حَظُّ قَلبي في هَواهُ الوَلَهُ

حَظُّ قَلبي في هَواهُ الوَلَهُ

فَعذولي فيهِ مالي وَلَهُ

فَعذولي فيهِ مالي وَلَهُ

My heart’s lot in loving him is rapturous madness;

My heart's lot in loving him is lovesick bewilderment.

as for my reproacher over him—what have I to do with such a man?

So, my reproacher over him—what have I to do with him?

باسمٌ عن بَردٍ مُنتَظِمٍ

باسمٌ عن بَردٍ مُنتَظِمٍ

لَم يَفُز إِلاَّ فَتىً قَبَّلَهُ

لَم يَفُز إِلاَّ فَتىً قَبَّلَهُ

A smiling one, revealing smiling hailstones,

He smiles, revealing hailstones strung in a row;

no youth has won him save one who kissed him.

only a youth who kissed him has won.

جائِرُ الأَلحاظِ يثني قامَةً

جائِرُ الأَلحاظِ يثني قامَةً

قَدُّهُ المائِلُ ما أَعدلَهُ

قَدُّهُ المائِلُ ما أَعدلَهُ

Tyrannous of glance, he bends my frame;

Cruel in his glances, he bends his form;

his own swaying figure—how perfectly straight it is!

his swaying figure—how upright it is!

شاهرٌ صارمَ جفنٍ لم يزَل

شاهرٌ صارمَ جفنٍ لم يزَل

في فُؤادي غَامِداً مُنصُلهث

في فُؤادي غَامِداً مُنصُلهث

My eyelid is wakeful; a keen sword has never ceased

He brandishes an eyelid's keen sword; always

to keep its blade sheathed within my heart.

its blade lies sheathed within my heart.

يا قَضيباً حامِلاً بدرَ الدُّجى

يا قَضيباً حامِلاً بدرَ الدُّجى

رَبُّهُ بالحُسنِ قَد كَمَّلهُ

رَبُّهُ بالحُسنِ قَد كَمَّلهُ

O two supple boughs bearing the full moon of night,

O bough bearing the full moon of darkness,

his Lord has perfected him in beauty.

his Lord has perfected him in beauty.

عندَهُ باللَّحظِ سَهمٌ كلُّ مَن

عندَهُ باللَّحظِ سَهمٌ كلُّ مَن

رشتَهُ صابَ لَهُ مَقتَلَه

رشتَهُ صابَ لَهُ مَقتَلَه

He has an arrow in his glance: everyone

He has an arrow in his glance; whoever

it shoots, it strikes in his mortal spot.

you favor, it strikes his vital spot.

ذو غَرامٍ لَم يُطِع فيكَ الجَوَى

ذو غَرامٍ لَم يُطِع فيكَ الجَوَى

والهَوَى حتَّى عَصى عُذَّلَهُ

والهَوَى حتَّى عَصى عُذَّلَهُ

A man possessed by passion would not yield, for you, to inward longing

One in love did not yield to heartache for you

or desire, until he defied his reproachers.

and passion until he defied his reproachers.

كُلَّما طالَت عَليهِ ليلَةٌ

كُلَّما طالَت عَليهِ ليلَةٌ

صاحَ من فَرطِ جَوىً أَشغَلَهُ

صاحَ من فَرطِ جَوىً أَشغَلَهُ

Whenever a night stretched long over him,

Whenever a night grew long for him,

he cried out, so fiercely had his inward passion consumed him.

he cried out from the excess of heartache that consumed him:

هذه اللَّيلةُ لا يَومَ لَها

هذه اللَّيلةُ لا يَومَ لَها

مِثلُ يَومِ الحَشرِ لا لَيلَ لَهُ

مِثلُ يَومِ الحَشرِ لا لَيلَ لَهُ

This night has no day,

“This night has no day to follow it,

like the Day of Resurrection, which has no night.

like the Day of Gathering, which has no night.”

وَكذا كُلُّ كَئيبٍ لَم يَزَل

وَكذا كُلُّ كَئيبٍ لَم يَزَل

لَيلُهُ آخِرهُ أَوَّلَهُ

لَيلُهُ آخِرهُ أَوَّلَهُ

And so with every sorrowing man: ever

And so it is for every sorrowful man: always

his night’s end is its beginning.

his night's end is its beginning.

خَصرُكَ النَّاحِلُ من أَضناهُ بَل

خَصرُكَ النَّاحِلُ من أَضناهُ بَل

صُدغُكَ الُمرسَلُ من سَلسَلَهُ

صُدغُكَ الُمرسَلُ من سَلسَلَهُ

Whom has your slender waist made waste away? No—

Your slender waist—who wasted it away? Rather,

whom has your flowing side-lock bound in chains?

your flowing temple-lock—who has chained it?

والذي خَصَّكَ بالحُسنِ الذي

والذي خَصَّكَ بالحُسنِ الذي

أَحداً غيرَكَ ما سَربَلَهُ

أَحداً غيرَكَ ما سَربَلَهُ

By Him who singled you out for that beauty

By Him who singled you out with beauty that

in which He has robed no one but you:

He has clothed no one but you in,

ما عَرَفتُ النَّومَ مُذ فارقَني

ما عَرَفتُ النَّومَ مُذ فارقَني

نُورُ وَجهٍ مِنكَ ما أَجمَلَهُ

نُورُ وَجهٍ مِنكَ ما أَجمَلَهُ

I have not known sleep since there departed from me

I have known no sleep since it left me—

the radiance of a face of yours—how beautiful it is!

the light of your face—how beautiful it is!

كَم أُداري فيكَ لُوَّامي وَمَن

كَم أُداري فيكَ لُوَّامي وَمَن

يَعذِلُ الُمشتاقَ ما أَجهَلَهُ

يَعذِلُ الُمشتاقَ ما أَجهَلَهُ

How often I humor my reproachers over you! Whoever

How often I appease my reproachers over you! And whoever

reproaches the yearning lover—how ignorant he is!

reproaches the yearning lover—how ignorant he is!