ياO لائِميmy reproacher فيfor العِشقِpassionate love مَهdesist
يا لائِمي في العِشقِ مَه
لاno خَيرَgood فيمَنin one who لَيسَdoes not يَعشَقlove
لا خَيرَ فيمَن لَيسَ يَعشَق
O you who reproach me for love, desist!
O you who blame me for loving, cease!
There is no good in one who does not love.
No good is in one who does not love.
أَتَلومُنيdo you reproach me? فيمَنover one whom أَناI
أَتَلومُني فيمَن أَنا
مِنbecause of حُبِّهِlove of him مِثلُlike المُعَلَّقone suspended
مِن حُبِّهِ مِثلُ المُعَلَّق
Do you reproach me over one for whom I am
Do you blame me for who I am,
like one suspended by love?
Captive to his love like one suspended?
وَكَأَنَّand as though قَلبيmy heart مِنthrough هَواlove (word continues)
وَكَأَنَّ قَلبي مِن هَوا
هُof him فيin وَثاقٍbonds لَيسَis not يُطلَقset free
هُ في وَثاقٍ لَيسَ يُطلَق
And it is as though my heart, through love
My heart is bound by passion
of that one, were in bonds, never set free.
In bonds that cannot be unloosed.
ياO مَنwho رَأىhas seen مِثليlike me فَتىًa young man
يا مَن رَأى مِثلي فَتىً
يَسعىwalks طَليقاًfreely وَهوَwhile he is موثَقbound
يَسعى طَليقاً وَهوَ موثَق
Oh, who has seen a youth like me
O you who've seen a youth like me
walking free, though he is bound
Seeking freedom while in fetters bound,
مِنbecause of حُبِّlove خَودٍa beautiful young woman طَفلَةٍsoft and delicate
مِن حُبِّ خَودٍ طَفلَةٍ
كَالشَمسِlike the sun حُسناًin beauty حينَwhen تُشرِقit rises
كَالشَمسِ حُسناً حينَ تُشرِق
for love of a tender young beauty,
For love of a rose-cheeked girl
lovely as the sun when it rises?
Lovely as the dawning sun when it rises,
فَإِذاso whenever يُنادىis called بِاِسمِهاby her name
فَإِذا يُنادى بِاِسمِها
ظَلَّتkept مَدامِعُهhis tear ducts تَرَقرَقbrimming with tears
ظَلَّت مَدامِعُه تَرَقرَق
Then, whenever her name is called,
When her name is called his tears flow,
his eyes keep brimming with tears.
When he passes by her door he kisses the wall and swoons,
وَإِذاand whenever يَمُرُّhe passes بِبابِهاby her door
وَإِذا يَمُرُّ بِبابِها
لَثَمَkissed الجِدارَthe wall وَظَلَّand kept يُصعَقswooning
لَثَمَ الجِدارَ وَظَلَّ يُصعَق
And whenever he passes her door,
When he remembers her he weeps
he kisses the wall and keeps swooning.
Till his soul is nearly snatched away.
وِإِذاand whenever تَذَكَرَهاremembered her بَكىwept
وِإِذا تَذَكَرَها بَكى
حَتّىuntil تَكادُnearly النَفسُthe soul تَزهَقdeparts
حَتّى تَكادُ النَفسُ تَزهَق
And whenever he remembers her, he weeps,
You see him suffering so for her
until his soul nearly departs.
Moaning, weeping, sighing,
فَتَراهُso you see him مِنfrom وَجدٍpassionate longing بِهاfor her
فَتَراهُ مِن وَجدٍ بِها
مُتَوَجِّعاًin anguish يَبكيhe weeps وَيَشهَقand gasps
مُتَوَجِّعاً يَبكي وَيَشهَق
So you see him, from longing for her,
This same affliction, brothers,
in anguish, weeping and gasping.
Comes to me night and day.
هَذاthis البَلاءُaffliction بِعَينِهِitself
هَذا البَلاءُ بِعَينِهِ
ياO إِخوَتيmy brothers يَغدوcomes in the morning وَيَطرُقand visits at night
يا إِخوَتي يَغدو وَيَطرُق
This is affliction itself,
I am sunk in the pit of love,
O my brothers—it comes morning and night.
