فُؤَادِي لِفَقْدِ الظَّاعِنِينَ فَقِيدُ

فُؤَادِي لِفَقْدِ الظَّاعِنِينَ فَقِيدُ

وَأجْفَانُ عَيْنِي بِالدُّمُوعِ تَجُودُ

وَأجْفَانُ عَيْنِي بِالدُّمُوعِ تَجُودُ

My heart is lost at the loss of those who departed,

My heart is captive to the loss of the beloveds,

And my eyelids pour out tears.

And the eyelids of my eyes overflow with tears.

وَهَلْ نَافِعٌ دَمْعٌ جَرَى وَبِمُهْجَتِي

وَهَلْ نَافِعٌ دَمْعٌ جَرَى وَبِمُهْجَتِي

لَهِيبٌ لَهُ بَيْنَ الضُّلُوعِ وُقُودُ

لَهِيبٌ لَهُ بَيْنَ الضُّلُوعِ وُقُودُ

And can flowing tears help, when in my heart

But what good is a tear that flows, when in my heart

A flame has fuel between my ribs?

There is for it a blazing fire between the ribs?

فَيَا مُهْجَتِي ذُوبِي أسًى وَصَبَابَةً

فَيَا مُهْجَتِي ذُوبِي أسًى وَصَبَابَةً

فَلَيْسَ لِنِيرَانِ الغَرَامِ خُمُودُ

فَلَيْسَ لِنِيرَانِ الغَرَامِ خُمُودُ

So, O my heart, melt in grief and longing,

So melt, O my heart, in sorrow and turmoil,

For the fires of passion never die down.

For the fires of passion have no respite.

وَيَا مُقْلَتِي سِحِّي دَمًا وَمَدَامِعًا

وَيَا مُقْلَتِي سِحِّي دَمًا وَمَدَامِعًا

فَإنَّ مَزَارَ الظَّاعِنِينَ بَعِيدُ

فَإنَّ مَزَارَ الظَّاعِنِينَ بَعِيدُ

And, O my eye, pour forth blood and tears,

And flow, O my eyelids, blood and copious tears,

For the abode of those who departed is far away.

For the halting-place of the beloveds is far.

فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ لِطَرْفِيَ جَوْلَةٌ

فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ لِطَرْفِيَ جَوْلَةٌ

بِمَسْرَحِ غِيدٍ قَدْ حَمَتْهُ أسُودُ

بِمَسْرَحِ غِيدٍ قَدْ حَمَتْهُ أسُودُ

So, would that I knew: can my gaze roam

Would that I knew! Will my eyes ever roam

In a meadow of slender beauties that lions have guarded?

Among the meadows where dark lions abound?

وَهَلْ لِيَ مِنْ قُرْبٍ وَلَوْ عُمْرُ سَاعَةٍ

وَهَلْ لِيَ مِنْ قُرْبٍ وَلَوْ عُمْرُ سَاعَةٍ

فَيُشْفَى مَشُوقٌ قَدْ بَرَاهُ صُدُودُ

فَيُشْفَى مَشُوقٌ قَدْ بَرَاهُ صُدُودُ

And may I draw near, even for the span of an hour,

Will I ever draw near, if only for an hour,

So a yearning lover, wasted by rejection, might be healed?

That frustrated longing may find relief?

وَهَلْ لِي إلَى رَبْعِ الأحِبَّةِ عَوْدَةٌ

وَهَلْ لِي إلَى رَبْعِ الأحِبَّةِ عَوْدَةٌ

وَهَيْهَاتَ مَا قَدْ فَاتَ لَيْسَ يَعُودُ

وَهَيْهَاتَ مَا قَدْ فَاتَ لَيْسَ يَعُودُ

And may I return to the dwelling of my loved ones?

Can I return to the dwellings of my loved ones?

But that is beyond reach: what has passed does not return.

Alas! What is past does not come back again.

سَقَتْنِي اللَّيَالِي صَفْوَهَا ثُمَّ كِدْنَ لي

سَقَتْنِي اللَّيَالِي صَفْوَهَا ثُمَّ كِدْنَ لي

كَذَاكَ اللَّيَالِي مَا لَهُنَّ عُهُودُ

كَذَاكَ اللَّيَالِي مَا لَهُنَّ عُهُودُ

The nights gave me their serenity to drink, then plotted against me;

The nights gave me their sweetest drink, then failed me;

Such are the nights: they keep no pledges.

