حلو الوعود متى وفاك

حلو الوعود متى وفاك

أتُراك منجزها تراك

أتُراك منجزها تراك

O sweet promiser, when will you keep your word?

How sweet the promises when you fulfill them

Will you fulfill them, I wonder—will you?

Will I see you keeping them, will I see you?

من كل لفظ لو أذن

من كل لفظ لو أذن

ت لأجله قبلت فاك

ت لأجله قبلت فاك

For every word, if you gave leave,

If every word for which

I would kiss your mouth for its sake.

I agreed to for your sake, kissed your hand

يروى الحلاوة عن ثنا

يروى الحلاوة عن ثنا

ياك العذاب وعن لمَاك

ياك العذاب وعن لمَاك

It tells of sweetness from your front

It would narrate the sweetness of your affection

teeth, so sweet, and from your dusky lips.

And your torment and your blame

رخصت به الدنيا فكيـ

رخصت به الدنيا فكيـ

ـف إذا أنالته يداك

ـف إذا أنالته يداك

It made the world seem cheap; so how

I made the world cheap so how

would it be if your hands bestowed it?

Could it be when your hand attains it?

ظلما أقول جنى الهوى

ظلما أقول جنى الهوى

لم يجن إلا مقلتاك

لم يجن إلا مقلتاك

Unjustly I say that love did wrong;

Unjustly I say the love has wronged

none did wrong but your two eyes.

None but my eyelids have been wronged

غدتا منية من رأيـ

غدتا منية من رأيـ

ـت ورحت منية من رآك

ـت ورحت منية من رآك

Both became the death of whoever you saw,

They became deaths from the one I saw

and you became the death of whoever saw you.

And they became deaths from the one who saw you

والنفس تهلك مرّة

والنفس تهلك مرّة

والنفس يشفيها الهلاك

والنفس يشفيها الهلاك

And the soul perishes once;

And the soul dies once

and death heals the soul.

And the soul is healed by death

من علم الأجفان في

من علم الأجفان في

أهدابها مدّ الشباك

أهدابها مدّ الشباك

Who taught the eyelids, amid

Who taught the eyelids in

their lashes, to spread nets,

Their coyness to extend the nets?

وتصيّد الآساد بالـ

وتصيّد الآساد بالـ

ـآجام تسلبها الحراك

ـآجام تسلبها الحراك

and to hunt lions in the

And hunt the lions with the

thickets, robbing them of movement?

Eyes, robbing them of all movement

يا قاسي القلب أتئد

يا قاسي القلب أتئد

وأقلّ جهدك في جفاك

وأقلّ جهدك في جفاك

O hard-hearted one, go gently;

O stone-hearted one, are you satisfied

and put less effort into your harshness.

While your cruelty in your aloofness is diminished?

ماذا انتفاعي فيك بالـ

ماذا انتفاعي فيك بالـ

ـرحماء من باكٍ وشاك

ـرحماء من باكٍ وشاك

What help, where you are concerned, can I gain from the

What is my benefit in you, with the

compassionate—those who weep and complain?

Merciful one, from a weeping and complaining soul?

نفس قضت في الحب من

نفس قضت في الحب من

أولى برحمتها سواك

أولى برحمتها سواك

A soul has perished in love—who

A soul that has perished in love

should show it mercy, if not you?

Is more deserving of your mercy than any other