عاقَبَتني بالصَّدِّ من غير جُرم

عاقَبَتني بالصَّدِّ من غير جُرم

ومَحَا هَجرُها بَقية رَسمي

ومَحَا هَجرُها بَقية رَسمي

She punished me with rejection, though I had committed no offense,

She punished me with rejection for no offense,

and her abandonment erased the last trace of me.

And her abandonment erased what remained of my form.

وشكوت الظَّما إلى ريقها العَذبِ

وشكوت الظَّما إلى ريقها العَذبِ

فجادت ظُلماً بمنع الظَّلمِ

فجادت ظُلماً بمنع الظَّلمِ

I complained of thirst to her sweet saliva,

And I complained of thirst to her sweet saliva,

yet, in unjust generosity, she withheld that moisture.

So she lavished injustice on me by withholding her saliva.

ورَأتني أصبُو إلى ذلك الخَصر

ورَأتني أصبُو إلى ذلك الخَصر

فأهدت منه السقامَ لجسمي

فأهدت منه السقامَ لجسمي

She saw me yearning for that slender waist,

And she saw me yearning for that waist,

and from it gifted my body with sickness.

So from it she bestowed wasting sickness on my body.

أنا حَكَّمتُها فجارت وشرع الحُبِّ

أنا حَكَّمتُها فجارت وشرع الحُبِّ

يَقضي بأن أحكَّم خصمي

يَقضي بأن أحكَّم خصمي

I made her judge; she judged unjustly—and the law of love

I made her my judge, and she ruled unjustly; the law of love

decrees that I must make my adversary my arbiter.

Decrees that I appoint my adversary as judge.

ذاتُ ثَغر يحميه من طَرفها الفَتَّانِ

ذاتُ ثَغر يحميه من طَرفها الفَتَّانِ

سحرٌ يُصبى الفؤادَ ويُصمي

سحرٌ يُصبى الفؤادَ ويُصمي

She has a mouth guarded by her beguiling glance—

Her mouth is guarded by her bewitching gaze's

a magic that enthralls the heart and strikes it dead.

Magic, which enthralls the heart and strikes it dead.

حِدتُ عنها لما انتَضَت صارمَ الجَفنِ

حِدتُ عنها لما انتَضَت صارمَ الجَفنِ

حذاراً من أن تَبُوءَ بإثمي

حذاراً من أن تَبُوءَ بإثمي

I turned aside when she unsheathed the eyelid’s sword,

I turned away from her when she unsheathed her eyelid's sword,

lest she return burdened with the guilt of killing me.

For fear she would incur the guilt of killing me.

يا رعى اللَه ليلةً بتُّ فيها

يا رعى اللَه ليلةً بتُّ فيها

بين ضَمٍ إلى الصباح ولَثمِ

بين ضَمٍ إلى الصباح ولَثمِ

May God watch over a night I spent

Oh, may God cherish a night I spent

in embraces and kisses until dawn.

In embraces and kisses until morning.

حبذا عيشي الذي قد تَوَلَّى

حبذا عيشي الذي قد تَوَلَّى

والليالي ومن أُحِبُّ بحكمي

والليالي ومن أُحِبُّ بحكمي

How sweet was that life of mine, now gone,

How lovely was my life that has now passed,

and those nights when the one I loved was at my command.

And the nights, and my beloved at my command!

يا زماني أراك مَع بُخلِكَ المفرط

يا زماني أراك مَع بُخلِكَ المفرط

وفَّرتَ من خطوبك قَسمي

وفَّرتَ من خطوبك قَسمي

O my Time, despite your boundless stinginess,

O my Time, I see that, despite your excessive stinginess,

you have supplied me my full share of your calamities.

You have made my share of your calamities abundant.

لستُ ممن يُرَى بذَمِّ بني الدهر

لستُ ممن يُرَى بذَمِّ بني الدهر

لمنعي والدهرُ أَولَى بذَمَّي

لمنعي والدهرُ أَولَى بذَمَّي

I am not one to blame the sons of Time

I am not one seen blaming the sons of Time

for denying me; Time itself is worthier of my blame.

For denying me, when Time is worthier of my blame.

قَصَدتني أيامهُ ولياليه

قَصَدتني أيامهُ ولياليه

بشُهبٍ تَغدُو عليَّ ودُهمِ

بشُهبٍ تَغدُو عليَّ ودُهمِ

Its days and nights have singled me out,

Its days and its nights have assailed me

assailing me with calamities pale and dark.

With pale afflictions advancing upon me, and dark ones.

أنتَ موسى وقد تَفَرعنَ ذا الخطبُ

أنتَ موسى وقد تَفَرعنَ ذا الخطبُ

فَغَرِّقهُ من نَدَاك بِيَمِّ

فَغَرِّقهُ من نَدَاك بِيَمِّ

You are Moses, while this affliction has played the Pharaoh;

You are Moses, and this calamity has become a Pharaoh;

then drown it in an ocean of your generosity.

So drown it in a sea of your bounty.

لا تكلني إلى سواك فما أصنَعُ

لا تكلني إلى سواك فما أصنَعُ

إلا لديك نثري ونظمي

إلا لديك نثري ونظمي

Do not leave me to another—for what can I do

Do not entrust me to anyone but you, for I compose

but lay my prose and my verse before you?

My prose and verse only in your presence.