صَبَوتُ إلى دين الصَبابة إِذ سَعى

صَبَوتُ إلى دين الصَبابة إِذ سَعى

إِلى مَنزِلي يَوم العَروبة مَولاهُ

إِلى مَنزِلي يَوم العَروبة مَولاهُ

I was drawn to the faith of passion when there came

I inclined towards the religion of youth when

to my home on Friday its lord—

My beloved came to my abode on the day of intimacy

نَبيُّ جَمالٍ لَيسَ في شَرع حُسنه

نَبيُّ جَمالٍ لَيسَ في شَرع حُسنه

وَلا تَقتلوا النَفس الَّتي حَرَّم اللَهُ

وَلا تَقتلوا النَفس الَّتي حَرَّم اللَهُ

a prophet of beauty, in whose beauty’s law there is no

The prophet of beauty, in whose law of charm there is no

“And do not kill the soul whose killing God has forbidden.”

harm "And slay not the life which Allah hath forbidden"

وَما كُنت أَخشى في اتباعيَ دينه

وَما كُنت أَخشى في اتباعيَ دينه

عَذولاً نَأى لا قرّب اللَه مَثواه

عَذولاً نَأى لا قرّب اللَه مَثواه

And in following his faith, I did not fear

Nor did I fear in following his religion

a reproacher who stayed away—may God not bring his dwelling near.

Aversion - remote is he whom Allah hath brought nigh

فَكَم رام سلواني وَعيّي بِلومه

فَكَم رام سلواني وَعيّي بِلومه

وَلَكن هُدى دين المَحبة يَأباه

وَلَكن هُدى دين المَحبة يَأباه

How often he sought to make me forget, and wearied himself with reproach,

So oft did Solwan chide me and upbraid me with his blame

but the guidance of love’s faith rejects it.

But the guidance of the religion of love spurns him

وَكَم كانَ يَرجو سَلوَتي عَن مهفهف

وَكَم كانَ يَرجو سَلوَتي عَن مهفهف

بَنى بالسويدا مِن فُؤادي مَأواه

بَنى بالسويدا مِن فُؤادي مَأواه

How often he hoped I would forget a slender beloved

And oft he hoped I would desist from this madness

who built his home in the dark core of my heart.

He had built in my heart with Sawda a dwelling

وَكَم لامَني فيهِ خليٌّ وَجاهلٌ

وَكَم لامَني فيهِ خليٌّ وَجاهلٌ

وَكَم حاوَلت مني الأخلاء سَلواه

وَكَم حاوَلت مني الأخلاء سَلواه

How often the heart-free and the ignorant reproached me over him,

And oft did a boon-companion and an ignorant man blame me

and how often my friends tried to make me forget him.

And oft did intimates attempt to dissuade me

وَلما أَبى إِلّا القَطيعة برهةً

وَلما أَبى إِلّا القَطيعة برهةً

وَأَحرَمني يَوم العروبة رُؤياه

وَأَحرَمني يَوم العروبة رُؤياه

And when he insisted on estrangement for a while,

But when he insisted on separation for a time

and denied me the sight of him on Friday,

And deprived me on the day of intimacy of seeing him

وَقاطَعني في الحُب لا عَن مَلالة

وَقاطَعني في الحُب لا عَن مَلالة

وَلَكن لِشيء دينه لَيسَ يَرعاه

وَلَكن لِشيء دينه لَيسَ يَرعاه

and broke with me in love—not out of weariness,

Not for weariness of love,

but because of something his faith does not countenance—

But for something his religion permits him not

وَذاكَ لَوَهمٍ مِنهُ أَني سَلوته

وَذاكَ لَوَهمٍ مِنهُ أَني سَلوته

وَملت إِلى ظَبي أَضاء مُحيّاه

وَملت إِلى ظَبي أَضاء مُحيّاه

that being his suspicion that I had forgotten him

That was his delusion, that I had relented

and turned toward a gazelle whose face shone,

And inclined to a gazelle whose glance gives life

حلفت لَهُ أَني مِن الوَهم تائب

حلفت لَهُ أَني مِن الوَهم تائب

لِما صَحَّ أنَّ الوَهم لِلهَجر أَدّاه

لِما صَحَّ أنَّ الوَهم لِلهَجر أَدّاه

I swore to him that I repented of that delusion,

I swore to him I repented of the delusion

since it was clear that delusion had led him to estrangement.

