يا مَن جَداهُ قَليلُ

وَمَن بَلاهُ طَويلُ

O you whose absence is brief

Oh you whose generosity is scant,

Yet whose trials are long

And whose torment is long,

وَمَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ

طَرفٌ أَحَمُّ كَحيلُ

O you who called me

And who summoned me to him

With a glance intoxicating as kohl

With a glance intense and kohl-rimmed,

وَواضِحُ النَبتِ يَحكي

مِزاجُهُ الزَنجَبيلُ

And a brilliant smile that tells

And a radiant smile whose flavor resembles

Of a ginger-like disposition

A temperament mixed with ginger,

أَو عَينُ تَسنيمٍ وَشا

بَ طَعمَهُ السَلسَبيلُ

Or the eye of a breeze, and lips

Or the spring of Tasnim blended

Whose taste is refreshing as nectar

With the taste of Salsabil,

وَوَجنَةٍ جائِلٌ ما

ؤها وَخَدٌّ أَسيلُ

And a soft cheek the color

And a cheek upon which flows

Of which is smooth as silk

Its luster, and a cheek smooth and tender,

وَغُصنُ بانٍ تَثَنّى

ليناً وَرِدفٌ ثَقيلُ

And a pliant branch of a body that sways

And a branch of the Ban tree swaying

Gently and a firm posterior

In softness, and a heavy hip.

يُجَمِّعُ الحُسنَ فيهِ

وَجهٌ وَسيمٌ جَميلُ

Together make up a beautiful, comely face

He gathers all beauty within him,

He whom God has so perfectly created

A face handsome and lovely.

ذاكَ الَّذي فيهِ مِن صَن

عَةِ الإِلَهِ قُبولُ

So that all I see in him

That is the one who bears,

Makes my heart incline towards him

From God's craft, a divine acceptance.

فَكُلُّ ما فيهِ مِنهُ

قَلبي إِلَيهِ يَميلُ

But alas, he does not see me as deserving

So everything within him—

Nor will he be mine

My heart inclines toward it.

وَيلي فَلَيسَ يَرى لي

حَقّاً وَلَيسَ يُنيلُ

Alas, and this is not how, O woe is me

Woe is me, for he does not see for me

The beloved should treat his lover

Any right, nor does he grant favors.

وَيلي وَما هَكَذا يا

وَيلي يَكونُ الخَليلُ

No messenger of affection has come between us

Woe is me, for not like this, oh...

Until you revealed what no weary soul can bear

Woe is me, should a true lover be.

لَم يَختَرِق كَرَماً بَي

نَنا بِوِدٍّ رَسولُ

Nor was I guided by guile to it

Has no messenger of affection penetrated

No miser can attain it

Between us with generosity?

حَتّى بَدا مِنكَ ما لَم

يُطِقهُ قَطُّ مَلولُ

Do not think that what is hidden from me

Until there appeared from you what

Makes me delusional

Even a bored lover could never bear,

وَلا اِهتَدى بِاِحتِيالٍ

إِلَيهِ قَطُّ بَخيلُ

For your glance upon my hidden soul

Nor has a miser ever been guided

Is evidence enough

To such behavior by trickery.

وَلا تَرى أَنَّ ما قَد

يَخفى عَلَيَّ يُخيلُ

God protect you, O you who sway

And do not think that what is

With the winds

Hidden from me is merely imagined;

وَالطَرفُ مِنكَ عَلى غا

ئبِ الضَميرِ دَليلُ

You have my oath that I will not

For the glance from you is evidence

Turn away from what you have promised me

Of what the conscience hides.

فَاللَهُ يَرعاكَ يا مَن

مَعَ الرِياحِ يَميلُ

And God is my guardian over me

So may God watch over you, oh you who

Your aloofness, O soul, is unavoidable

Sways along with the winds.

