اِن عجتما بِاللَوى يا صالحِبَيّ سَلا

اِن عجتما بِاللَوى يا صالحِبَيّ سَلا

عَن مَعهَد ما رَآه مُغرَم وَسلا

عَن مَعهَد ما رَآه مُغرَم وَسلا

If you two turn aside at al-Liwa, O my two companions, ask

If you are vexed, my friends, with love's unease

About an abode no lover ever saw and then forgot.

Then ask the place which my lovesick one did see,

أَو جِئتُما سحرا ذاكَ الحمى فقِفا

أَو جِئتُما سحرا ذاكَ الحمى فقِفا

وَسلما لي عَلى رُبع غلا وَعلا

وَسلما لي عَلى رُبع غلا وَعلا

Or if you reach that sanctuary before dawn, stop,

Or did you come at dawn to check on that fever,

And greet on my behalf a dwelling grown precious and exalted.

Then greet in my name every hill and dune.

يا صاحِبي وَان أَبصرتُما طللا

يا صاحِبي وَان أَبصرتُما طللا

فَحدّثا بِغَرامي ذلِكَ الطَلَلا

فَحدّثا بِغَرامي ذلِكَ الطَلَلا

O my two companions, and if you glimpse a ruined dwelling,

O friends, if ruins you happen to see

Then tell that ruined dwelling of my passion.

Then speak of my love for that old abode,

وَاِستَبكِيا رَسم دار طالَما اَضحكَت

وَاِستَبكِيا رَسم دار طالَما اَضحكَت

ثُغوره اِنثَنَت أَغصانَه ميلا

ثُغوره اِنثَنَت أَغصانَه ميلا

And draw tears from a dwelling's traces; how often laughter came

And weep for a home whose laughing walls

From its lips, as its branches bent and swayed.

Bent boughs once caressed with a gentle lean.

من لي وَمُهجَتي الحراء خائِنَتي

من لي وَمُهجَتي الحراء خائِنَتي

وَمدمَعي كُلَّما قُلت اِنكَفف هطلا

وَمدمَعي كُلَّما قُلت اِنكَفف هطلا

Who will help me, when my burning heart betrays me,

Who can heal my love-wrecked heart, traitor she,

And my tears pour down whenever I say, 'Hold back'?

My tears that flow each time I say, "Enough!"

كَم لَوعَة أَتَلَقّاها بِحُسن رِضا

كَم لَوعَة أَتَلَقّاها بِحُسن رِضا

وَكَم غَرام دَعا قَلبي فَقَبِلت بَلى

وَكَم غَرام دَعا قَلبي فَقَبِلت بَلى

How many burning pangs I receive with willing acceptance,

How much anguish I suffered with sweet consent,

And how often passion called my heart, and I answered, 'Yes'.

How much passion my heart did embrace and accept.

وَكَم عَذول تَلا كتب المَلام عَلى

وَكَم عَذول تَلا كتب المَلام عَلى

سَمعي وَلكِنَّني لَم أَدرِ كَيفَ تَلا

سَمعي وَلكِنَّني لَم أَدرِ كَيفَ تَلا

And how many a reproacher recited books of blame to

How much blame my ears took though knowing not

My ears—yet I never knew how he recited them.

What was said, but I could not make out the words.

فَيا رَعى اللَهُ أَيّاما ظَفَرتُ بِها

فَيا رَعى اللَهُ أَيّاما ظَفَرتُ بِها

قَد بَلَغَتي من لِذّاتي الأَمَلا

قَد بَلَغَتي من لِذّاتي الأَمَلا

Ah, may God preserve the days I gained,

So, may God protect the days when I gained

Which fulfilled my hopes for pleasure.

Loves so dear they were my most precious hope.

كَأَنَّما سَمَحَ الدَهر الخؤن بِها

كَأَنَّما سَمَحَ الدَهر الخؤن بِها

سَهوا وَلكِنَّهُ لما دَرى بَخلا

سَهوا وَلكِنَّهُ لما دَرى بَخلا

As though treacherous Time had granted them

As if fate in its malice allowed them by chance

By oversight; but when it realized, it grew miserly.

Thoughtless, not realizing it was being stingy.

في ذِمَّة الدَهر اهداكَ الزَمانُ فَكم

في ذِمَّة الدَهر اهداكَ الزَمانُ فَكم

اِهدى وَأَسدى وَأَعطى في الغَرامِ اِلى

اِهدى وَأَسدى وَأَعطى في الغَرامِ اِلى

In Time's keeping, the age bestowed you; how often

For all fate did give you, how much it gave:

It gave gifts, bestowed favors, and granted blessings in love.

Gifts, favors, in love pouring forth generously.

يا لَيتَهُم حَمَلوا اِحشاي طاقتها

يا لَيتَهُم حَمَلوا اِحشاي طاقتها

أَو لَم يَزيدوا فُؤادي فَوق ما جَلا

أَو لَم يَزيدوا فُؤادي فَوق ما جَلا

Ah, if only they had burdened my heart with no more than it could bear,

Would that they had gauged the extent of my devotion

Or had not added to my heart's burden beyond what it revealed.

Or not made my heart exceed its appointed bounds,

أَو لورعوا نَفا لَم يَرع غَيرهم

أَو لورعوا نَفا لَم يَرع غَيرهم

أَحبهم وَأَضاعوا حبه هملا

أَحبهم وَأَضاعوا حبه هملا

Or if only they had cared for a lovesick man who cared for none but them:

Or had they but guarded a soul that craves their own,

He loved them, and they squandered his love, leaving it neglected.

