ولما رأيت الدل في شرعة الهوى

ولما رأيت الدل في شرعة الهوى

محطاً لقدري عند من كنت اعشق

محطاً لقدري عند من كنت اعشق

And when I saw coquetry, in the code of love,

When I saw the guide into the passion of love

Lowering my worth in the eyes of the one I adored,

Halting my fate with whom I was enamored

تركت هواه وانتقلت لغيره

تركت هواه وانتقلت لغيره

لعزة قدري والزمان مفرق

لعزة قدري والزمان مفرق

I abandoned my love for him and turned to another,

I left his love and turned to another

To preserve my dignity; time brings separation.

For the dignity of my fate, and time disperses

لقد كنت أهواه على غير ريبةٍ

لقد كنت أهواه على غير ريبةٍ

ومن أمه إني عليه لأشفق

ومن أمه إني عليه لأشفق

I had loved him without misgiving,

I used to love him without any doubt

And cared for him more tenderly than his own mother.

And I had mercy on him from his mother

وفيت له فيه بما يستحقه

وفيت له فيه بما يستحقه

وكنت عليه من أذى الدهر افرق

وكنت عليه من أذى الدهر افرق

I was faithful to him in that love, as he deserved,

I fulfilled for him what he deserves

And feared for him the harms of time.

And I protected him from the harm of fate

أناديه إذ ادعوه يا نور مقلتي

أناديه إذ ادعوه يا نور مقلتي

ويا بهجتي إني بحبك موثق

ويا بهجتي إني بحبك موثق

I would call to him: “O light of my eye,

I called him when I invited him, O light of my eyelid

And O my joy, I am bound by love for you.

And O my joy, I am bound by love of you

حبيبي أفق من سكرة الغي وانتبه

حبيبي أفق من سكرة الغي وانتبه

وإياك غالي النفس في الجهل تنفق

وإياك غالي النفس في الجهل تنفق

My beloved, wake from the intoxication of waywardness and take heed,

My beloved awake from the intoxication of vain delusion

And beware of squandering your precious soul in ignorance.

And beware, my soul’s delight, of wasting yourself in ignorance

ألا فاجهد فيما يسرك في غدٍ

ألا فاجهد فيما يسرك في غدٍ

فإن نلته حقاً فأنت الموفق

فإن نلته حقاً فأنت الموفق

Come, strive for what will gladden you tomorrow;

Come now, strive for what will make you happy tomorrow

If you truly attain it, you are granted success.”

For if you attain it, you will truly succeed

فيحلف لي أني بعيد عن الردى

فيحلف لي أني بعيد عن الردى

ولست إلى اربابه أتشوق

ولست إلى اربابه أتشوق

Then he swears to me: “I am far from ruin,

He swears to me that I am far from wrongdoing

And I do not yearn for its devotees.”

And I do not yearn for its people

ومهما دجى الديجور سار لأهله

ومهما دجى الديجور سار لأهله

ووثقتم والأمر عندي محقق

ووثقتم والأمر عندي محقق

Yet whenever the darkness deepened, he went to its people.

However dark the nights, he walks to his folk

And you trusted, while to me the matter was certain.

And you trusted, and the matter to me is certain

وكم زلة عظمى على اثر زلةٍ

وكم زلة عظمى على اثر زلةٍ

سمحت وكم عيباً أرى فأطبق

سمحت وكم عيباً أرى فأطبق

And how many a grievous lapse, following another lapse,

And how many a great sin upon a sin

I forgave; and how many faults I see, yet hold my tongue.

I forgave, and how many a flaw I see and conceal

ولما رأيت الخرق زاد اتساعه

ولما رأيت الخرق زاد اتساعه

وإني مهما خطته يتفتق

وإني مهما خطته يتفتق

And when I saw that the tear had grown wider,

And when I saw the tear grow larger

And that however much I stitched it, it split open,

Even as I sew it, it comes apart

تخيرت اني استريح من العنا

تخيرت اني استريح من العنا

فاتركه والصدق بالحر أليق

فاتركه والصدق بالحر أليق

I chose to find relief from suffering,

I chose to rest from sorrow

So I leave him; truthfulness better befits a noble man.

And leave him, for honesty suits the noble

أأبقى شقيا في هوى من أخاله

أأبقى شقيا في هوى من أخاله

غريماً بقومٍ بالخنا قد تخلقوا

غريماً بقومٍ بالخنا قد تخلقوا

Shall I remain wretched in love with one I think

Shall I remain miserable in love of one I thought

Enamored of people who have made lewdness their nature?

A friend, while in betrayal they are characterized?

إذا قلت يا هذا كذا أنت فاعل

إذا قلت يا هذا كذا أنت فاعل

بكى رهباً والوجه بالفعل ينطق

بكى رهباً والوجه بالفعل ينطق

When I say, “You there, you are doing such-and-such,”

If I say, “O you, thus you will do”

He weeps in fear, while his face declares the deed.

He weeps in fear, though his face speaks of the deed

يزيق لي أفعاله بمقاله

يزيق لي أفعاله بمقاله

ويبقى صحيح القول والكذب يزهق

ويبقى صحيح القول والكذب يزهق

He dresses up his deeds for me with his words,

His actions belie his words to me

And truthful speech endures, while falsehood perishes.

And the truth remains, while lies perish

وإني محك للزيوف مجري

وإني محك للزيوف مجري

بعصري ولا يبقى مع الحك زيبق

بعصري ولا يبقى مع الحك زيبق

And I am a touchstone for counterfeit coins, put to use

I am an assayer for alloy in my time

In my age; and no quicksilver survives the rubbing.

And no dross remains with the test