Drowned and burned.
أَصبَحتُI have become فيin لُحَجِnarrow straits الهَوىlove
أَصبَحتُ في لُحَجِ الهَوى
ذاpossessed of صَبوَةٍardent longing أَطفوI float وَأَغرَقand I drown
ذا صَبوَةٍ أَطفو وَأَغرَق
I am now in love's narrow straits,
If I flee from love
full of longing, floating and drowning.
I find it pursues and overtakes me.
وَإِذاand whenever فَرَرتُI fled مِنَfrom الهَوىlove
وَإِذا فَرَرتُ مِنَ الهَوى
أَلفَيتُهُI found it يَسعىhurrying وَيَلحَقand catching up
أَلفَيتُهُ يَسعى وَيَلحَق
And whenever I flee from love,
Where can I flee from love,
I find it hurrying after me and catching up.
Woe is me! It has hemmed me in.
أَينَwhere الفِرارُescape مِنَfrom الهَوىlove
أَينَ الفِرارُ مِنَ الهَوى
وَيليwoe to me وَمِنهُand from it عَلَيَّupon me خَندَقa trench
وَيلي وَمِنهُ عَلَيَّ خَندَق
Where is there escape from love?
I have no stratagem,
Woe to me! Its trench surrounds me.
But I hope and I despair.
وَاللَهِby God ماnot ليfor me حيلَةٌa recourse
وَاللَهِ ما لي حيلَةٌ
لَكِنَّنيbut I أَرجوhope وَأَفرَقand fear
لَكِنَّني أَرجو وَأَفرَق
By God, I have no recourse,
O my triumph, gather together
but I hope and fear.
What of our lives has been scattered apart.
ياO فَوزَFawz مُنّيgrant favor وَاِجمَعيand gather
يا فَوزَ مُنّي وَاِجمَعي
مِنof شَملِناour union ماwhat قَدalready تَفَرَّقhas become scattered
مِن شَملِنا ما قَد تَفَرَّق
O Fawz, grant me favor, and gather
I cannot but love, I cannot help loving—
what has been scattered of our union.
To some, love comes as their portion.
ماwhat ليfor me أُحِبُّI love وَلاand not أُحَI am loved (word continues)
ما لي أُحِبُّ وَلا أُحَ
بُّcompletes 'I am loved' كَذاكَlike that بَعضُsome of الناسِpeople يُرزَقare allotted
بُّ كَذاكَ بَعضُ الناسِ يُرزَق
Why do I love, yet am not
Love has subjected me to you,
loved? Such is the lot some people receive.
The subjection of a slave who cannot be freed.
الحُبُّlove سَخَّرَنيhas enslaved me لَكُمto you
الحُبُّ سَخَّرَني لَكُم
تَسخيرَthe subjugation of عَبدٍa slave لَيسَis not يُعتَقfreed
تَسخيرَ عَبدٍ لَيسَ يُعتَق
Love has enslaved me to you,
You have tortured my body with your love,
like a slave who is never freed.
If it could speak it would complain to you
عَذَّبتُمُyou tormented جَسَديmy body بِحُwith love (word continues)
عَذَّبتُمُ جَسَدي بِحُ
بِّكُمُof you (word completion) فَلَوso if يَسطيعُit could يَنطِقspeak
بِّكُمُ فَلَو يَسطيعُ يَنطِق
You have tormented my body with love
Weeping, pleading, flattering.
of you; if it could speak,
لَشَكاit would complain إِلَيكُمto you بِالبُكاwith weeping (word continues)
لَشَكا إِلَيكُم بِالبُكا
ءِcompletes 'weeping' وَبِالتَضَرُّعِand with supplication وَالتَمَلُّقand flattery
ءِ وَبِالتَضَرُّعِ وَالتَمَلُّق
it would complain to you with weeping
and with supplication and flattery.
Partial English translation: 35 of 38 Arabic lines translated.