فُؤاد كَما يَهوى هَواك مُعَذب

فُؤاد كَما يَهوى هَواك مُعَذب

وَقَلبٌ عَلى جَمر الأَسى يَتَقَلب

وَقَلبٌ عَلى جَمر الأَسى يَتَقَلب

A heart, loving you as it does, is tormented,

My heart, how it yearns for your love, tortured,

And a heart writhes upon the embers of sorrow;

And a heart flipping on the embers of sorrow,

وَعَين إِذا ما جفف الحُزن دَمعَها

وَعَين إِذا ما جفف الحُزن دَمعَها

أَتَت بِدُموع مِن دَم القَلب تَسكب

أَتَت بِدُموع مِن دَم القَلب تَسكب

And an eye, whenever grief dries its tears,

And an eye - when sadness dries its tears -

Brings tears of the heart's blood, pouring them forth.

Comes with tears from the heart's blood pouring,

الامَ وَلا ذنب فَدَيتك تَغضب

الامَ وَلا ذنب فَدَيتك تَغضب

وَكَم ذا التَجَني وَالجَفا وَالتَجَنُب

وَكَم ذا التَجَني وَالجَفا وَالتَجَنُب

How long will you be angry, though I am blameless—may I be your ransom?

No sin or wrong have I done, yet you grow angry,

And how long this unjust blame, this coldness and avoidance?

And how much estrangement, aloofness and avoidance!

تَيَقنت إِن لا صَبر لي عَنكَ ساعَةً

تَيَقنت إِن لا صَبر لي عَنكَ ساعَةً

فَأَقصَيتَني إِذ لَيسَ لي عَنكَ مَذهَب

فَأَقصَيتَني إِذ لَيسَ لي عَنكَ مَذهَب

You knew for certain I could not bear an hour apart from you,

You knew I cannot bear an hour without you,

So you banished me, since I had no refuge away from you.

Yet you shunned me, though I have no refuge from you,

وَعلمك الدَهر الجَفا فَجَفوَتي

وَعلمك الدَهر الجَفا فَجَفوَتي

فَعاتبت فيكَ الدَهر لَو كانَ يَعتب

فَعاتبت فيكَ الدَهر لَو كانَ يَعتب

And Time taught you coldness, and so I was shunned;

Time taught you estrangement, so you shunned me,

So I reproached Time on your account—if only it would make amends.

I blamed time for you, if only it could be blamed,

وَذلَّت بِحُكم الحُب نَفسي وَلَم تَكَد

وَذلَّت بِحُكم الحُب نَفسي وَلَم تَكَد

وَلَيسَ لِمَن يَهوى عَن الذُل مَهرب

وَلَيسَ لِمَن يَهوى عَن الذُل مَهرب

And my soul was humbled by love's decree, though it could scarcely yield,

And my soul humbled by love's rule did not hesitate,

And whoever loves has no escape from humiliation.

For the lover has no escape from humiliation,

وَعَلَّمتَني كَيفَ التَوَجُع وَالبُكا

وَعَلَّمتَني كَيفَ التَوَجُع وَالبُكا

وَكَيفَ أَداري الكاشِحين وَارهب

وَكَيفَ أَداري الكاشِحين وَارهب

And you taught me how to suffer and weep,

You taught me suffering and weeping,

And how to placate those who hate me, and fear them.

And how to deal with slanderers and take flight,

وَأَعرَضت فَاِختَرت الحَمام عَلى البَقا

وَأَعرَضت فَاِختَرت الحَمام عَلى البَقا

وَوَرد الرَدى لي دونَ صَدك يَعذب

وَوَرد الرَدى لي دونَ صَدك يَعذب

And you turned away, so I chose death over life,

You turned away, so I chose death over life,

And death's draught is sweet to me compared with your rejection.

And being driven away from you is torment,

فَإِن تَرِدني الأَشَواق مُتُّ بِحَسرَتي

فَإِن تَرِدني الأَشَواق مُتُّ بِحَسرَتي

وَإِن تَبقني قاسَيت ما هُوَ أَصعَب

وَإِن تَبقني قاسَيت ما هُوَ أَصعَب

So if yearnings kill me, I die of my anguish,

If longing brings me back, I'll lament my agony,

And if they keep me alive, I suffer what is harder still.

And if you abandon me, what could be more difficult?

أَغِثني بِصَوت يا نَديم فَإِنَّني

أَغِثني بِصَوت يا نَديم فَإِنَّني

لَأَرتاح لِلصَوت الشَجيّ وَإِطرَب

لَأَرتاح لِلصَوت الشَجيّ وَإِطرَب

Relieve me with a song, O boon companion, for I

Save me with your voice, my friend, for I

Indeed find solace in the plaintive voice and am enraptured.

Will find peace in that passionate, trembling voice,

فَإِن تَتَخذ عِندي يَداً لَكَ غَنِني

فَإِن تَتَخذ عِندي يَداً لَكَ غَنِني

لِرَب القَوافي ما يَروق وَبِعَجب

لِرَب القَوافي ما يَروق وَبِعَجب

So if you would earn my gratitude, sing to me

If you take my hand, I'll sing to the Lord of verse,

A master of rhyme's pleasing verse, sung with wonder.

