يا ويْح نفسٍ عَشِقَت

يا ويْح نفسٍ عَشِقَت

مصريةً تدمْشَقَت

مصريةً تدمْشَقَت

Oh, woe to a soul that fell in love

Oh soul that fell in love

with an Egyptian turned Damascene,

With an Egyptian damsel from Damascus

ساذَجةٍ لكنَّها

ساذَجةٍ لكنَّها

بالحُسْنِ قد تَزوَّقت

بالحُسْنِ قد تَزوَّقت

unadorned, yet she

Naive, but adorned

had decked herself in beauty;

With beauty when she adorned herself

كالشَّمْسِ حين شرَّقت

كالشَّمْسِ حين شرَّقت

والشَّمْسِ حينَ أَشْرَقَت

والشَّمْسِ حينَ أَشْرَقَت

like the sun when it rose in the east,

Like the rising sun when it rose

and the sun when it shone,

And like the sun when it shone

والرَّوضَةِ الغنَّاءِ حين

والرَّوضَةِ الغنَّاءِ حين

أَزْهَرت وأَوْرَقتْ

أَزْهَرت وأَوْرَقتْ

and the lush garden when

And like the singing garden when

it blossomed and put forth leaves.

It blossomed and leafed

وتَبَّعتْ بدرَ الدُّجى

وتَبَّعتْ بدرَ الدُّجى

فَلَحَّقَتْ وسَبَّقَتْ

فَلَحَّقَتْ وسَبَّقَتْ

And she followed the full moon of night,

And it followed the full moon of dusk

then caught up with it and outstripped it.

So it caught up and outsped

كأَنَّها من جَنَّةِ ال

كأَنَّها من جَنَّةِ ال

خُلدِ إِلينا طَرَقَتْ

خُلدِ إِلينا طَرَقَتْ

As though from the Garden of

As if she came from the Garden of Eternity

Eternity she came to us by night,

And crept up on us

أَو غَفِل الحارسُ في ال

أَو غَفِل الحارسُ في ال

جنَّة حتى سُرِّقَتْ

جنَّة حتى سُرِّقَتْ

or the guardian in the

Or the guard of the Garden was unaware until she was stolen

garden dozed until she was stolen away.

How often she promised and lied

كم وعدت وكذَّبَتْ

كم وعدت وكذَّبَتْ

وأَوعَدَتْ وصَدَّقَتْ

وأَوعَدَتْ وصَدَّقَتْ

How often she promised and proved false,

And made promises and was truthful

and threatened and proved true!

And punished without pitying

وعاقَبَتْ وما ارْعَوَتْ

وعاقَبَتْ وما ارْعَوَتْ

وقَتَّلَتْ وما اتَّقت

وقَتَّلَتْ وما اتَّقت

And she punished and did not relent,

And killed without fearing

and slaughtered without a scruple;

And procrastinated without fulfilling

وسوَّفَتْ وما وَفَتْ

وسوَّفَتْ وما وَفَتْ

وأَعْطَشَتْ وما سَقَتْ

وأَعْطَشَتْ وما سَقَتْ

and stalled and never kept her word,

And thirsted without quenching

and caused thirst but gave no drink.

And aimed the arrows of calamity

وسدَّدت أَسْهُمَ عَتْ

وسدَّدت أَسْهُمَ عَتْ

بٍ بالتجَنِّي فَوَّقَتْ

بٍ بالتجَنِّي فَوَّقَتْ

And she aimed arrows of

To wound, excelling in causing pain

reproach, which she nocked with false accusations;

And rained the tears of anguish

وأَمْطَرَتْ دمْعَ الآ

وأَمْطَرَتْ دمْعَ الآ

لٍ كاللآلي نُسِّقَتْ

لٍ كاللآلي نُسِّقَتْ

and rained down the tears of the

Like pearls lined up

kinfolk, like pearls strung in order.

