تركتُ حبيبَ القلب تَهمِي جفُونُه

تركتُ حبيبَ القلب تَهمِي جفُونُه

عليّ كما تَهْمِي عَلَيْهِ جُفُونِي

عليّ كما تَهْمِي عَلَيْهِ جُفُونِي

I left my heart’s beloved, his eyelids streaming with tears

My beloved's eyelids ignore me

for me, as my eyelids streamed for him.

As my eyelids ignore him

وفارَقْتُه والوصلُ يُبْدِي حَنينَه

وفارَقْتُه والوصلُ يُبْدِي حَنينَه

إِلي كَما يُبْدي السرورُ حنيني

إِلي كَما يُبْدي السرورُ حنيني

And I parted from him, while union revealed his longing

And I left him while attachment was expressing its yearning

for me, as joy revealed my longing.

To me as happiness expresses my yearning

وقَاطَعْتُه طَوْعاً وكَرْهاً ولا أَرَى

وقَاطَعْتُه طَوْعاً وكَرْهاً ولا أَرَى

كأَعْجَبَ مِنْ سَمحٍ بهِ وضَنِينِ

كأَعْجَبَ مِنْ سَمحٍ بهِ وضَنِينِ

And I broke with him, willingly and unwillingly—and I see nothing

And I cut him off willingly and unwillingly, and I don't see

stranger than one who gives him up yet clings to him—

More wondrous than his forgiveness and tenderness towards me

ومن قَبْلِ أَن يستخلصَ القلبُ في الهوى

ومن قَبْلِ أَن يستخلصَ القلبُ في الهوى

رهونِي ويُوفِيني الغرامُ دُيونِي

رهونِي ويُوفِيني الغرامُ دُيونِي

and before my heart could reclaim, in love,

And before the heart frees itself in passion

my pledges, and passion repay the debts owed me,

It mortgaged me, and passion pays off my debts

على زلَّةِ كانَتْ له أَو خِيانةٍ

على زلَّةِ كانَتْ له أَو خِيانةٍ

وهل أَحدٌ في الناس غيرُ خئون

وهل أَحدٌ في الناس غيرُ خئون

over a lapse of his, or a betrayal.

For a slip he made or an act of betrayal

And is anyone among people anything but treacherous?

And who among people is without sin?

ثكلتُكَ رَأْياً كان عقبي قبوله

ثكلتُكَ رَأْياً كان عقبي قبوله

سرورَ قلوبٍ للعِدَى وعُين

سرورَ قلوبٍ للعِدَى وعُين

May I be bereft of you, O judgment, whose acceptance brought

Cursed be the opinion whose consequence was my acceptance

joy to enemies’ hearts and eyes.

The joy of hearts to enemies and spying eyes

ويا قلْبُ لما لم يكن ذا أَمانةٍ

ويا قلْبُ لما لم يكن ذا أَمانةٍ

فِلمْ كنت لمّا خَانَ غيرَ أَمين

فِلمْ كنت لمّا خَانَ غيرَ أَمين

And, O heart, since he was not faithful,

And oh heart, since he was not honest

why were you unfaithful when he betrayed?

Why were you honest when he betrayed?

ومالَكَ لمَا غَبَّ مبذولُ عهده

ومالَكَ لمَا غَبَّ مبذولُ عهده

غدوت بعهدٍ فيه غير مصون

غدوت بعهدٍ فيه غير مصون

And why, when his freely given pledge lapsed,

And why, when he broke his given word

did you let your pledge to him go unkept?

Did I become bound by a pact in which there is no protection?

أَحِنُّ لمَعْسُولِ الثَّنيّاتِ واللَّمىَ

أَحِنُّ لمَعْسُولِ الثَّنيّاتِ واللَّمىَ

وهيهاتَ أَن يَشْفي الغليلَ حنِيني

وهيهاتَ أَن يَشْفي الغليلَ حنِيني

I yearn for the one with honey-sweet front teeth and dusky lips,

I yearn for the smooth-talker and the blamer

yet far is my yearning from quenching my burning thirst.

Alas, my pining cannot heal my sickness

حَلَفْتُ لأَنِّي لا أَعاوِدُ صُلْحَة

حَلَفْتُ لأَنِّي لا أَعاوِدُ صُلْحَة

فشُلَّت يَمِيني إِذ حَلَفْتُ يميني

فشُلَّت يَمِيني إِذ حَلَفْتُ يميني

I swore, for I would not seek reconciliation again;

I swore I would not resume friendly relations

so may my right hand be paralyzed, since I swore my oath.

So my oath failed when I swore my oath

وقد كانَ كفَّارةٌ غيرَ أَنَّه

وقد كانَ كفَّارةٌ غيرَ أَنَّه

تشدّد عقلي إِذ تسمّح ديني

تشدّد عقلي إِذ تسمّح ديني

And there was a means of expiation, except that

And it would have been expiation, had it not been

my reason grew strict while my religion was lenient.

For my reason becoming harsh when my religion is forgiving