كَفى حزناً أَن لا صَديقَ وَأَنَّني

كَفى حزناً أَن لا صَديقَ وَأَنَّني

فَريدٌ بِلا عيشٍ يَسُرُّ وَلا نُسكِ

فَريدٌ بِلا عيشٍ يَسُرُّ وَلا نُسكِ

It is sorrow enough that I have no friend, and that I am

It is sorrow enough that I have no friend, and that I

I have had enough of sorrow, for I have no friend,

It suffices as sorrow that I have no friend, and that I am solitary, with neither a pleasing life nor piety to console me.

alone, with neither a life that delights nor devotion.

Am alone, with neither a life that gladdens nor pious devotion.

And I am all alone, with no happy livelihood or rest.

As though I were pure gold that Time mistook for counterfeit, casting me into the fire to be purified by the smelting.

كَأَنّي نضارٌ ظَنَّهُ الدَهرُ بَهرَجاً

كَأَنّي نضارٌ ظَنَّهُ الدَهرُ بَهرَجاً

فَأَلقاهُ في نارٍ لِيَخلُصُ بِالسَبكِ

فَأَلقاهُ في نارٍ لِيَخلُصُ بِالسَبكِ

I am like pure gold that Time mistook for counterfeit

As though I were pure gold that Time deemed counterfeit,

It is as though I were an unripe fruit that time took for rotten

I have come to loathe my life and find sweetness in my death; if my teeth show a smile, my eyes weep blood.

and cast into the fire, to be purified by smelting.

So it cast it into fire to be purified by smelting.

And so threw me into fire to purge me with chains.

I have grown too old to complain of Time and its people, or of a treacherous fate from which I cannot break free.

كَرِهتُ حَياتي وَاِستَطَبتُ مَنِيَّتي

كَرِهتُ حَياتي وَاِستَطَبتُ مَنِيَّتي

إِذا ضَحِكَت سِنّي فَعَيني دَماً تَبكي

إِذا ضَحِكَت سِنّي فَعَيني دَماً تَبكي

I have come to hate my life and welcome my death;

I loathed my life and found my death sweet;

I loathed my life and longed for my demise

I would have renounced the religion of love were it not for a slender youth, whose glances decreed the shedding of my blood.

whenever my teeth smile, my eyes weep blood.

When my teeth smile, my eye weeps blood.

When my teeth laughed, my eyes wept blood.

I wrote him a letter inscribed with tears, and he replied, 'You are the slain one, without a doubt.'

كَبِرتُ عَلى شَكوى الزَمانِ وَأَهلِهِ

كَبِرتُ عَلى شَكوى الزَمانِ وَأَهلِهِ

وَدَهرٍ خَؤونٍ لَستُ عَنهُ بِمُنفَكِّ

وَدَهرٍ خَؤونٍ لَستُ عَنهُ بِمُنفَكِّ

I have risen above complaining of Time and its people,

I have grown too old to complain of the age and its people,

I grew weary of complaining of time and its people,

I have cast off my veil for your sake, O fawn of the wild, though before seeing your eyes, I would never have accepted such disgrace.

and of a treacherous age from which I cannot break free.

And of treacherous Time, from which I cannot break free.

And a wretched fate from which I cannot be released.

The gazelle of the wilderness grazes in the open lands, while you, the gazelle of human company, graze within the kingdom.

كَفَرتُ بِدينِ الحُبِّ لَولا مُهَفهَفٍ

كَفَرتُ بِدينِ الحُبِّ لَولا مُهَفهَفٍ

قَضَت لِدَمي أَلحاظُ عَينَيهِ بِالسَفكِ

قَضَت لِدَمي أَلحاظُ عَينَيهِ بِالسَفكِ

I would have renounced the faith of love, were it not for a slender youth

I would have renounced love's faith, but for a slender beloved

I renounced the religion of love but for the sake of one

A perfection the full moons envied, realizing that were you threaded on a string, you would be the central jewel of the necklace.

whose glances have decreed that my blood be shed.

Whose eyes' glances decreed that my blood be shed.

Whose glances ruled that my blood be shed.

Your speech is made of pearls, and your smile matches them; your saliva is of wine, and your scent is of musk.

كَتَبتُ إِلَيهِ بِالدُموع رِسالَةً

كَتَبتُ إِلَيهِ بِالدُموع رِسالَةً

فَجاوَبَني أَنتَ القَتيلُ بِلا شَكِّ

فَجاوَبَني أَنتَ القَتيلُ بِلا شَكِّ

I wrote him a letter in tears,

I wrote him a letter with tears,

I wrote him a message in tears

and he replied: “You are the slain one, beyond all doubt.”

So he answered me: 'You are the slain one, without a doubt.'

And he answered: “You are the murdered, no doubt.”

كَشَفتُ قِناعي فيكَ يا رَشَأَ الفَلا

كَشَفتُ قِناعي فيكَ يا رَشَأَ الفَلا

وَما كُنتُ أَرضى قَبلَ عَينَيكَ بِالهَتكِ

وَما كُنتُ أَرضى قَبلَ عَينَيكَ بِالهَتكِ

For you I cast off my veil, O gazelle of the wilderness,

I lifted my veil for you, O gazelle fawn of the wilderness,

I removed my mask for you, O fawn of grace,

though before seeing your eyes I would never have allowed it to be torn.

And before I saw your eyes, I would not have consented to such exposure.

When before your eyes I was not pleased with exposure.

كَذاكَ غَزالُ الوَحشِ في البَرِّ يَرتَعي

كَذاكَ غَزالُ الوَحشِ في البَرِّ يَرتَعي

وَأَنتَ غَزالُ الأُنسِ تَرتَعُ في المُلكِ

وَأَنتَ غَزالُ الأُنسِ تَرتَعُ في المُلكِ

Thus does the wild gazelle graze in the open country,

Thus the wild gazelle grazes in open country,

Just like the wild deer that grazes in the land

while you, gazelle of companionship, range through the royal realm.

And you, the tame gazelle, graze in the royal realm.

While you are the deer of intimacy that grazes in the kingdom.

كَمالٌ تَمَنَّتهُ البُدورُ وَأَيقَنَت

كَمالٌ تَمَنَّتهُ البُدورُ وَأَيقَنَت

بِأَنَّكَ لَو نُظِّمتَ واسطَةَ السِلكِ

بِأَنَّكَ لَو نُظِّمتَ واسطَةَ السِلكِ

A perfection for which the full moons yearned—and they knew for certain

A perfection the full moons longed for—and they knew for certain

A perfection desired by full moons and of which they despaired,

that, were you strung upon a necklace, you would be its central pearl.

That, were you strung on a necklace, you would be its central jewel.

Deeming that, were you strung as a pearl necklace,

كَلامُكَ مِن دُرٍّ وَثغرُكَ مِثلَهُ

كَلامُكَ مِن دُرٍّ وَثغرُكَ مِثلَهُ

وَريقكَ مِن خَمرٍ وَريحُكَ مِن مِسكِ

وَريقكَ مِن خَمرٍ وَريحُكَ مِن مِسكِ

Your speech is made of pearls, and your smiling mouth is like them;

Your speech is of pearls, and your mouth is like them;

Your words are of pearls and your mouth is the same,

the moisture of your mouth is wine, and your fragrance is musk.

And your saliva is wine, and your scent is musk.

Your saliva of wine and your scent of musk.