وافتك تنهجُ للخطاب سَبيلا

وافتك تنهجُ للخطاب سَبيلا

وَتجرُّ ذَيلاً لِلعِتاب طَويلا

وَتجرُّ ذَيلاً لِلعِتاب طَويلا

It has come to you, opening a path for speech,

You chose the path of estrangement to address me,

and trailing a long train of reproach.

And drew out the train of reproach very long.

غرّاءُ تهزأ بالنجومِ لوامِعاً

غرّاءُ تهزأ بالنجومِ لوامِعاً

وَالزَهر غضّاً وَالنَسيمِ بَليلا

وَالزَهر غضّاً وَالنَسيمِ بَليلا

Radiant, it mocks the stars in their brilliance,

The proud one mocks the shining stars,

and the flowers in their freshness, and the dew-laden breeze.

The blossoms still green, and the soft breeze.

قد سمتُها التَقبيلَ فيك ولم أَقُل

قد سمتُها التَقبيلَ فيك ولم أَقُل

لَولا المشيب لسمتُها تَقبيلا

لَولا المشيب لسمتُها تَقبيلا

Indeed, I bade it kiss you, and I did not say,

I named our kisses yours, and did not say,

“But for gray hair, I would have bidden it kiss.”

Had it not been for graying hair, I'd name them mine.

حمَّلتُها جُمَلَ العِتاب وإنَّما

حمَّلتُها جُمَلَ العِتاب وإنَّما

فصَّلتُ دُرَّ مَقالها تَفصيلا

فصَّلتُ دُرَّ مَقالها تَفصيلا

I loaded it with phrases of reproach, yet all I did

I carried the burdens of reproach, though in truth,

was arrange the pearls of its speech, pearl by pearl.

I had adorned the pearls of her speech artfully.

ما فاخرَت قَولاً بحسنِ نظامِها

ما فاخرَت قَولاً بحسنِ نظامِها

إِلّا وَجاءَت وهي أَحسنُ قيلا

إِلّا وَجاءَت وهي أَحسنُ قيلا

It never vied with an utterance in the beauty of its arrangement

She never boasted with eloquent words,

without emerging lovelier in speech.

Except that her own were the most eloquent.

أَجريتُ طِرفَ العتب في مضمارها

أَجريتُ طِرفَ العتب في مضمارها

فأَتاك يشؤو السابقات ذَميلا

فأَتاك يشؤو السابقات ذَميلا

I set reproach's noble steed running in its racecourse,

I let loose the glances of blame in their race,

and it came to you, outstripping the frontrunners at a trot.

And they came to wound you, outstripping the lead camels.

ما لِليالي قد وَقَفنَ مبرِّزاً

ما لِليالي قد وَقَفنَ مبرِّزاً

وَفللنَ عضباً من وفاكَ صَقيلا

وَفللنَ عضباً من وفاكَ صَقيلا

What ails the nights, that they have halted a champion

What ails the nights that stand firmly

and blunted the keen, polished sword of your fidelity?

And nights of our love have rusted away?

فصرمتَني ونبذتَ حبل مودَّتي

فصرمتَني ونبذتَ حبل مودَّتي

واِعتضتَ عَن ودّي العُداة بَديلا

واِعتضتَ عَن ودّي العُداة بَديلا

So you cut me off and cast away the cord of my affection,

You have disappointed me and severed the rope of affection,

and took enemies in place of my love.

And substituted strangers for my love.

وصدفتَ عن سُبل الوَفاء مجنِّباً

وصدفتَ عن سُبل الوَفاء مجنِّباً

وَسلكتَ من طُرق الجَفاء سَبيلا

وَسلكتَ من طُرق الجَفاء سَبيلا

You turned aside, steering clear of the paths of fidelity,

You have avoided the paths of loyalty,

and followed a path among the roads of estrangement.

And taken the ways of estrangement.

