ما كُنتُ أَشعُرُ إِلّا مُذ عَرَفتُكُمُ

ما كُنتُ أَشعُرُ إِلّا مُذ عَرَفتُكُمُ

أَنَّ المَضاجِعَ تُمسي تُنبِتُ الإِبَرا

أَنَّ المَضاجِعَ تُمسي تُنبِتُ الإِبَرا

I never realized, until I came to know you,

I had not felt, until I met you all,

That beds at nightfall sprout needles.

That beds at night grow thorns from threadbareness.

لَقَد شَقيتُ وَكانَ الحَينُ لي سَبَباً

لَقَد شَقيتُ وَكانَ الحَينُ لي سَبَباً

أَن عُلِّقَ القَلبُ قَلباً يُشبِهُ الحَجَرا

أَن عُلِّقَ القَلبُ قَلباً يُشبِهُ الحَجَرا

I have indeed suffered, and doom was the cause

I suffered miseries, and he to me their cause-

Of my heart being bound to a heart resembling stone.

My heart a heart turned into hardness.

قَد لُمتُ قَلبي وَأَعياني بِواحِدَةٍ

قَد لُمتُ قَلبي وَأَعياني بِواحِدَةٍ

فَقالَ لي لا تَلُمني وَاِدفَعِ القَدَرا

فَقالَ لي لا تَلُمني وَاِدفَعِ القَدَرا

I reproached my heart, and it baffled me with one reply:

I blamed my heart and being, in one,

So it said to me: Do not blame me; ward off fate.

Who said, “Do not blame me, confront what is destined!”

إِن أُكرِهِ الطَرفَ يَحسِر دونَ غَيرِكُمُ

إِن أُكرِهِ الطَرفَ يَحسِر دونَ غَيرِكُمُ

وَلَستُ أُحسِنُ إِلّا نَحوَكِ النَظرا

وَلَستُ أُحسِنُ إِلّا نَحوَكِ النَظرا

If I force my gaze, it falters before reaching anyone but you;

“If I am forced to turn away, none but you

And I know how to look only toward you.

Can attract my glance and sight.”

قالوا صَبَوتَ فَلَم أُكذِب مَقالَتَهُم

قالوا صَبَوتَ فَلَم أُكذِب مَقالَتَهُم

وَلَيسَ يَنسى الصِبى إِن والِهٌ كَبِرا

وَلَيسَ يَنسى الصِبى إِن والِهٌ كَبِرا

They said, “You have fallen in love”; I did not deny their words.

They said, “You pine!” I did not deny their words.

Nor does a lovesick man forget youthful passion, even if he has grown old.

An infant does not forget when elders forget.