سَيفُ اللِّحاظِ وَرُمحُ القَدِّ قَد فَتَكا

سَيفُ اللِّحاظِ وَرُمحُ القَدِّ قَد فَتَكا

فينا وَلَم يَخشَيا بَأساً وَلا دَرَكا

فينا وَلَم يَخشَيا بَأساً وَلا دَرَكا

The sword of glances and the spear of stature have wrought havoc

The sword of affection and the spear of stature have wreaked havoc upon us

among us, fearing neither might nor retribution.

Yet they feared no calamity and realized no limit

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ كَم مِن أَدمُعٍ سَفَحا

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ كَم مِن أَدمُعٍ سَفَحا

حُزناً وَكَم مِن دَمٍ مِن عاشِقٍ سَفَكا

حُزناً وَكَم مِن دَمٍ مِن عاشِقٍ سَفَكا

Blessed be God! How many tears they have poured out

Blessed is Allah - how many tears were shed

in sorrow, and how much of a lover's blood they have shed!

In sorrow, and how much blood of lovers was spilled

وَأَيُّ قَلبٍ ثَوى ما بَينَ ضَربِ ظُبىً

وَأَيُّ قَلبٍ ثَوى ما بَينَ ضَربِ ظُبىً

وَطَعنِ سُمرِ قَناً يَوماً وَما هَلَكا

وَطَعنِ سُمرِ قَناً يَوماً وَما هَلَكا

And what heart has dwelt amid the blows of sword-edges

And which heart has harbored what was between the striking of lightning

and the thrusts of dusky lances, even for a day, without perishing?

And the stabbing of a slim spear one day, and did not perish?

يا مُنبِتاً سَمهَرِيّاً في كَثيبِ نَقاً

يا مُنبِتاً سَمهَرِيّاً في كَثيبِ نَقاً

لِواؤُهُ لَيلُ صَبٍّ وَالسِنانُ ذَكا

لِواؤُهُ لَيلُ صَبٍّ وَالسِنانُ ذَكا

O you who make a stout lance sprout in a mound of sand,

O fragrant plant in the sandhill of Naqâ

its banner a lovesick lover's night, its spearhead Dhukā, the sun.

Its night is a pouring rain and its teeth are sparkling

يُقِرُّ يَعقوبُ لي بِالحُزنِ فيكَ كَما

يُقِرُّ يَعقوبُ لي بِالحُزنِ فيكَ كَما

يُقِرُّ يوسُفُ بِالحُسنِ البَديعِ لَكا

يُقِرُّ يوسُفُ بِالحُسنِ البَديعِ لَكا

Jacob yields to me in sorrow over you, just as

Jacob loves me with sorrow in you as

Joseph yields to you in wondrous beauty.

Joseph loved perfect beauty in you

ما ضَرَّ مالِكَ قَلبِ المُستَهامِ بِهِ

ما ضَرَّ مالِكَ قَلبِ المُستَهامِ بِهِ

لَو كانَ يَعدِلُ يَوماً في الَّذي مَلَكا

لَو كانَ يَعدِلُ يَوماً في الَّذي مَلَكا

What harm would it do the owner of the heart of one besotted with him

The possession of the heart of the obsessed did not harm Mâlik

if, for one day, he dealt justly with what he owned?

If one day it could equal what he possessed

لَم يَترُكِ السُقمُ مِنّي غَيرَ ما شَبَحٍ

لَم يَترُكِ السُقمُ مِنّي غَيرَ ما شَبَحٍ

وَلَيتَهُ كانَ يَرثي لِلَّذي تَرَكا

وَلَيتَهُ كانَ يَرثي لِلَّذي تَرَكا

Illness has left nothing of me but a mere phantom;

Sickness left me no less than a specter

and would that it had pity on what it has left!

I wish it would mourn for the one it abandoned

وَلا شَكَوتُ الَّذي فيهِ أُكابِدُهُ

وَلا شَكَوتُ الَّذي فيهِ أُكابِدُهُ

إِلى عَذولِيَ إِلّا رَقَّ لي وَبَكى

إِلى عَذولِيَ إِلّا رَقَّ لي وَبَكى

And never have I complained of what I endure for him

I did not complain about what I suffer with it

to my reproacher without his pitying me and weeping.

Except to the one who abandoned me, so he was moved and cried

وَإِن بَكَيتُ لَدى مَن قَد كَلِفتُ بِهِ

وَإِن بَكَيتُ لَدى مَن قَد كَلِفتُ بِهِ

لِما أُعانيهِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِ ضَحِكا

لِما أُعانيهِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِ ضَحِكا

Yet if I weep before the one I have grown enamored of,

And if I cried before the one I was burdened with

because of the longing I suffer for him, he laughs.

Because of the passion I suffer with him, he laughed