بَكَت رَحمَةً لِلصَّبِّ عَينُ عَدُوِّهِ

بَكَت رَحمَةً لِلصَّبِّ عَينُ عَدُوِّهِ

فَما لِحَبيبِ القَلبِ لا يَرحَمُ الصَبّا

فَما لِحَبيبِ القَلبِ لا يَرحَمُ الصَبّا

His enemy’s eye wept out of pity for the lovesick man—

His enemy’s eye wept in pity for the lovesick man;

The enemy's eye wept with pity for youth

The enemy’s eye wept in mercy for the lovesick one, yet why does the heart’s beloved show no pity for the yearning lover?

what ails the heart’s beloved, that he shows the lover no mercy?

so why does the heart’s beloved not pity the lovesick man?

So why does the heart's beloved not have mercy on youth?

He is too stingy to let the slain victim live by a mere glance, or let the parched soul drink from his sweet, cool waters.

بَخيلٌ بِأَن يَحيا القَتيلُ بِلَحظِهِ

بَخيلٌ بِأَن يَحيا القَتيلُ بِلَحظِهِ

وَأَن يَرِدَ الظَمآنُ بارِدَهُ العَذبا

وَأَن يَرِدَ الظَمآنُ بارِدَهُ العَذبا

He begrudges the slain man life bestowed by his glance,

He begrudges the slain man life through his glance,

Stingy that the slain should live by his glance

He is distant though our dwellings are near; how long will he mingle nearness with estrangement for me?

and the thirsty man a draught of his cool, sweet water.

and the thirsty man a drink of his cool, sweet water.

And the thirsty gain cool, sweet water

I sacrifice my soul for a beloved who betrayed me, yet I loved him; he grew in aversion, and my heart grew in love for him.

بَعيدٌ عَلى أَنَّ الدِيار قَريبَةٌ

بَعيدٌ عَلى أَنَّ الدِيار قَريبَةٌ

فَحَتّى مَتى بِالبُعدِ يمزجُ لي القُربا

فَحَتّى مَتى بِالبُعدِ يمزجُ لي القُربا

He remains distant, though the dwellings are near;

He is distant, though the dwellings are near;

It seems too far that the abodes are near

I offered him my guarded affection and my tears, yet he was not content until I gifted him my heart.

how long will he mingle nearness for me with distance?

how long, then, will he mingle nearness with distance for me?

So for how long with remoteness does he mix nearness for me?

He appeared to me, so I said, 'Return it!' He replied, 'I possess it now; and had you not gifted it, I would have seized it by force.'

بِنَفسي حَبيباً خانَني فَهَويتُهُ

بِنَفسي حَبيباً خانَني فَهَويتُهُ

فَزادَ قلىً فَاِزدادَ قَلبي لَهُ حُبّا

فَزادَ قلىً فَاِزدادَ قَلبي لَهُ حُبّا

My life be ransom for a beloved who betrayed me, yet whom I loved;

My life for a beloved who betrayed me, yet I loved him!

With myself I loved a lover who betrayed me and I adored him

With two enchanting eyes like Harut’s magic, as if he unsheathes from them a sharp, severing sword against me.

his aversion grew, and my heart grew still more in love with him.

His aversion grew, and my heart grew in love for him.

So my heart's torment increased and its love for him grew

The love of that naive gazelle has worn me down and led me in submission—for how often has love tamed the wild, stubborn beast?

بَذَلتُ لَهُ الوُدَّ المَصونُ وَأَدمُعي

بَذَلتُ لَهُ الوُدَّ المَصونُ وَأَدمُعي

فَلَم يَقتَنِع حَتّى وَهَبتُ لَهُ القَلبا

فَلَم يَقتَنِع حَتّى وَهَبتُ لَهُ القَلبا

I offered him my carefully guarded affection and my tears,

I offered him my closely guarded love and my tears,

I gave him my hidden love and my tears

I drenched my robe with tears, though truly such weeping only heaps anguish upon the weeper's anguish.

but he was not content until I gave him my heart.

but he was not content until I gave him my heart.

Yet he was not content until I gave him my heart

I sent my messenger, and the phantom that travels by night, to you along with my tears and the drifting breeze.

بَدا لي فَقُلتُ اِردُدهُ قالَ مَلَكتُهُ

بَدا لي فَقُلتُ اِردُدهُ قالَ مَلَكتُهُ

وَلَو لَم تَهَبهُ لي تَمَلَّكتُهُ غَصبا

وَلَو لَم تَهَبهُ لي تَمَلَّكتُهُ غَصبا

He appeared to me; I said, “Give it back.” He said, “It is mine.

I had second thoughts and said, “Return it.” He said, “I own it;

It appeared to me so I said "Give it back!" He said "I own it

Even had you not given it to me, I would have seized it by force”—

and even had you not given it to me, I would have seized it by force.”

And had you not gifted it to me I would have seized it by force"

بِعَينَينِ هاروتيَّتَينِ كأَنَّما

بِعَينَينِ هاروتيَّتَينِ كأَنَّما

يُجَرِّدُ نَحوي مِنهُما صارِماً عَضبا

يُجَرِّدُ نَحوي مِنهُما صارِماً عَضبا

with two Hārūt-like, bewitching eyes, as though

With two eyes like Harut’s, he seems

With two Harut-like eyes as if

he were drawing from them against me a keen-edged sword.

to unsheathe from them a keen-edged sword against me.

He unsheathes a severe sword toward me from them

بَراني هَوى الظَبيِ الغَريرِ وَقادَني

بَراني هَوى الظَبيِ الغَريرِ وَقادَني

ذَليلاً وَكَم راضَ الهَوى جامِحاً صَعبا

ذَليلاً وَكَم راضَ الهَوى جامِحاً صَعبا

Love for that guileless gazelle has worn me thin and led me on,

Love for the guileless gazelle has worn me away and led me

He showed me the folly of the beguiling gazelle and led me

abased—how many a wild, ungovernable spirit love has tamed!

humbled—and how many a wild, unyielding one has love tamed!

Humiliated, and how the passion made its course difficult!

بَلَلتُ رِدائي بِالدُموعِ وَإِنَّما

بَلَلتُ رِدائي بِالدُموعِ وَإِنَّما

يُزادُ بِها الباكي عَلى كَربِهِ كَربا

يُزادُ بِها الباكي عَلى كَربِهِ كَربا

I soaked my cloak with tears, although

I drenched my cloak in tears, yet they only

I soaked my robe with tears, and yet

tears only add anguish upon anguish to the one who weeps.

add anguish to the weeper’s anguish.

The weeping one is increased by them in hardship upon hardship

بَعَثتُ رَسولي والخَيال الَّذي سَرى

بَعَثتُ رَسولي والخَيال الَّذي سَرى

إِلَيكَ بِدَمعي وَالنَسيمُ الَّذي هَبّا

إِلَيكَ بِدَمعي وَالنَسيمُ الَّذي هَبّا

I sent my messenger, and the phantom that journeyed by night

I sent my messenger and the phantom that journeyed by night

I sent my messenger - the imagination that traveled

to you, accompanied by my tears and the breeze that blew.

to you with my tears, and the breeze that blew.

To you - with my tear and the breeze that blew