So with reproach she thundered

فبالعِتَابِ أَرْعَدَتْ

فبالعِتَابِ أَرْعَدَتْ

وبالثَّنَايا أَبْرَقَتْ

وبالثَّنَايا أَبْرَقَتْ

So with reproach she thundered,

And with glances she lightened

and with her front teeth she flashed lightning.

So how many penitents has she

فكم لها من تائِبٍ

فكم لها من تائِبٍ

تَوْبَتُه قَدْ أَبقتْ

تَوْبَتُه قَدْ أَبقتْ

How many a penitent, on her account—

Whose repentance she kept

his repentance has fled!

And how many weeping eyes has she

وكم لها من مُقْلَةٍ

وكم لها من مُقْلَةٍ

بِدَمْعِها قد شَرِقَتْ

بِدَمْعِها قد شَرِقَتْ

And how many an eye, on her account,

That overflowed with her tears

has choked upon its tears!

And how many burning hearts has she

وكم لها من مُهجةٍ

وكم لها من مُهجةٍ

بنارها قد حُرِّقَتْ

بنارها قد حُرِّقَتْ

And how many a heart, on her account,

That were set ablaze by her fire

has been burned by her fire!

And how many passionate lovers has she

وكم لها من عَاشِقٍ

وكم لها من عَاشِقٍ

لِحْيتُه قد حُلِقَتْ

لِحْيتُه قد حُلِقَتْ

And how many a lover of hers—

Whose beards were shaved

his beard has been shaved!

I crave a bond with her

هوِيتُ منها عُلقةً

هوِيتُ منها عُلقةً

من نَظْرةٍ تَعَلَّقَتْ

من نَظْرةٍ تَعَلَّقَتْ

I cherished an attachment to her,

From a glance that clung

which took hold from a glance.

She pretended, she hoped

تقنَّعَت تعمَتْ

تقنَّعَت تعمَتْ

تسوَّرتْ تَمَنْطَقَتْ

تسوَّرتْ تَمَنْطَقَتْ

She veiled herself, donned a turban,

She sneaked, she crept

wore bracelets, put on a girdle:

A deer when silent

ظبيٌ إِذا ما سَكَتَت

ظبيٌ إِذا ما سَكَتَت

وظبيةٌ إِن نَطَقَتْ

وظبيةٌ إِن نَطَقَتْ

a male gazelle when she was silent,

And a doe when speaking

and a female gazelle if she spoke.

And she scented the beard of Musk

وزوّدَتْ لحيةَ مسـ

وزوّدَتْ لحيةَ مسـ

ـك نفحَت وعَبَّقَتْ

ـك نفحَت وعَبَّقَتْ

And she was endowed with a beard of

With a waft that perfumed

musk, which wafted scent and perfumed the air.

And was not content with the mole on the cheek

وما اكتفت بِكَتْب نُو

وما اكتفت بِكَتْب نُو

ن الصُّدْغِ حتى مَشَقَتْ

ن الصُّدْغِ حتى مَشَقَتْ

And she was not content with tracing the

Until it bled

nūn of her sideburn, but drew its stroke long.

My soul clings to her

قد عَلِقَتْ نفسِي بِها

قد عَلِقَتْ نفسِي بِها

وهْي بنفْسي عَلِقَتْ

وهْي بنفْسي عَلِقَتْ

My soul has clung to her,

While she clings to my soul

and she has clung to my soul.

And she left me no respite

ولم تَدعْ لي رَمَقاً

ولم تَدعْ لي رَمَقاً

بالطَّرْفِ حِينَ رَمَقَتْ

بالطَّرْفِ حِينَ رَمَقَتْ

And she left me not a breath of life,

When she glanced

with her eye, when she gazed.

She was created for my ordeal

قد خُلِقَتْ لِمِحْنتي

قد خُلِقَتْ لِمِحْنتي

يا لَيْتَها ما خُلِقَتْ

يا لَيْتَها ما خُلِقَتْ

She was created for my affliction;

If only she was not created!

oh, if only she had never been created!