أَقْصِرْ فَلَومي في حُبِّهم لَمَمُ

أَقْصِرْ فَلَومي في حُبِّهم لَمَمُ

وناصحُ العاشِقينَ مُتَّهَمُ

وناصحُ العاشِقينَ مُتَّهَمُ

Desist: reproaching me for loving them is folly.

Blame me less for loving them, though I am

And whoever counsels lovers is held suspect.

The advisor of lovers, blamed.

ما الغيُّ والرشْدُ بالمَلاَمةِ وال

ما الغيُّ والرشْدُ بالمَلاَمةِ وال

إِغراءِ في الحبِّ بل هُمَا قِسَمُ

إِغراءِ في الحبِّ بل هُمَا قِسَمُ

Neither error nor right guidance comes through reproach or

Right and wrong are not with blaming and

encouragement in love; rather, both are allotted shares.

Enticement in love, but both are destined.

بالعذْلِ فيهم وشَقوَتي بهِمُ

بالعذْلِ فيهم وشَقوَتي بهِمُ

وسُوءِ حظّي منهمْ جَرَى القَلَمُ

وسُوءِ حظّي منهمْ جَرَى القَلَمُ

Reproach for loving them, my misery through them,

With harshness to them and wretchedness through them,

and my ill fortune at their hands—all were decreed by the pen.

And my misfortune from them the pen has flowed.

طَرفيَ أعمَى عن عَيبِهم فإِذا

طَرفيَ أعمَى عن عَيبِهم فإِذا

رأَتْهُ عيني أقولُ ذَا حُلُمُ

رأَتْهُ عيني أقولُ ذَا حُلُمُ

My gaze is blind to their faults; and if

My eyesight was blind to their flaws, so when

my eye sees one, I say, 'This is a dream.'

My eyes saw it, I'd say: this one's forbearing.

أَصِمُّ عَن نصحِ من يُعنِّفُني

أَصِمُّ عَن نصحِ من يُعنِّفُني

فيهِم وما بي لَولاَ الهَوى صَمَمُ

فيهِم وما بي لَولاَ الهَوى صَمَمُ

I turn deaf to the counsel of whoever rebukes me

I’m deaf to the advice of those who rebuke me

about them; but for passion, no deafness would afflict me.

About them - if not for passion I'd be deaf.

وهُم إذا خطرةُ التَّوهُّمِ نا

وهُم إذا خطرةُ التَّوهُّمِ نا

جَتْهُمْ بذنبٍ لم أَجْنِهِ صَرَمُوا

جَتْهُمْ بذنبٍ لم أَجْنِهِ صَرَمُوا

And they, when a fleeting suspicion whispers

And when the whim of suspicion stirs them

to them of a sin I never committed, cut me off.

Against me for a crime I didn't commit, they became hostile.

ضَلاَلةٌ في الغرامِ يكذب رأ

ضَلاَلةٌ في الغرامِ يكذب رأ

يُ العينِ فيها ويَصدُقُ الحُلُمُ

يُ العينِ فيها ويَصدُقُ الحُلُمُ

A delusion in passion: the vision

Straying in passion makes the eye’s perception a lie

of the eye proves false in it, while the dream proves true.

And dreaming becomes truth.

فَلا تَزِدني جوىً بلومِكَ إِن

فَلا تَزِدني جوىً بلومِكَ إِن

نَ الحبَّ نارٌ بالعذلِ تَضطَرِمُ

نَ الحبَّ نارٌ بالعذلِ تَضطَرِمُ

So do not add to my heartache with your blame; indeed,

So do not increase my burning with your blame,

love is a fire that reproach makes blaze.

Since love's a fire fueled by harshness.

لو يعلمُ الحاسِدُون حَظّي وما

لو يعلمُ الحاسِدُون حَظّي وما

ألقاهُ منهمْ وفِيهِمُ رَحِمُوا

ألقاهُ منهمْ وفِيهِمُ رَحِمُوا

If the envious knew my lot and what

If the envious only knew my fortune and

I suffer at their hands and for their sake, they would pity me.

What I found in them and through them, they would have mercy.

فوَّضتُ أمرِي إليهمُ ثِقَةً

فوَّضتُ أمرِي إليهمُ ثِقَةً

بِهمْ فلمّا تحكَّمُوا ظَلَمُوا

بِهمْ فلمّا تحكَّمُوا ظَلَمُوا

I entrusted my affairs to them, out of trust

I entrusted my affair to them in confidence,

in them; but when they took control, they wronged me.

In them, but when they took control they did wrong.

وما كذا تُحفَظُ المواثيقُ في ال

وما كذا تُحفَظُ المواثيقُ في ال

حُبِّ وتُرعَى العهودُ والذِّمَمُ

حُبِّ وتُرعَى العهودُ والذِّمَمُ

And not thus are covenants kept in

Promises are not kept this way in love,

love, nor pledges and bonds of honor upheld.

Or pacts and oaths honored.

فيا لَها هفوةً نَدِمتُ على

فيا لَها هفوةً نَدِمتُ على

ما كانَ منها لو ينفَعُ النّدَمُ

ما كانَ منها لو ينفَعُ النّدَمُ

Ah, what a lapse! I regret

Oh what a slip - I regretted

what came of it—if only regret could help.

What happened from it, if only regret helped.

وما احتيالُ الفَتى إذا عثَر ال

وما احتيالُ الفَتى إذا عثَر ال

جَدُّ وزَلَّت بسَعيِهِ القَدَمُ

جَدُّ وزَلَّت بسَعيِهِ القَدَمُ

And what recourse has a young man when

It's no trickery when the young man stumbles

fortune stumbles and his foot slips in his striving?

And his feet slip in his endeavor.