وَعاذِلينَ أَلَحّوا في مَحَبَّتِها

وَعاذِلينَ أَلَحّوا في مَحَبَّتِها

يا لَيتَهُم وَجَدوا مِثلَ الَّذي أَجِدُ

يا لَيتَهُم وَجَدوا مِثلَ الَّذي أَجِدُ

And reproachers pressed me relentlessly for loving her—

And reproachers were relentless over my love for her.

if only they felt the like of what I feel.

O, would that they felt the like of what I feel!

لَمّا أَطالوا عِتابي فيكِ قُلتُ لَهُم

لَمّا أَطالوا عِتابي فيكِ قُلتُ لَهُم

لا تُكثِروا بَعضَ هَذا اللَومِ وَاِقتَصِدوا

لا تُكثِروا بَعضَ هَذا اللَومِ وَاِقتَصِدوا

When they prolonged their reproach of me for you, I told them:

When they kept reproaching me about you, I said to them:

Do not heap up so much of this blame; show restraint.

Do not heap on so much of this blame; be moderate.

قَد ماتَ قَبلي أَخو نَهدٍ وَصاحِبُهُ

قَد ماتَ قَبلي أَخو نَهدٍ وَصاحِبُهُ

مُرَقِّشٌ وَاِشتَفى مِن عُروَةَ الكَمَدُ

مُرَقِّشٌ وَاِشتَفى مِن عُروَةَ الكَمَدُ

Before me died the man of Nahd, and his fellow—

Before me died the man of Nahd and his companion,

Muraqqish; and anguish took its fill of Urwa.

Muraqqish; and grief sated itself on Urwa.

وَكُلُّهُم كانَ مِن عِشقٍ مَنِيَّتُهُ

وَكُلُّهُم كانَ مِن عِشقٍ مَنِيَّتُهُ

وَقَد وَجَدتُ بِها فَوقَ الَّذي وَجَدوا

وَقَد وَجَدتُ بِها فَوقَ الَّذي وَجَدوا

For every one of them, love was his appointed death,

And each of them met his death through passionate love.

yet through her I have suffered more than they suffered.

And because of her I have felt more than they felt.

إِنّي لَأَحسَبُ أَو قَد كُدتُ أُعلِمُهُ

إِنّي لَأَحسَبُ أَو قَد كُدتُ أُعلِمُهُ

أَن سَوفَ تورِدُني الحَوضَ الَّذي وَرَدوا

أَن سَوفَ تورِدُني الحَوضَ الَّذي وَرَدوا

I truly believe—or have nearly come to know—

I truly think—or have almost come to know it—

that she will bring me to the watering-place they entered,

that she will lead me to the pool they reached,

إِن لَم تَنَلني بِمَعروفٍ تَجودُ بِهِ

إِن لَم تَنَلني بِمَعروفٍ تَجودُ بِهِ

أَو يَدفَعَ اللَهُ عَنّي الواحِدُ الصَمَدُ

أَو يَدفَعَ اللَهُ عَنّي الواحِدُ الصَمَدُ

unless some kindness she freely grants should reach me,

unless she favors me with a kindness she bestows,

or God—the One, the Eternal Refuge—wards this fate from me.

or God, the One, the Self-Sufficient, wards it off from me.

فَما يُضَرَّ اِمرَأً أَمسى وَأَنتِ لَهُ

فَما يُضَرَّ اِمرَأً أَمسى وَأَنتِ لَهُ

أَن لا يَكونَ مِنَ الدُنيا لَهُ سَنَدُ

أَن لا يَكونَ مِنَ الدُنيا لَهُ سَنَدُ

What harm is it to a man, when evening finds You there for him,

So what harm can befall a man who has you at evening,

if he has no support in all the world?

from having no support in this world?