لم يَنْهَهُ العَذلُ لكِنْْ زَادَه لَهَجَا

لم يَنْهَهُ العَذلُ لكِنْْ زَادَه لَهَجَا

والعذلُ مما يَزيدُ المُستهامَ شَجَى

والعذلُ مما يَزيدُ المُستهامَ شَجَى

Reproach did not restrain him, but increased his infatuation.

His disapproval did not discourage him, rather it intensified his passion,

And reproach is among the things that deepen the lovesick man's sorrow.

And disapproval is what increases longing in the enamored one.

أضَعْتَ نُصحَكَ فِيمن ليس يسمَعهُ

أضَعْتَ نُصحَكَ فِيمن ليس يسمَعهُ

ولا يَرى في ضَلالاتِ الهوى حَرَجَا

ولا يَرى في ضَلالاتِ الهوى حَرَجَا

You have wasted your counsel on one who does not hear it.

You gave advice in vain to one who does not listen,

Nor does he see any wrong in passion's errant ways.

And does not see any fault in the delusions of love.

ما قلبُه حاضرُ النّجوَى فيردَعُهُ الن

ما قلبُه حاضرُ النّجوَى فيردَعُهُ الن

نَاهِي ولا نَهيَهُ في سمعِهِ وَلَجَا

نَاهِي ولا نَهيَهُ في سمعِهِ وَلَجَا

His heart is not attentive to private counsel, so he cannot be checked by the—

His heart is not present at the tryst to be restrained by the advisor,

admonisher; nor has his warning entered his hearing.

Nor does his advice reach his deaf ears.

مُدلَّهٌ فارقَ الأحبابَ أغْبَطَ مَا

مُدلَّهٌ فارقَ الأحبابَ أغْبَطَ مَا

كانُوا وكانَ بِهم جذلانَ مُبتهِجَا

كانُوا وكانَ بِهم جذلانَ مُبتهِجَا

Distraught with love, he parted from his loved ones at their happiest,

A lovesick one who parted from loved ones, grieved over

while he was jubilant and rejoicing in their company.

What they were, when he was joyous in their company.

يستخبرُ الدّارَ عنهم صبوةً فإذا

يستخبرُ الدّارَ عنهم صبوةً فإذا

أَعيَتْ عليهِ جواباً ناحَ أَو نَشَجا

أَعيَتْ عليهِ جواباً ناحَ أَو نَشَجا

Longing, he asks the dwelling for news of them; and when

He asks the abode about them at dawn, so if it is

it cannot give him an answer, he wails or sobs.

Unable to respond, he cries or laments.

فاضَت بِقَانِي الدّمِ المنهلّ مقلتُهُ

فاضَت بِقَانِي الدّمِ المنهلّ مقلتُهُ

فكلُّ راءٍ رآها ظنّها وَدَجَا

فكلُّ راءٍ رآها ظنّها وَدَجَا

His eye overflowed with streaming crimson blood,

My tears flowed copiously from their spring, so every spectator thought them a deluge.

and every onlooker who saw it thought it a jugular vein.

Oh what a night of anguish dawns upon him and what

يا ويْحَهُ مِن جوىً يغدُو عليه ومِنْ

يا ويْحَهُ مِن جوىً يغدُو عليه ومِنْ

جَوىً يَرُوحُ إذا ليلُ الهمومِ دَجَا

جَوىً يَرُوحُ إذا ليلُ الهمومِ دَجَا

Alas for him, for heartache that visits him in the morning, and for

A night of anguish descends when the night of sorrows becomes dark.

heartache that comes at evening, when the night of cares grows dark.

I would sacrifice an image that travelled by night and at dawn

أَفِدي خيالاً سَرَى ليلاً فأَشرَقَتِ الد

أَفِدي خيالاً سَرَى ليلاً فأَشرَقَتِ الد

دُنيا بأَنوارِه والصبحُ ما انْبَلَجَا

دُنيا بأَنوارِه والصبحُ ما انْبَلَجَا

I would give my life for a vision that traveled by night, lighting up the—

The world was illuminated by its lights and the morning had not yet broken.

world with its radiance, though dawn had not yet broken.

I was amazed by him crossing formidable obstacles, traversing

عجبتُ منهُ تخطّى الهولَ مُعترِضاً

عجبتُ منهُ تخطّى الهولَ مُعترِضاً

أَرضَ العِدا وَوُشَاةَ الحيِّ كيفَ نَجَا

أَرضَ العِدا وَوُشَاةَ الحيِّ كيفَ نَجَا

I marveled at it: it crossed the terror, traversing

The land of enemies and the evil whisperers, how did he escape?

the enemies' land and passing the tribe's talebearers—how did it escape?

Whenever I see the beloved breeze organized,

إِذا رأَيتُ حَبَابَ الرّاحِ مُنتظماً

إِذا رأَيتُ حَبَابَ الرّاحِ مُنتظماً

ذكرتُ ذاكَ الرُّضَابَ العذبَ والبَلَجَا

ذكرتُ ذاكَ الرُّضَابَ العذبَ والبَلَجَا

When I see wine's bubbles strung in a row,

I remember that fresh and sweet calmness.

I recall that sweet saliva and the radiance.

Oh what distance remains between us, their traveling mounts

يَا لي من البَينِ لا زالَت مَطِيَّهُمُ

يَا لي من البَينِ لا زالَت مَطِيَّهُمُ

حَسْرَى إذا إرتَحَلَت معقولَةً بِوَجَى

حَسْرَى إذا إرتَحَلَت معقولَةً بِوَجَى

Alas for me at parting! May their mounts never cease

Left grief behind whenever they departed loaded with supplies.

to be weary when they set out, hobbled by sore feet.

They travelled with the delight of my eyes in their litters,

سَارَت بإِنسانِ عَيني في هَوادِجِهَا

سَارَت بإِنسانِ عَيني في هَوادِجِهَا

فما رَأَتْ مَنظَراً من بَعدِهِمْ بَهِجَا

فما رَأَتْ مَنظَراً من بَعدِهِمْ بَهِجَا

They bore the pupil of my eye away in their howdahs,

So my eyes never saw a pleasant sight after them.

so my eye saw no pleasing sight after they were gone.

I parted from them as if I never found joy with them,

فارقتُهُم فكأَنّي ما سُرِرتُ بِهِم

فارقتُهُم فكأَنّي ما سُرِرتُ بِهِم

يَوماً وقد عِشْتُ مسروراً بِهمِ حِجَجَا

يَوماً وقد عِشْتُ مسروراً بِهمِ حِجَجَا

I parted from them, and it is as though I had never rejoiced in them

And I had lived happily with them for many pilgrimages.

for a single day, though I had lived happily with them for years.