فحملتُ منك على مُزاولة النَوى

فحملتُ منك على مُزاولة النَوى

عِبئاً عليَّ مَع الزَمان ثَقيلا

عِبئاً عليَّ مَع الزَمان ثَقيلا

So I bore from you, in struggling with separation,

I have borne from you, along with time

a burden heavy upon me, alongside the burden of time.

A heavy burden, while living in forced separation.

مَهلاً فَما أَعرضتَ عنّي واثِقاً

مَهلاً فَما أَعرضتَ عنّي واثِقاً

إِلّا بِمن لم يُغنِ عنكَ فَتيلا

إِلّا بِمن لم يُغنِ عنكَ فَتيلا

Hold! You turned away from me, trusting

Wait! You did not turn away from me confident

only in one who did not help you one whit.

Except in one unable to avail you a wick.

فاِنظر لنفسكَ ما أَتيتَ فلَن أَرى

فاِنظر لنفسكَ ما أَتيتَ فلَن أَرى

لك لو عَلِمتَ بما أَتيتَ قَبيلا

لك لو عَلِمتَ بما أَتيتَ قَبيلا

So consider, for your own sake, what you have done; I shall find no

Consider yourself - what you have done! For I will not

one to stand surety for you—if only you knew what you had done.

See any good for you had you known beforehand.

اللَه في حُرُمات ودٍّ أَصبحت

اللَه في حُرُمات ودٍّ أَصبحت

هَمَلاً وأَصبحَ هديُها تَضليلا

هَمَلاً وأَصبحَ هديُها تَضليلا

For God's sake, honor the sacred claims of a love that has become

God's sanctities of love you made

neglected, and whose guidance has become misguidance.

Careless, making its guidance misguidance.

كَم شامتٍ قد كانَ يأمُل أَن يَرى

كَم شامتٍ قد كانَ يأمُل أَن يَرى

ربعَ الوداد وقد رآه مَحيلا

ربعَ الوداد وقد رآه مَحيلا

How many a gloater had hoped to see

How many gloaters had hoped to see

the abode of affection, and has now seen it barren!

The anchor of love empty and useless!

فاِرجع بودِّك عَن قَريبٍ طالِباً

فاِرجع بودِّك عَن قَريبٍ طالِباً

عذراً على رغم العدوِّ جَميلا

عذراً على رغم العدوِّ جَميلا

So return soon with your affection, seeking

So come back soon seeking

a gracious pardon, in defiance of the foe,

Forgiveness, though the enemy be averse.

حتّى أُجادِلَ فيكَ كلَّ مكذّب

حتّى أُجادِلَ فيكَ كلَّ مكذّب

وأقيمَ منكَ على الوَفاءِ دَليلا

وأقيمَ منكَ على الوَفاءِ دَليلا

so that I may argue your case against every doubter

Until I can argue for you against every doubter,

and make of you a proof of fidelity.

And establish proofs of your loyalty.

حاشا لمثلك والمودَّة ذِمَّةٌ

حاشا لمثلك والمودَّة ذِمَّةٌ

أَمسى بها العَهدُ القَديم كَفيلا

أَمسى بها العَهدُ القَديم كَفيلا

Far be this from one like you! Affection is a pledge

Far be it from one like you! For friendship is a covenant

for which the longstanding covenant now stands surety.

The ancient pact for which gave guarantee.

إِنّي أؤمِّل أَن أُزيل بكَ الجَوى

إِنّي أؤمِّل أَن أُزيل بكَ الجَوى

وأبلُّ من حرِّ الفؤادِ غَليلا

وأبلُّ من حرِّ الفؤادِ غَليلا

I hope, through you, to dispel my heartache

I hope through you to dispel sadness,

and quench the burning thirst caused by my heart's heat.

And purge the heat of my heart's sickness,

وأَعودُ أَنشدُ في هواك ندامة

وأَعودُ أَنشدُ في هواك ندامة

يا لَيتَني لم أَتَّخذكَ خَليلا

يا لَيتَني لم أَتَّخذكَ خَليلا

And again I recite, in regret for loving you:

And to return singing in love and regret:

“Oh, would that I had not taken you as a close friend!”

Would that I had not taken you as a friend!