لو رعيتُم للعاشقينَ ذِماما

لو رعيتُم للعاشقينَ ذِماما

لبعثتُم قبلَ الخيالِ الَمناما

لبعثتُم قبلَ الخيالِ الَمناما

If you had honored the claims of lovers,

If you had reined in lovers,

you would have sent sleep before the dream-vision,

You would have sent dreams before imagination.

ورثيتُم لمن غدا في هواكم

ورثيتُم لمن غدا في هواكم

والهَ القلبِ مُغرَماً مُستهاما

والهَ القلبِ مُغرَماً مُستهاما

and pitied one who, in love with you, has become

And you would have eulogized those who became enamored with you,

distraught at heart, besotted and maddened by love.

And the hearts' conquest grew exuberant and more daring.

بنتمو فانثنيتُ إِلفاً لِوُرقٍ

بنتمو فانثنيتُ إِلفاً لِوُرقٍ

كُلمَّا رجعَّت أهيجُ غَراما

كُلمَّا رجعَّت أهيجُ غَراما

You departed, so I became a companion to gray doves;

Whenever a leaf would bend, I bend to it a thousand times,

whenever they coo, I am stirred to passion.

Each time passion is stirred anew.

كانَ ظنِّي أنَّ الحمائمَ تَشفي

كانَ ظنِّي أنَّ الحمائمَ تَشفي

فسقاني نَوحُ الحَمامِ الحِماما

فسقاني نَوحُ الحَمامِ الحِماما

I thought the doves would heal me,

I thought doves would heal me,

but the doves' lament gave me death to drink.

But the cooing of turtledoves left me sick at heart.

لا وأيَّامِ قُربِكم ما نَهاني

لا وأيَّامِ قُربِكم ما نَهاني

عنكُمُ عاذلٌ يُطيلُ الَملاما

عنكُمُ عاذلٌ يُطيلُ الَملاما

No—by the days of your nearness, I have not been turned

Neither censuring critics that bitterly blame

from you by a reproacher who prolongs his blame.

Nor the days of your nearness forbade me from you.

كلَّما قالَ دَعهمُ قلتُ دعني

كلَّما قالَ دَعهمُ قلتُ دعني

لا شفَى اللهُ منهمُ لي سَقاما

لا شفَى اللهُ منهمُ لي سَقاما

Whenever he said, 'Leave them,' I said, 'Leave me!'

Whenever one would say "Leave them be!" I said "Leave me be!"

May God never cure me of the sickness they cause.

May God never heal me of their disease!

يا نسيمَ الصَّبا لعَّلكَ تقرا

يا نسيمَ الصَّبا لعَّلكَ تقرا

لي على بانةِ الكثيبِ السَّلاما

لي على بانةِ الكثيبِ السَّلاما

O breeze of the east, perhaps you will convey

O morning breeze, perchance you would convey

my greetings to the bān-tree on the sand dune.

My greetings to the dunes of Banu Khuzam.

وإذا عدتَ قُل لبُردِكَ يحَمِل

وإذا عدتَ قُل لبُردِكَ يحَمِل

فيهِ نشراً من طيبِ عرف الخُزامي

فيهِ نشراً من طيبِ عرف الخُزامي

And when you return, tell your cloak to carry

And on your return tell your coolness to carry

within it a waft of lavender's sweet fragrance.

Fragrance of Khuzam's basil as you go.

حبَّذا أنتَ مِن رسولٍ كريمٍ

حبَّذا أنتَ مِن رسولٍ كريمٍ

لمشوقٍ أبى الهوَى أن يَناما

لمشوقٍ أبى الهوَى أن يَناما

How welcome you are as a noble messenger

Blessed are you as a noble messenger

to a longing lover whom love will not let sleep.

To a lovelorn one who spurns sleep.

هاتِ باللهِ لا عُدِمتَ رسولاً

هاتِ باللهِ لا عُدِمتَ رسولاً

فُضَّ عن ذلكَ الحديثِ الخِتاما

فُضَّ عن ذلكَ الحديثِ الخِتاما

Tell me, by God—may I never lose you as a messenger!

For God's sake, do not fail as a messenger.

Break the seal upon that tale,

Break off from further discussion on this.

وأعِدهُ مكرَّراً لتراني

وأعِدهُ مكرَّراً لتراني

ثَمِلاً قد شربتُ منهُ مُداما

ثَمِلاً قد شربتُ منهُ مُداما

and repeat it over and over, so that you may see me

And repeat it time and again so you would see me

intoxicated, having drunk wine from it.

Quaffing deep from it as though 'twere wine.

أنتَ لا شكَّ ناصحٌ لي ولكن

أنتَ لا شكَّ ناصحٌ لي ولكن

قد تَفي أن سمعتَ هذا الكَلاما

قد تَفي أن سمعتَ هذا الكَلاما

You are, no doubt, a well-wisher to me, but

You, no doubt, advise me well, and yet

you may keep faith if you have heard these words.

Perchance you would conceal this discourse if heard.