بِأَيّ حال تَراهُ يَصطَبِرُ

بِأَيّ حال تَراهُ يَصطَبِرُ

وَفي حَشاهُ الأَشواق تَستَعِرُ

وَفي حَشاهُ الأَشواق تَستَعِرُ

How do you think he can endure patiently,

In what state does he bear it,

while longings blaze within his breast?

While in his feelings the longings flare?

عَليل حُب عَلى فِراش ضَناً

عَليل حُب عَلى فِراش ضَناً

مُحتَضر لِلحَمام مُنتَظر

مُحتَضر لِلحَمام مُنتَظر

Love-sick upon a bed of wasting illness,

Love lies ill on the bed of disdain,

dying, awaiting death.

At death's door, waiting for his beloved.

في جِسمِهِ مِن سقامِهِ عِظَةٌ

في جِسمِهِ مِن سقامِهِ عِظَةٌ

لَكِنَهُ بِالقَميص مُستَتَر

لَكِنَهُ بِالقَميص مُستَتَر

In his body, his sickness offers a warning,

In his body, from his sickness a lesson,

but he is concealed beneath his shirt.

Yet with his shirt he remains covered.

وَعبرة في أَنصاب عبرَتِهِ

وَعبرة في أَنصاب عبرَتِهِ

لَو أَن صِبا بِذاكَ يَعتبر

لَو أَن صِبا بِذاكَ يَعتبر

And a lesson lies in the monuments of his tears,

In the pools of his flowing tears a moral,

if only youthful passion would take heed of that.

If only youth by it were admonished.

لا تَنطَفي نار شَوقِهِ أَبَداً

لا تَنطَفي نار شَوقِهِ أَبَداً

إِن وَصَلوهُ الأَحباب أَو هَجروا

إِن وَصَلوهُ الأَحباب أَو هَجروا

The fire of his longing never goes out,

Never will his fire of passion be extinguished,

whether his beloveds grant him union or forsake him.

Whether his loved ones unite or abandon.

وَوَجدَهُ في تَزايد أَبَداً

وَوَجدَهُ في تَزايد أَبَداً

إِن عَذل العاذِلون أَو عَذروا

إِن عَذل العاذِلون أَو عَذروا

And his passion forever grows,

Ever increasing it remains,

whether the reproachers blame him or excuse him.

Whether the blamers censure or excuse.

وَكَيفَ يَلحى عَلى الهَوى بَشَر

وَكَيفَ يَلحى عَلى الهَوى بَشَر

وَما يُلاقي في اللَوح مُستطر

وَما يُلاقي في اللَوح مُستطر

And how can a mortal be reproached for love,

How can any mortal on passion impose,

when what he suffers is inscribed upon the Tablet?

Or what confronts it can he master?

أَسقمهُ بِالجَفا وَأتلفهُ

أَسقمهُ بِالجَفا وَأتلفهُ

سَقيم جفن في طَرفِهِ حورُ

سَقيم جفن في طَرفِهِ حورُ

Through coldness he was sickened and destroyed

Illness emaciated him, ruin effaced him -

by one with languid lids and eyes of striking black and white.

An ailing eyelid, in it magic eyes.

لَو أَبصَر العاذِلون طَلعتُهُ

لَو أَبصَر العاذِلون طَلعتُهُ

ماتوا غَراماً بِهِ وَما شَعَروا

ماتوا غَراماً بِهِ وَما شَعَروا

Had the reproachers seen his countenance,

If the blamers but saw his radiance,

they would have died of passion for him without realizing it.

They would die enamored, unaware.

مُشَعشع الخَد لا يَكاد بِأَن

مُشَعشع الخَد لا يَكاد بِأَن

يَثبت في ماءِ وَجهِهِ البَصَر

يَثبت في ماءِ وَجهِهِ البَصَر

Radiant is his cheek; scarcely can

Dazzling of cheek, barely can

the gaze remain fixed upon the luster of his face.

A stare in his face’s water remain.

تَرجَع عَنهُ الأَبصار مِن دَهش

تَرجَع عَنهُ الأَبصار مِن دَهش

حَسيرة وَالدُموع تَبتَدر

حَسيرة وَالدُموع تَبتَدر

Eyes turn back from him in astonishment,

From it the sights recoil, astonished,

wearied, while tears rush forth.

Yearning, while tears begin to pour.

صاحَبت في حُبِهِ الهُموم كَما

صاحَبت في حُبِهِ الهُموم كَما

صاحَبَ جِفني البُكاء وَالسَهَر

صاحَبَ جِفني البُكاء وَالسَهَر

In loving him, I kept company with sorrows, just as

Sorrows have accompanied his love,

weeping and sleeplessness kept my eyelids company.

As my tears and wakefulness.

وَلَم يَزُر قَلبي السُرور وَلَم

وَلَم يَزُر قَلبي السُرور وَلَم

تَطرقُهُ إِلّا الأَحزان وَالفكر

تَطرقُهُ إِلّا الأَحزان وَالفكر

Joy has not visited my heart, nor

Neither has joy visited my heart,

has anything but sorrows and thoughts come knocking.

Nor has it been approached, save by cares and thought.

يَدُبُ في أَضلُعي اللَهيب كَما

يَدُبُ في أَضلُعي اللَهيب كَما

دَبَ في صَفوِ خَدِهِ الخَفر

دَبَ في صَفوِ خَدِهِ الخَفر

A flame creeps through my ribs, just as

In my ribs creeps the flame,

bashfulness crept into his cheek's pure brightness.

