فرَّطتُ فيكَ فَلوْعَتي لا تَنْقَضِي

فرَّطتُ فيكَ فَلوْعَتي لا تَنْقَضِي

وذُهِلْتُ عَنْكَ فحسرتي لا تَنْقَضِي

وذُهِلْتُ عَنْكَ فحسرتي لا تَنْقَضِي

I failed you, and so my anguish never ends;

I neglected you, so my anguish never ends.

I grew heedless of you, and so my regret never ends.

And I was heedless of you, so my regret never ends.

وصددتُ عنك تجنُّباً وتكبُّراً

وصددتُ عنك تجنُّباً وتكبُّراً

فأَنا المُحِبُّ فعلتُ فعلَ المُبغِض

فأَنا المُحِبُّ فعلتُ فعلَ المُبغِض

I turned away from you in avoidance and arrogance,

And I turned away from you in avoidance and arrogance.

though I am the lover, I acted as a hater would.

So I, the lover, acted like one who hates.

الذَّنْبُ مِني لو وَفَيْتُك لم أَخُنْ

الذَّنْبُ مِني لو وَفَيْتُك لم أَخُنْ

ولو أَنَّ قلبيَ مقبلٌ لم يُعْرِضِ

ولو أَنَّ قلبيَ مقبلٌ لم يُعْرِضِ

The fault is mine: had I been faithful to you, I would not have betrayed you,

The fault is mine: had I been faithful to you, I would not have betrayed you.

and had my heart been turned toward you, it would not have turned away.

And had my heart turned toward you, it would not have turned away.

أَمَّا ضَنَائِي عن هَوَاكَ فَقَدْ دَرَى

أَمَّا ضَنَائِي عن هَوَاكَ فَقَدْ دَرَى

كيفَ المجِيءُ وما دَرَى كَيْف المُضِي

كيفَ المجِيءُ وما دَرَى كَيْف المُضِي

As for my wasting sickness born of loving you, it has learned

As for my wasting sickness from loving you, it has learned

how to come, but never learned how to depart.

How to come, but has not learned how to depart.

وَمَنِ انْتَضَى سيفَ الفِرَاقِ أَصابَهُ

وَمَنِ انْتَضَى سيفَ الفِرَاقِ أَصابَهُ

فأَنَا وَحقِّك كنتُ ذاكَ المُنْتَضِي

فأَنَا وَحقِّك كنتُ ذاكَ المُنْتَضِي

Whoever draws the sword of separation is struck by it;

And whoever unsheathed the sword of parting was struck by it.

and I—by your sacred right—was the one who drew it.

So I, by your honor, was the one who unsheathed it.

إِنِّي قتلْتُ عليك نفسي حسرةً

إِنِّي قتلْتُ عليك نفسي حسرةً

ولقد رضيتُ فليتَ شِعْرِيَ هَلْ رضِي

ولقد رضيتُ فليتَ شِعْرِيَ هَلْ رضِي

Indeed, I have slain myself in grief over you,

Indeed, I have killed myself with grief over you.

and I accepted it—if only I knew whether my beloved was pleased.

And I have indeed accepted it—if only I knew whether he was pleased.

من يوم أَن فارقت طرفَكَ أَسوداً

من يوم أَن فارقت طرفَكَ أَسوداً

لم يكتحلْ طَرْفِي بِيَوْم أَبْيَضِ

لم يكتحلْ طَرْفِي بِيَوْم أَبْيَضِ

Since the day I parted from your dark eye,

Since the day I parted from your dark eye,

my own eye has never lined itself with the kohl of white sleep.

My eye has not worn the kohl of a white day.

ولكم يُقَالُ تركْتَهُ فَعدِمْتَهُ

ولكم يُقَالُ تركْتَهُ فَعدِمْتَهُ

فأَقول قولَ العاجزين كذا قُضِي

فأَقول قولَ العاجزين كذا قُضِي

How often they tell me, “You abandoned him and thereby lost him.”

And how often it is said: 'You left him, so you lost him.'

I reply with the helpless ones’ words: “Thus it was decreed.”

So I say, as the helpless do: 'Thus it was decreed.'