What delights and amazes Him,

أَحِنُّ إِلى أَهلي وَأَهوى لِقاءَهُم

أَحِنُّ إِلى أَهلي وَأَهوى لِقاءَهُم

وَأَينَ مِن المُشتاق عَنقاء مغرب

وَأَينَ مِن المُشتاق عَنقاء مغرب

I yearn for my family and long to meet them,

I yearn for my family and long to see them,

But where, for one who yearns, is the Anqa Mughrib?

Where is the longing lover from their sunset land?

غَريب غَريب الهَمّ وَالقَلب وَالهَوى

غَريب غَريب الهَمّ وَالقَلب وَالهَوى

وَنَفسي الَّتي تَهوى الرَدى لِيَ أَغرَب

وَنَفسي الَّتي تَهوى الرَدى لِيَ أَغرَب

A stranger, a stranger in sorrow, in heart, and in love,

Stranger am I in cares, heart and love,

And my soul, which desires death, is stranger still to me.

And my soul that craves being driven away is stranger,

تَرى الماء كَالسُمّ الزَعاف مَع الظَما

تَرى الماء كَالسُمّ الزَعاف مَع الظَما

إِذا كانَ مِن كَف المقطب يَشرَب

إِذا كانَ مِن كَف المقطب يَشرَب

It sees water as deadly poison, despite its thirst,

I see water like lethal poison with thirst,

When one drinks it from the hand of a scowling person.

When drunk from the hand of the frozen pole,

أَقُول لِحُرٍّ يَبتَغي صَفوَ ساعَةٍ

أَقُول لِحُرٍّ يَبتَغي صَفوَ ساعَةٍ

مِن الدَهر إِن النجم مِن ذاكَ أَقرَب

مِن الدَهر إِن النجم مِن ذاكَ أَقرَب

I tell a free man who seeks one tranquil hour

I say to the freeman seeking the joy of an hour

Of life: 'A star is nearer than that.'

From time - the star is closer to that,

أَتَطلُب في الدُنيا الدَنية راحَةً

أَتَطلُب في الدُنيا الدَنية راحَةً

وَأَنتَ كَريم النَفس حُرٌّ مُهَذَب

وَأَنتَ كَريم النَفس حُرٌّ مُهَذَب

Do you seek rest in this base world,

Do you seek rest in the base, lowly life?

When you are noble-souled, free, and refined?

You, noble soul, free and refined!

سَقاني نَقيع السُمّ في الشَهد ريقَها

سَقاني نَقيع السُمّ في الشَهد ريقَها

عَلى إِنَّني طبٌّ بِها وَمُجَرب

عَلى إِنَّني طبٌّ بِها وَمُجَرب

Her saliva made me drink an infusion of poison in honey,

It gave me a draught of poison in the honey,

Though I know her well and am experienced.

Claiming it will cure and benefit me,

تغرُّ بِزور ثُمّ تَفتك بِالفَتى

تغرُّ بِزور ثُمّ تَفتك بِالفَتى

وَقَد يَخدَع الوَغد الشُجاع فَيَضرب

وَقَد يَخدَع الوَغد الشُجاع فَيَضرب

She beguiles with lies, then treacherously kills the young man,

It entices with lies, then pounces on the youth,

And a knave may deceive a brave man and then strike him.

The brave may be fooled and strike,

فَلا تَركنن مِنها لِسلم تَريكُهُ

فَلا تَركنن مِنها لِسلم تَريكُهُ

فَكَم غادر يُبدي الرِضى وَهُوَ مغضب

فَكَم غادر يُبدي الرِضى وَهُوَ مغضب

So never trust any peace she shows you,

So do not trust its peace or what you see,

For many a traitor displays contentment while angry.

For how many betrayers show consent yet rage?

تَلين خداعاً لِلمُقَلب كَشحَها

تَلين خداعاً لِلمُقَلب كَشحَها

كَما لانَ بَطن الأَفعوان فَتَلسب

كَما لانَ بَطن الأَفعوان فَتَلسب

Her flank softens deceptively for one who turns her over,

It yields in deception to the wavering one

As a viper's belly is soft—then she bites.

As snakes arch their backs and then pounce,

تَجنبت أَخلاق اللئام فَخانَني

تَجنبت أَخلاق اللئام فَخانَني

وَعاقَبَني دَهري كَأَنِيَ مُذَنب

وَعاقَبَني دَهري كَأَنِيَ مُذَنب

I shunned the ways of the base, yet was betrayed,

I avoided the ways of scoundrels, yet they betrayed me

And punished by my times, as though I were guilty.

And my fate punished me as if I sinned,

فَكَم قائل فيكَ اِنقِباض وَوَحشة

فَكَم قائل فيكَ اِنقِباض وَوَحشة

فَقُلت لَهُ لا بَل مِن الذَل أَهيب

فَقُلت لَهُ لا بَل مِن الذَل أَهيب

And many a person says, 'You are withdrawn and aloof.'

How many said of you: aloofness and hostility!

So I told him, 'No; rather, I shrink from humiliation.'

I said: No! But from humiliation I flee,

كَأَنَّ عَلى الأَيّام حُزنِيَ وَاجِبٌ

كَأَنَّ عَلى الأَيّام حُزنِيَ وَاجِبٌ

فَيا كَبدي ذَوبي فَذَلِكَ أَوجبُ

فَيا كَبدي ذَوبي فَذَلِكَ أَوجبُ

As though my sorrow were a duty laid upon the days,

As if upon my days my grief is a duty,

So, O my liver, melt—that is more obligatory still.

So melt, my liver, for that is most fitting,