قُم يا خليلي سَل لمَه

قُم يا خليلي سَل لمَه

حبيب قلبي سَلّمه

حبيب قلبي سَلّمه

Rise, my friend, and ask why

my heart’s beloved has handed it over

لناظر يظلمه

لناظر يظلمه

وحاجب ما أظلمه

وحاجب ما أظلمه

to an eye that wrongs it,

and an eyebrow—how dark, how unjust!

أفديه غُصناً مائلا

أفديه غُصناً مائلا

بمُهجتي مَن قوّمه

بمُهجتي مَن قوّمه

I would ransom him, a swaying bough,

with my lifeblood. Who set him straight?

ومَن أحلّ هجره

ومَن أحلّ هجره

ووصله مَن حرّمه

ووصله مَن حرّمه

And who made his estrangement lawful,

and who forbade union with him?

يا طالما ما طل مَن

يا طالما ما طل مَن

أمّله فآلمه

أمّله فآلمه

Ah, how often he has delayed someone

who hoped in him, then caused him pain!

صثويدق وعيده

صثويدق وعيده

ووعده مُسيلمه

ووعده مُسيلمه

His threat is a little truth-teller [reading uncertain],

and his promise is Musaylima.

يعبث بي كما يشا

يعبث بي كما يشا

في هواه حكمه

في هواه حكمه

He toys with me just as he wishes;

in love of him, his is the command.

يُكرمني يَمكُرُ بي

يُكرمني يَمكُرُ بي

باللَه ما ذي المكرُمَه

باللَه ما ذي المكرُمَه

He honors me—he schemes against me!

By God, what sort of honor is this?

أطاعه ولي عصى

أطاعه ولي عصى

قلبي ترى مَن علّمه

قلبي ترى مَن علّمه

It obeyed him, but disobeyed me—

my heart! Who, do you suppose, taught it?

فما أشار نحوه

فما أشار نحوه

بالطرف إلا كلّمه

بالطرف إلا كلّمه

For he never signaled toward it

with his eye without wounding it.

وبالدمُوع كُلّما

وبالدمُوع كُلّما

غسل طرفي يمّمه

غسل طرفي يمّمه

And whenever, with tears,

he washed my eye, he purified it with dust.

ناظَر صبّاً قد صبا

ناظَر صبّاً قد صبا

لسفكه ظُلماً دمه

لسفكه ظُلماً دمه

He debated a lover already smitten,

seeking to shed his blood unjustly.

جاد له بالرُّوح إذ

جاد له بالرُّوح إذ

جادَلَه فأفحمه

جادَلَه فأفحمه

The lover gave him his soul when

the beloved argued with him and silenced him.

منعه خُديده

منعه خُديده

بُعَيد ما قد نعّمه

بُعَيد ما قد نعّمه

He denied him his little cheek,

shortly after he had delighted him.

وفي ظلام شعره

وفي ظلام شعره

رقّصه فهيّمه

رقّصه فهيّمه

And in the darkness of his hair

he made him dance, then drove him love-mad.

ماذا يقول لائمي

ماذا يقول لائمي

تبّاً له ما ألأمه

تبّاً له ما ألأمه

What does my reproacher say?

Ruin upon him—how base he is!

هل حلّ عينيه عمى

هل حلّ عينيه عمى

أم حلّ قلبه عمه

أم حلّ قلبه عمه

Has blindness settled in his eyes,

or bewilderment settled in his heart?

يا لائمي في لثمه

يا لائمي في لثمه

لُمت ولم تلثم فمه

لُمت ولم تلثم فمه

O you who reproach me for kissing him,

you reproached me, yet have not kissed his mouth.