Loved them, though they cared little for such affection.

يا عاذِلي لا تطل فَالقَلبُ في شُغل

يا عاذِلي لا تطل فَالقَلبُ في شُغل

من الصَبابَةِ عمن لامَ أَو عذلا

من الصَبابَةِ عمن لامَ أَو عذلا

O my reproacher, do not go on at length; the heart is absorbed

You who blame me, do not go on. My heart is busy

In longing, heedless of whoever blames or reproaches.

With matters far from censure or rebuke.

كَف المَلام فَسُلطان الغَرام قَضى

كَف المَلام فَسُلطان الغَرام قَضى

وَكل ما شاءَ في شَرعِ الهَوى فَعَلا

وَكل ما شاءَ في شَرعِ الهَوى فَعَلا

Cease your blame: the sovereign of passion has decreed,

Stop this blame, for the rule of love has passed

And done whatever he wished under love's law.

Judgment, doing all it desires in its own law.

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ اني مُذ كلفت بِهِم

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ اني مُذ كلفت بِهِم

لا حَولَ لي في تَصاريفِ الغَرامِ وَلا

لا حَولَ لي في تَصاريفِ الغَرامِ وَلا

And you know that ever since I became enamored of them,

You know well since I was burdened with their love

I have no power over passion's turns, nor...

I have no power to alter love's arrangements.

وَيا رَفيقي في دَعوى الغَرامِ أَقِف

وَيا رَفيقي في دَعوى الغَرامِ أَقِف

فَلَستُ تعلم بَعدي ما الذَّي حَصَلا

فَلَستُ تعلم بَعدي ما الذَّي حَصَلا

And, my companion in professing love, stop:

O my fellow in professing passion, stop,

For you do not know what happened after I left.

For you know not after me what may come to pass.

يا سادَتي وَأَنا الصب الصَبور عَلى

يا سادَتي وَأَنا الصب الصَبور عَلى

حكم المَحَبَّةِ جار الحُبّ أَو عَدلا

حكم المَحَبَّةِ جار الحُبّ أَو عَدلا

O my masters, I am the ardent lover, patient under

My lords, I am the youth, long suffering

Love's judgment, whether love dealt unjustly or fairly.

The judgment of love, be it just or unfair.

صَلوا وَدادي وَاِن شِئتُم فَلا تَصلوا

صَلوا وَدادي وَاِن شِئتُم فَلا تَصلوا

فَلَستُ عَن حُبِّكُم وَاللَه مُنتَقِلا

فَلَستُ عَن حُبِّكُم وَاللَه مُنتَقِلا

Grant my love union—or, if you wish, withhold it;

Send your affection or, if you wish, do not,

For, by God, I shall not abandon my love for you.

For I will not, by God, move from loving you.

اِن أَعرَض الطَرف عَنكُم كانَ مُلتَفِتا

اِن أَعرَض الطَرف عَنكُم كانَ مُلتَفِتا

اِلَيكُم وَضيقتموا في وَجهي السُبُلا

اِلَيكُم وَضيقتموا في وَجهي السُبُلا

If my gaze turns away from you, it remains turned

If I avert my eyes from you, they will turn back,

Toward you, and you have narrowed the paths before me.

Looking to you, though you block my path.

كَيفَ الخَلاصُ وَقَد أَوسَعتُموا كَلفى

كَيفَ الخَلاصُ وَقَد أَوسَعتُموا كَلفى

بِكُم وَضَيَّقتُموا في وَجهي السُبُلا

بِكُم وَضَيَّقتُموا في وَجهي السُبُلا

How can I escape, when you have heightened my passion

How escape when you have burdened me with caring for you

For you, and narrowed the paths before me?

And blocked my every way from you?

أَنا المُحِبُّ فَاِن لَم تَسمَحوا بِلُقا

أَنا المُحِبُّ فَاِن لَم تَسمَحوا بِلُقا

يَشفى الفُؤاد فَلا تَستَبدِلوه قَلا

يَشفى الفُؤاد فَلا تَستَبدِلوه قَلا

I am the lover; if you do not grant a meeting

I am the lover. If you allow me to meet

That heals the heart, do not replace it with aversion.

My heart finds cure. Do not replace it with banishment.

وَحق صدق وُدادي في مَحَبَّتِكُم

وَحق صدق وُدادي في مَحَبَّتِكُم

وَطيب عَيش حلا دَهرا بِكُم وَخَلا

وَطيب عَيش حلا دَهرا بِكُم وَخَلا

By the sanctity of my sincere affection in loving you,

By right of the sincerity of my love for you,

And the pleasure of a life sweetened by you for a time, now past,

And the good life I have long shared with you.

وَلَوعَة لَو وَعى طَرفي بِوادِرِها

وَلَوعَة لَو وَعى طَرفي بِوادِرِها

ما سارَ مَدمَعَهُ في حُبِّكُم مَثَلا

ما سارَ مَدمَعَهُ في حُبِّكُم مَثَلا

And by a burning pang—had my eye perceived its first stirrings,

Were my eyes aware of the anguish to come,

Its tears would not have become a byword for loving you—

My tears would not have flowed freely for you before.

ما اِن سَمَحت بِروحي في الهَوى وَأَنا

ما اِن سَمَحت بِروحي في الهَوى وَأَنا

أَريد بَعدَكُم يا سادَتي بَدَلا

أَريد بَعدَكُم يا سادَتي بَدَلا

I never yielded my soul in love while

If you would let my soul love, though after you

Wishing for another after you, O my masters.

I want, my lords, no substitute.