جمرات حبكَ قد خبونَ خمودا

جمرات حبكَ قد خبونَ خمودا

وسيول دمعكَ قد نضبنَ جمودا

وسيول دمعكَ قد نضبنَ جمودا

The embers of your love have faded to extinction,

The embers of your love have faded into oblivion,

and the torrents of your tears have run dry, frozen still.

And the floods of your tears have dried up and frozen.

اضحى فؤادكَ في الصبابة فاتراً

اضحى فؤادكَ في الصبابة فاتراً

من بعد ما اصلت لظاه وقودا

من بعد ما اصلت لظاه وقودا

Your heart has grown languid in passionate love,

Your heart has grown indifferent in youth,

after its blaze had set fuel alight.

After it had attained the most intense fire.

صمت اللسانُ وكان اطرب ناطقٍ

صمت اللسانُ وكان اطرب ناطقٍ

يحبو النجوم قلائداً وعقودا

يحبو النجوم قلائداً وعقودا

The tongue fell silent, though once the most melodious speaker,

The tongue has fallen silent, though it was the most melodious speaker,

bestowing necklaces and strings of gems upon the stars.

Sending necklaces and strings of stars shimmering.

هدأت جوانحك التي ياطالما

هدأت جوانحك التي ياطالما

خفقت فكان خفوقها مشهودا

خفقت فكان خفوقها مشهودا

Your breast grew still, though it had so often

Your wings that once pulsated ardently

throbbed, its throbbing plain to see.

Have now become still, their throbbing witnessed no more.

اعطيتَ بعد الهجر بعضٍ علالةٍ

اعطيتَ بعد الهجر بعضٍ علالةٍ

ذهبَت بجمركَ فاستحلتَ جليدا

ذهبَت بجمركَ فاستحلتَ جليدا

After estrangement, you were given a little solace

After separation you showed some weakness,

that carried off your embers, and you turned to ice.

Allowing your embers to die down into icy indifference.

قد كنتَ بالاشواق تبراً لامعاً

قد كنتَ بالاشواق تبراً لامعاً

فغدوتَ من بعد الوصال حديدا

فغدوتَ من بعد الوصال حديدا

In longing, you had been gleaming gold,

You were illuminated with passion’s fire,

but after union you became iron.

Now after the union you’ve turned into iron.

قد كنتَ نوراً يكسب الليل السنى

قد كنتَ نوراً يكسب الليل السنى

فخبا فأَلفيتُ البواكرَ سُودا

فخبا فأَلفيتُ البواكرَ سُودا

You had been a light lending radiance to the night;

You were a light that gave the night beauty,

it faded, and I found the dawns black.

Now it has faded and I find the dawns are black.

يا بخلُ مذ فارقتني احرمتني

يا بخلُ مذ فارقتني احرمتني

غَرداً بهِ عيشي يدومُ رغيدا

غَرداً بهِ عيشي يدومُ رغيدا

O miserliness, since you left me, you have deprived me

O how miserly you've been since you left me,

of song that keeps my life ever sweet.

Depriving my life of its song that would last.

لو دام هجري كنت اربح غادة

لو دام هجري كنت اربح غادة

ملكَت على طول الزمان عميدا

ملكَت على طول الزمان عميدا

Had my shunning endured, I would have been the luckiest maiden,

If this estrangement had continued

who held a lovesick man in her power for all time.

You would have ruled time eternal, sublime.

مسَّت فؤادي رحمةٌ لشقائهِ

مسَّت فؤادي رحمةٌ لشقائهِ

أجنتَهُ من روض الخدود ورودا

أجنتَهُ من روض الخدود ورودا

Pity for his misery touched my heart;

Pity has touched my heart for its misery,

it let him gather roses from the garden of cheeks.

Rescuing it from the garden of cheeks and roses.

اعجب بوردٍ ناضرٍ مذ نالهُ

اعجب بوردٍ ناضرٍ مذ نالهُ

زالت نضارتُهُ فاصبح عُودا

زالت نضارتُهُ فاصبح عُودا

Marvel at a fresh rose: once he obtained it,

I’m astonished how a radiant rose once plucked

its freshness vanished, and it became a stick.

Loses its glow and becomes mere kindling.

اتهمتِ قلبي يا ظلوم بوصمةٍ

اتهمتِ قلبي يا ظلوم بوصمةٍ

لا زال عنها ما حييتُ بعيدا

لا زال عنها ما حييتُ بعيدا

You accused my heart, O unjust one, of a stain;

You unjustly accused my heart of a blemish

may it remain far from it as long as I live.

