يا مَن يَهُزُّ قَوامَهُ

يا مَن يَهُزُّ قَوامَهُ

سُكرُ الشَبابِ فَيَنتَشي

سُكرُ الشَبابِ فَيَنتَشي

O you whose figure is set swaying

O you whose figure is set swaying

by youth’s intoxication, and so you grow ecstatic—

by youth’s intoxication, so that you grow elated,

أَرحَم فَدَيتُكَ مَن لَهُ

أَرحَم فَدَيتُكَ مَن لَهُ

جَسَدٌ بِحُبِّكَ قَد ضَني

جَسَدٌ بِحُبِّكَ قَد ضَني

have mercy—may I be your ransom—on one whose

Have mercy—may I be your ransom—on one whose

body has wasted away through love of you.

body has wasted away for love of you.

اُنظُر إِلَيَّ بِعَينِ را

اُنظُر إِلَيَّ بِعَينِ را

ضٍ في المَحَبَّةِ مُحسِنِ

ضٍ في المَحَبَّةِ مُحسِنِ

Look upon me with the eye of one who is

Look at me with the eye of one

content in love, and gracious.

content in love and kind.

القَلبُ رَهنٌ في يَدَي

القَلبُ رَهنٌ في يَدَي

كَ وَقَد مَلَكتَ فَأَحسِنِ

كَ وَقَد مَلَكتَ فَأَحسِنِ

My heart lies pledged in your

The heart lies pledged in your hands;

hands; now that you possess it, treat it well.

and now that you possess it, be kind.

مالي شَرَيتُكَ غالِياً

مالي شَرَيتُكَ غالِياً

وَزَهِدتَ فيَّ فَبِعتَني

وَزَهِدتَ فيَّ فَبِعتَني

How is it that I bought you dearly,

Why did I buy you at so high a price,

yet you disdained me and sold me?

while you lost interest in me and sold me?

أَطمَعتَني حَتّى إِذا

أَطمَعتَني حَتّى إِذا

عَلِقَ الفُؤادُ هَجَرتَني

عَلِقَ الفُؤادُ هَجَرتَني

You held out hope to me until, when

You gave me hope—until the moment when

my heart had grown attached, you abandoned me.

my heart grew attached, and you abandoned me.

وَرَغِبتَ في وَصلي فَحي

وَرَغِبتَ في وَصلي فَحي

نَ رَغِبتُ فيكَ مَلِلتَني

نَ رَغِبتُ فيكَ مَلِلتَني

You desired union with me; but when

And you longed for union with me; then when

I desired you, you grew weary of me.

I longed for you, you tired of me.

يا مَن جُعِلتُ فِداؤَهُ

يا مَن جُعِلتُ فِداؤَهُ

ما هَكَذا عاهَدتَني

ما هَكَذا عاهَدتَني

O you whose ransom I was made,

O you for whom I was made a ransom,

this is not the covenant you made with me.

this is not what you promised me.

كَم لُذتُ مُعتَصِماً بِصَب

كَم لُذتُ مُعتَصِماً بِصَب

ري في هَواكَ فَرَدَّني

ري في هَواكَ فَرَدَّني

How often I sought refuge, taking shelter in

How often I sought refuge, holding fast to my patience

my patience in loving you—yet it turned me away.

in my love for you, but it turned me away.

وَطَلَبتُ مِن قَلبي السُلُو

وَطَلَبتُ مِن قَلبي السُلُو

وَ فَقالَ لَيسَ بِمُمكِنِ

وَ فَقالَ لَيسَ بِمُمكِنِ

I asked my heart to forget;

And I asked my heart to forget,

it answered, “That is impossible.”

but it said, “It is not possible.”