إِذا صَحَّ لي منك الرضى ضعُفَ العذلُ

إِذا صَحَّ لي منك الرضى ضعُفَ العذلُ

وَما مَرَّ مِن قَول العَواذِل لا يَحلو

وَما مَرَّ مِن قَول العَواذِل لا يَحلو

If your favor toward me is assured, reproach weakens,

If you are pleased with me, reproach becomes mild,

And no word from the reproachers passes without sweetness.

And the blame of censors does not taste sweet.

بقتل اللواحي قَد أَشار تولُّهي

بقتل اللواحي قَد أَشار تولُّهي

فَلا قودٌ يُرجى لديّ وَلا عَقلُ

فَلا قودٌ يُرجى لديّ وَلا عَقلُ

My lovesick madness has urged the slaying of the reproachers,

By killing the gazelles, his turning away hinted,

So neither retaliation nor blood money is to be expected from me.

So neither ransom is hoped from me, nor reason.

وَأَصعبُ مِن لوم العَواذلِ قولهم

وَأَصعبُ مِن لوم العَواذلِ قولهم

هوَ الحُبُّ فاِسلم بِالحَشا ما الهَوى سهلُ

هوَ الحُبُّ فاِسلم بِالحَشا ما الهَوى سهلُ

And harsher than the reproachers’ blame are their words:

More difficult than the blame of censors is their saying,

“It is love: surrender your heart; passion is not easy.”

"It is love, so surrender to passionate love, however difficult it is."

أَلَم يَعلَموا أَنَّ الصدود مع الرِضى

أَلَم يَعلَموا أَنَّ الصدود مع الرِضى

أَحَبُّ إِلَينا مِن قِلىً مَعهُ الوصلُ

أَحَبُّ إِلَينا مِن قِلىً مَعهُ الوصلُ

Do they not know that aloofness accompanied by favor

Do they not know that aloofness with contentment

Is dearer to us than hatred accompanied by union?

Is dearer to us than scarce union?

لَهُم دينهم وهوَ المَلام عَلَيكمُ

لَهُم دينهم وهوَ المَلام عَلَيكمُ

وَلي دينُ حبّ لذّ فيهِ لي القَتلُ

وَلي دينُ حبّ لذّ فيهِ لي القَتلُ

They have their creed—reproach on your account—

They have their religion, which is blaming you,

And mine is a creed of love, in which being slain is sweet to me.

And I have the religion of love, in which killing me is sweet.

قسَمتُ نَهاري في اِنتظارٍ وَفِكرَةٍ

قسَمتُ نَهاري في اِنتظارٍ وَفِكرَةٍ

وَلا خَبَرٌ يأتي إِليّ ولا رسلُ

وَلا خَبَرٌ يأتي إِليّ ولا رسلُ

I have divided my day between waiting and reflection,

I divided my day in waiting and thinking,

And no news comes to me, nor any messengers.

But no news comes to me, nor messengers.

أَلَذُّ إِذا لاموا لتكرار ذِكرِكُم

أَلَذُّ إِذا لاموا لتكرار ذِكرِكُم

فَوا عَجَباً قَد طاب لي فيكم العذلُ

فَوا عَجَباً قَد طاب لي فيكم العذلُ

I delight when they reproach me, for the repeated mention of you;

How delicious when they blame, for your frequent mention!

So, what a marvel! Reproach on your account has grown sweet to me.

How amazing, reproach has become sweet to me because of you!

سَلوا اللَيل يخبِر عَن سهادي فقيل لي

سَلوا اللَيل يخبِر عَن سهادي فقيل لي

ذكرتَ بَهيماً منه لا يُقبَلُ النقلُ

ذكرتَ بَهيماً منه لا يُقبَلُ النقلُ

Ask the night: it will tell of my sleeplessness. Then I was told:

Ask the night about my wakefulness, and it was said to me,

“You have named a dark, speechless creature; no report from it is accepted.”

"You mentioned a beast from which transmission is not accepted."

معذِّبَ قَلبي هَل تَمنُّ بزورَةٍ

معذِّبَ قَلبي هَل تَمنُّ بزورَةٍ

يلَذُّ بِها روحي وَيَجتمع الشملُ

يلَذُّ بِها روحي وَيَجتمع الشملُ

Tormentor of my heart, will you favor me with a visit,

O tormentor of my heart! Do you wish for a visit

In which my soul may delight and we may be reunited?

That would delight my soul and reunite us?

عَليَّ الَّذي تَرضى فزرنيَ آمِناً

عَليَّ الَّذي تَرضى فزرنيَ آمِناً

فَوَ اللَه ما يَلقاكَ فحشٌ وَلا ثِقلُ

فَوَ اللَه ما يَلقاكَ فحشٌ وَلا ثِقلُ

I undertake whatever pleases you; so visit me without fear,

Do to me what you are pleased with, and visit me secure,

For, by God, neither indecency nor importunity will greet you.

By God, neither vileness nor heaviness will meet you.

لَقَد طابَ وَجدي فيكَ لي وَصَبابَتي

لَقَد طابَ وَجدي فيكَ لي وَصَبابَتي

فَلا أَتَمَنّى الوصل خشيَةَ أَن أَسلو

فَلا أَتَمَنّى الوصل خشيَةَ أَن أَسلو

My passion for you and my yearning have indeed grown sweet to me,

My passion for you has become pleasant, and my youthfulness,

So I do not wish for union, lest I fall out of love.

So I do not wish for union, fearing that I would become bored.

وَقل لرقيبي إِن مننتَ بزَورتي

وَقل لرقيبي إِن مننتَ بزَورتي

يَطِب لي نَفساً بِالرِضى وَلَهُ الفَضلُ

يَطِب لي نَفساً بِالرِضى وَلَهُ الفَضلُ

And tell my watcher, if you favor me with a visit,

And say to my spy, if you favor me with a visit,

To consent gladly for my sake; the credit will be his.

My soul will be delighted with contentment, and for him is the merit.