نَحنُ يَوماً وَصلٌ ويَوماً فِراقُ

نَحنُ يَوماً وَصلٌ ويَوماً فِراقُ

ما لَكُم ما لِعَهدِكُم ميثاقُ

ما لَكُم ما لِعَهدِكُم ميثاقُ

One day we are joined, and another day parted.

We are one day joined, another day parted

What ails you? Your pledge has no binding bond.

What is with you? What is with your unkept vows?

صبرت مهجَتي لرقِّ هَواكُم

صبرت مهجَتي لرقِّ هَواكُم

وهي كانَت مَعي وفيها إباقُ

وهي كانَت مَعي وفيها إباقُ

My heart endured the bondage of loving you,

My lovesick heart was patient with your love

though, when it was with me, it harbored an urge to flee.

And it was with me, yet deceit was within it

واغتَرَرتُم بِذلكَ الفِعل مِنها

واغتَرَرتُم بِذلكَ الفِعل مِنها

وهو مكرٌ مِنها بِكُم ونِفاقُ

وهو مكرٌ مِنها بِكُم ونِفاقُ

You were beguiled by that act of its,

You were fooled by that deed from it

yet it was its trick against you, and hypocrisy.

It was its deceit against you and hypocrisy

فاسأَلوا عَن حَديثِها مَع سِواكُم

فاسأَلوا عَن حَديثِها مَع سِواكُم

وإليكم ذاكَ الحديثُ يُساقُ

وإليكم ذاكَ الحديثُ يُساقُ

So ask about its talk with others than you;

So ask about its talk with others besides you

and that tale is now being brought to you.

And that talk will be conveyed to you

ووَداعٍ كشَفتُ فيه قِناعي

ووَداعٍ كشَفتُ فيه قِناعي

حينَ حمِّلتُ منه ما لا يُطاقُ

حينَ حمِّلتُ منه ما لا يُطاقُ

And at a farewell I lifted my veil,

And in a farewell in which I unveiled my mask

when I was made to bear from it what cannot be borne.

When I was loaded with what cannot be borne

واستَوَت حَلبةُ الدُّموع فَفي الش

واستَوَت حَلبةُ الدُّموع فَفي الش

شُهبِ سباقٌ والكمت فيها لحاقُ

شُهبِ سباقٌ والكمت فيها لحاقُ

And the field of tears lined up evenly: the

And the field of tears was leveled, so in the dark

gray steeds raced ahead, and the bay steeds followed.

There was racing with flames, and words caught up in it

ثمَّ أصبَحتُ أستَريحُ إِلى كَش

ثمَّ أصبَحتُ أستَريحُ إِلى كَش

فِ حَديثي ويتعبُ العُشَّاقُ

فِ حَديثي ويتعبُ العُشَّاقُ

Then I began to find relief in revealing

Then I would find comfort in revealing

my tale, while lovers grow weary.

my sorrows while lovers grew weary

وولَقَد أَطرُقُ الحَوانيتَ والمَه

وولَقَد أَطرُقُ الحَوانيتَ والمَه

مُومُ مثلي لمِثلِها طَرَّاقُ

مُومُ مثلي لمِثلِها طَرَّاقُ

And indeed I call at taverns, and the

Indeed the turtledoves and lovesick ones like me

careworn, like me, frequent such places.

Bow down because of the likes of it

مُستَجيراً بعانِسٍ ذات بَيتٍ

مُستَجيراً بعانِسٍ ذات بَيتٍ

طالَما جُهِّزَت إِلَيه الزِّقاقُ

طالَما جُهِّزَت إِلَيه الزِّقاقُ

Seeking refuge with a spinster, mistress of a house

Seeking refuge with a hostile possessor of a house

to which wineskins have so often been sent.

To which frequently the alleys were made ready

زُرتُها في عِصابَةٍ كلَّما أَظ

زُرتُها في عِصابَةٍ كلَّما أَظ

لَمَ لَيلٌ بَدا لهُم إِشراقُ

لَمَ لَيلٌ بَدا لهُم إِشراقُ

I visited her with a band of companions; whenever

I visited her in a band whenever a

night grew dark, a radiance shone for them.

Night darkened, the dawn seemed to them radiant

فاستَثاروا مِن الهُمومِ بِكاسا

فاستَثاروا مِن الهُمومِ بِكاسا

تٍ دماءُ الهُمومِ فيها تُراقُ

تٍ دماءُ الهُمومِ فيها تُراقُ

So they took vengeance on cares with cups

They provoked sorrows with cups in which

in which the blood of cares is spilled.