When it was established the delusion had led to separation

وَيا لَيت شعري كَيفَ يَعلم أَنَّهُ

وَيا لَيت شعري كَيفَ يَعلم أَنَّهُ

يحب سِواه وَالمَحاسن أَسراه

يحب سِواه وَالمَحاسن أَسراه

And would that I knew how he knows that

Would that I knew how he knows

another is loved, when all graces are his captives.

He loves another, though their charms I concealed

وَيُصغي لزور في الغَرام وَشَرعُه

وَيُصغي لزور في الغَرام وَشَرعُه

يَنص عَلى تَحريمه وَهوَ يَرضاه

يَنص عَلى تَحريمه وَهوَ يَرضاه

He listens to falsehood in love, though its law

And hearkens to lies in love, though his law

expressly forbids it, yet he accepts it.

States the prohibition thereof, yet he allows it

وَيَنشر عَني أَن ميلي هُوَ الَّذي

وَيَنشر عَني أَن ميلي هُوَ الَّذي

دَعاه إِلى ما كانَ مِنهُ وَأَغراه

دَعاه إِلى ما كانَ مِنهُ وَأَغراه

And spreads word about me that my straying was what

And divulges about me that my inclination

led him to act as he did, and incited him.

Is what led him to what he did, and enticed him

وَما ملت عَنهُ في الغَرام وَإِنَّما

وَما ملت عَنهُ في الغَرام وَإِنَّما

أَراد اِختِباري بِالصُدود وَبَلواه

أَراد اِختِباري بِالصُدود وَبَلواه

I never turned away from him in love; he merely

I inclined not from him in love, but rather

wished to test me with rejection and its torment.

He wanted to test me with aloofness and trial

وَلما رَآني في المَحبة صادِقاً

وَلما رَآني في المَحبة صادِقاً

وَما بحت للأغيار يَوماً بِنَجواه

وَما بحت للأغيار يَوماً بِنَجواه

And when he saw that I was sincere in love,

And when he saw me truthful in love

and had never divulged his confidences to outsiders,

Nor ever betrayed his intimate talk to strangers

وَصحت لَدَيهِ تَوبَتي جاءَ مُسرِعاً

وَصحت لَدَيهِ تَوبَتي جاءَ مُسرِعاً

وَطابَت أُويقاتي بشرب حميّاه

وَطابَت أُويقاتي بشرب حميّاه

and my repentance proved genuine to him, he came in haste,

And my repentance was confirmed with him, he came hastily

and my brief moments grew sweet with drinking his heady wine.

And my moments were sweetened by drinking his wine

وَعاهدته أَن لا يَخون فَقال لي

وَعاهدته أَن لا يَخون فَقال لي

أَجبت إِذا لَم يَأتِ غَيري فَتَهواه

أَجبت إِذا لَم يَأتِ غَيري فَتَهواه

I made a pact with him that he would not betray me; he said to me,

I pledged to him I would never betray, so he said to me

“I agree, provided no one else comes and wins your love.”

"I am content, so long as no other comes to fascinate you"

فَبايعته طَوعاً وَقُلت لِصاحِبي

فَبايعته طَوعاً وَقُلت لِصاحِبي

مَضى النسك فَاعذرني فَإِني أَهواه

مَضى النسك فَاعذرني فَإِني أَهواه

So I willingly pledged allegiance to him, and said to my companion,

So I willingly pledged allegiance, and said to my companion

“Ascetic devotion is past; excuse me, for I love him.”

