خِدمَتي في الهَوى عَليكُم حَرامُ

خِدمَتي في الهَوى عَليكُم حَرامُ

كَيفَ أَشقى بِكُم وَأَنتُم كِرامُ

كَيفَ أَشقى بِكُم وَأَنتُم كِرامُ

My service in love is forbidden to you.

My service to you in love is prohibited

How can I suffer at your hands when you are noble?

How can I be miserable because of you while you are so noble

إِنَّ شَرطَ الكِرامِ لا العَبدُ يَشقى

إِنَّ شَرطَ الكِرامِ لا العَبدُ يَشقى

في حِماهُم وَلا النَزيلُ يُضامُ

في حِماهُم وَلا النَزيلُ يُضامُ

For the rule of the noble is that no slave suffers

Surely the condition of the noble is not that the servant suffers

under their protection, nor is a guest wronged.

Neither their guest gets wronged

أَنا عَبدٌ لَدَيكُمُ وَنَزيلٌ

أَنا عَبدٌ لَدَيكُمُ وَنَزيلٌ

وَلِهَذَينِ حُرمَةٌ وَذِمامُ

وَلِهَذَينِ حُرمَةٌ وَذِمامُ

I am your slave and your guest,

I'm your servant and guest

and both are owed respect and protection.

And for both sanctuary and covenant

فَلِماذا أَضَعتُمُ عَهدَ مَن كا

فَلِماذا أَضَعتُمُ عَهدَ مَن كا

نَ لَهُ صُحبَةٌ بِكُم وَاِلتِزامُ

نَ لَهُ صُحبَةٌ بِكُم وَاِلتِزامُ

So why have you broken faith with one who

So why did you break the vow of one

shared your company and was devoted to you?

Who had companionship and commitment with you?

شابَ في مَدحِكُم ذَوائِبُ شِعري

شابَ في مَدحِكُم ذَوائِبُ شِعري

مِثلَ شَعري وَشِعرُ غَيري غُلامُ

مِثلَ شَعري وَشِعرُ غَيري غُلامُ

The tresses of my verse grew gray in your praise,

My poetry’s tendrils sang your praises

like my hair, while another's verse is a boy.

Like my poetry and others’ poetry are lads

وَنَظَمتُ البَديعَ فيكُم وَقَد أَل

وَنَظَمتُ البَديعَ فيكُم وَقَد أَل

قى مَقاليدَهُ إِلَيَّ الكَلامُ

قى مَقاليدَهُ إِلَيَّ الكَلامُ

And I composed ornate verse about you; already

And I wove ornamentation about you after

speech had surrendered its keys to me.

Speech has flung its keys to me

فَإِذا ما تَلا الزَمانُ قَريضَي

فَإِذا ما تَلا الزَمانُ قَريضَي

أَصبَحَت تَستَعيدُهُ الأَيّامُ

أَصبَحَت تَستَعيدُهُ الأَيّامُ

So whenever Time recites my verse,

So if time recites my couplets

the days begin asking to hear it again.

Days will start retrieving it

وَتَقَرَّبتُ بِالوِدادِ فَمَحسو

وَتَقَرَّبتُ بِالوِدادِ فَمَحسو

دٌ مَقالي لَدَيكُمُ وَالمُقامُ

دٌ مَقالي لَدَيكُمُ وَالمُقامُ

And I drew close through affection; thus envied

And I drew near in affection so my words

are my speech before you and my standing.

Became deprecated by you and my stay

وَلَقَد ساءَني شَماتُ الأَعادي

وَلَقَد ساءَني شَماتُ الأَعادي

فِيَّ لَمّا زَلَّت بِيَ الأَقدامُ

فِيَّ لَمّا زَلَّت بِيَ الأَقدامُ

And I was indeed grieved by my enemies' gloating

And your enemies' gloating at me hurt

over me when my feet slipped.

When my feet slipped

فَإِذا ما اِفتَخَرتُ بِالوُدِّ قالوا

فَإِذا ما اِفتَخَرتُ بِالوُدِّ قالوا

لا اِفتِخارٌ إِلّا لِمَن لا يُضامُ

لا اِفتِخارٌ إِلّا لِمَن لا يُضامُ

So whenever I boast of affection, they say:

So if I boast of affection they say

"Only one who is not wronged has cause to boast."

No boasting except for those who are not wronged

فَإِلى كَم أَعودُ في كُلِّ يَوم

فَإِلى كَم أَعودُ في كُلِّ يَوم

خائِباً ساخِطاً وَتَرضى اللِئامُ

خائِباً ساخِطاً وَتَرضى اللِئامُ

So how long must I return each day

So how long each day will I return

disappointed and resentful, while the base are content?

Disappointed, disgruntled, while the vile are content

وَإِذا جَرَّبَ المُجَرَّبَ عَمرٌو

وَإِذا جَرَّبَ المُجَرَّبَ عَمرٌو

فَعَلَيهِ إِذا أُصيبَ المَلامُ

فَعَلَيهِ إِذا أُصيبَ المَلامُ

And if Amr tests what has already been tested,

And when the experienced one experiences

the blame is his if he comes to harm.

Then the blame is due if he's harmed

تَقتُلوني بِالبِشرِ مِنكُم وَقَد يَق

تَقتُلوني بِالبِشرِ مِنكُم وَقَد يَق

تُلُ مَع ضَحكِ صَفحَتَيهِ الحُسامُ

تُلُ مَع ضَحكِ صَفحَتَيهِ الحُسامُ

You kill me with your smiles, and indeed

You kill me with glad tidings from you when

the keen sword may kill while its two faces laugh.

Swords can kill with the smile of their blades

وَتُريشونَ بَينَنا أَسهُمَ البَي

وَتُريشونَ بَينَنا أَسهُمَ البَي

نِ وَتُعزى إِلَيَّ تِلكَ السِهامُ

نِ وَتُعزى إِلَيَّ تِلكَ السِهامُ

And between us you fletch the arrows of

And you shoot arrows of estrangement between us

parting, yet those arrows are ascribed to me.

And those arrows are attributed to me

فَبِرُغمي فِراقُكُم وَرِضاكُم

فَبِرُغمي فِراقُكُم وَرِضاكُم

وَشَديدٌ عَليَّ هَذا الفِطامِ

وَشَديدٌ عَليَّ هَذا الفِطامِ

So parting from you is against my will, but has your approval,

So despite my separation from you and your approval

and this weaning is hard on me.

And this weaning is difficult for me

فَلَقَد صَحَّ عِندَ كُلِّ لَبيبٍ

فَلَقَد صَحَّ عِندَ كُلِّ لَبيبٍ

أَنَّ بُعدي مُرادُكُم وَالسَلامُ

أَنَّ بُعدي مُرادُكُم وَالسَلامُ

For it is clear to every discerning person

For it is clear to every perceptive one

that you wish me far away. Farewell.

That my distance is your desire, farewell