قلْ لِخلٍّ له وإنْ كان لا يْد

قلْ لِخلٍّ له وإنْ كان لا يْد

ري جميعي وتالدي وطريفي

ري جميعي وتالدي وطريفي

Tell a beloved who owns—though he does not

Say to one who has ignored me though he knows

know it—all of me, my inherited possessions and my newly acquired ones:

All my love, my birth, and my grace,

لِمَ لمّا أردتَ بيعي ولم أُحْ

لِمَ لمّا أردتَ بيعي ولم أُحْ

وِجْ إلى البيع بعتنِي بالطّفيفِ

وِجْ إلى البيع بعتنِي بالطّفيفِ

Why, when you wished to sell me, though I had not

Why, when you wanted to sell me and I did not rush

forced you to sell, did you sell me for a pittance?

To sale, did you sell me for a pittance?

إنْ تكن جاهلاً بحُبِّي فخذ عِلْ

إنْ تكن جاهلاً بحُبِّي فخذ عِلْ

ماً بُحبّي من دمعِيَ المذروفِ

ماً بُحبّي من دمعِيَ المذروفِ

If you are unaware of my love, then gain

If you are ignorant of my love, take

knowledge of my love from my shed tears.

Knowledge of my love from my overflowing tears.

ليتنِي كنتُ في أماكِنِ أطوا

ليتنِي كنتُ في أماكِنِ أطوا

قِكَ أوْلا ففي مكان الشّنوفِ

قِكَ أوْلا ففي مكان الشّنوفِ

Would that I were where your necklaces lie;

Would that before your places I had been

or, failing that, where your earrings lie.

A lofty mountain or a rugged cliff!

لِيَ خوفَ الوشاة ظاهرُ قالٍ

لِيَ خوفَ الوشاة ظاهرُ قالٍ

غيرَ أنّي بباطنٍ مشغوفِ

غيرَ أنّي بباطنٍ مشغوفِ

For fear of tale-bearers, outwardly I seem to hate,

I have an outward fear of slanderers though

yet inwardly I am consumed with love.

Inwardly I am consumed with passion.

كلُّ شيءٍ ولا كعنفِ قويٍّ

كلُّ شيءٍ ولا كعنفِ قويٍّ

في الهوى عامداً لصبِّ ضعيفِ

في الهوى عامداً لصبِّ ضعيفِ

Anything—but not cruelty like that of someone strong

Everything is powerless except the violence

in love, deliberately targeting a weak, lovesick lover.

Of love in me, though I feign to be weak.