From which it will now remain distanced all my life.

يا ليت حكمكِ عادلاً كقوامكِ ال

يا ليت حكمكِ عادلاً كقوامكِ ال

مزري بكثرة عدلهِ الاملودا

مزري بكثرة عدلهِ الاملودا

Would that your judgment were just, like your stature,

Would that your judgment be as fair as your stance -

whose perfect straightness puts the supple bough to shame.

Not hurting me frequently despite its kindness.

ما صار حبي فاتراً لا والذي

ما صار حبي فاتراً لا والذي

جعل الفتور بناظرَيكِ مُبيدا

جعل الفتور بناظرَيكِ مُبيدا

My love has not grown cold—no, by Him

My love has not grown indifferent, no, by Him

who made the languor in your eyes deadly.

Who made indifference itself vanish from your eyes.

بل زادني فَرط التهالكِ لوعةً

بل زادني فَرط التهالكِ لوعةً

ستقضُّني حتى اموت شهيدا

ستقضُّني حتى اموت شهيدا

Rather, excessive devotion has deepened my anguish,

But the intensity of my dissolution has increased my pain

which will torment me until I die a martyr.

Until it kills me and makes me a martyr.

قربتِ لي أَجَلِي ببدعكِ في الهوى

قربتِ لي أَجَلِي ببدعكِ في الهوى

فاتاح لي خوف الممات جمودا

فاتاح لي خوف الممات جمودا

You brought my death nearer with your strange ways in love,

You hastened my death with your innovation in love

so fear of death brought me numbness.

Allowing the fear of death to freeze me.

ذكر التفرُّق في الحيوة يروعني

ذكر التفرُّق في الحيوة يروعني

ما الحال أن فارقتني ملحودا

ما الحال أن فارقتني ملحودا

The thought of parting in life terrifies me;

The thought of parting in life terrifies me

what then if you leave me entombed?

Let alone when you actually leave me.

إن شئتِ عَوداً للبشاشة والهنا

إن شئتِ عَوداً للبشاشة والهنا

أحيي الفؤآد أمانياً ووعودا

أحيي الفؤآد أمانياً ووعودا

If you wish for cheerfulness and joy to return,

If you wish to return joy and happiness to me

revive the heart with hopes and promises.

Revive my heart with hopes and promises.

لا تسعفي الدهر الخؤُونَ عليهِ أع

لا تسعفي الدهر الخؤُونَ عليهِ أع

راضاً ولوماً جارحاً وصدودا

راضاً ولوماً جارحاً وصدودا

Do not aid treacherous Time against it

Do not let time treat it with hostility, blame

with aversion, wounding reproach, and rejection.

Or hurtful estrangement and coldness.

اعطي السماحةَ حقها برًّا بهِ

اعطي السماحةَ حقها برًّا بهِ

واكسيهِ من حلل الهناءِ برودا

واكسيهِ من حلل الهناءِ برودا

Give generosity its due by treating it kindly,

Give generosity its right with kindness

and clothe it in mantles from the raiment of joy.

And clothe it with garments of bliss and calm.

وتجنَّبي تكدير اوقات الصفا

وتجنَّبي تكدير اوقات الصفا

مَن ذا يشوب بعلقمٍ قنديدا

مَن ذا يشوب بعلقمٍ قنديدا

And avoid clouding the hours of serenity:

And avoid disturbing the moments of intimacy,

who would taint sweet wine with bitter colocynth?

Who would taint pure wine with aloe?

ودعي الترفُّعَ والدلالَ تكلُّفاً

ودعي الترفُّعَ والدلالَ تكلُّفاً

حتى يعود بنا الغرام سعيدا

حتى يعود بنا الغرام سعيدا

And abandon affected haughtiness and coyness,

Leave aside haughtiness and coquetry

so love may return with us, happy once more.

So that love returns to us happy.

ألمثل قلبيَ تتهمينَ بسلوةٍ

ألمثل قلبيَ تتهمينَ بسلوةٍ

يا مَن لها عنت الرؤُوس سجودا

يا مَن لها عنت الرؤُوس سجودا

Do you accuse a heart like mine of forgetting love,

Do you accuse my heart that vies for leadership of indifference?

O you before whom heads bow in prostration?

O you before whom heads bow down in prostration!

وانا الذي لم يتخذكِ حبيبةً

وانا الذي لم يتخذكِ حبيبةً

لفؤادهِ الملتاح بل معبودا

لفؤادهِ الملتاح بل معبودا

And I am the one who took you not as a beloved

And I who never took you as a beloved

for his parched heart, but as an object of worship.

