُه

And I have been grateful for what you bestowed on me,

And when he pleads, do not ignore

and one like me gives thanks where thanks are due.

His heart is clenched in your love's fist

فَاِرحَم أَسيرَكَ إِذ دَعا

فَاِرحَم أَسيرَكَ إِذ دَعا

كَ نَصيرُهُ لا تَنهرُه

كَ نَصيرُهُ لا تَنهرُه

So pity your captive when you are called upon

You wring and squeeze it sore

by his champion; do not rebuff him.

Your glances wound and shred him

إِن كُنت مالِكَ رِقِّهِ

إِن كُنت مالِكَ رِقِّهِ

فَالطُف بِهِ لا تَغدرُه

فَالطُف بِهِ لا تَغدرُه

If you are master of his bondage,

Your coolness casts its spell

then be gentle with him; do not betray him.

The wine cup of your excuse intoxicates

لا تَجفُهُ فَيَسوءُهُ

لا تَجفُهُ فَيَسوءُهُ

وَإِذا دَعا لا تَزجُرُه

وَإِذا دَعا لا تَزجُرُه

Do not shun him and thus distress him,

And makes him drunk past cure

and when he calls, do not rebuke him.

His secret would have been shown

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ عَلَيهِ كَف

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ عَلَيهِ كَف

فُ هَوىً لِحُبِّكَ تَعصُرُه

فُ هَوىً لِحُبِّكَ تَعصُرُه

Indeed, upon the heart lies the hand

Had loyal friends not restrained

of passion, squeezing it for love of you.

Recall their care, their constancy

يدميهِ مِنها ظفرُها

يدميهِ مِنها ظفرُها

وَإِذا تَضَرَّعَ تقشرُه

وَإِذا تَضَرَّعَ تقشرُه

The nail on that hand makes the heart bleed,

Do not their merits forget

and when it pleads, that hand flays it.

Please, please do not speak harshly

وَبِطَرفِ عَينِكَ ساحِرٌ

وَبِطَرفِ عَينِكَ ساحِرٌ

فَفُتور عَينِكَ يسحرُه

فَفُتور عَينِكَ يسحرُه

And in the glance of your eye is a sorcerer;

Lest your words break and upset

so your eye's languor bewitches him.

You've hampered his joy, deprived him

وَلِكَأسِ عُذرِكَ شربَةٌ

وَلِكَأسِ عُذرِكَ شربَةٌ

فيها تَصولُ فَتُسكِرُه

فيها تَصولُ فَتُسكِرُه

And the cup of your excuse holds a draught

Of the sleep the happy gets

in which you hold sway and make him drunk.

So soften your words, console him

قَد كادَ يظهرُ سِرُّهُ

قَد كادَ يظهرُ سِرُّهُ

لَولا الحِفاظُ يُغَيِّرُه

لَولا الحِفاظُ يُغَيِّرُه

His secret would nearly come to light,

At his call, do not reject

were it not for fidelity, which alters it.

اذكُر جَميلَ حِفاظِهِ

اذكُر جَميلَ حِفاظِهِ

وَوَفائِهِ لا تكفرُه

وَوَفائِهِ لا تكفرُه

Remember the beauty of his fidelity

and his loyalty; do not deny it.

بِاللَّهِ لا تُغلِظ لَهُ

بِاللَّهِ لا تُغلِظ لَهُ

في القَولِ مِنكَ فَتكسرُه

في القَولِ مِنكَ فَتكسرُه

By God, do not be harsh with him

in your words, and so break him.

وَلَقَد كَسَرتَ نَشاطَهُ

وَلَقَد كَسَرتَ نَشاطَهُ

وَأَذَقتَهُ ما أَسهرُه

وَأَذَقتَهُ ما أَسهرُه

And you have indeed broken his spirit,

and made him taste what kept him awake.