إِذا هَبَّ علويٌّ تَنَفس عَن جَمر

إِذا هَبَّ علويٌّ تَنَفس عَن جَمر

وَأَنَّ مِن الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر

وَأَنَّ مِن الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر

When an upland wind blows, he breathes out embers,

When an intimate sighed, relieved from embers,

and groans from agonizing longing and abandonment.

And that longing and separation were grievous,

وَأَشجاهُ مَسراهُ فَفاضَت دُموعُهُ

وَأَشجاهُ مَسراهُ فَفاضَت دُموعُهُ

وَأَفكر في البَلوى فَذابَ مِن الفكر

وَأَفكر في البَلوى فَذابَ مِن الفكر

Its nighttime passage saddens him, and his tears overflow,

And what gladdened him saddened him, so his tears flowed,

and he ponders his affliction, then melts away with brooding.

And when I thought of tribulation, I melted from thinking,

أَخو دَنف قَد صَد عَنهُ أَليفُهُ

أَخو دَنف قَد صَد عَنهُ أَليفُهُ

وَأَسلَمَهُ لِلشَوق وَالحُزن وَالضَر

وَأَسلَمَهُ لِلشَوق وَالحُزن وَالضَر

He is a lovesick man whose beloved has turned away from him

A brother whose friend had barred him,

and abandoned him to longing, grief, and suffering.

And surrendered him to yearning, sorrow and harm,

وَإِن شامَ بَرقاً في الظَلام اِستَفَزه

وَإِن شامَ بَرقاً في الظَلام اِستَفَزه

فَأَحشاؤُهُ تَهفو وَعبرتهُ تَجري

فَأَحشاؤُهُ تَهفو وَعبرتهُ تَجري

And if he glimpses lightning in the darkness, it stirs him,

And if he saw a flash of lightening in the darkness, it provoked him,

so his inward parts flutter, and his tears flow.

So his insides roared and his tears flowed,

وَإِذكره عَهد التَلاقي عَلى اللَوى

وَإِذكره عَهد التَلاقي عَلى اللَوى

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّام اللُقا صالِحَ القطر

سَقى اللَهُ أَيّام اللُقا صالِحَ القطر

And it reminds him of the days of meeting at al-Liwa—

And I recall the days of meeting at the curve,

may God water the days of meeting with beneficent rain—

May God water the days of meeting with good rain,

إِذِ الدَهر في صَفو وَإذ نَحنُ جيرة

إِذِ الدَهر في صَفو وَإذ نَحنُ جيرة

وَإِذ لَم نَبِت مِن خَوف واش عَلى ذُعر

وَإِذ لَم نَبِت مِن خَوف واش عَلى ذُعر

when life was serene, and when we were neighbors,

When life was pure and we were neighbors,

and when we did not spend the night in terror for fear of a talebearer.

And we did not spend the night fearing a dreadful horror,

فَباتَ سَليب اللُب وَالصَبر ذاهِلاً

فَباتَ سَليب اللُب وَالصَبر ذاهِلاً

يَهيمُ بِلا عُرف لَدَيهِ وَلا نكر

يَهيمُ بِلا عُرف لَدَيهِ وَلا نكر

So he spends the night bewildered, bereft of reason and patience,

So the heart and patience remained demolished,

wandering with no awareness of good or evil.

Wandering without recognizing or knowing,

وَقَد مَنَعَ الشَوق اللَجوج قَرارَهُ

وَقَد مَنَعَ الشَوق اللَجوج قَرارَهُ

فَكَم قائل قَد جَنَّ هَذا وَلم يَدرِ

فَكَم قائل قَد جَنَّ هَذا وَلم يَدرِ

And relentless longing has denied him repose;

And stubborn longing prevented its rest,

so many say, 'This man has gone mad,' yet do not know.

So how many have been possessed by this without knowing?

وَمُتَخذ هَجري إِلى اللَه قُربة

وَمُتَخذ هَجري إِلى اللَه قُربة

برى قَتل مَن يَهواهُ مِن أَعظَم الأَجرِ

برى قَتل مَن يَهواهُ مِن أَعظَم الأَجرِ

And one who makes forsaking me a means of drawing near to God

And one who takes my estrangement as an act of devotion to God

thinks killing the one who loves him earns the greatest reward.

