أَصبَحَ القَلبُ قَد صَحا وَأَنابا

أَصبَحَ القَلبُ قَد صَحا وَأَنابا

هَجَرَ اللَهوَ وَالصِبا وَالرَبابا

هَجَرَ اللَهوَ وَالصِبا وَالرَبابا

The heart has now sobered and repented.

My heart awoke, now sober and remorseful,

It has forsaken diversion, youthful passion, and al-Rabab.

Forsaking vanity, youth, music and revelry,

كُنتُ أَهوى وِصالَها فَتَجَنَّت

كُنتُ أَهوى وِصالَها فَتَجَنَّت

ذَنبَ غَيري فَما تَمَلُّ العِتابا

ذَنبَ غَيري فَما تَمَلُّ العِتابا

I longed for union with her, but she blamed me

I used to love her company, but she denied me,

for another's fault, never tiring of reproach.

The sin of another yet her grievance was never allayed,

فَتَعَزَّيتُ عَن هَواها لِرُشدي

فَتَعَزَّيتُ عَن هَواها لِرُشدي

حِنَ لاحَ القَذالُ مِنّي فَشابا

حِنَ لاحَ القَذالُ مِنّي فَشابا

So, guided by good sense, I consoled myself for giving up love of her,

So I overcame my passion for good sense’s sake

when gray appeared in the hair at the back of my head.

When my temples turned white through sorrow's ashen pall,

بَعَثَت لِلوِصالِ نَحوي وَقالَت

بَعَثَت لِلوِصالِ نَحوي وَقالَت

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ دَرَّهُ كَيفَ تابا

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ دَرَّهُ كَيفَ تابا

She sent word to me seeking reunion, and said:

Then she sent me a message, seeking reunion:

Indeed, God bless him! How did he repent?

“God’s rule,” she said, “how could one not repent?”

مَن رَسولٌ إِلَيهِ يَعلَمُ حَقّاً

مَن رَسولٌ إِلَيهِ يَعلَمُ حَقّاً

أَجمَعَ اليَومَ هِجرَةً وَاِجتِنابا

أَجمَعَ اليَومَ هِجرَةً وَاِجتِنابا

Who will go to him as a messenger and learn for certain

Who is the go-between to whom truth is revealed?

whether today he has resolved to forsake and avoid me?

Today she shuns me more than ever.

إِن لَمِ أَصرِفهُ لِلَّذي قَد هَوَينا

إِن لَمِ أَصرِفهُ لِلَّذي قَد هَوَينا

عَن هَواهُ فَلا أَسَغتُ الشَرابا

عَن هَواهُ فَلا أَسَغتُ الشَرابا

If I do not turn him back toward what we have loved,

Had I not weaned him from the one we loved,

away from his own desire, may I never drink with ease!

I would not have abandoned wine.

بَعَثَت نَحوَ عاشِقٍ غَيرِ سالٍ

بَعَثَت نَحوَ عاشِقٍ غَيرِ سالٍ

مَع ثَوابٍ فَلا عَدِمتُ ثَوابا

مَع ثَوابٍ فَلا عَدِمتُ ثَوابا

She sent to a lover who had not forgotten,

She sent a messenger not to the devoted lover

through Thawab—may I never be without Thawab!—

But one who found reward—and I’ll not leave reward.

بِحَديثٍ فيهِ مَلامٌ لِصَبٍّ

بِحَديثٍ فيهِ مَلامٌ لِصَبٍّ

موجَعِ القَلبِ عاشِقٍ فَأَجابا

موجَعِ القَلبِ عاشِقٍ فَأَجابا

a message carrying reproach for a lovesick man,

With words that blamed a passion-maddened man—

a lover with an aching heart; he responded.

A lover whose heartache left him mute.

فَأَتاها لِلحينِ يَعدو سَريعاً

فَأَتاها لِلحينِ يَعدو سَريعاً

وَعَصى في هَوى الرَبابِ الصَحابا

وَعَصى في هَوى الرَبابِ الصَحابا

So he came to her, running swiftly toward his doom,

He came to her straightaway, running,

and defied his companions for love of al-Rabab.

Disobeying, in his love for song, good company.

كُنتُ أَعصي النَصيحَ فيكِ مِنَ الوَج

كُنتُ أَعصي النَصيحَ فيكِ مِنَ الوَج

دِ وَأَنهى الخَليلَ أَن يَرتابا

دِ وَأَنهى الخَليلَ أَن يَرتابا

I used to defy my counselor for you, out of passionate

I disobeyed good advice about you, I confess,

longing, and forbid my close friend to harbor doubts.

As my friend warned me not to doubt.

فَاِبتُليتُ الغَداةَ مِنهُ بِشَيءٍ

فَاِبتُليتُ الغَداةَ مِنهُ بِشَيءٍ

سَلَّ جِسمي وَعُدتُ شَيئاً عُجابا

سَلَّ جِسمي وَعُدتُ شَيئاً عُجابا

Then this morning I was afflicted by it with something

So this morning I was visited with something

that wasted my body, and I became a strange sight.

That shook my being and made me a marvel.