لكم من سقامي بالهوى شاهدٌ عدلُ

لكم من سقامي بالهوى شاهدٌ عدلُ

فلا تلزموني سلوةً ما لها أصلُ

فلا تلزموني سلوةً ما لها أصلُ

In my body, through love, you have a just and honest witness;

In my sickness from love, you have an upright witness.

so do not attribute to me a forgetfulness that has no foundation.

So do not demand of me a forgetfulness that has no root.

وإن ظنَّ في ليس الضنا بي خيانة

وإن ظنَّ في ليس الضنا بي خيانة

فما خنت بل جادت به الأعين النجل

فما خنت بل جادت به الأعين النجل

And if anyone suspects that some betrayal lies folded in my wasting,

And if my wasting sickness makes me suspected of betrayal [wording unclear],

I was not faithless: the wide, dark eyes themselves bestowed this wasting on me.

I have not betrayed; rather, the wide eyes bestowed it.

نحلتُ إلى أن لم يرَ الطيفُ مضجعي

نحلتُ إلى أن لم يرَ الطيفُ مضجعي

ولم يبدُ في ظلّ الغزالة لي ظلُّ

ولم يبدُ في ظلّ الغزالة لي ظلُّ

I grew so thin that even the dream-phantom could not see my bed,

I wasted away until the dream-phantom could not see where I lay,

and no shadow of me appeared to the phantom through my gauntness.

nor did any shadow of mine appear beneath the sun.

وأصبحت صبّاً والديارُ قريبةٌ

وأصبحت صبّاً والديارُ قريبةٌ

فكيف إذا شطّت يكون بها الخبل

فكيف إذا شطّت يكون بها الخبل

I became love-mad while the dwellings were still nearby—

I have become love-stricken while the dwellings are near;

what madness, then, will seize me when they draw far away?

what madness will they bring, then, if they grow distant?

وهيهاتِ أنَّ البعدَ والهجر مطغئٌ

وهيهاتِ أنَّ البعدَ والهجر مطغئٌ

لواعج شوق شبَّها القربُ والوصل

لواعج شوق شبَّها القربُ والوصل

Far be it that distance and abandonment should ever quench

And far be it that distance and estrangement should quench

the burning pangs of longing kindled by nearness and union.

the fires of longing that nearness and union kindled.

بكى لولوعي راحماً كلُّ شامت

بكى لولوعي راحماً كلُّ شامت

ورقذَ لحزني فيكم الحزن والسهل

ورقذَ لحزني فيكم الحزن والسهل

Every gloating enemy wept in pity at my passion,

Every gloater wept in pity at my ardent love,

and at my grief for you both rugged ground and level plain grew tender.

and rugged ground and plain grew tender at my grief for you.

نزلتمْ فؤاداً ليس يخلو من الهوى

نزلتمْ فؤاداً ليس يخلو من الهوى

وأمررتمُ عيشي فهيهات أن يحلو

وأمررتمُ عيشي فهيهات أن يحلو

You have lodged within a heart never empty of desire,

You settled in a heart never free of love,

and embittered my life—far be it now that it should grow sweet.

and embittered my life—how could it ever turn sweet?

فمن لي بقلبٍ لا يهيم صبابةً

فمن لي بقلبٍ لا يهيم صبابةً

ودمعٍ على آثاركم ليس ينهلُّ

ودمعٍ على آثاركم ليس ينهلُّ

Who will give me a heart that does not wander madly with yearning,

Who, then, can give me a heart not crazed with longing,

and tears that do not stream upon the traces you have left?

and tears that do not stream over your traces?

وثقتُ بأسماء الغواني جهالةً

وثقتُ بأسماء الغواني جهالةً

فما أنعمت نعمٌ ولا أجملت جمل

فما أنعمت نعمٌ ولا أجملت جمل

In ignorance I trusted the names of beautiful women,

In ignorance, I trusted the names of the beauties,

but Nuʿm showed no grace, and Jumal did nothing beautiful.

yet Nuʿm granted no favor, nor did Juml show grace.

وعهدُ الصبا مثل الصبى بسويقةٍ

وعهدُ الصبا مثل الصبى بسويقةٍ

تصحُّ به أشواقنا حين تعتلُّ

تصحُّ به أشواقنا حين تعتلُّ

The days of youth were like the east wind at Suwayqa;

Youth's days are like the east wind at Suwayqa,

by it our longings grow sound whenever they fall ill.

through which our longings recover whenever they sicken.

ولولا دموعي لم تجدها سحابةً

ولولا دموعي لم تجدها سحابةً

ولولا حنيني ما انثنى البانُ والأثل

ولولا حنيني ما انثنى البانُ والأثل

Were it not for my tears, no cloud could have rivaled them;

Were it not for my tears, no cloud would have watered it,

were it not for my sighing, neither bān nor tamarisk would bend.

and without my yearning, neither the moringa nor the tamarisk would have bent.

زمانٌ كصرفِ البابليَّةِ مشتهى

زمانٌ كصرفِ البابليَّةِ مشتهى

وإن كان أحياناً يصاب به العقل

وإن كان أحياناً يصاب به العقل

A time desirable as pure Babylonian wine,

A time desired like pure Babylonian wine,

though at times the mind itself was overcome by it.

though at times it afflicted the mind.

وقد كان قلبي في ضلال عن الهوى

وقد كان قلبي في ضلال عن الهوى

فما زال حتى دلَّهُ نحوها الدلُّ

فما زال حتى دلَّهُ نحوها الدلُّ

My heart had once wandered astray from love,

My heart had been astray from love,

until her coquettish charm guided it toward her.

and stayed so until coquetry guided it toward her.

