بِرُوحيَ ريماً ناعسَ الطَرف جادَ لي

بِرُوحيَ ريماً ناعسَ الطَرف جادَ لي

بِرَشفٍ وَتَقبيلٍ فَزالَ سقامي

بِرَشفٍ وَتَقبيلٍ فَزالَ سقامي

My soul be ransom for a drowsy-eyed gazelle who granted me

My spirit, half asleep, turned to me

sips and kisses, and so my sickness vanished.

With a kiss and caress, my sickness disappeared

كَلفت بِهِ طفلاً وَهمت بِحُبه

كَلفت بِهِ طفلاً وَهمت بِحُبه

فَلَما اِنتَشى أَصمى الحَشا بِسهام

فَلَما اِنتَشى أَصمى الحَشا بِسهام

I was enamored of him as a boy, and was lost in love for him;

I raised him as a child and loved him

then, when he became intoxicated, he struck my heart with deadly arrows.

But when he awoke, he shot me with arrows

وَسالم أَعدائي وَفي حكمه اِعتَدى

وَسالم أَعدائي وَفي حكمه اِعتَدى

وَقابلني ظُلماً بِنَقض ذمامي

وَقابلني ظُلماً بِنَقض ذمامي

He made peace with my enemies and was unjust in his judgment,

And wished safety to my enemies though they were unjust

and treated me wrongfully, breaking faith with me.

And met me with wrong after breaking their word

لَحى اللَهُ مَن يَصبو اِختِياراً إِلى الهَوى

لَحى اللَهُ مَن يَصبو اِختِياراً إِلى الهَوى

وَيَرضى بِخَفض بَعد رَفع مَقام

وَيَرضى بِخَفض بَعد رَفع مَقام

May God curse whoever willingly inclines toward passion

May God erase those who choose passion

and accepts abasement after exalted rank,

And accept humiliation after raising status

وَيَرفض أَقوال النُصوح وَلَم يُطع

وَيَرفض أَقوال النُصوح وَلَم يُطع

مَقالة جار في أَسير مَدام

مَقالة جار في أَسير مَدام

and rejects a sincere adviser's words, and has not heeded

And reject good advice but obey

a neighbor's words about a captive of wine.

The words of a neighbor in enduring fetters

فَلا كانَ يَوم فيهِ أَحرقت مُهجَتي

فَلا كانَ يَوم فيهِ أَحرقت مُهجَتي

بِحُبِّ فَتاةٍ أَو بِحُبِّ غُلام

بِحُبِّ فَتاةٍ أَو بِحُبِّ غُلام

Would that the day had never been when I burned my heart

Never was there a day I burnt my soul

with love for a girl or love for a boy;

With love of a girl or love of a lad

وَلا كانَ يَوم ملت فيهِ لِناصح

وَلا كانَ يَوم ملت فيهِ لِناصح

أَرادَ خَلاصي مِن قُيود غَرام

أَرادَ خَلاصي مِن قُيود غَرام

nor the day when I yielded to an adviser

Nor was there a day I was tired of an advisor

who sought to free me from the fetters of passion.

Who wanted my freedom from bonds of love

أَلا أَيُّها اللاحي الَّذي رامَ سَلوَتي

أَلا أَيُّها اللاحي الَّذي رامَ سَلوَتي

بِأَقوال بُهتان وَزور كَلام

بِأَقوال بُهتان وَزور كَلام

Ah, you reproacher who sought to make me forget him

O you fault-finder who sought to seduce me

with slanderous sayings and false words:

With words of lies and false speech

إِذا كانَ مَن أَهواه عَني راضِياً

إِذا كانَ مَن أَهواه عَني راضِياً

فَلا زلتَ غَضباناً كَثير ملام

فَلا زلتَ غَضباناً كَثير ملام

if the one I love is pleased with me,

If the one I loved was pleased with me

then may you remain forever angry, full of reproach.

You were still angry, full of blame

فحب حَبيبي قَد تَملكني فَإِن

فحب حَبيبي قَد تَملكني فَإِن

أَصلِّ إِلى المحراب فَهوَ إِمامي

أَصلِّ إِلى المحراب فَهوَ إِمامي

For love of my beloved has possessed me, so if

For the love of my beloved possessed me, so if

I pray toward the mihrab, he is my imam.

I prayed, he was my prayer leader

عَلى أَنَّني أَخطأت في دين حُبه

عَلى أَنَّني أَخطأت في دين حُبه

وَجازَيت خلّاني بِطول خصام

وَجازَيت خلّاني بِطول خصام

Yet I have erred in the faith of loving him,

I admit I sinned in loving him

and repaid my friends with prolonged quarrels.

And repaid my betrayer with long discord

وَلَكن عَلى التَفريط أَصبَحتُ نادِماً

وَلَكن عَلى التَفريط أَصبَحتُ نادِماً

نَدامة صبّ لَم يَفز بِمَرام

نَدامة صبّ لَم يَفز بِمَرام

But I have come to regret my neglect,

But I regretted my negligence

with the remorse of a lovesick man who failed to attain his desire.

Regret that did not accomplish its goal

وَآليت أَني لا أَميل لِغادرٍ

وَآليت أَني لا أَميل لِغادرٍ

وَلَو كانَ أَبهى مِن بُدور تَمام

وَلَو كانَ أَبهى مِن بُدور تَمام

And I have sworn that I will not incline toward a traitor,

And I decided not to leave one who,

even were he more resplendent than full moons.

However perfect, was absent from me