To my heart that is entirely devoted to you as a goddess.

وانا الذي مذ صحَّ عقد ودادنا

وانا الذي مذ صحَّ عقد ودادنا

اضحت لديهِ مهى زرود قرودا

اضحت لديهِ مهى زرود قرودا

And I am the one who, once our bond of love was sealed,

And I who, since our love pact was made

saw the oryxes of Zarud become monkeys.

You have become the sole object of my passion and desire.

وأنا الذي يجد السعادةَ والمُنى

وأنا الذي يجد السعادةَ والمُنى

أن توطئي قدميكِ منهُ خدودا

أن توطئي قدميكِ منهُ خدودا

And I am the one who finds happiness and his wishes fulfilled

And I who find happiness and purpose

in your planting your feet upon his cheeks.

That your feet tread upon me as carpets.

وانا الذي باع الحية وصفوها

وانا الذي باع الحية وصفوها

في سوق حبكِ عامداً معمودا

في سوق حبكِ عامداً معمودا

And I am the one who sold life and its serenity

And I who sold my soul extolling you

in the market of your love, deliberately, love-stricken.

In the market of your love consciously and willfully.

ان غبتِ ظنَّ الشمس قرصاً من دمٍ

ان غبتِ ظنَّ الشمس قرصاً من دمٍ

والارض سجناً والسما اخدودا

والارض سجناً والسما اخدودا

If you are absent, he thinks the sun a disc of blood,

If you are absent, the sun seems to my eye a bowl of blood

and the earth a prison, and the sky a trench.

And the earth a prison, and the sky caving walls.

واذا وجدتِ وجدتِ منك بعطفةٍ

واذا وجدتِ وجدتِ منك بعطفةٍ

حسب المنيّةَ جنَّةً وخلودا

حسب المنيّةَ جنَّةً وخلودا

And if you are present and bestow a little tenderness,

And when you are found, you are to me a bliss

he deems death a paradise and immortality.

That suffices instead of Heaven and eternity.

العيدُ أن لم يبدُ وجهكِ مأتمٌ

العيدُ أن لم يبدُ وجهكِ مأتمٌ

واذا بدا حسب المآتم عيدا

واذا بدا حسب المآتم عيدا

The festival is a funeral if your face does not appear;

A feast, if not lit by the light of your face, is but mourning;

and if it does, he counts funerals as a festival.

And if lit by it, however gloomy, becomes celebration.

كوني على ثقةٍ بأَني ثابتٌ

كوني على ثقةٍ بأَني ثابتٌ

في دين حبّكِ لا اطيق جحودا

في دين حبّكِ لا اطيق جحودا

Be certain that I remain steadfast

Have confidence that I stand steadfast

in the faith of your love; I cannot bear to deny it.

In the religion of your love, refusing to betray or abandon it.

وتيقني ان الذى الف الوفا

وتيقني ان الذى الف الوفا

منذ الحداثة لا يكون كنودا

منذ الحداثة لا يكون كنودا

And be sure that one accustomed to fidelity

And be certain that he who has shown loyalty for so long

since youth will never be ungrateful.

Can never be indifferent or uncaring.

جودي ابخلي صدّي اقبلي جوري اعدلي

جودي ابخلي صدّي اقبلي جوري اعدلي

تجدي سليمكِ صادقاً وودودا

تجدي سليمكِ صادقاً وودودا

Be generous, be miserly; turn away, come near; be unjust, be fair—

Favor me or deprive me, accept me or spurn me, be equitable or unfair,

you will find your Salim true and loving,

And you will still find your faithful loving friend.

كَلِفاً مشوقاً هائماً متولّهاً

كَلِفاً مشوقاً هائماً متولّهاً

لم يبغِ عن سنن الوفاء محيدا

لم يبغِ عن سنن الوفاء محيدا

enamored, yearning, wandering in love, distraught,

Passionately yearning, utterly enraptured,

never seeking a turning from the path of fidelity.

Never deviating from loyalty’s ways.

بكِ منكِ عنكِ اليكِ كل حياتهِ

بكِ منكِ عنكِ اليكِ كل حياتهِ

وكذاك يلبث في الخلود مُريدا

وكذاك يلبث في الخلود مُريدا

Through you, from you, about you, toward you—all his life;

For you, from you, by you, to you is his whole existence,

and thus he remains a devotee for eternity.

And so shall he remain for eternity aspiring.