As it crept on his soft cheek.

الرِفق مَولاي فَالمُحب إِلى

الرِفق مَولاي فَالمُحب إِلى

رَحماك بَعد الإِلَه مُفتَقر

رَحماك بَعد الإِلَه مُفتَقر

Be gentle, my lord: the lover is in need of

Gently, my Master! The lover is to

your mercy, after God.

Your mercy, after God, needy.

ماذا تَرى في مُتيم كَلف

ماذا تَرى في مُتيم كَلف

يُقنِعُهُ مِن وِصالك النَظَر

يُقنِعُهُ مِن وِصالك النَظَر

What do you think of a love-enslaved, infatuated man,

What do you see in a doting lover

for whom a look suffices as union with you?

Whom a glance from you doesn’t satisfy?

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَلقَهُ بِوَجه رضى

إِن أَنتَ لَم تَلقَهُ بِوَجه رضى

فَمالَهُ في حَياتِهِ وَطَر

فَمالَهُ في حَياتِهِ وَطَر

If you do not meet him with a face of favor,

If you don’t meet him with a pleased face,

then he has no desire in life.

What in life, and delight, can he savor?

لَم أَرَ لِلصَد وَالجَفا سَبباً

لَم أَرَ لِلصَد وَالجَفا سَبباً

وَإِنَّما قَد أَتاحَهُ القَدَر

وَإِنَّما قَد أَتاحَهُ القَدَر

I have seen no reason for rejection and coldness;

For coldness and disdain I see no reason,

it is only fate that has brought it about.

Only destiny made it possible.

إِن كانَ ذَنب جَنَيتُهُ خَطَأ

إِن كانَ ذَنب جَنَيتُهُ خَطَأ

فَأَصفح فَذَنب المُحب يُغتَفَر

فَأَصفح فَذَنب المُحب يُغتَفَر

If I have committed a sin in error,

If a sin I unwittingly committed,

then forgive it, for a lover's sin is pardonable.

Then forgive, for a lover's sin is pardoned.

قَد كُنتُ أَخشى هَواكَ يُتلِفُني

قَد كُنتُ أَخشى هَواكَ يُتلِفُني

وَلَيسَ يُنجي مِن القَضا حَذَر

وَلَيسَ يُنجي مِن القَضا حَذَر

I had feared that love of you would destroy me,

I feared your love would destroy me,

but caution cannot save one from fate.

Yet from fate what caution can save?

نَبَهت وَاللَيل قَد قَضا وَبَدَت

نَبَهت وَاللَيل قَد قَضا وَبَدَت

أَنوار وَجه الصَباح تَنتَشر

أَنوار وَجه الصَباح تَنتَشر

I roused—night had ended, and there appeared

I awoke, and the night had passed,

the lights of morning's face, spreading abroad,

The lights of morn's face began to spread.

وَالبَرق يَروي نار الصَبابة في

وَالبَرق يَروي نار الصَبابة في

قَلبي فَدَمعي لِزِنده شَرر

قَلبي فَدَمعي لِزِنده شَرر

while lightning watered the fire of yearning in

Lightning narrated my beloved’s fire,

my heart, so my tears were sparks for its fire-stick—

So my tears, for its sparks, flowed.

أَخا وِداد غُرٍّ خَلائِقُهُ

أَخا وِداد غُرٍّ خَلائِقُهُ

خَدين حُب حَديثُهُ سُمر

خَدين حُب حَديثُهُ سُمر

a brother in affection, whose character is radiant,

A brother of beloved nature,

an intimate in love, whose talk is nighttime converse.

Soft of cheek, sweet of discourse.

فَقُلت أَن الظَلام مُنحَسِرٌ

فَقُلت أَن الظَلام مُنحَسِرٌ

وَإِنَّ لَيل الهُموم مُعتَكر

وَإِنَّ لَيل الهُموم مُعتَكر

Then I said, 'The darkness is receding,

I said: the darkness is receding,

yet the night of sorrows is thick with gloom.

Yet the night of sorrows remains gathered.

وَإِن صَبري طارَت بِآخره

وَإِن صَبري طارَت بِآخره

بَلابل الشَوق مُذ قَضى السحر

بَلابل الشَوق مُذ قَضى السحر

And the last of my patience has been borne away

My patience - its extent is done,

by longing's torments since the predawn hour ended.

Since the birds of longing, at dawn, took flight.

فَأَدرَك فُؤادي بِما يُعللهُ

فَأَدرَك فُؤادي بِما يُعللهُ

فَالحُرّ لِلعاشِقين يَنتَصر

فَالحُرّ لِلعاشِقين يَنتَصر

So rescue my heart with whatever soothes it,

So my heart perceived what made it sick,

for a noble man comes to lovers' aid.

For the free, victory is at hand!

وَأَستَخير الريح عَن أَحبتنا

وَأَستَخير الريح عَن أَحبتنا

فَعِندَها مِن حَديثهم خَبَر

فَعِندَها مِن حَديثهم خَبَر

And I consult the wind about our beloveds,

I asked the wind about our loved ones -

for it has tidings of them.

For it has news of their talk.

وَقَد سَرَت مِن دِيارهم سحراً

وَقَد سَرَت مِن دِيارهم سحراً

لِأَنَّ ريا نَسيمِها عُطرُ

لِأَنَّ ريا نَسيمِها عُطرُ

And it has journeyed from their dwellings before dawn,

It had wandered from their abode at dawn,

for the fragrance of its breeze is perfume.'

For the scent of its breeze is fragrance.