خَلَعتُI cast off عذاريmy bridle فيfor المِلاحِthe beautiful ones وَلَمand did not أبلI care
خَلَعتُ عذاري في المِلاحِ وَلَم أبل
بِماabout what يَفتَريهِhe fabricates it حاسِدٌan envious man ليof me لاطِخُa defamer
بِما يَفتَريهِ حاسِدٌ لي لاطِخُ
I cast off all restraint among the beauties and did not care
I cast off my bridle for the fair, and did not care
I have cast off my restraint among the beautiful ones, and I care not / For what a smearing envier fabricates.
what some envious slanderer might fabricate to smear me.
about what an envious defamer fabricates against me.
The care-free blame the heartsick for their passion, / Yet the laws of love admit no abrogation.
خَليّونَcarefree men يَلحونَthey reproach الشَجِيَّthe grief-stricken lover عَلىfor الهَوىpassion
خَليّونَ يَلحونَ الشَجِيَّ عَلى الهَوى
وَلَيسَand there is no لِأَحكامِfor the decrees of المَحَبَّةِlove ناسِخُannuller
وَلَيسَ لِأَحكامِ المَحَبَّةِ ناسِخُ
Carefree men, untouched by love, reproach the sorrow-stricken for his passion,
The carefree reproach the lovesick man for passion,
I deceived them when I feigned forgetfulness in pretended ignorance, / While my heart remains deeply rooted in the lore of yearning.
but there is none who can repeal love’s decrees.
and there is none to repeal the decrees of love.
O my two friends, indeed the fire lies in Mashrafiyya blades, / Which strike with the lethality of youth though they are ancient elders.
خَدَعتهُمُI deceived them لمّاwhen سَلَوتُI ceased to pine تَجاهُلاًfeigning indifference
خَدَعتهُمُ لمّا سَلَوتُ تَجاهُلاً
وَقَلبيَwhile my heart فيin عِلمِthe knowledge of الصَبابَةِardent longing راسِخُfirmly grounded
وَقَلبيَ في عِلمِ الصَبابَةِ راسِخُ
I deceived them when I feigned that I had forgotten,
I deceived them when I pretended to have forgotten,
Save that through this love my blood was shed in vain, / Though my people are the towering mountains of kings.
while my heart remains deeply versed in the lore of longing.
while my heart is firmly grounded in the lore of longing.
I humbled myself to the one whose slave I became in love, / Even though my glory among the mighty is lofty and proud.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends إِنَّindeed النارَfire فيin مَشرَفِيَّةٍMashrafi blades
خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ النارَ في مَشرَفِيَّةٍ
لَهاthey have فَتَكاتُdeadly assaults المردِthe beardless youths وَهيَthough they are مَشائِخُelders
لَها فَتَكاتُ المردِ وَهيَ مَشائِخُ
My two companions, the fire within a Mashrafī blade
My two friends, fire lies in Mashrafi blades,
The tribulations of passion descended; how much nobility they destroyed, / And how many a lover they turned grey while he was yet a youth.
strikes with the deadly force of beardless youths, though such blades are ancient.
whose deadly blows are those of beardless youths, though they are elders.
Every fire has died out save the fire of my ardent love; / It shall remain even as Israfil blows into the Trumpet.
خَلاexcept إِنّindeed هذاthis الحُبَّlove طُلَّwas shed unavenged بِهِthrough it دميmy blood
خَلا إِنّ هذا الحُبَّ طُلَّ بِهِ دمي
وَقَوميَthough my people أَجبالُmountains المُلوكِof kings الشَوامِخُthe towering ones
وَقَوميَ أَجبالُ المُلوكِ الشَوامِخُ
Yet through this love my blood has been shed unavenged,
Yet through this love my blood has been shed unavenged,
Take my tears, O wind, as an offering to the sanctuary, / That the pouring rain-clouds may water them therewith.
though my people are the towering mountains of kings.
though my people are the towering mountains of kings.
The intuitions of my heart informed me that they remain true to the covenant, / And that no breaker has severed the bond of my affection.
خَضَعتُI submitted لِمَنto the one whom أَصبَحتI have become فيin الحُبِّlove عَبدهُhis slave
خَضَعتُ لِمَن أَصبَحت في الحُبِّ عَبدهُ
عَلىdespite أَنَّthat مَجديmy glory فيamong الأَعِزَّةِthe mighty باذِخُtowering
عَلى أَنَّ مَجدي في الأَعِزَّةِ باذِخُ
I bowed to one whose slave I became in love,
I bowed to him whose slave I have become in love,
although my glory stands lofty among the mighty.
though my glory towers among the mighty.
خُطوبُthe calamities of الهَوىpassion حَلَّتdescended فَكَمso how many هَدَمتthey demolished عُلاheights
خُطوبُ الهَوى حَلَّت فَكَم هَدَمت عُلا
وَكَمand how many شيّبَتthey turned gray مِنof عاشِقٍa lover وَهوَwhile he is شارِخُin youth's prime
وَكَم شيّبَت مِن عاشِقٍ وَهوَ شارِخُ
The calamities of passion descended—how many heights of glory they demolished,
Love's calamities descended—how many heights they demolished,
and how many a lover they turned grey while he was still in the bloom of youth.
and how many a lover they turned gray in the prime of youth!
خَبَتdied down كُلُّevery نارٍfire غَيرexcept نارِthe fire of صَبابَتيmy ardent longing
خَبَت كُلُّ نارٍ غَير نارِ صَبابَتي
سَتَبقىit will remain وَإِسرافيلُwhile Israfil فيinto الصورِthe Trumpet نافِخُblowing
سَتَبقى وَإِسرافيلُ في الصورِ نافِخُ
Every fire has died away except the fire of my longing;
Every fire has died down except the fire of my longing;
it shall endure even as Isrāfīl blows the Trumpet.
it will endure even as Israfil blows into the Trumpet.
خُذيtake أَدمُعيmy tears ياO ريحُwind هَدياًas an offering إِلىto الحِمىthe sanctuary
خُذي أَدمُعي يا ريحُ هَدياً إِلى الحِمى
لِتَسقيهِمso as to give them drink مِنهاfrom them الغُروبُthe large buckets النَواضِخُthe gushing ones
لِتَسقيهِم مِنها الغُروبُ النَواضِخُ
Take my tears, O wind, as a gift to the beloved homeland,
Take my tears, O wind, as an offering to the sanctuary,
that brimming buckets may water its people with them.
so that the gushing buckets may give them drink from those tears.
خَواطِرُthe thoughts of قَلبيmy heart أَخبَرتنيtold me بِأَنَّهُمthat they
خَواطِرُ قَلبي أَخبَرتني بِأَنَّهُم
عَلىtrue to العَهدَthe pledge لَمdid not يَفسَخannul وداديَmy bond of love فاسِخُany annuller
عَلى العَهدَ لَم يَفسَخ وداديَ فاسِخُ
The intuitions of my heart have told me that they
The thoughts of my heart told me that they
remain true to the covenant; no breaker has severed my bond of love.
remain true to the pledge; no one has broken my bond of love.
Partial English translation: 10 of 20 Arabic lines translated.