اُعْفُ عَـني أو أَدِِنّـي

بُـحْ بـما ترضـاهُ مِــنّي

Forgive me, or draw me near

Pardon me, or condemn me,

With what pleases you of me

Reveal what pleases you from me,

ولْتَكُنْ في العـشقِ نهراً

دافـقاً، يـجـري، يغـنّي

Let there be a river of love

And be a river in love,

Flowing, running, singing

Pouring forth, flowing, singing,

عَلَّـني أروي قصـيدي

حين يوحـي شِـعْرُ جِـنّي

Let me water my ode

That I may quench my poem's thirst,

When my poetry's genius inspires me

When the poetry of my jinn inspires me.

أيْ شريكي في الهوى رفْـ

ـقاً بـحالي، بَعْدُ خـذني

O my fellow in passion so kind

O my partner in passion, have pity

To my state, thereafter take me

On my condition, then take me

ِبحَـنانٍ، مـن زمــانٍ

ساحـرٍ، عِِـدْني، أرِحْـني

With tenderness, from a time

With tenderness, from a time

Enchanting, delight me, comfort me

That is enchanting; promise me, relieve me.

إننـي مجـنـونُ ليـلى

عن هُيـامـي، لا تَلُمْـني!

I am madly in love with Layla

I am the Madman of Layla,

Blame not my passion for her!

For my infatuation, do not blame me!

هـذه روحي ، فخـذها

في شغاف القلب، دعـني

This is my soul, so take it

This is my soul, so take it;

In your heart's purse, leave me be

In the core of the heart, leave me,

واسقنـي من فيض حب

يحـتويـني، ثم زدنــي

And give me of love's abundance

And give me to drink from an overflow of love

Containing me, then give me more

That contains me, then give me more.

خلّنـي دَهـراً أسـيراً

عن سَـراحٍ، لا تَسَلْنـي

Leave me a lifelong captive

Leave me a captive for an eternity;

Of freedom, ask me not to flee

Of my release, do not ask me.

إنْ أنا َأسْـلَمْتُ روحـي

لا تُعَجِّـلْ أمـر دفـني

If I surrender my soul

If I surrender my soul,

Do not hasten my burial

Do not hasten the matter of my burial.

من سمـاء الوجـد أرنـو

ياحبيـبي، اُدْنُ مــني

From passion's heaven I yearn

From the heaven of passion I gaze;

Draw nearer my beloved to me

O my beloved, draw near to me.

لا تـخالفْ رَأْيَ حـسّي

فـيك قد َألْفَيْتُ َأمْـني

Do not oppose my senses' view

Do not oppose the judgment of my feelings,

For in you I have placed my trust

For in you I have found my safety.

مـا مضى من زهر عمري

راح مِـنّـي، دون إِذْنِ

What has passed of my life's bloom

What has passed of the blossom of my life

Departed from me, without leave

Has slipped from me, without permission.

لم يـعدْ لي من مـلاذٍ

هل تـراني، خـاب ظـني؟

I have no more refuge

I no longer have any refuge;

Do you see me, vain is my fancy?

Do you see me? Has my hope been dashed?

فَلَئِــنْ أخلفتُ وعدي

نحو قاضي الودِّ سُـقـني

If I break my vow

So if I ever break my promise,

To the judge of love, pour me away

Drive me to the judge of affection,

ثم حاكِـمْنـي بـعدلٍ

وبـنور الـحق، مُــرْني

Then judge me with fairness

Then judge me with justice,

And light of truth, guide me

And by the light of truth, command me.

ويْحَ نفسي، من عـزيزٍ

لا يـراعي، دمـع عيـني

Woe to my soul, from one beloved

Woe to my soul, from a dear one

Who heeds not my tearful eye

Who pays no mind to the tears in my eyes.

لَيْـتَـهُ أبـقى فـؤادي

سـالِـماً، لو بالـتَّمَـنّي!

Would that my heart remain

Would that he had kept my heart

Safe, though it be wishful thinking!

Safe, even if only by a wish!

هَبْ أنا أخـطأتُ، قَوِّّمْـ

ـني بلـطفٍ، وامتـحنّي

Grant I erred, gently correct me

Suppose I have erred, straighten

And test me, have mercy on me

Me with gentleness, and test me.

وارْقِنـي من أيِّ مَـسٍّ

من جُـنونٍ قـد يُصِبْنـي

And spare me from any harm

And heal me with charms against any touch

Any madness that may befall me

Of madness that might strike me.

هـل تعـاني أنت مـثلي

مـا أعـاني، لم تجـبـني!

Do you suffer as I do?

Do you suffer just as I do

You answered me not!

From what I suffer? You have not answered me!

ذَرْ سُـموماً في حـديثٍ

مـن حسـودٍ لا يَـذَرْني

Leave the poisons in words

Leave aside the poison in the talk

Of envious ones who spare me not

Of an envious one who will not let me be.

وامْـحُ عـني ذُلَّ ضَيْمٍ

من سـخيفٍ لم يـدعـني

And erase my humiliation

And erase from me the humiliation of injustice

By a fool who left me not be

From a foolish one who has not left me alone.

لا تُهِنّـي عند خـصمٍ

إنـما صُـنّي، تـجـدني

Do not disgrace me before any foe

Do not humiliate me before an adversary;

Just defend me, you'll find me

Rather, protect me, and you will find me

حافظاً للعـهدِ، شـهمًا

مخلـصاً، عـدْلاً، فـزرني.

Loyal to the covenant, valiant

A keeper of the covenant, noble,

Devoted, just - so test me

Loyal, and just; so visit me.

إنْ أَكـُنْ نجـماً بـعيداً

اِرْقَ، أقْبـِلْ، واسْتَبِقْنـي

If I'm a distant star

If I am a distant star,

Race, come, outrun me

Ascend, approach, and overtake me.

فـإذا َأحْسَسْتَ شَـكّاً

في كـلامي، امـتحـنّي

If you feel any doubt

And if you ever feel a doubt

In my words, then test me

In my words, test me.

سوف ترضى عن جموحي

لا ُتخَـيِّبْ فـيك ظـنّي

You will be pleased with my passion

You will be pleased with my wildness;

Do not disappoint me

Do not disappoint my hopes in you.

تُبْ، لقد أسـكرتني من

كـلِّ دَنٍّ، خـمـر فـَنِّ

Repent, for you have intoxicated me

Repent! For you have intoxicated me from

With finest wine of art

Every wine-jar, with the wine of art.

غبتَ عـني، ثم هـاقد

جئتَ، هـَلَّا رُمْتَ حضني

You were absent, then you came suddenly

You were absent from me, and now here

Why did you not fling yourself into my arms?

You have come; will you not seek my embrace?

فمتى يرتـاح قلـبي

أنـت لي مـفتاح حِـصْني

When will my heart find rest?

So when will my heart find rest?

You're the key to my castle

You are for me the key to my fortress.