مَدمعtearful eye باتَspent the night يَسفحُshedding tears
مَدمع باتَ يَسفحُ
وَاِشتِياقand longing مُبرحُagonizing
وَاِشتِياق مُبرحُ
A tearful eye spent the night shedding tears,
My tears flow
and agonizing longing;
And yearning pierces
وَسُهادٌand sleeplessness لاnot يَنقَضيends
وَسُهادٌ لا يَنقَضي
وَدُجىand darkness لَيسَdoes not يَبرَحdepart
وَدُجى لَيسَ يَبرَح
and sleeplessness that never ends,
Sleep eludes me
and darkness that will not depart.
Darkness lingers
وَإِذاand when الأَلفthe beloved companion صَدَّturned away فَالمَوthen death (beginning)
وَإِذا الأَلف صَدَّ فَالمَو
تdeath (ending) لِلصَبfor the lovelorn أَروحmore restful
ت لِلصَب أَروح
And when the beloved turns away, then death
If we part, I die
is more restful for the lovelorn.
Flitting to the grave
وَحَبيبand a beloved إِلَيهِtoward him أَفhearts (beginning)
وَحَبيب إِلَيهِ أَف
ئدةhearts (ending) الناسof people تَجنَحincline
ئدة الناس تَجنَح
And a beloved toward whom the hearts
My love shuns
of people incline.
The people's wings
ماno لِراجيfor one hoping وِصالَهُunion with him
ما لِراجي وِصالَهُ
أَملhope فيهِin him يَنجَحsucceeds
أَمل فيهِ يَنجَح
No one who hopes for union with him
Hope of union
has any hope of success with him.
Falters, dashed
قَمرa moon ناظِريmy eye إِلىtoward
قَمر ناظِري إِلى
غَيرِهِanyone other than him لَيسَdoes not يَطمَحaspire
غَيرِهِ لَيسَ يَطمَح
A moon—my eye looks
My watching moon
toward no one other than him.
Seeks not me
قَدindeed رَأَيناwe have seen آياتsigns حسbeauty (beginning)
قَد رَأَينا آيات حس
نbeauty (ending) لَهُbelonging to him لَيسَnot تَشرَحare explained
ن لَهُ لَيسَ تَشرَح
We have seen signs of beauty
Beauty's signs
in him that cannot be explained.
Reveal no sympathy
نَحنُwe فيin الدَمعtears وَهُوَand he فيin
نَحنُ في الدَمع وَهُوَ في
فلكsphere الحَسنbeauty يَسجmoves swiftly
فلك الحَسن يَسج
We are in tears, while he is in
I weep, he giggles
beauty's sphere, moving swiftly.
Unveiling secrets
يَكشفreveals السِرthe secret وَالهَوىand passion
يَكشف السِر وَالهَوى
طَرفَهُhis gaze حينَwhen يَلمَحglances
طَرفَهُ حينَ يَلمَح
The secret and passion are revealed
His glance betrays
by his gaze when he glances.
No escape reveals
ماwhy لُبابfor the gate (contextual reading) النَجاةdeliverance فيin
ما لُباب النَجاة في
حُبِهِlove for him لَيسَdoes not يَفتَحopen
حُبِهِ لَيسَ يَفتَح
Why does the gate of deliverance
Itself in loving him
not open in love for him?
Woe to the lover!
ياO شَقاءmisery المُحبthe lover وَاoh!
يا شَقاء المُحب وَا
عَجَباًwhat a wonder! كَيفَhow يُفلِحprospers
عَجَباً كَيفَ يُفلِح
O misery of the lover! Oh,
How can he succeed?
what a wonder—how can he prosper?
Proximity steals his heart
يَسلبsteals القُربcloseness قَلبَهُhis heart
يَسلب القُرب قَلبَهُ
وَهُوَand he بِالقَربin closeness يَفرَحrejoices
وَهُوَ بِالقَرب يَفرَح
Closeness steals his heart,
Yet nearness gladdens him
yet he rejoices in closeness.
At his denial, my heart
هبgrant that فُؤاديmy heart عِندَat التَناseparation (beginning)
هب فُؤادي عِندَ التَنا
ئيseparation (ending) مَعwith الدَمعtears يَسفَحspills out
ئي مَع الدَمع يَسفَح
Grant that my heart, at separation,
Spills with tears
spills out with the tears;
At meeting, my heart
ماwhy لِقَلبيwith my heart بِالوَجدthrough longing عِنat (beginning)
ما لِقَلبي بِالوَجد عِن
دat (ending) التَلاقيmeeting يَجرَّحis wounded
د التَلاقي يَجرَّح
why is my heart, through longing,
Is torn, wounded
wounded when we meet?
Agony claims my soul
يَظفرprevails الشَقdistress كُلevery يَوday (beginning)
يَظفر الشَق كُل يَو
مday (ending) بِروحيover my soul وَيُصفحand turns away
م بِروحي وَيُصفح
Distress prevails each day
Daily, repeating
over my soul, and turns away.
He jests, while my agony
جَدَّgrew intense بيin me لاعجburning anguish الغَراpassion (beginning)
جَدَّ بي لاعج الغَرا
مpassion (ending) وَمَولايَand my lord يَمزَحjests
م وَمَولايَ يَمزَح
The burning anguish of passion has grown fierce in me,
Burns within
while my lord jests.
Yearning's spark ignites
وَزِنادand the flint الأَشواقof longings ناfire (beginning)
وَزِناد الأَشواق نا
راًfire (ending) بِأَحشائيwithin my vitals يَقدحstrikes
راً بِأَحشائي يَقدح
And longing's flint strikes fire
My core, scorching
within my vitals.
How long will my tears
وَإِلىand until كَمhow long دَمعيmy tears بِشَكوwith a complaint (beginning)
وَإِلى كَم دَمعي بِشَكو
ىcomplaint (ending) تَجافيكyour aloofness يَصفحturns away
ى تَجافيك يَصفح
And how long will my tears, in complaint
Flow for your aloofness?
of your aloofness, turn away?
Take my soul, death's better
هاكَtake! روحيmy soul فَالمَوتfor death ليfor me
هاكَ روحي فَالمَوت لي
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَنتَyou أَصلَحbetter
بِأَبي أَنتَ أَصلَح
Take my soul: death, for me,
For me than you, my father
is better—may my father be your ransom.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.