"Celibacy has passed, so forgive me, for I adore him"

وَذَلِكَ كاس مِن غَرام شربته

وَذَلِكَ كاس مِن غَرام شربته

فهمت فحاذر أَن تَلوم فَتسقاه

فهمت فحاذر أَن تَلوم فَتسقاه

And that is a cup of passion which I drank,

That was a cup of love I quaffed,

so I became love-mad; beware of reproach, lest you be made to drink it.

So understand, and do not blame me lest you drain it

وَلَو خَيروني بَين أَهلي وَبَينه

وَلَو خَيروني بَين أَهلي وَبَينه

لَما اِختَرتُ في شَرع الصَبابة إِلّا هو

لَما اِختَرتُ في شَرع الصَبابة إِلّا هو

Were they to make me choose between my family and him,

If given the choice between my family and him

under the law of passion, I would choose none but him.

I would not choose, by the law of youth, but him

وَأمنيتي إِن لَم يَزرني مَنِيَّتي

وَأمنيتي إِن لَم يَزرني مَنِيَّتي

عَساهُ إِذا ما مَرّ بِالقَبر حَيّاه

عَساهُ إِذا ما مَرّ بِالقَبر حَيّاه

And my wish, if he does not visit me, is my death;

And my wish, if death does not visit me,

perhaps, when he passes by the grave, he will greet it.

Is that when he passes by my grave, he will give me life

وَإِن لَم يَصلني كُنت لا شكَ هالِكاً

وَإِن لَم يَصلني كُنت لا شكَ هالِكاً

وَلَكنهُ سرّ الفُؤاد وَأَحياه

وَلَكنهُ سرّ الفُؤاد وَأَحياه

And had he not granted me union, I would surely have perished,

And if he does not pray over me, I will surely perish

but he gladdened my heart and brought it back to life.

But he is the secret of my heart, and gave it life

وَواعَدني بِالوَصل في كُل ساعة

وَواعَدني بِالوَصل في كُل ساعة

فَجادَ وَلَم يَبخَل بِما أَتمناه

فَجادَ وَلَم يَبخَل بِما أَتمناه

And promised me union at every hour,

And he promised union every moment

so he gave freely, withholding nothing of what I desire.

So he was generous, and did not stint what I desired

لَهُ اللَه مِن ظَبي يَجود لصبه

لَهُ اللَه مِن ظَبي يَجود لصبه

بِما يَشتَهي جَهراً عَلى رَغم أَعداه

بِما يَشتَهي جَهراً عَلى رَغم أَعداه

God bless him—what a gazelle, giving his lovesick lover

May Allah reward my gazelle who is generous to his lovers

what he desires, openly, in defiance of his enemies.

With whatever he craves openly, despite his enemies

وَما فيهِ مِن عَيب سِوى أَن طَرفه

وَما فيهِ مِن عَيب سِوى أَن طَرفه

إِذا ما رنا صادَ المُحب وَأَصماه

إِذا ما رنا صادَ المُحب وَأَصماه

And he has no flaw, save that his eye,

He has no flaw but that his glance,

whenever it gazes, captures the lover and strikes him dead.

When it wanders, ensnares the lover and deafens him

وَلَو كانَ هَذا الدَهر في الحُكم مُنصِفاً

وَلَو كانَ هَذا الدَهر في الحُكم مُنصِفاً

لَما جارَ مَن بِالعَدل زوراً نَعتناه

لَما جارَ مَن بِالعَدل زوراً نَعتناه

And had this age been impartial in judgment,

If this age were just in its judgment,

he whom we falsely called just would not have acted unjustly,

It would not oppress one we have justly praised

وَفَرّق بَين الجسم وَالرُوح بغتة

وَفَرّق بَين الجسم وَالرُوح بغتة

وَهمّ بِأَمر لَيسَ يَأمن عُقباه

وَهمّ بِأَمر لَيسَ يَأمن عُقباه

nor suddenly torn body from soul,

And separate body and soul suddenly

nor contemplated a deed whose outcome he cannot trust.

Intending a matter whose consequence cannot be avoided