أَذكيتyou kindled حَرthe heat of الجَوىheartache وَاللَيلand the night قَدalready بَرَداgrew cold
أَذكيت حَر الجَوى وَاللَيل قَد بَرَدا
ياO بارِقاًlightning flash حَركstirred الأَشواقlongings ثُمthen هَداsubsided
يا بارِقاً حَرك الأَشواق ثُم هَدا
You kindled the heat of heartache while the night had grown cold,
O lightning flash that stirred longing, then subsided.
أَضرمتyou ignited نارa fire of اِشتياقyearning لَمnot تَكُنhad been خَمَدَتdied down
أَضرمت نار اِشتياق لَم تَكُن خَمَدَت
فَاِنهلso poured forth وَاكفstreaming دَمعtears لَمnot يَكُنhad been جمداcongealed
فَاِنهل وَاكف دَمع لَم يَكُن جمدا
You set ablaze a fire of yearning that had not died down,
so streaming tears poured forth, tears that had not congealed.
ياO حاكمruler of الحُبlove لاmay not زالَتcease أَوامِرَهُhis commands
يا حاكم الحُب لا زالَت أَوامِرَهُ
فيamong الناسpeople نافِذَةًbinding إِنwhether جارَhe acted unjustly أَوor قَصَداhe acted fairly
في الناس نافِذَةً إِن جارَ أَو قَصَدا
O ruler of love, may his commands remain forever
binding upon people, whether he is unjust or fair.
هَلis it? فيin شَريعتَكyour law الغَرّاءradiant ياO حكميmy judge
هَل في شَريعتَك الغَرّاء يا حكمي
إِنthat لاnot أَزالI cease جَليسcompanion of الهَمsorrow مُنفَرِداalone
إِن لا أَزال جَليس الهَم مُنفَرِدا
Is it in your radiant law, O my judge,
that I remain forever sorrow's companion, all alone?
أَمor فيin الهَوىlove إِنَّthat مِنone who عفتwere chaste سَرائِرَهُhis innermost thoughts
أَم في الهَوى إِنَّ مِن عفت سَرائِرَهُ
يَجفيis spurned وَإِنand that لاnot يُلاقيhe finds لِلجَفاto estrangement أَمَداan end
يَجفي وَإِن لا يُلاقي لِلجَفا أَمَدا
Or is it love's law that one whose innermost thoughts are chaste
is spurned, and finds no end to estrangement?
إِنif جازَis permitted هَذاthis فَهَلthen is it? فيin الحُبlove سَفكshedding دَميmy blood
إِن جازَ هَذا فَهَل في الحُب سَفك دَمي
بِغَيرwithout ذَنبan offense وَلاand no عَقلblood money وَلاand no قوداretaliation
بِغَير ذَنب وَلا عَقل وَلا قودا
If this is permitted, may my blood be shed in love
without an offense, blood money, or retaliation?
وَهَبَتI gave روحيmy soul لِمَنto one who أَمسىhas come to يُعذِبُهاtorments it
وَهَبَت روحي لِمَن أَمسى يُعذِبُها
وَجانبand shunned البُخلmiserliness مَنwhoever أَعطىgave الحَمامdeath يَداa hand
وَجانب البُخل مَن أَعطى الحَمام يَدا
I gave my soul to one who has come to torment it;
and whoever gives death a hand has shunned miserliness.
أعلمknow فَديتكmay I ransom you ياO مَنone who صَدturned away عَنfrom دَنفa lovesick man
أعلم فَديتك يا مَن صَد عَن دَنف
لاnot يَعرفknows الدَهرthroughout life إِلّاexcept الحُزنsorrow وَالكَمداand anguish
لا يَعرف الدَهر إِلّا الحُزن وَالكَمدا
Know—may I be your ransom—you who turned away from a lovesick man,
who knows nothing throughout life but sorrow and anguish:
إِذاwhen تَنَعمتyou enjoy ease إِنيindeed I مِنكَbecause of you فيin كَربdistress
إِذا تَنَعمت إِني مِنكَ في كَرب
وَحينَand when تَرقُدyou sleep إِنindeed الصَبthe lovesick lover ماnot هَجَداhas slept
وَحينَ تَرقُد إِن الصَب ما هَجَدا
when you enjoy ease, I am in distress because of you;
and when you sleep, the lovesick lover has not slept.