Thinks he kills whomever he loves and attains tremendous reward,

أَفي اللَهِ أَم في الحُب قَتل مُتَيم

أَفي اللَهِ أَم في الحُب قَتل مُتَيم

عَفيف بِلا ذَنب جَناهُ وَلا وَزر

عَفيف بِلا ذَنب جَناهُ وَلا وَزر

Is it for God's sake, or for love, to kill a man enslaved by love,

Is it in God or in love that Mutayyam was killed?

chaste, having committed no sin and bearing no guilt?

A chaste man without sin, wronged without guilt or blame,

فَهَل مُبلغ عَني تَحية وَامق

فَهَل مُبلغ عَني تَحية وَامق

إِلى المَعرَض الغَضبان مسكية النَشر

إِلى المَعرَض الغَضبان مسكية النَشر

Then will anyone convey on my behalf a lover's greeting

Will there be one to convey my greetings and salutations

to the angry one who turns away—a greeting fragrant with musk—

To the one who turned away angrily, having the perfume of publication,

وَمِن بَعدِها شَكوى يَلين لَها الصَفا

وَمِن بَعدِها شَكوى يَلين لَها الصَفا

تعبر عَن حالي وَتُعرِبُ عَن أَمري

تعبر عَن حالي وَتُعرِبُ عَن أَمري

and after it a lament that would soften rock,

And after it, a complaint that would soften the rocks,

expressing my state and making my plight plain?

That would express my state and explain my matter?

وَإِني بِحال لَيسَ يُمكن شَرحَها

وَإِني بِحال لَيسَ يُمكن شَرحَها

وَكيفَ تَرى حال المُخَلد في الأَسرِ

وَكيفَ تَرى حال المُخَلد في الأَسرِ

And I am in a state that cannot be explained;

I am in a state that cannot be described,

and what state do you imagine for one held captive forever?

How do you see the state of one imprisoned?

عَسى قَلبُهُ القاسي يَلين بِنَفثِها

عَسى قَلبُهُ القاسي يَلين بِنَفثِها

فَشَكوى الهَوى وَالوَجد نَوع مِن السحر

فَشَكوى الهَوى وَالوَجد نَوع مِن السحر

Perhaps his hard heart will soften at its whispered breath,

Perhaps his cruel heart would be softened by its breath,

for a lament of love and yearning is a kind of magic.

Since the complaint of love and passion is a kind of magic,

أَطلت التَجافي وَالصُدودا عَن قَلا

أَطلت التَجافي وَالصُدودا عَن قَلا

صُدودك وَالأَعراض عَنيَ أَم غَدر

صُدودك وَالأَعراض عَنيَ أَم غَدر

You have prolonged your aloofness and rejection—is it out of hatred

Estrangement and your rejection have been prolonged,

that you turn away and shun me, or is it betrayal?

Is it your rejection or betrayal of me?

وَحاشاكَ مِن غَدر وَحاشاكَ مِن قَلا

وَحاشاكَ مِن غَدر وَحاشاكَ مِن قَلا

وَلَيسَ القَلا وَالغَدر مِن شِيَم الحَر

وَلَيسَ القَلا وَالغَدر مِن شِيَم الحَر

Far be betrayal from you, and far be hatred from you,

You are far from betrayal and far from rejection,

for hatred and betrayal are not among a noble man's traits.

Betrayal and rejection are not of the traits of the noble,

سَأَحمل ما كَلفتِنيهِ مِن الأَسى

سَأَحمل ما كَلفتِنيهِ مِن الأَسى

وَاِشرَب ما جَرعتِنيهِ مِن الصَبر

وَاِشرَب ما جَرعتِنيهِ مِن الصَبر

I shall bear whatever sorrow you have laid upon me,

I will bear what you have burdened me with of sorrow,

and drink whatever bitter aloe sap you have made me swallow.

And drink what you have made me drink of patience,

وَهَيهات أَن أَبقى وَقَد ضَمن الهَوى

وَهَيهات أَن أَبقى وَقَد ضَمن الهَوى

هَلاكي في البَلوى بِما ضَمهُ صَدري

هَلاكي في البَلوى بِما ضَمهُ صَدري

Yet survival is beyond hope, for love has guaranteed

And alas! How can I remain when love has guaranteed

my death in affliction, because of what my breast holds.

My demise in tribulation with what it has contained in my chest?