أنت الذي علّمتني

أنت الذي علّمتني

يا سيدي برّ الصديق

يا سيدي برّ الصديق

You are the one who taught me,

You are the one who taught me,

my master, the loyalty due a friend,

O my master, a friend's kindness.

وتركتني في فتيةٍ

وتركتني في فتيةٍ

ما فيهمو برٌّ رفيق

ما فيهمو برٌّ رفيق

then left me among your young companions;

And you left me among young men,

not one of them has a faithful friend’s devotion.

with no kind companion among them.

لم ألق بعدك منهمو

لم ألق بعدك منهمو

إلا الجفاء أو العقوق

إلا الجفاء أو العقوق

After you, I met among them

After you, I found nothing in them

nothing but coldness or disloyalty,

but coldness or ingratitude.

حتى كأني لم أبت

حتى كأني لم أبت

منهم على عهد وثيق

منهم على عهد وثيق

until it seemed I had never spent a night

So it was as though I had never spent a night

among them under a binding pledge.

among them, bound by a firm pledge.

وكأنهم لم يبصروا

وكأنهم لم يبصروا

في خلّتي الحر الصدوق

في خلّتي الحر الصدوق

It was as though they had never seen

And as though they had never seen

in my friendship the noble, true-hearted man.

how noble and truthful I was in friendship.

فنَسوا هواي ولم يَفق

فنَسوا هواي ولم يَفق

من ودّهم قلبى المشوق

من ودّهم قلبى المشوق

They forgot my love, yet never woke

So they forgot my love, yet it never awoke—

from loving them, my yearning heart.

my yearning heart—from its love for them.

ونسوا طريف حديثنا

ونسوا طريف حديثنا

عند الصبوح أو الغبوق

عند الصبوح أو الغبوق

They forgot the fresh delight of our talk

And they forgot our delightful talk

over morning cup or evening cup.

over the morning draught or the evening draught.

ليت الهوى ما قادني

ليت الهوى ما قادني

يوماً إلى ذاك الطريق

يوماً إلى ذاك الطريق

Would that passion had never led me

Would that love had never led me

one day along that road.

ever onto that road.

أو ليتني لم أنخدع

أو ليتني لم أنخدع

جهلاً بهاتيك البروق

جهلاً بهاتيك البروق

Or would that I had not been deceived,

Or would that I had never been deceived,

in ignorance, by those flashes of lightning.

in my ignorance, by those flashes of lightning.

بل ليتني بعد الذي

بل ليتني بعد الذي

عانيتُ من صحبى أفيق

عانيتُ من صحبى أفيق

Rather, would that, after all

Rather, would that, after what

I suffered from my companions, I might awaken.

I have suffered from my companions, I might awaken.

مولايَ لو أبصرتني

مولايَ لو أبصرتني

لفزعت من دمعي الطليق

لفزعت من دمعي الطليق

My master, if you could see me,

My master, if you could see me,

you would be alarmed by my tears running free,

you would be alarmed at my freely flowing tears,

وشجاك جسمى ناحلاً

وشجاك جسمى ناحلاً

وكأنه الطيف الطروق

وكأنه الطيف الطروق

and by my grief—my body wasted,

and my wasted body would grieve you,

as though it were a phantom visiting by night.

as though it were a phantom visiting by night.

أشكو إليك وإنما

أشكو إليك وإنما

يشكو المضيم إلى الشفيق

يشكو المضيم إلى الشفيق

I lay my complaint before you; for only

I complain to you, for only

the wronged complain to the compassionate.

to the compassionate does the wronged one complain.

فارحم فديتك مهجةً

فارحم فديتك مهجةً

أودى بها الحزن العميق

أودى بها الحزن العميق

Have mercy—I would ransom you—on a soul

So have mercy—may I be your ransom—on a heart

that deep sorrow has brought to ruin:

that deep sorrow has destroyed.

حزنٌ يقطّع في الحشا

حزنٌ يقطّع في الحشا

فكأنه غدر الصديق

فكأنه غدر الصديق

a sorrow that cuts within the breast,

A sorrow that tears at my vitals,

as though it were a friend’s betrayal.

as though it were a friend's betrayal.

يا ويح قلبي لم يزل

يا ويح قلبي لم يزل

يهفو به الروح الخفوق

يهفو به الروح الخفوق

Alas for my heart: it has never ceased—

Alas for my heart! It still

its fluttering spirit keeps it yearning;

is borne along by the fluttering spirit.

وتقوده الذكرى إلى

وتقوده الذكرى إلى

عهد الهوى الغض الرفيق

عهد الهوى الغض الرفيق

and memory leads it back

And memory leads it to

to the days of tender, gentle love,

the days of tender, gentle love:

أيام نمرح في الصبا

أيام نمرح في الصبا

في ذلك العيش الأنيق

في ذلك العيش الأنيق

the days when we frolicked in youth,

days when we frolicked in youth,

in that elegant life;

in that lovely life;

أيام نسقى في الهوى

أيام نسقى في الهوى

والود كأساً من رحيق

والود كأساً من رحيق

the days when, amid love

days when we were served, in love

and affection, we drank a cup of nectar.

and affection, a cup of nectar.

تلك الليالي لم تدَع

تلك الليالي لم تدَع

من بعدها حسناً يروق

من بعدها حسناً يروق

Those nights left no beauty

Those nights did not leave

after them that could delight;

any pleasing beauty after them.

كلّا ولا خلّت لنا

كلّا ولا خلّت لنا

إلا الزفير أو الشهيق

إلا الزفير أو الشهيق

no—nothing did they leave us

No, nor did they leave us

but sighing out or gasping in.

anything but sighs or gasps.