لَيتَ شِعري بِمَن تَشاغَلتَ عَنّا

لَيتَ شِعري بِمَن تَشاغَلتَ عَنّا

يا خَليلاً أَشقى القُلوبَ وَأَعنى

يا خَليلاً أَشقى القُلوبَ وَأَعنى

Would that I knew with whom you have busied yourself, neglecting us!

I wish I knew who has distracted you from us,

O friend who has made hearts wretched and weary!

O most wretched of lovers and most suffering of hearts.

وَإِذا ما ثَنَيتَ عَن وَصلِ خِلٍّ

وَإِذا ما ثَنَيتَ عَن وَصلِ خِلٍّ

عَنكَ يَثني وَلَم يَكُن عَنكَ يُثنى

عَنكَ يَثني وَلَم يَكُن عَنكَ يُثنى

And if you turn away from union with a dear friend,

Whenever you turn away from a faithful friend,

he turns from you, though he had not been turned from you before.

I turn away from you though I never turned from you before.

فَاِتَّقِ اللَهَ في عَذابِ مُحِبٍّ

فَاِتَّقِ اللَهَ في عَذابِ مُحِبٍّ

كُلَّما جَنَّ لَيلُهُ فيكَ جُنّا

كُلَّما جَنَّ لَيلُهُ فيكَ جُنّا

So fear God in tormenting a lover:

So fear God regarding the torture of a lover

whenever his night grows dark, he is driven mad for you.

Whose night is darkened with agony because of you,

ثُمَّ عُد لِلوِصالِ مِن غَيرِ مَطلٍ

ثُمَّ عُد لِلوِصالِ مِن غَيرِ مَطلٍ

مِثلَما كُنتَ قَبلَ ذاكَ وَكُنّا

مِثلَما كُنتَ قَبلَ ذاكَ وَكُنّا

Then return to loving union without delay,

Then return to reunion without further separation

just as you were before that, and we were too.

As you were before, and so were we.

سَيِّدي قَد عَلِمتَ فيكَ اِعتِقادي

سَيِّدي قَد عَلِمتَ فيكَ اِعتِقادي

فَلِماذا أَسَأتَ بِالعَبدِ ظَنّا

فَلِماذا أَسَأتَ بِالعَبدِ ظَنّا

My lord, you know my faith in you;

My lord, you know my faith in you,

so why have you thought ill of your servant?

Why then have you presumed ill of your servant?

أَنتَ أَملَلتَنا وَلَم نَجنِ ذَنباً

أَنتَ أَملَلتَنا وَلَم نَجنِ ذَنباً

لَو عَلِمنا ذَنباً لَدَيكَ لَتُبنا

لَو عَلِمنا ذَنباً لَدَيكَ لَتُبنا

You have wearied us, though we have committed no sin.

You have disappointed us though we committed no sin;

Had we known of any sin in your eyes, we would have repented.

Had we known any sin toward you we would have repented.

بِالرِضى كانَ مِنكَ صَدُّكَ وَالبُع

بِالرِضى كانَ مِنكَ صَدُّكَ وَالبُع

دُ فَكانَ الفِراقُ بِالرُغمِ مِنّا

دُ فَكانَ الفِراقُ بِالرُغمِ مِنّا

Your rejection and estrangement were of your own choosing,

It was your rejection and aloofness with consent

so our parting was against our will.

That parted us, though against our will.

يا مُعَيرَ الغَزالِ جيداً وَطَرفاً

يا مُعَيرَ الغَزالِ جيداً وَطَرفاً

وَمُغيرَ القَضيبِ لَمّا تَثَنّى

وَمُغيرَ القَضيبِ لَمّا تَثَنّى

O you who lend the gazelle a neck and a gaze,

O you who would blame the gazelle’s neck and slender shape,

and make the branch envious when you sway!

And the bending branch when it bent away from you!

قَد وَجَدنا فيكَ الجَمالَ وَلَكِن

قَد وَجَدنا فيكَ الجَمالَ وَلَكِن

فيكَ حُسنٌ وَلَم نَجِد فيكَ حُسنى

فيكَ حُسنٌ وَلَم نَجِد فيكَ حُسنى

We have indeed found beauty in you; yet

In you we found beauty but not beautiful treatment.

you have loveliness, and we have found no kindness in you.

Who can aid me against one possessed of a full moon

مَن تَرى مُسعِدي عَلى جَورِ بَدرٍ

مَن تَرى مُسعِدي عَلى جَورِ بَدرٍ

يَتَجَلّى وَتارَةً يَتَجَنّى

يَتَجَلّى وَتارَةً يَتَجَنّى

Who, do you think, will help me against a full moon's tyranny,

Who sometimes shows himself laughing, sometimes frowning?

who shines forth, yet sometimes falsely accuses?

I never took pleasure in love when you caused me pain,

ما تَهَنَّيتُ في الهَوى إِذ تَعَنَّي

ما تَهَنَّيتُ في الهَوى إِذ تَعَنَّي

تُ وَقَد قيلَ مَن تَعَنّى تَهَنّى

تُ وَقَد قيلَ مَن تَعَنّى تَهَنّى

I found no joy in love when I suffered,

And they say: “Who suffers finds comfort in the end.”

though it is said: whoever suffers finds joy.