كَم قالَ صَبٌّ إِلى دين الغَرام صَبا

كَم قالَ صَبٌّ إِلى دين الغَرام صَبا

تَطوّعا وَالكَرى مِن جفنه غَصبا

تَطوّعا وَالكَرى مِن جفنه غَصبا

How often has a lovesick man, drawn to the faith of love, said—

How much did passion say to the religion of love

Willingly drawn, while sleep was wrested from his eyelid:

Volunteering, while coercion spilled from its eyelid

ما حِيلَتي عيل صَبري وَالجَواد كَبا

ما حِيلَتي عيل صَبري وَالجَواد كَبا

كَيفَ السَبيل إِلى مَرضاة مَن غَضِبا

كَيفَ السَبيل إِلى مَرضاة مَن غَضِبا

What can I do? My patience is exhausted, and the steed has stumbled.

What can I do about my patience and generosity

How can I win the favor of one who grew angry,

How can I find a way to please one who is angry

وَحمّل القَلب مِن فَرط الجَفا وَصَبا

وَحمّل القَلب مِن فَرط الجَفا وَصَبا

وَصدّق الكاذب الواشي وَفنّدني

وَصدّق الكاذب الواشي وَفنّدني

And burdened the heart with suffering through excessive cruelty,

And burdened my heart with excessive aloofness and tiredness

And believed the lying slanderer and discredited me?

And believed the lying slanderer and destroyed me

وَكُنت أَزعم أَن الدَهر أَسعَدني

وَكُنت أَزعم أَن الدَهر أَسعَدني

فَخابَ ظَني وَحَل السقم في بَدَني

فَخابَ ظَني وَحَل السقم في بَدَني

And I had thought that time had made me happy,

And I used to claim that fate made me fortunate

So my hope was dashed, and sickness settled in my body.

But my assumption was wrong and sickness took hold of my body

وَكُلَّما رُمتُ قرباً مِنهُ أَبعدَني

وَكُلَّما رُمتُ قرباً مِنهُ أَبعدَني

مِن غَير ذَنب وَلَم أَعرف لَهُ سَببا

مِن غَير ذَنب وَلَم أَعرف لَهُ سَببا

And whenever I sought closeness to him, he drove me away,

And whenever I tried to draw near him, he distanced me

Without any fault of mine, and I knew no reason for it.

Without any sin, nor could I find a reason for it