Such is the way of nights, they know no covenants.

وَجَدَّدَ سُقْمِي مَا عَفَا مِنْ وَفَائِهَا

وَجَدَّدَ سُقْمِي مَا عَفَا مِنْ وَفَائِهَا

وَفِي كُلّ وَقْتٍ خُلْفُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ

وَفِي كُلّ وَقْتٍ خُلْفُهُنَّ جَدِيدُ

And the fading of their faithfulness renewed my sickness,

My sickness was renewed by their disloyalty,

And at every moment their breach of faith is fresh.

And at every moment their perfidy was renewed.

وَأرَّقَنِي فِي اللَّيْلِ بَدْرٌ لأجْلِهِ

وَأرَّقَنِي فِي اللَّيْلِ بَدْرٌ لأجْلِهِ

سَهِرْتُ غَرَامًا وَالْعُيُونُ رُقُودُ

سَهِرْتُ غَرَامًا وَالْعُيُونُ رُقُودُ

And a full moon kept me sleepless at night; for his sake

A moon kept me sleepless in the night because of it

I stayed awake for love, while eyes were asleep.

I stayed awake in passion while eyes slept.

أعَانِقُ مِنْهُ الغَضَّ وَهْوَ مُهَفْهَفٌ

أعَانِقُ مِنْهُ الغَضَّ وَهْوَ مُهَفْهَفٌ

وَأشْهَدُ مِنْهُ البَدْرَ وَهْوَ سَعِيدُ

وَأشْهَدُ مِنْهُ البَدْرَ وَهْوَ سَعِيدُ

I embrace his tender form, while he is slender-waisted,

I embrace its brightness though it is waning,

And behold in him the full moon, while he is happy.

And I behold it at the full though it is content.

وَألْثِمُ فَاهُ السُّكَّرِيَّ رُضَابُهُ

وَألْثِمُ فَاهُ السُّكَّرِيَّ رُضَابُهُ

مَتَى رُمْتُ عِقْدَ الدُّرّ وَهْوَ نَضِيدُ

مَتَى رُمْتُ عِقْدَ الدُّرّ وَهْوَ نَضِيدُ

And I kiss his mouth, whose saliva is sweet as sugar,

And I sinfully kiss that inebriating cup

Whenever I seek the necklace of pearls, neatly strung.

When I throw the pearl necklace and it is scattered.

يَقُولُونَ جَنِّبْ لَحْظَهُ فَجُفُونُهُ

يَقُولُونَ جَنِّبْ لَحْظَهُ فَجُفُونُهُ

مِرَاضٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْقُلُوبِ تُبِيدُ

مِرَاضٌ وَلَكِنْ لِلْقُلُوبِ تُبِيدُ

They say, “Avoid his glance, for his eyelids

They say, “Avoid its glance, for its eyes are sickening.”

Are languid, yet they destroy hearts.”

But to hearts they are destructive.

وَمَا عَلِمُوا أنَّ العُيُونَ صَوَارِمٌ

وَمَا عَلِمُوا أنَّ العُيُونَ صَوَارِمٌ

وَأنَّ قُلُوبَ العَاشِقِينَ غُمُودُ

وَأنَّ قُلُوبَ العَاشِقِينَ غُمُودُ

Yet they did not know that eyes are sharp swords,

They do not know that eyes are piercing swords,

And that the hearts of lovers are scabbards,

And that the hearts of lovers are submissive fawns.

وَأنَّ فَتِيلُ الحُبّ في شِرْعَةِ الهَوَى

وَأنَّ فَتِيلُ الحُبّ في شِرْعَةِ الهَوَى

بِأسْبَابِ هَاتِيكَ الجُفُونِ شَهِيدُ

بِأسْبَابِ هَاتِيكَ الجُفُونِ شَهِيدُ

And that love's wick, under passion's law,

That the wick of love in the law of passion

Is a martyr because of those eyelids.

Is kindled by the sparks from those very eyes and dies a martyr.