رَثَيْتُ حَتَّى رَثَى لِي كُلُّ مُعْتَبَرِ

رَثَيْتُ حَتَّى رَثَى لِي كُلُّ مُعْتَبَرِ

لِمُغْرَمٍ بَيْنَ نَابِ الْبَثِّ وَالظَّفَرِ

لِمُغْرَمٍ بَيْنَ نَابِ الْبَثِّ وَالظَّفَرِ

I lamented until every person of standing pitied me,

I grieved until every one who cares grieved for me,

I lamented until every mindful observer took pity on me,

for a lover caught between sorrow's fang and claw.

A lover caught between attainment and frustration,

For an infatuated lover caught between the fang of sorrow and the claw.

يَقُولُ إِذْ أَعْوَزَتْهُ لَذَّةُ الظَّفَرِ

يَقُولُ إِذْ أَعْوَزَتْهُ لَذَّةُ الظَّفَرِ

مَنْ مُنْصِفِي مِنْ سَقِيمِ الْجَفْنِ ذِي حَوَرِ

مَنْ مُنْصِفِي مِنْ سَقِيمِ الْجَفْنِ ذِي حَوَرِ

He says, when the joy of attainment eludes him:

Saying, when the joy of attainment had crippled him,

Saying, as the sweet taste of victory evades him:

Who will do me justice against the languid-eyed one, with eyes of vivid black and white?

"Is there any fair-minded person who pities a sick-eyed gazelle?"

"Who will grant me justice against the one with languid, striking eyes?

رَكِبْتُ بَحْرَ الْهَوَى فِيهِ عَلَى غَرَرِ

رَكِبْتُ بَحْرَ الْهَوَى فِيهِ عَلَى غَرَرِ

يَا وَيْحَهُ صِفَةُ الإِنْصَافِ مَا عَلِمَتْ

يَا وَيْحَهُ صِفَةُ الإِنْصَافِ مَا عَلِمَتْ

I sailed the sea of love for him, at my peril.

I rode the sea of passion recklessly,

For whom I have sailed the perilous sea of passion."

Alas for him! The quality of fairness is unknown.

Woe to him! The quality of fairness did not know

Alas for him, for the virtue of fairness is entirely unknown;

مَتَى رَأَى نَفْسَ مُضْنىً قَبْلَهُ رُحِمَتْ

مَتَى رَأَى نَفْسَ مُضْنىً قَبْلَهُ رُحِمَتْ

وَحَقُّ مَنْ حِبُّهُ أَمْثَالُهُ عُدِمَتْ

وَحَقُّ مَنْ حِبُّهُ أَمْثَالُهُ عُدِمَتْ

When has he seen a sufferer's soul before him shown mercy?

When it ever saw a suffering soul and took pity before him.

When has he ever seen the soul of an exhausted lover shown mercy before him?

And it is the duty of one whose beloved has no equal—

It is right that when his likes cease, he should cease.

By the right of the beloved whose equals are non-existent:

ظَبْيٌ لَهُ صُورَةٌ فِي الْحُسْنِ قَدْ قُسِمَتْ

ظَبْيٌ لَهُ صُورَةٌ فِي الْحُسْنِ قَدْ قُسِمَتْ

بَيْنَ الْكَثِيبِ وَبَيْنَ الْغُصْنِ وَالزَّهَرِ

بَيْنَ الْكَثِيبِ وَبَيْنَ الْغُصْنِ وَالزَّهَرِ

a gazelle whose beautiful form has been apportioned

A gazelle whose form in beauty was divided

A gazelle whose beautiful form has been elegantly divided

between the sand dune, the bough, and the blossoms—

Between the sand-hill, the branch, and the blossoms,

Among the sand dune, the slender branch, and the blooming flower.

أَنْ يَسْتَكِينَ إِذَا بِهِ ازْدَرَى وَلَهَا

أَنْ يَسْتَكِينَ إِذَا بِهِ ازْدَرَى وَلَهَا

وَبِالْحَرَى أَنْ يَزِيدَ فِي الْهَوَى وَلَهَا

وَبِالْحَرَى أَنْ يَزِيدَ فِي الْهَوَى وَلَهَا

to submit when his beloved scorns him and is heedless,

That he should cower when she scorns him,

He must humbly submit whenever scorned, driven by his passion,

and, more fittingly, to grow still more infatuated in love,

And more fitting that he should increase in passion for her -

And it is only fitting that his infatuation and love should grow,

لاَ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْمُعَنَّى مَا لَهُ وَلَهَا

لاَ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْمُعَنَّى مَا لَهُ وَلَهَا

آلَتْ لَوَاحِظُهُ أَنْ لاَ يَعِيشَ لَهَا

آلَتْ لَوَاحِظُهُ أَنْ لاَ يَعِيشَ لَهَا

not for the tormented lover to ask what he has to do with her.

Not to say what he has against her and she against him.

Rather than the tormented lover asking, 'What do I have to do with her?'

His sidelong glances have sworn that there shall not survive them

His glances have ceased that he should not live for her,

His piercing glances have sworn that no passionate lover shall survive them,

صَبٌّ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ فِي قَسْوَةِ الْحَجَرِ

صَبٌّ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ فِي قَسْوَةِ الْحَجَرِ

any lovesick lover, even if he were as hard as stone.

A love though he be in the hardness of stone.

Even if that lover's heart were as unyielding as stone.