أَلا لَيتَ حَظّي مِنكِ أَنِّيَ كُلَّما

أَلا لَيتَ حَظّي مِنكِ أَنِّيَ كُلَّما

ذَكَرتُكِ لَقّاكِ المَليكُ لَنا ذِكرا

ذَكَرتُكِ لَقّاكِ المَليكُ لَنا ذِكرا

Ah, would that my share from you were this: whenever I

Oh, if only my fate with you were when

remembered you, the Sovereign would bring you remembrance of us,

I remember you, we meet readily with pleasant company

فَعالَجتِ مِن وَجدٍ بِنا مِثلَ وَجدِنا

فَعالَجتِ مِن وَجدٍ بِنا مِثلَ وَجدِنا

بِكُم قَسمَ عَدلٍ لا مُشِطّا وَلا هَجرا

بِكُم قَسمَ عَدلٍ لا مُشِطّا وَلا هَجرا

and you would wrestle with longing for us like our longing

So you could heal the passion in me like the passion in us

for you—a fair allotment, with neither excess nor estrangement.

With an equitable share not biased or estranged

لَعَلَّكِ تَبلينَ الَّذي لَكِ عِندِنا

لَعَلَّكِ تَبلينَ الَّذي لَكِ عِندِنا

فَتَدرينَ يَوماً إِن أَحَطتِ بِهِ خُبرا

فَتَدرينَ يَوماً إِن أَحَطتِ بِهِ خُبرا

Perhaps you would experience what we harbor for you,

Perhaps you would experience what we have for you

and know one day, if you fully understood it,

And one day know it fully when news reaches you

لِكَي تَعلَمي عِلماً يَقيناً فَتَنظُري

لِكَي تَعلَمي عِلماً يَقيناً فَتَنظُري

أَيُسراً أُلاقي في طِلابِكِ أَم عُسرا

أَيُسراً أُلاقي في طِلابِكِ أَم عُسرا

so that you might know with certainty and see

So you may know with certain knowledge and see

whether I meet ease in seeking you, or hardship.

Whether I face ease or hardship in your suitors

فَقالَت وَصَدَّت أَنتَ صَبٌّ مُتَيَّمٌ

فَقالَت وَصَدَّت أَنتَ صَبٌّ مُتَيَّمٌ

وَفيكَ لِكُلِّ الناسِ مُطَّلِبٌ عُذرا

وَفيكَ لِكُلِّ الناسِ مُطَّلِبٌ عُذرا

Then she said, turning away, “You are lovesick, enslaved by love,

She replied and turned away “You are a passionate lover

and everyone finds in you grounds for an excuse.

And for all people you have an excuse”

مَلولٌ لِمَن يَهواكَ مُستَطرِفُ الهَوى

مَلولٌ لِمَن يَهواكَ مُستَطرِفُ الهَوى

أَخو شَهَواتٍ تَبذُلُ المَذقَ وَالنَزرا

أَخو شَهَواتٍ تَبذُلُ المَذقَ وَالنَزرا

You tire of whoever loves you, ever seeking fresh love,

Suffering for whoever loves you, infatuated with passion

a man of cravings, offering diluted affection, and little of it.”

A brother of lustful desires that give freely the rare and plenty

فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ مُتَجَلِّدٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ مُتَجَلِّدٍ

وَقَد بَلَّ ماءُ الشَأنِ مِن مُقلَتي نَحرا

وَقَد بَلَّ ماءُ الشَأنِ مِن مُقلَتي نَحرا

So I spoke to her as a man who steels himself,

So I said to her the words of a resilient man

though tears from my eye had already soaked my breast:

Whose tears from his eyelids flowed to his neck

سَلَبتِ هَداكِ اللَهُ قَلبي فَأَنعِمي

سَلَبتِ هَداكِ اللَهُ قَلبي فَأَنعِمي

عَلَيهِ وَرُدّي إِذ ذَهَبتِ بِهِ قَمرا

عَلَيهِ وَرُدّي إِذ ذَهَبتِ بِهِ قَمرا

“You stole my heart—may God guide you—so be kind

You have robbed, may God rob you, of my heart so treat it well

to it, and return it, since you carried it off as winnings.

And return it since you have taken my moon

وَقَطَّعتِ قَلبي بِالمَواعِدِ وَالمُنى

وَقَطَّعتِ قَلبي بِالمَواعِدِ وَالمُنى

وَغُصتِ عَلى قَلبي فَأَوثَقتِهِ أَسرا

وَغُصتِ عَلى قَلبي فَأَوثَقتِهِ أَسرا

And you tore my heart apart with promises and hopes,

You severed my heart with trysts and wishes

and dived for my heart, then bound it fast in captivity.

And quenched my heart and bound it captive

فَما لَيلَةٌ تَمضي عَلى الناسِ تَنجَلي

فَما لَيلَةٌ تَمضي عَلى الناسِ تَنجَلي

وَلَم أُذرِ فيها عَبرَةً تُخضِلُ النَحرا

وَلَم أُذرِ فيها عَبرَةً تُخضِلُ النَحرا

For no night passes over people and clears away

No night passes people unveiled

without my shedding a tear that drenches my breast

Without me shedding copious tears wetting my chest

عَلَيكِ وَلَم أَشرَق بَريقٍ وَلَم أَجِد

عَلَيكِ وَلَم أَشرَق بَريقٍ وَلَم أَجِد

مِنَ الحُبِّ سَوراتٍ عَلى كَبِدي فَطرا

مِنَ الحُبِّ سَوراتٍ عَلى كَبِدي فَطرا

for you, choking on my saliva, and feeling

For you without any happiness rising or finding

surges of love that rend my liver.

From love any joy lighting my inner heart

وَلَكِنَّ قَلبي سيقَ لِلحَينِ نَحوَكُم

وَلَكِنَّ قَلبي سيقَ لِلحَينِ نَحوَكُم

فَجِئتُ فَلا يُسراً لَقيتُ وَلا صَبرا

فَجِئتُ فَلا يُسراً لَقيتُ وَلا صَبرا

And yet my heart was driven toward you to its doom;

But my heart was led at the time towards you

so I came, and found neither ease nor patience.”

So I came and found no ease or patience