لَكَ الوَثيقَةُ مِنّي

بِأَنَّني لا أَحولُ

For the love I have for you

You have a solemn pledge from me

Is an intruder in my heart

That I shall never change

عَمّا عَهِدتَ وَرَبّي

راعٍ عَلَيَّ كَفيلُ

Its shackles and fetters have bound me

From what you knew, and my Lord

Love is a cloud above me

Is a guardian and guarantor over me.

جَفاكِ يا نَفسُ شَيءٌ

ما إِن إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

And love is a flood beneath me

Something has shunned you, O soul,

So it makes me stagger on my feet

To which there is no path,

لِأَنَّ حُبَّكِ حُبٌّ

في القَلبِ مِنّي دَخيلُ

And pours down upon me

Because your love is a love

The ardour of passion surrounds me

That dwells deep within my heart.

ضَمَّت إِلَيَّ وِثاقي

أَغلالُهُ وَالكُبولُ

Like a tribe, and yearning resides

Its shackles and chains

In my heart like a settlement

Have tightened my bonds upon me.

فَالحُبُّ فَوقي سَحابٌ

وَالحُبُّ تَحتي سُيولُ

And nothing surrounds me

For love is a cloud above me,

Except the winds of love that roam

And love is a torrent beneath me;

فَذا يَسيخُ بِرِجلي

وَذا عَلَيَّ هَطولُ

While my heart is the heart of a lover

This one swallows my foot,

And my body is a sickly body

And that one pours down upon me.

وَلِلصَبابَةِ حَولي

مَدينَةٌ وَقَبيلُ

Whose motto is anxiety, grief, and lament

And for passion around me

O people of my affection, why

There is a city and a tribe,

وَلِلحَنينِ بِقَلبي

مَحَلَّةٌ وَمَقيلُ

Have you shunned me, tell me

And for longing in my heart

If it is due to some sin

There is a dwelling and a resting place.

وَلَيسَ حَولِيَ إِلّا

رِياحُ حُبٍّ تَجولُ

Then I readily seek forgiveness

And there is nothing around me except

I have from you only

The winds of love roaming about.

وَالقَلبُ قَلبُ مُعَنّىً

وَالجِسمُ جِسمٌ عَليلُ

The joys of delusion you give me

The heart is the heart of a sufferer,

Indeed, my worries are a heavy burden

And the body is a body frail.

شِعارُهُ الهَمُّ وَالحُز

نُ وَالضَنا وَالعَويلُ

Subtle, but great

Its inner garment is worry and grief,

I am nothing but

And wasting away and wailing.

يا أَهلَ وُدّي عَلاما

صَرَمتُموني فَقولوا

A supplicant to the aloof

O people of my affection, for what

Much was my hope

Have you cut me off? So speak!

إِن كانَ ذاكَ لِذَنبٍ

فَإِنَّني مُستَقيلُ

But little came to pass

If that was due to a sin,

So I attained neither paltry union

Then indeed, I ask for pardon.

ما في يَدي مِنكَ إِلّا

مُنى الغُرورِ تُنيلُ

Nor ample gifts

I have nothing in my hand from you but

But God in all this

The deceptive wishes you grant.

بَلى هُمومي ثِقالٌ

دَقيقُهُنَّ جَليلُ

Is sufficient for me, and an excellent Guardian

Yes, my worries are heavy;

The smallest of them is immense.

وَلَستُ إِلّا بِوَصلٍ

عَلى الصُدودِ أَصولُ

And I possess nothing but union

To launch against rejection.

كانَ الكَثيرُ رَجائي

فَفاتَ مِنّي القَليلُ

Great was my hope,

But even the little escaped me.

فَلا نَوالٌ زَهيدٌ

وَلا عَطاءٌ جَزيلُ

So there is no meager gift,

Nor any bountiful giving.

وَاللَهُ في كُلِّ هَذا

حَسبي وَنِعمَ الوَكيلُ

And God, in all of this,

Is my sufficiency and the best Guardian.