عَلى قَدرِ الهَوى يَأتي العِتابُ

عَلى قَدرِ الهَوى يَأتي العِتابُ

وَمَن عاتَبتُ يَفديهِ الصِحابُ

وَمَن عاتَبتُ يَفديهِ الصِحابُ

Reproach comes in proportion to love.

Reproach comes in proportion to passion's measure;

And friends would ransom the one I reproach.

He whom I reproach, companionship makes amends.

أَلومُ مُعَذِبي فَأَلومُ نَفسي

أَلومُ مُعَذِبي فَأَلومُ نَفسي

فَأُغضِبُها وَيُرضيها العَذابُ

فَأُغضِبُها وَيُرضيها العَذابُ

I blame my tormentor, and so I blame myself;

I blame my tormentor, then myself I blame,

So I anger my soul, while torment pleases it.

Angering her, though torment pleases her anon.

وَلَو أَنّي اِستَطَعتُ لَتُبتُ عَنهُ

وَلَو أَنّي اِستَطَعتُ لَتُبتُ عَنهُ

وَلَكِن كَيفَ عَن روحي المَتابُ

وَلَكِن كَيفَ عَن روحي المَتابُ

And if I could, I would turn away from him;

If I could, from it I would turn, but how

But how can I turn away from my own soul?

Can I from my own soul, once enslaved, withdraw?

وَلي قَلبٌ بِأَن يَهوى يُجازى

وَلي قَلبٌ بِأَن يَهوى يُجازى

وَمالِكُهُ بِأَن يَجني يُثابُ

وَمالِكُهُ بِأَن يَجني يُثابُ

And I have a heart that is punished for loving,

My heart is destined to adore, and to

And its master is rewarded for doing wrong.

Adore, my lord, deserves reward. And yet,

وَلَو وُجِدَ العِقابُ فَعَلتُ لَكِن

وَلَو وُجِدَ العِقابُ فَعَلتُ لَكِن

نِفارُ الظَبيِ لَيسَ لَهُ عِقابُ

نِفارُ الظَبيِ لَيسَ لَهُ عِقابُ

And were there a punishment, I would inflict it; but

If punishment there were, I still would do

There is no punishment for the gazelle’s flight.

What I have done, for Gazelles take no heed of interdict.

يَلومُ اللائِمونَ وَما رَأَوهُ

يَلومُ اللائِمونَ وَما رَأَوهُ

وَقِدماً ضاعَ في الناسِ الصَوابُ

وَقِدماً ضاعَ في الناسِ الصَوابُ

The faultfinders blame me, though they have not seen him;

The critics blame, but what have they perceived?

And long ago, sound judgment was lost among people.

Long since, among mankind, sense strayed from wisdom's road.

صَحَوتُ فَأَنكَرَ السُلوانَ قَلبي

صَحَوتُ فَأَنكَرَ السُلوانَ قَلبي

عَلَيَّ وَراجَعَ الطَرَبَ الشَبابُ

عَلَيَّ وَراجَعَ الطَرَبَ الشَبابُ

I sobered up, but my heart held my forgetting

I woke to find caprice rejecting my heart ‘gainst me,

Against me, and youth returned to rapture.

And the madness of youth was renewed within my blood.

كَأَنَّ يَدَ الغَرامِ زِمامُ قَلبي

كَأَنَّ يَدَ الغَرامِ زِمامُ قَلبي

فَلَيسَ عَلَيهِ دونَ هَوىً حِجابُ

فَلَيسَ عَلَيهِ دونَ هَوىً حِجابُ

As though passion’s hand were my heart’s rein,

The hand of love holds my heart by the bridle-rein,

So no veil stands between it and love.

Nor is there, save passion, a veil o'er it.

كَأَنَّ رِوايَةَ الأَشواقِ عَودٌ

كَأَنَّ رِوايَةَ الأَشواقِ عَودٌ

عَلى بَدءٍ وَما كَمُلَ الكِتابُ

عَلى بَدءٍ وَما كَمُلَ الكِتابُ

As though the tale of longings were a return

Recounting longing is like a limber vine,

To the beginning, while the book remains unfinished.

That will creep as far as it can spread and coil.

كَأَنِّيَ وَالهَوى أَخَوا مُدامٍ

كَأَنِّيَ وَالهَوى أَخَوا مُدامٍ

لَنا عَهدٌ بِها وَلَنا اِصطِحابُ

لَنا عَهدٌ بِها وَلَنا اِصطِحابُ

As though love and I were brothers in wine:

I and love are partners in a pact of wine

We have a bond with it, and keep its company.

That binds us and in company joins our days.

إِذا ما اِعتَضتُ عَن عِشقٍ بِعِشقِ

إِذا ما اِعتَضتُ عَن عِشقٍ بِعِشقِ

أُعيدَ العَهدُ وَاِمتَدَّ الشَرابُ

أُعيدَ العَهدُ وَاِمتَدَّ الشَرابُ

Whenever I exchange one love for another,

If I oppose one love for another's sake

The bond is renewed, and the drinking goes on.

Vows are renewed and our draught is unbroken.