نُبِئتُ أنَّكمُ تُغشَونَ أحلاماً

نُبِئتُ أنَّكمُ تُغشَونَ أحلاماً

فَبِتُّ أسألُ عنكم كلَّ مَن ناما

فَبِتُّ أسألُ عنكم كلَّ مَن ناما

I was told that you appear in dreams,

I was told that you haunt dreams,

so I spent the night asking every sleeper about you.

So I stay up asking all who sleep about you.

ثم اعتَمَدتُ عَلى عِلمي ببُخلِكُمُ

ثم اعتَمَدتُ عَلى عِلمي ببُخلِكُمُ

وكنتُ بالأمرِ دُونَ النَّاسِ عَلاما

وكنتُ بالأمرِ دُونَ النَّاسِ عَلاما

Then I relied on my knowledge of your stinginess,

Then I relied on my knowledge of your stinginess,

and I, unlike others, knew the matter thoroughly.

And in the matter I was, beyond people, knowing.

لو استَطَعتُم مَنعتُم ذِكرَكُم وكَذا

لو استَطَعتُم مَنعتُم ذِكرَكُم وكَذا

لو استَطَعنا امتَنَعنا منه إِكراما

لو استَطَعنا امتَنَعنا منه إِكراما

If you could, you would forbid mention of yourselves; likewise,

If you could, you would have prevented mention of you, and likewise,

if we could, we would refrain from it, out of respect.

If we could, we would have refused to honor you.

وفاتِنِ الطَّرفِ ظَلامٍ فإن حَكمُوا

وفاتِنِ الطَّرفِ ظَلامٍ فإن حَكمُوا

منَّا لأَضعَفِنا أصبَحتُ ظَلاما

منَّا لأَضعَفِنا أصبَحتُ ظَلاما

And a bewitching-eyed tyrant—yet if they ruled

To the gaze of darkness' maidens, for if they judge

for the weaker of us, I would become the tyrant.

From us the weakest, I would become darkness.

أحلَّ طَرفي لِدَمعي مِن سَرائِره

أحلَّ طَرفي لِدَمعي مِن سَرائِره

مَحارِماً كانَ عَنها مرَّةً حامى

مَحارِماً كانَ عَنها مرَّةً حامى

My eye opened to my tears, among its hidden recesses,

I opened my eyes to my tears from its secrets

sanctuaries it had once defended.

That were once protected from which it was once careful.

ولم تَكُن مُهجَتي لما تَعرَّضَها

ولم تَكُن مُهجَتي لما تَعرَّضَها

بالهجرِ من مُهَجٍ يألَفنَ أجساما

بالهجرِ من مُهَجٍ يألَفنَ أجساما

Nor was my soul, when he assailed it

And my passion was not, for that which exposed it

with abandonment, one of those souls that cling to bodies.

To estrangement, a passion accustomed to bodies.

فَلا أُنازِعُها في ذاكَ مُغتَبِطاً

فَلا أُنازِعُها في ذاكَ مُغتَبِطاً

بفِعلِها شَرُّ عَيشِ الصَّبِّ ما داما

بفِعلِها شَرُّ عَيشِ الصَّبِّ ما داما

So I do not contend with it in this, rejoicing

So I do not dispute with it about that, happy

in its deed: the lovesick one's worst life is one that lasts.

With its action—the worst life for youth for as long as I live.

مَن ذا يُحدِّثُني عنِّي ويَنصَحُني

مَن ذا يُحدِّثُني عنِّي ويَنصَحُني

فإن رَضيتُ بما لَم يَرضَهُ لاما

فإن رَضيتُ بما لَم يَرضَهُ لاما

Who is there to tell me about myself and advise me,

Who is he who talks to me about me and advises me?

and, if I accept what he rejects, reproach me?

For if I accept what he did not accept, he blames me.

فلستُ أعرِفُ ما آتي فأتركَهُ

فلستُ أعرِفُ ما آتي فأتركَهُ

ما هامَ مَن كانَ يَدري أنَّه هاما

ما هامَ مَن كانَ يَدري أنَّه هاما

For I do not know what I do, so I cannot give it up;

I do not know what I will do, so I will leave it;

no one was mad with love who knew that he was.

Who ever knew what he desired when he desired?