بَراهُwasted him صَدّكyour rejection حَتّىuntil قالَsaid عوَّدهُhis visitors
بَراهُ صَدّك حَتّى قالَ عوَّدهُ
إِذاwhen لَمnot يَدَعleft مِنهُof him فَرطthe severity of السُقمsickness غَيرother than صَداan echo
إِذا لَم يَدَع مِنهُ فَرط السُقم غَير صَدا
Your rejection wasted him until his visitors said,
when grievous sickness left of him nothing but an echo:
أَنّاindeed we لَنسمعwe surely hear مِنfrom تِلقاءِthe direction of مَضجَعِهِhis bed
أَنّا لَنسمع مِن تِلقاءِ مَضجَعِهِ
أَنينthe moaning of صَبٍّa lovesick man وَلَكنbut لاnot نَرىwe see أَحَداanyone
أَنين صَبٍّ وَلَكن لا نَرى أَحَدا
"We surely hear, from the direction of his bed,
a lovesick man's moaning, yet we see no one."
مَلّhe wearied of الحَياةlife وَملتهُand wearied of him عَوائِدُهُhis visitors
مَلّ الحَياة وَملتهُ عَوائِدُهُ
فَلَوso if يُباحwere permitted لَهُto him وَردapproaching water الرَدىdeath وَرداhe would approach
فَلَو يُباح لَهُ وَرد الرَدى وَردا
He wearied of life, and his visitors wearied of him;
so, were he allowed to approach death's watering-place, he would.
أَرىI see الهَوىlove واحِداًone فيin نَفسِهِitself وَأَرىand I see
أَرى الهَوى واحِداً في نَفسِهِ وَأَرى
طَرائقthe paths of الحَتفdeath فيalong سُبلthe ways of الهَوىlove قَدداdiverse
طَرائق الحَتف في سُبل الهَوى قَددا
I see love as one in itself, yet I see
the ways of death along love's paths as many and diverse.
بَليتI was afflicted فيin حُبlove for مِنone who حَبيبهِhis beloved برّحinflicted torment بيupon me
بَليت في حُب مِن حَبيبهِ برّح بي
بِغيرةwith jealousy لَمnot تَدَعleft ليfor me فيin الهَوىlove جَلداendurance
بِغيرة لَم تَدَع لي في الهَوى جَلدا
I was afflicted in loving one whose beloved tormented me
with a jealousy that left me no endurance in love.
أَجفوI shun الرقادsleep وَقَدand already نامَslept الوَرىall people جَزَعاًin dread
أَجفو الرقاد وَقَد نامَ الوَرى جَزَعاً
منof أَنthat يَرىmight see طَيفُهُhis phantom فيin النَومsleep مَنwhoever رَقَداslept
من أَن يَرى طَيفُهُ في النَوم مَن رَقَدا
I shun sleep, though all people sleep, in dread
lest his phantom visit anyone who slumbers.
لاno بَلrather أَغارَI am jealous عَلَيهِover him إِنif تمثلهُthey picture him الthe
لا بَل أَغارَ عَلَيهِ إِن تمثلهُ ال
أَفكارthoughts أَوor تَتَمناهُthey long for him وَإِنand even if بَعداhe is far away
أَفكار أَو تَتَمناهُ وَإِن بَعدا
No—rather, I am jealous over him if he is imagined by the
thoughts, or longed for by them, even though he is far away.
بَلrather ماnot رَأَيتI saw عُيونthe eyes of الناسpeople ترمقهُgaze at him
بَل ما رَأَيت عُيون الناس ترمقهُ
إِلّاexcept that تَمنيتI wished إِنيthat I لَمnot أَكُنexist أَبَداever
إِلّا تَمنيت إِني لَم أَكُن أَبَدا
Indeed, never have I seen people's eyes gazing at him
without wishing that I had never existed.
قَدindeed تيمenthralled الظَبيthe gazelle مِنهُfrom him سحرthe magic of مُقلَتِهِhis eye
قَد تيم الظَبي مِنهُ سحر مُقلَتِهِ
فَهامَso it wandered love-mad فيin حُبِهِlove for him مِنfrom حَرthe heat of ماwhat وَجَداit felt
فَهامَ في حُبِهِ مِن حَر ما وَجَدا
The magic of his eye has enthralled the gazelle,
so it wandered mad with love for him, burning with what it felt.
