إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو حُبَّ مَن جُلُّ نَيلِهِ

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو حُبَّ مَن جُلُّ نَيلِهِ

عَلَيَّ كَلامٌ مِن وَراءِ جِدارِ

عَلَيَّ كَلامٌ مِن وَراءِ جِدارِ

To God I complain of loving one whose favors are mostly

I complain to God of the love of one whose attainment is difficult for me

To God I complain of loving one whose greatest grace to me is merely speech from behind a wall.

Words to me from behind a wall.

A voice comes to me from behind a wall

I bore it patiently until the springs of passion burst forth around me, and my veil of prudence flew away.

صَبَرتُ لَها حَتّى إِذا ما تَفَجَّرَت

صَبَرتُ لَها حَتّى إِذا ما تَفَجَّرَت

عُيونُ الهَوى حَولي وَطارَ خُماري

عُيونُ الهَوى حَولي وَطارَ خُماري

I waited patiently for her until, when there burst forth

I was patient with her until the fountains of passion burst forth around me

I made the sword my companion then sought her by night, courting danger, casting all restraint aside.

The springs of passion around me and my hangover fled,

And my virtue took flight

And when we met, I saw our reaching hands fell short, though in days past they were never known to fail.

جَعَلتُ رَفيقي السَيفَ ثُمَّ طَرَقتُها

جَعَلتُ رَفيقي السَيفَ ثُمَّ طَرَقتُها

مُقارِضَ أَهوالٍ خَليعَ عِذارِ

مُقارِضَ أَهوالٍ خَليعَ عِذارِ

I made the sword my companion, then visited her by night,

I made my sword my companion, then sought her

Yet if the eye was stingy in kissing its sister-eye, the hand was not stingy in untying the waist-sash.

Braving terrors, my bridle cast off.

Amid perilous, shameless straits

We nearly swooned, save that our mingling lips exchanged a draught of sugar mixed with wine.

فَلَمّا تَلاقَينا رَأيتُ أَكُفُّنا

فَلَمّا تَلاقَينا رَأيتُ أَكُفُّنا

قِصاراً وَقِدماً كُنَّ غَيرَ قِصارِ

قِصاراً وَقِدماً كُنَّ غَيرَ قِصارِ

Then, when we met, I saw our hands

When we met I saw our palms were

I bade her farewell at dawn—never forgetting her grief—after she traded a ring for my bracelet as a pledge.

Short, though formerly they had not been short.

Too short to attain what we desired

فَإِن بَخِلَت عَينٌ بِتَقبيلِ أُختِها

فَإِن بَخِلَت عَينٌ بِتَقبيلِ أُختِها

فَما بَخَلَت كَفٌّ بِحَلِّ إِزارِ

فَما بَخَلَت كَفٌّ بِحَلِّ إِزارِ

So if an eye begrudged its sister a kiss,

If an eye is reluctant to kiss its sister

A hand did not begrudge untying a waistcloth.

A hand is not reluctant to loose a girdle

فَكِدنا وَلَمّا غَيرَ أَنَّ شِفاهَنا

فَكِدنا وَلَمّا غَيرَ أَنَّ شِفاهَنا

تَعاطَت خَليطَي سُكَّرٍ وَعُقارِ

تَعاطَت خَليطَي سُكَّرٍ وَعُقارِ

So we nearly did, but did not—except that our lips

We almost succeeded, except our lips

Exchanged the mingled pair of sugar and wine.

Partook of a mixture of sugar and poison

وَوَدَّعتُها صُبحاً وَلَم أَنسَ صَدَّها

وَوَدَّعتُها صُبحاً وَلَم أَنسَ صَدَّها

وَقَد بادَلَتني خاتَماً بِسِوارِ

وَقَد بادَلَتني خاتَماً بِسِوارِ

And I bade her farewell at dawn, and did not forget her rebuff,

And I bade her farewell in the morning, forgetting her hostility

Though she had traded me a ring for a bracelet.

For she had given me a ring in exchange for a bracelet