صنيعته التصنُّع في ودادي

صنيعته التصنُّع في ودادي

فيا بئس التصنع والصنيعه

فيا بئس التصنع والصنيعه

His practice is feigning affection for me;

His affection was feigned in my love for him,

oh, how vile the pretense and the deed!

How wretched is feigned affection and craft!

أنازع في هواه القلب حتى

أنازع في هواه القلب حتى

نزعت هواه من قلبي جميعه

نزعت هواه من قلبي جميعه

I wrestle with my heart over love for him, until

My heart contested his love until

I have torn all love for him from my heart.

I wrested his love completely from my heart.

فلا تتوقعنَّ له رجوعي

فلا تتوقعنَّ له رجوعي

احال السهم منبعثا رجوعه

احال السهم منبعثا رجوعه

So never expect me to return to him:

So do not expect me to return to him,

an arrow, once loosed, cannot return.

The arrow once unleashed cannot be returned.

كفيت هوى يثقف من ضلوعي

كفيت هوى يثقف من ضلوعي

لو انّ هوىً يقصِّف لي ضلوعه

لو انّ هوىً يقصِّف لي ضلوعه

I would be spared a passion that straightens some of my ribs,

I have had enough of a love that wounds my ribs,

if a passion shattered its own ribs for me.

Even if love would cleave my ribs in two for me.

اذا ما النفس ولَّهها ولوع

اذا ما النفس ولَّهها ولوع

فلي نفسٌ وان ولهت جزوعه

فلي نفسٌ وان ولهت جزوعه

When ardor drives the soul to distraction,

If the soul inclines toward him though distressed,

I have a soul that, though love-bewildered, is fretful.

I have a soul that, though distressed, restrains its inclinations.

فبينا تنحني للألف رفقا

فبينا تنحني للألف رفقا

اذا انحازت لطيتها قطوعه

اذا انحازت لطيتها قطوعه

So, while it bends gently toward its intimate companion,

So while it inclines gently toward intimacy,

suddenly it withdraws to its own course, severing ties.

When it turns away, I make it pliant with firmness.

فلا قد قلت للأيام عودي

فلا قد قلت للأيام عودي

وان عادت فعين او طليعه

وان عادت فعين او طليعه

No—indeed, I have told the days, 'Return!'

For I have said to the nights, "Farewell!"

And if they return, they are a spy or a scout.

And if they return, with glance or vanguard,

لياليَ في السما حتى سهاها

لياليَ في السما حتى سهاها

رقيب كرىً يصانعني خديعه

رقيب كرىً يصانعني خديعه

Nights when, in the sky, even its Suha

Nights in the sky that a vigilant spy

is a watcher over slumber, cajoling me with deceit.

Deceives me into receiving from him.

لعلك ضارب بعلاة سفر

لعلك ضارب بعلاة سفر

فتوردها السماوة بي سريعه

فتوردها السماوة بي سريعه

Perhaps you will set out on a sturdy traveling camel,

Perhaps you are heading out on a journey

and bring her swiftly to Samawah, bearing me.

And the heavens will quickly bring you to me.

إذا انتشرت فروع الليل سودا

إذا انتشرت فروع الليل سودا

طوت عن منكبيه بنا فروعه

طوت عن منكبيه بنا فروعه

When night's black tresses spread,

When the black branches of night spread out,

she folds its tresses off its shoulders, carrying us.

They folded over my shoulders and branches.

أو اشتملت بشملته استمرَّت

أو اشتملت بشملته استمرَّت

بتدآب السرى فنضت هزيعه

بتدآب السرى فنضت هزيعه

Or, wrapped in its cloak, she presses on

Or it gathered in its garment and continued

through ceaseless night-travel, shedding a stretch of it.

Advancing gently, trailing its train.

يجاذبها الأعنة مشمعلٌّ

يجاذبها الأعنة مشمعلٌّ

فتأرن وهي جانحة شموعه

فتأرن وهي جانحة شموعه

A nimble rider wrestles with her over the reins,

The Pleiades wrestle with it, glowing,

and she prances, veering aside, playful and restive.

And it moans, leaning its lights.

فتبلغ طاهر الاعراق اني

فتبلغ طاهر الاعراق اني

على كره رددت لهُ الوديعه

على كره رددت لهُ الوديعه

Then you will tell the man of pure lineage that I

It reaches the pure bosoms until I

have reluctantly returned to him what he entrusted to me.

Reluctantly returned the trust to him.