The blood of sorrows in them was shed

صَبَحَتهم فأَسكَرَتهم وولَّت

صَبَحَتهم فأَسكَرَتهم وولَّت

ثمَّ عادَت بِها وهُم ما أَفاقوا

ثمَّ عادَت بِها وهُم ما أَفاقوا

She served them a morning draught, made them drunk, and left;

It made them drunk in the morning, then deserted them

then she returned with it while they had not yet sobered.

And returned with it while they still were not sober

تَتبَعُ السّكرةُ أختَها فتَرى ال

تَتبَعُ السّكرةُ أختَها فتَرى ال

أيَّامَ تُطوى كأنَّها أوراقُ

أيَّامَ تُطوى كأنَّها أوراقُ

One drunken spell follows its sister, and you see the

Drunkenness follows its sister, and you see the

days folded up as though they were pages.

Days folded as if they were leaves

في زمانٍ صَفا ورَقَّت حَواشي

في زمانٍ صَفا ورَقَّت حَواشي

هِ فَأضحى كأنَّه إِسحاقُ

هِ فَأضحى كأنَّه إِسحاقُ

In a time that grew clear, with its edges softened,

In an era of purity, its margins flourished

so it came to seem as though it were Ishaq.

Thus it became as if it were the Folding

كُلَّما زُرتُه وجدتُ المَعالي

كُلَّما زُرتُه وجدتُ المَعالي

شيدَ مِنها بَيتٌ ومُدَّ رِواقُ

شيدَ مِنها بَيتٌ ومُدَّ رِواقُ

Whenever I visited him, I found lofty virtues:

Whenever I visited it, I found virtues

a house raised from them, and a portico extended.

A house was built from it, and a porch extended

مِنَنٌ أَصبحَت تجولُ عَلى الأَع

مِنَنٌ أَصبحَت تجولُ عَلى الأَع

ناقِ حتَّى كأنَّها أطواقُ

ناقِ حتَّى كأنَّها أطواقُ

Benefactions came to circle around the

Favors wander on the camels' necks until

necks, until they seemed like collars.

They seem to be collars

وعُلاً دونَها السَّماءُ عُلوّاً

وعُلاً دونَها السَّماءُ عُلوّاً

وثَناءٌ مِن دونِه الآفاقُ

وثَناءٌ مِن دونِه الآفاقُ

And eminence that leaves heaven below it in height,

And a loftiness the sky rose above

and praise beneath which lie the horizons.

And praise beyond it the horizons

ومَطايا مِن العَطايا ثِقال

ومَطايا مِن العَطايا ثِقال

كلَّفت حَملَها سَجايا رِقاقُ

كلَّفت حَملَها سَجايا رِقاقُ

And mounts, heavy with gifts,

And steeds of gifts heavily

whose load gentle natures were charged to bear.

Their carrying burdened the excellent coursers

ومَساعٍ أمَرنَه بِافتِخارٍ

ومَساعٍ أمَرنَه بِافتِخارٍ

فَنَهَتهُ عَن ذلكَ الأخلاقُ

فَنَهَتهُ عَن ذلكَ الأخلاقُ

And achievements commanded him to boast,

And hearing I ordered it with pride

but his virtues forbade him to do so.

So manners forbade it that trait

فانتَهى طائِعاً لهنَّ وقَد با

فانتَهى طائِعاً لهنَّ وقَد با

نَ علَيه الحَياءُ والإطراقُ

نَ علَيه الحَياءُ والإطراقُ

So he desisted, obedient to them; already

So it desisted obedient to them, and upon it

modesty and a bowed head were plain upon him.

Appeared shame and lowering the gaze

يَتَخَفَّى بِفعلِهِ عِندَما يَظ

يَتَخَفَّى بِفعلِهِ عِندَما يَظ

هَرُ في الناسِ فِعلُهُ المِخراقُ

هَرُ في الناسِ فِعلُهُ المِخراقُ

He acts in secret whenever

It hides in its action when its

his munificent deed appears among the people.

Violating action appears among the people

فَلأَفعالِه التمامُ وللأش

فَلأَفعالِه التمامُ وللأش

عارِ من قَبل وصفِهنَّ المِحاقُ

عارِ من قَبل وصفِهنَّ المِحاقُ

So his deeds have fullness, while poetry

It has perfected its actions, and for the

wanes to darkness before describing them.

Shame before, its description of them suffices

ربَّما تَكثُر الأَيادي الجَليلا

ربَّما تَكثُر الأَيادي الجَليلا

تُ فَلا تَنفَعُ المَعاني الدِّقاقُ

تُ فَلا تَنفَعُ المَعاني الدِّقاقُ

Sometimes great benefactions grow so numerous

Perhaps the noble hands are many, yet

that subtle meanings are of no avail.

The subtle meanings do not benefit the paltry