أَصمى بِرُمح قَوامه الفَتّانِ

أَصمى بِرُمح قَوامه الفَتّانِ

هَذا الرشا يَوم الوَداع جَفاني

هَذا الرشا يَوم الوَداع جَفاني

He struck me dead with the spear of his bewitching stature;

With the spear of his charming stance he pierced me,

this young gazelle shunned me on the day of farewell.

This delicate youth on the day of parting abandoned me,

وَسَطا عَليّ لَدى النَوى بِصَوارمٍ

وَسَطا عَليّ لَدى النَوى بِصَوارمٍ

مِن لَحظه فَتَكَت بِغَير تَواني

مِن لَحظه فَتَكَت بِغَير تَواني

And he assailed me at parting with keen swords

And turned his arrows upon me at the abode of yearning

from his glance, dealing death without delay.

With a glance that slaughtered me without hesitating.

وَمِن المَحاجر صارَ فَيض مَدامِعي

وَمِن المَحاجر صارَ فَيض مَدامِعي

يَجري عَلى الخَدّين في غَدران

يَجري عَلى الخَدّين في غَدران

And from my eye sockets the flood of my tears began

And from my tear ducts, tears flowed

to flow over both cheeks in pools.

Running down my cheeks in betrayal.

وَالجسم أَصبَح لا خَيال لَهُ يُرى

وَالجسم أَصبَح لا خَيال لَهُ يُرى

مِن فَرط ما لاقى مِن الهجران

مِن فَرط ما لاقى مِن الهجران

And my body came to have no visible outline,

And my body became an unreal mirage

from the excess of abandonment it had endured.

From the utmost separation it endured.

وَرَأى العَذول نَحولَ جسمي فَاِشتَفى

وَرَأى العَذول نَحولَ جسمي فَاِشتَفى

مِني وَعَن هَذا الرَشيق نَهاني

مِني وَعَن هَذا الرَشيق نَهاني

And the reproacher saw my body's wasting and gloated

And the critic saw my emaciated body so he doubted

over me, and bade me shun this graceful one.

Me and this elegant one, and admonished me.

وَعليّ حرّمَ وَصلَه وَأَتى عَلى

وَعليّ حرّمَ وَصلَه وَأَتى عَلى

تَحليل نَقض العَهد بِالبُرهان

تَحليل نَقض العَهد بِالبُرهان

And he forbade me union with him, and proceeded

And he forbade his company to me and came with

to establish by proof that breaking the pledge was lawful.

The proof to permit dissolving our pact.

يا وَيحَه أَيروم مِني سَلوة

يا وَيحَه أَيروم مِني سَلوة

حَيث الحَبيب أَطاعه وَعَصاني

حَيث الحَبيب أَطاعه وَعَصاني

Woe to him! Does he expect me to forget my love,

Oh what grief, will he prevent any consolation from me

since the beloved obeyed him and defied me?

When my beloved obeyed him and disobeyed me?

حاشا يَفوز بِما أَراد وَيَنتهي

حاشا يَفوز بِما أَراد وَيَنتهي

عَما بِهِ في الذُلِّ عزَّ مَكاني

عَما بِهِ في الذُلِّ عزَّ مَكاني

Far be it that he should gain what he desired and desist

Far be it that he succeeds in what he wants and ends

from that through which my station rose amid abasement.

What elevated my status in degradation.

وَأَنا الَّذي عَقَد الغَرامُ لي اللوا

وَأَنا الَّذي عَقَد الغَرامُ لي اللوا

وَإِلى جِهاد العاذلين دَعاني

وَإِلى جِهاد العاذلين دَعاني

And I am he for whom passion raised the banner,

It was I whom passion contracted the pact,

and whom it summoned to battle against the reproachers.

And called me to battle the critics.

وَطفقت أَخترقُ الصُفوف وَأَصطَلي

وَطفقت أَخترقُ الصُفوف وَأَصطَلي

نار الجَوى في حَومة الجوَلان

نار الجَوى في حَومة الجوَلان

And I began to break through the ranks and burn in

So I began to penetrate the ranks and unleash

the fire of heartache in the thick of the fray.

The fire of passion in the battle's inferno.

وَهزمت وَحدي في النِزال جَميعَهم

وَهزمت وَحدي في النِزال جَميعَهم

بِالصَبر لا بمهندٍ وَسنان

بِالصَبر لا بمهندٍ وَسنان

And I defeated them all, alone, in combat,

And alone in battle I defeated them all

with patience, not with an Indian-steel sword and spearpoint.

With patience, not with a sword and spear.

لَكن أَنيني حينَ جدّ بي النَوى

لَكن أَنيني حينَ جدّ بي النَوى

دلَّ العَذول عَلى خفيِّ مَكاني

دلَّ العَذول عَلى خفيِّ مَكاني

But my groaning, when separation pressed me hard,

But when the abode of yearning pained me intensely,

led the reproacher to my hidden place.

It led the critic to my hidden place.

حاشا تلين مِن الصدود شَكيمَتي

حاشا تلين مِن الصدود شَكيمَتي

أَو يَلتوي في الحادِثات عَناني

أَو يَلتوي في الحادِثات عَناني

Never shall my bridle-bit yield to rejection,

Far be it that the firmness of my determination soften

nor shall my rein twist amid calamities.

Or that the reins of my resolve twist.

فَالجدّ أَسعدَ وَاللَيالي سالمت

فَالجدّ أَسعدَ وَاللَيالي سالمت

وَصفا بِنَصر العاشِقين زَماني

وَصفا بِنَصر العاشِقين زَماني

For fortune favored me, and the nights made peace,

For seriousness has brought me bliss and the nights safety,

and my days grew serene through the lovers' victory.

And the age's victory in assisting lovers.