قصيرةُ عمرِ الوصل والعهدِ غادةٌ

قصيرةُ عمرِ الوصل والعهدِ غادةٌ

طويلٌ على عشَّاقها الوجدُ والعذل

طويلٌ على عشَّاقها الوجدُ والعذل

A maiden whose union and promises are short-lived,

A tender maiden whose union and pledge are short-lived,

yet whose lovers’ anguish and reproach are long.

yet long are longing and reproach for her lovers.

أذابت فؤادي والحشى بذوائبٍ

أذابت فؤادي والحشى بذوائبٍ

أغارُ عليها إذ يلاعبها الحجل

أغارُ عليها إذ يلاعبها الحجل

With her tresses she melted my heart and innermost core;

She melted my heart and inward parts with tresses,

I grow jealous for her when even her anklets play with her.

over which I grow jealous when the anklet plays with them.

ويعذب لي في حبّها فعلُ جفنها

ويعذب لي في حبّها فعلُ جفنها

ومن عجب في الحب أن يعذب القتل

ومن عجب في الحب أن يعذب القتل

In loving her, the work of her eyelid is sweet to me—

In loving her, her eyelid's deed is sweet to me,

one of love’s wonders is that even killing can be sweet.

and one marvel of love is that killing should be sweet.

خليليَّ ما للبرقِ من أيمن الحمى

خليليَّ ما للبرقِ من أيمن الحمى

كما اهتزَّ فرعٌ شائبٌ والدجى طفل

كما اهتزَّ فرعٌ شائبٌ والدجى طفل

My two companions, what ails the lightning over the right flank of the protected land?

My two friends, what ails the lightning from the preserve's right,

It trembled like a branch gone gray while darkness was still a child.

swaying like a gray-haired bough while darkness is a child?

يهبُّ كما شبَّت ذوائبُ جذوةٍ

يهبُّ كما شبَّت ذوائبُ جذوةٍ

ويغمضُ أحياناً كما أغمد النصل

ويغمضُ أحياناً كما أغمد النصل

It leaps up like the streaming locks of a blaze newly kindled,

It leaps up as a firebrand's tresses blaze,

and sometimes closes its eye, as a sword is sheathed.

and sometimes dims as a blade is sheathed.

يذكرنيها والصّبى وليالياً

يذكرنيها والصّبى وليالياً

خلت فخلت من لوعة لي بها شغل

خلت فخلت من لوعة لي بها شغل

It reminds me of her, of youth, and of nights

It reminds me of her, of youth, and of nights

that passed; in my anguish, I imagined I still had dealings with them.

that passed, free of the burning anguish that now engrosses me.

لياليَ بيع الصبرُ فيها بصدّهِ

لياليَ بيع الصبرُ فيها بصدّهِ

وبالعزّ في أسواقها اشتريَ الذلُّ

وبالعزّ في أسواقها اشتريَ الذلُّ

Nights in whose markets patience was sold for her rejection,

Nights when patience was sold for his rejection,

and humiliation was bought at the price of honor.

and in their markets abasement was bought with dignity.

كذلك أخلاق الليالي وأهلها

كذلك أخلاق الليالي وأهلها

فويحَ القوافي لا زمانٌ ولا خلُّ

فويحَ القوافي لا زمانٌ ولا خلُّ

Such are the ways of nights and of those who inhabit them—

Such are the ways of nights and their people;

alas for verse: there is neither a faithful age nor a friend.

so alas for the rhymes—no age, no friend!

عدمتُ أخاً لا يصدع العتبُ قلبهُ

عدمتُ أخاً لا يصدع العتبُ قلبهُ

يميل فلا يثنيهِ قولٌ ولا فعلُ

يميل فلا يثنيهِ قولٌ ولا فعلُ

I have lost a brother whose heart reproach does not split—

May I lose a brother whose heart reproach cannot pierce,

one who inclines toward me, whom neither word nor deed can turn aside.

who turns aside and is brought back by neither word nor deed.

فردْ منزلاً سهلاً وخدناً موافقاً

فردْ منزلاً سهلاً وخدناً موافقاً

ولا يشغل الأوطان قلبكَ والأهل

ولا يشغل الأوطان قلبكَ والأهل

Seek, then, a pleasant dwelling and a congenial companion,

So seek a pleasant dwelling and a congenial companion,

and let neither homeland nor family preoccupy your heart.

and let neither homelands nor family preoccupy your heart.

فلا خير فيمن ليس يرضيك غيبهُ

فلا خير فيمن ليس يرضيك غيبهُ

ولا في بلادٍ جارُ سكَّانها المحل

ولا في بلادٍ جارُ سكَّانها المحل

There is no good in one whose conduct in your absence does not please you,

For there is no good in one whose conduct in absence does not please you,

nor in a land where barrenness dwells beside its people.

nor in lands where drought is the inhabitants' neighbor.

ولا فلتِ العيسُ الفلاة ولا ارتمتْ

ولا فلتِ العيسُ الفلاة ولا ارتمتْ

إلى نحوها كومُ الجديليَّة البذل

إلى نحوها كومُ الجديليَّة البذل

The camels did not leave the wilderness, nor did they fling themselves

Nor did the pale camels cross the wilderness, nor sped

toward it—the high-humped, full-grown she-camels of Jadīliyya—

toward it the high-humped, mature Jadiliyya camels,

ولا افترَّ ثغر العيش إلاّ ببلدةٍ

ولا افترَّ ثغر العيش إلاّ ببلدةٍ

حيا راحةِ الملك العزيزِ لها وبل

حيا راحةِ الملك العزيزِ لها وبل

nor did the mouth of life part in a smile except in a city

nor did life's mouth smile, except in a land

revived by a downpour from the palm of the mighty king.

where rain from King al-ʿAziz's palm falls in torrents.