وَمُنذُand since أَبصَرَsaw وَردthe rose of الرَوضthe garden وَجنَتُهُhis cheek
وَمُنذُ أَبصَرَ وَرد الرَوض وَجنَتُهُ
بَداappeared الذُبولwilting عَلىupon أَوراقِهِits petals حَسَداout of envy
بَدا الذُبول عَلى أَوراقِهِ حَسَدا
And since the garden's rose beheld his cheek,
wilting has appeared upon its petals out of envy.
لَمnot يَذكُرواthey mentioned عِندَbeside خوطa shoot of البانthe bān tree قامَتُهُhis stature
لَم يَذكُروا عِندَ خوط البان قامَتُهُ
إِلّاexcept that وَمالَand it bent مِنfrom الأَشواقlonging أَوor سَجَداprostrated itself
إِلّا وَمالَ مِن الأَشواق أَو سَجَدا
They never mentioned his stature beside a bān-tree shoot
without its bending with longing, or bowing in prostration.
ياO فِتنَةthe spell of أَلحاظكyour glances المرضىlanguid عَلىupon كَبديmy liver
يا فِتنَة أَلحاظك المرضى عَلى كَبدي
فَفتقتso they tore open كَبديmy liver الحَرّاburning فَواكبداso, alas for my liver
فَفتقت كَبدي الحَرّا فَواكبدا
Oh, the spell of your languid glances upon my liver!
So they tore open my burning liver—alas for my liver!
قَدalready ضاقَgrew cramped قَلبيَmy heart بِالوَجدwith passion المُذيبِmelting لَهُfor it
قَد ضاقَ قَلبيَ بِالوَجد المُذيبِ لَهُ
فَلوso if أَرادَit wanted مَزيداًmore مِنهُof it ماnot وَجَداit would find
فَلو أَرادَ مَزيداً مِنهُ ما وَجَدا
My heart has grown cramped with the passion that melts it;
so, were it to seek more of it, it would find none.
لَوif إِنthat ماwhat بيis in me بِماءِin the water of المَزنrain clouds لانعَقَداit would surely congeal
لَو إِن ما بي بِماءِ المَزن لانعَقَدا
أَوor بِالهَواءِin the air وَلَوand even if معشارهa tenth of it اِتَقَداit would blaze
أَو بِالهَواءِ وَلَو معشاره اِتَقَدا
If what afflicts me were in the rain-clouds' water, it would congeal;
or in the air—even a tenth of it—the air would blaze.
أَوor كانَwere شَوقيmy yearning بِأَهلupon the people of الكَهفthe Cave ماnot رَقَدواthey slept
أَو كانَ شَوقي بِأَهل الكَهف ما رَقَدوا
وَماand not رَأَواthey saw فيهِin it إِلّاexcept الفكرbrooding وَالسُهداand sleeplessness
وَما رَأَوا فيهِ إِلّا الفكر وَالسُهدا
Or had my yearning afflicted the People of the Cave, they would not have slept,
and would have found in it only brooding and sleeplessness.
استنجدI seek aid from الصَبرpatience وَالأَشواقُwhile longings تَهزمهُdefeat it
استنجد الصَبر وَالأَشواقُ تَهزمهُ
وَأَمترىand I milk مَدمَعيmy tear duct وَالدَمعُwhile tears قَدalready نَفَداran out
وَأَمترى مَدمَعي وَالدَمعُ قَد نَفَدا
I summon patience to my aid, while longings defeat it;
and milk my tear duct, though the tears have already been drained
مِنfrom العَليلthe sick lover قَضىhe died ظُلماًunjustly بِعِلَتِهِof his affliction
مِن العَليل قَضى ظُلماً بِعِلَتِهِ
وَحَرُّand the heat of أَشواقِهِhis longings الوَقّادblazing ماnot بَرَداcooled
وَحَرُّ أَشواقِهِ الوَقّاد ما بَرَدا
from the sick lover, who died unjustly of his affliction,
while the blazing heat of his longings never cooled.