لَكَ أَن تَلومَ وَلي مِنَ الأَعذارِ

لَكَ أَن تَلومَ وَلي مِنَ الأَعذارِ

أَنَّ الهَوى قَدَرٌ مِنَ الأَقدارِ

أَنَّ الهَوى قَدَرٌ مِنَ الأَقدارِ

You may blame me; among my excuses

You may blame me, though I have excuses,

is that love is one of fate's decrees.

That passion is a preordained fate.

ما كُنتُ أَسلَمُ لِلعُيونِ سَلامَتي

ما كُنتُ أَسلَمُ لِلعُيونِ سَلامَتي

وَأُبيحُ حادِثَةَ الغَرامِ وَقاري

وَأُبيحُ حادِثَةَ الغَرامِ وَقاري

I would not surrender my safety to eyes,

I did not willingly surrender my well-being to the eyes,

or yield my dignity to the calamity of love.

Nor make light of the incident of love and its dignity.

وَطَرٌ تَعَلَّقَهُ الفُؤادُ وَيَنقَضي

وَطَرٌ تَعَلَّقَهُ الفُؤادُ وَيَنقَضي

وَالنَفسُ ماضِيَةٌ مَعَ الأَوطارِ

وَالنَفسُ ماضِيَةٌ مَعَ الأَوطارِ

A longing the heart clings to comes to an end,

It is a bird which my heart clings to and then abandons,

while the soul goes on with its longings.

While my soul presses on with the caravans.

يا قَلبُ شَأنَكَ لا أَمُدُّكَ في الهَوى

يا قَلبُ شَأنَكَ لا أَمُدُّكَ في الهَوى

أَبَداً وَلا أَدعوكَ لِلإِقصارِ

أَبَداً وَلا أَدعوكَ لِلإِقصارِ

O heart, have your way: I will not aid you in love,

O heart, your condition is such that I will never aid you in passion

ever, nor urge you to desist.

Nor call you to fall short.

أَمري وَأَمرُكَ في الهَوى بِيَدِ الهَوى

أَمري وَأَمرُكَ في الهَوى بِيَدِ الهَوى

لَو أَنَّهُ بِيَدي فَكَكتُ إِساري

لَو أَنَّهُ بِيَدي فَكَكتُ إِساري

My fate and yours in love lie in love's hands;

My affair and your affair in passion are in the hands of passion—

were it in my hands, I would undo my bonds.

If it were in my hands, I would break its fetters.

جارِ الشَبيبَةَ وَاِنتَفِع بِجِوارِها

جارِ الشَبيبَةَ وَاِنتَفِع بِجِوارِها

قَبلَ المَشيبِ فَما لَهُ مِن جارِ

قَبلَ المَشيبِ فَما لَهُ مِن جارِ

Keep pace with youth, and benefit from her nearness,

Keep close to youth and benefit from its neighborhood

before gray-haired age, for it has no neighbor.

Before grayness, which has no neighbor.

مَثَلُ الحَياةِ تُحَبُّ في عَهدِ الصِبا

مَثَلُ الحَياةِ تُحَبُّ في عَهدِ الصِبا

مَثَلُ الرِياضِ تُحَبُّ في آذارِ

مَثَلُ الرِياضِ تُحَبُّ في آذارِ

Life, loved in the days of youth,

The life is loved in the days of youth

is like gardens, loved in March.

Like gardens are loved in March.

أَبَداً فروقُ مِنَ البِلادِ هِيَ المُنى

أَبَداً فروقُ مِنَ البِلادِ هِيَ المُنى

وَمُنايَ مِنها ظَبيَةٌ بِسِوارِ

وَمُنايَ مِنها ظَبيَةٌ بِسِوارِ

Faruq, of all lands, is forever the object of longing,

Never do I wish to part from the homelands—

and my desire there is a gazelle wearing a bracelet:

Yet my wishes are for a gazelle with a wristlet.

مَمنوعَةٌ إِلّا الجَمالَ بِأَسرِهِ

مَمنوعَةٌ إِلّا الجَمالَ بِأَسرِهِ

مَحجوبَةٌ إِلّا عَنِ الأَنظارِ

مَحجوبَةٌ إِلّا عَنِ الأَنظارِ

unattainable, save for her beauty in its entirety,

Forbidden, except for perfect beauty,

hidden, yet not from gazing eyes.

Veiled, except from glances.

خُطُواتُها التَقوى فَلا مَزهُوَّةٌ

خُطُواتُها التَقوى فَلا مَزهُوَّةٌ

تَمشي الدَلالَ وَلا بِذاتِ نِفارِ

تَمشي الدَلالَ وَلا بِذاتِ نِفارِ

Her steps are piety itself: she is neither a haughty woman

Her steps are pious, neither coquettish,

walking coquettishly, nor one prone to shying away.

Nor walking with disdain.

مَرَّت بِنا فَوقَ الخَليجِ فَأَسفَرَت

مَرَّت بِنا فَوقَ الخَليجِ فَأَسفَرَت

عَن جَنَّةٍ وَتَلَفَّتَت عَن نارِ

عَن جَنَّةٍ وَتَلَفَّتَت عَن نارِ

She passed by us over the gulf, then unveiled

She passed by us above the gulf, revealing

a paradise, and turned her gaze, revealing fire,

A paradise, while hiding a hell.

في نِسوَةٍ يورِدنَ مَن شِئنَ الهَوى

في نِسوَةٍ يورِدنَ مَن شِئنَ الهَوى

نَظَراً وَلا يَنظُرنَ في الإِصدارِ

نَظَراً وَلا يَنظُرنَ في الإِصدارِ

among women who lead whomever they wish to love's waters

Among women who arouse in me a passion

with a glance, and give no thought to leading them away.

At a glance, but do not glance for disclosure.

عارَضتُهُنَّ وَبَينَ قَلبِيَ وَالهَوى

عارَضتُهُنَّ وَبَينَ قَلبِيَ وَالهَوى

أَمرٌ أُحاوِلُ كَتمَهُ وَأُداري

أَمرٌ أُحاوِلُ كَتمَهُ وَأُداري

I encountered them, while between my heart and love

I encountered them, while between my heart and passion

lies a matter I try to conceal and disguise.

There is a matter I try to conceal and avoid.