يا صاحِ قَد عَظُمَ البَلاءُ وَطالا

يا صاحِ قَد عَظُمَ البَلاءُ وَطالا

وَاِزدَدتُ بَعدَكَ صَبوَةً وَخَبالا

وَاِزدَدتُ بَعدَكَ صَبوَةً وَخَبالا

O friend, the affliction has grown grievous and lasted long.

O friend, affliction has grown and become prolonged

And in your absence my infatuation and madness have grown.

And after you I have become more passionate and lost

حُمِّلتُ مِمَّن لا أُنَوِّهُ بِاِسمِهِ

حُمِّلتُ مِمَّن لا أُنَوِّهُ بِاِسمِهِ

ثِقلاً كَأَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيَّ جِبالا

ثِقلاً كَأَنَّ بِهِ عَلَيَّ جِبالا

I was made to bear, by one whose name I do not mention,

I have been burdened by one whom I dare not name

A burden that weighs on me like mountains.

A heavy weight as if mountains weigh upon me

ماذا لَقيتُ مِنَ الهَوى وَسَقامِهِ

ماذا لَقيتُ مِنَ الهَوى وَسَقامِهِ

فيها تَبارَكَ رَبُّنا وَتَعالى

فيها تَبارَكَ رَبُّنا وَتَعالى

What I have suffered from love and its sickness

What have I endured of love and its sickness

On her account! Blessed and exalted is our Lord.

Therein lies the greatness of our Lord

يا مَن تَفَرَّدَ بِالجَمالِ فَما تَرى

يا مَن تَفَرَّدَ بِالجَمالِ فَما تَرى

عَيني عَلى أَحَدٍ سِواهُ جَمالا

عَيني عَلى أَحَدٍ سِواهُ جَمالا

O you unrivaled in beauty—never does

O you who are uniquely beautiful, do you not see

My eye see beauty in anyone but him.

My eyes upon none but you find beauty

أَكثَرتُ في شِعري عَلَيكِ مِنَ الرُقى

أَكثَرتُ في شِعري عَلَيكِ مِنَ الرُقى

وَضَرَبتُ في شِعري لَكِ الأَمثالا

وَضَرَبتُ في شِعري لَكِ الأَمثالا

I have uttered many incantations over you in my verse,

I have invoked you frequently in my poetry

And in my verse I have drawn comparisons for you.

And made examples for you in my verses

فَأَبَيتُ إِلّا جَفوَةً وَتَمَنُّعاً

فَأَبَيتُ إِلّا جَفوَةً وَتَمَنُّعاً

وَأَبيتُ إِلّا صَبوَةً وَضَلالا

وَأَبيتُ إِلّا صَبوَةً وَضَلالا

Yet I refused all but coldness and aloofness,

Yet you refused except disdain and aloofness

And I refused all but infatuation and delusion.

And refused except passion and misguidance

بِاللَهِ قَولي إِن سَأَلتُكِ وَاِصدُقي

بِاللَهِ قَولي إِن سَأَلتُكِ وَاِصدُقي

أَوَجَدتِ قَتلي في الكِتابِ حَلالا

أَوَجَدتِ قَتلي في الكِتابِ حَلالا

By God, tell me if I ask you, and speak the truth:

By God, speak truth if I asked you

Have you found killing me lawful in the Book?

Did you find my murder legal in the Book

أَم لا فَفيمَ جَفَوتِني وَظَلَمتِني

أَم لا فَفيمَ جَفَوتِني وَظَلَمتِني

وَجَعَلتِني لِلعالَمينَ نَكالا

وَجَعَلتِني لِلعالَمينَ نَكالا

Or not? Then why have you shunned me and wronged me,

Or not, so why did you spurn and oppress me

And made me a cautionary example for all people?

And make me degraded amongst all people

كَم لائِمٍ لَو كُنتُ أَسمَعُ قَولُهُ

كَم لائِمٍ لَو كُنتُ أَسمَعُ قَولُهُ

قَد لامَني وَنَهى وَعَدَّ وَقالا

قَد لامَني وَنَهى وَعَدَّ وَقالا

Many a reproacher—were I to heed his words—

How many blamers, if I heard what they say

Has blamed me, forbidden me, counted, and spoken.

Would blame me, forbid me, rebuke and speak

إِنّي أَمِنتُ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَرَيبِهِ

إِنّي أَمِنتُ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَرَيبِهِ

لَمّا عَلِقتُ مِنَ الأَميرِ حِبالا

لَمّا عَلِقتُ مِنَ الأَميرِ حِبالا

I have indeed found safety from Time and its vicissitudes

I trusted in the days and their vicissitudes

When I clung to the prince's ropes.

When I held fast to the ropes of the Prince

لَو يَستَطيعُ الناسُ مِن إِجلالِهِ

لَو يَستَطيعُ الناسُ مِن إِجلالِهِ

لَحَذَوا لَهُ حُرَّ الحُجوهِ نِعالا

لَحَذَوا لَهُ حُرَّ الحُجوهِ نِعالا

If people could, out of reverence for him,

If people could from his veneration

They would fashion him sandals from the noblest faces.

They would don shoes of gold in respect of him

ما كانَ هَذا الجودُ حَتّى كُنتَ يا

ما كانَ هَذا الجودُ حَتّى كُنتَ يا

عَمرٌ وَلَو يَوماً تَزولُ لَزالا

عَمرٌ وَلَو يَوماً تَزولُ لَزالا

Such generosity did not exist until you came to be, O

This generosity was not so, until you were

Amr; and if you were gone for a day, it too would be gone.

A life, and if one day you would slip, you would stumble

إِنَّ المَطايا تَشتَكيكَ لِأَنَّها

إِنَّ المَطايا تَشتَكيكَ لِأَنَّها

قَطَعَت إِلَيكَ سَباسِباً وَرِمالا

قَطَعَت إِلَيكَ سَباسِباً وَرِمالا

Indeed, the mounts complain of you, for they

Verily the steeds complain of you

Have crossed desert plains and sands to reach you.

For to you they have galloped over soft sands

فَإِذا أَتينَ بِنا أَتينَ مُخِفَّةً

فَإِذا أَتينَ بِنا أَتينَ مُخِفَّةً

وَإِذا رَجَعنَ بِنا رَجَعنَ ثِقالا

وَإِذا رَجَعنَ بِنا رَجَعنَ ثِقالا

So when they come bearing us, they come lightly laden,

When they bring us to you they come lightly

And when they return bearing us, they return heavily laden.

And when they take us back they come heavily