فَدَتكَ الجَوانِحُ مِن نازِلٍ

فَدَتكَ الجَوانِحُ مِن نازِلٍ

وَأَهلاً بِطَيفِكَ مِن واصِلِ

وَأَهلاً بِطَيفِكَ مِن واصِلِ

May my ribs ransom you, O guest,

My soul ransoms you from every abode,

and welcome to your phantom, a visitor.

And welcome is your phantom to one longing.

بَذَلتَ لَهُ الجَفنَ دونَ الكَرى

بَذَلتَ لَهُ الجَفنَ دونَ الكَرى

وَمَن بِالكَرى لِلشَجِيِ الباذِلِ

وَمَن بِالكَرى لِلشَجِيِ الباذِلِ

You offered it your eyelid, without slumber;

You gave your eyelids for her without regret,

and who will grant the grief-stricken sleep?

And who regrets giving all to one who gave freely?

وَقُلتُ أَراكَ بِرُغمِ العَذول

وَقُلتُ أَراكَ بِرُغمِ العَذول

فَنابَ السُهادُ عَنِ العاذِلِ

فَنابَ السُهادُ عَنِ العاذِلِ

And I said: I shall see you despite the reproacher;

I said I would see you despite the blamer,

then sleeplessness took the reproacher’s place.

So the passionate turned from the blamer.

فَوَيحَ المُتَيَّمِ حَتّى الخَيالُ

فَوَيحَ المُتَيَّمِ حَتّى الخَيالُ

إِذا زارَ لَم يَخلُ مِن حائِلِ

إِذا زارَ لَم يَخلُ مِن حائِلِ

Alas for the love-enslaved! Even the phantom,

Woe to the bereaved even his dreams,

when it visits, is not without an obstacle.

If he visits, some obstacle interferes.

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكَ ضُلوعٌ عَفَت

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكَ ضُلوعٌ عَفَت

مِنَ البَينِ في جَسَدٍ ناحِلِ

مِنَ البَينِ في جَسَدٍ ناحِلِ

Yearning for you are ribs worn away

Ribs of chastity yearn toward you

by separation, in an emaciated body,

In an emaciated body grown thin.

وَقَلبٌ جَوٍ عِندَها خافِقٌ

وَقَلبٌ جَوٍ عِندَها خافِقٌ

تَعَلَّقَ بِالسَنَدِ المائِلِ

تَعَلَّقَ بِالسَنَدِ المائِلِ

and a lovesick heart, beating beside them,

A heart breaking with passion

which has clung to the leaning support.

Clings to a leaning pillar.

وَمِن عَبَثِ العِشقِ بِالعاشِقين

وَمِن عَبَثِ العِشقِ بِالعاشِقين

حَنينُ القَتيلِ إِلى القاتِلِ

حَنينُ القَتيلِ إِلى القاتِلِ

And among love’s ways of toying with lovers

From love's wantonness with lovers

is the slain one’s yearning for the slayer.

Comes the slain's yearning for the killer.

غَفِلتُ عَنِ الكَأسِ حَتّى طَغَت

غَفِلتُ عَنِ الكَأسِ حَتّى طَغَت

وَلي أَدَبٌ لَيسَ بِالغافِلِ

وَلي أَدَبٌ لَيسَ بِالغافِلِ

I neglected the cup until it overflowed,

I neglected the wine cup till it overflowed,

yet my good manners are not heedless.

Yet I have manners, I'm no negligent one.

وَشَفَّت وَما شَفَّ مِنّي الضَميرُ

وَشَفَّت وَما شَفَّ مِنّي الضَميرُ

وَأَينَ الجَمادُ مِنَ العاقِلِ

وَأَينَ الجَمادُ مِنَ العاقِلِ

And it grew transparent, yet my inner self did not;

It healed, but my conscience did not heal,

and how can lifeless matter compare with a rational being?

What can the inanimate know of sensibility?

يَظَلُّ نَديمي يُسقى بِها

يَظَلُّ نَديمي يُسقى بِها

وَيَشرَبُ مِن خُلُقي الفاضِلِ

وَيَشرَبُ مِن خُلُقي الفاضِلِ

My drinking companion keeps being served from it,

My boon companion stays intoxicated by it

and drinks of my noble character.

Drinking of my noble nature.

أُبِدِّدُها كَرَماً كُلَّما

أُبِدِّدُها كَرَماً كُلَّما

بَدَت لِيَ كَالذَهَبِ السائِلِ

بَدَت لِيَ كَالذَهَبِ السائِلِ

I lavish it generously whenever

I dispense it generously whenever

it appears to me like liquid gold.

It appears to me like molten gold.