أبليت فيك العمر وهو جديد

أبليت فيك العمر وهو جديد

وعرفت فيك الصبر كيف يبيد

وعرفت فيك الصبر كيف يبيد

For you I wore my lifetime away while it was still young,

I wore out my life for you while it was still new,

And through you I learned how patience perishes.

And through you I learned how patience perishes.

وغدوت أجلك في الحياة محسداً

وغدوت أجلك في الحياة محسداً

تغلى علي صغائنٌ وحقود

تغلى علي صغائنٌ وحقود

For your sake I became, in life, an object of envy,

And for your sake I became much envied in life,

While hidden grudges and rancor seethed against me.

While grudges and hatreds seethe against me.

وتركتني مثلاً شروداً في الهوى

وتركتني مثلاً شروداً في الهوى

يومي إلى الأصبع الممدود

يومي إلى الأصبع الممدود

You left me a byword, astray in love,

And you left me a proverb of love, spread far and wide,

Toward whom the outstretched finger points.

At whom the outstretched finger points.

لي كل يومٍ منك موقف ذلة

لي كل يومٍ منك موقف ذلة

صعبٌ على الطبع الحمي شديد

صعبٌ على الطبع الحمي شديد

Each day, from you, I face a moment of humiliation,

Every day you place me in a position of humiliation,

Hard and grievous to my proud nature.

Hard and grievous to a proud nature.

وأراك تلقاني ووجهك عابس

وأراك تلقاني ووجهك عابس

وبناظريك بوارقٌ ورعود

وبناظريك بوارقٌ ورعود

I see you meet me with a scowling face,

And I see you meet me with a frowning face,

With lightning flashes and thunder in your eyes.

And in your eyes are lightning flashes and thunderclaps.

مهلاً حبيبي إن في لعزةً

مهلاً حبيبي إن في لعزةً

أبداً علي لواؤها معقود

أبداً علي لواؤها معقود

Hold, my beloved: there is pride in me,

Gently, my beloved: there is surely pride within me,

To whose banner I am forever bound.

Whose banner is forever raised above me.

لا يخدعنك ما ترى من حبنا

لا يخدعنك ما ترى من حبنا

فكأنه مع يومه ملحود

فكأنه مع يومه ملحود

Let not the love you see in me deceive you;

Let not what you see of our love deceive you,

For it is as though it will one day lie entombed.

For it is as though entombed along with its day.

إن الهوى كالنار يخمد جمره

إن الهوى كالنار يخمد جمره

والحسن ليس له كذاك خلود

والحسن ليس له كذاك خلود

Passion is like fire: its embers die down,

Love is like fire: its embers die down,

And beauty, likewise, possesses no immortality.

And beauty, likewise, has no immortality.

ولقد تكون غداً وما في قربكم

ولقد تكون غداً وما في قربكم

ري ولا في بعدكم تصريد

ري ولا في بعدكم تصريد

Tomorrow may indeed come when in your nearness there is

And tomorrow you may be one whose nearness brings

No quenching, nor in your distance any privation.

No quenching of thirst, and whose distance leaves no thirst.

ولسوف يطوي اليأس صفحة ذكركم

ولسوف يطوي اليأس صفحة ذكركم

ويصد نثرٌ عنك وقصيد

ويصد نثرٌ عنك وقصيد

Despair will surely fold shut the page of your remembrance,

And despair will fold shut the page of your remembrance,

And prose and verse will turn away from you.

And prose and verse will turn away from you.

ما أنت أول من سلوت وردني

ما أنت أول من سلوت وردني

عن حبه شممٌ بنا محمود

عن حبه شممٌ بنا محمود

You are not the first I have forgotten; from that one’s love I was turned

You are not the first I have forgotten and been turned

By a proud spirit within me, worthy of praise.

From loving by a praiseworthy pride within us.

إن الشتاء وإن تطاول عهده

إن الشتاء وإن تطاول عهده

للأرض بعد ذهابه تجديد

للأرض بعد ذهابه تجديد

Though winter’s term may lengthen,

Winter, however long its season lasts,

Earth is renewed once it is gone.

Is followed, once gone, by renewal for the earth.

يمضي بأدمعه التي ما إن تني

يمضي بأدمعه التي ما إن تني

تهمي ويحلو بعده التغريد

تهمي ويحلو بعده التغريد

It passes with its tears, which never cease

It passes with its tears, which never cease

To stream; and afterward birdsong grows sweet.

To stream; after it, birdsong grows sweet.

فأبسط غضوناً في جبينك أنني

فأبسط غضوناً في جبينك أنني

قد ذدت عنك القلب قبل تذود

قد ذدت عنك القلب قبل تذود

So smooth the furrows in your brow, for I

So smooth the furrows in your brow, for I

Have driven you from my heart before you drive me away.

Have already driven my heart from you before you drive it away.