عَبِثَ الحَبيبُ وَكانَ مِنهُ صُدودُ

عَبِثَ الحَبيبُ وَكانَ مِنهُ صُدودُ

وَنَأى وَلَم أَكُ ذاكَ مِنهُ أُريدُ

وَنَأى وَلَم أَكُ ذاكَ مِنهُ أُريدُ

The beloved toyed with me and turned away,

The beloved was unfaithful though I wanted his affection

and went far off; that was not what I wanted from him.

He kept his distance though I wished it were not so

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ مُعرِضاً مُتَغَضِّباً

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ مُعرِضاً مُتَغَضِّباً

وَإِذا قَصَدتُ إِلَيهِ فَهوَ يَحيدُ

وَإِذا قَصَدتُ إِلَيهِ فَهوَ يَحيدُ

He spends evening and morning aloof and angry,

Morning and eve he turned from me, angry and annoyed

and when I approach him, he turns aside.

When I sought him out he shunned me and pulled away

وَيَضِنُّ عَنّي بِالكَلامِ مُصارِماً

وَيَضِنُّ عَنّي بِالكَلامِ مُصارِماً

وَبِمُهجَتي وَبِما يُريدُ أَجودُ

وَبِمُهجَتي وَبِما يُريدُ أَجودُ

And he withholds speech from me, severing our bond,

With conversation he's sparing and miserly toward me

while I freely give my life's blood and whatever he desires.

Though freely I give my joy and all he might desire

إِنّي أُحاذِرُ صَدَّهُ وَفِراقَهُ

إِنّي أُحاذِرُ صَدَّهُ وَفِراقَهُ

إِنَّ الفِراقَ عَلى المُحبِّ شَديدُ

إِنَّ الفِراقَ عَلى المُحبِّ شَديدُ

Indeed, I fear his rejection and separation from him;

I fear his disdain and our parting, which to a lover

separation is indeed hard upon a lover.

Is awfully hard, a weight no shoulders can abide

يا مَن دَعاني ثُمَّ أَدبَرَ ظالِماً

يا مَن دَعاني ثُمَّ أَدبَرَ ظالِماً

إِرجِع وَأَنتَ مُواصِلٌ مَحمودُ

إِرجِع وَأَنتَ مُواصِلٌ مَحمودُ

O you who called me, then turned away unjustly,

O you whose call brought me close then unjustly did spurn

return, maintaining our bond and deserving praise.

Return, for constant friendship makes one lauded

إِنّي لَأُكثِرُ ذِكرَكُم فَكَأَنَّما

إِنّي لَأُكثِرُ ذِكرَكُم فَكَأَنَّما

بِعُرى لِساني ذِكرُكُم مَعقودُ

بِعُرى لِساني ذِكرُكُم مَعقودُ

Indeed, I mention you so often that it is as though

I oft think of you, your memory binds my tongue

the mention of you were knotted to the loops of my tongue.

I weep remembering what joys we once pursued

أَبكي لِسُخطِكِ حينَ أَذكُرُ ما مَضى

أَبكي لِسُخطِكِ حينَ أَذكُرُ ما مَضى

يا لَيتَ ما قَد فاتَ لي مَردودُ

يا لَيتَ ما قَد فاتَ لي مَردودُ

I weep at your displeasure when I recall what has passed.

Do not persist in your coldness and kill me slowly

Oh, if only what has slipped away could be restored to me!

Help me in my cause, I'm wearied and subdued

لا تَقتُليني بِالجَفاءِ تَمادِياً

لا تَقتُليني بِالجَفاءِ تَمادِياً

وَاِعنَي بِأَمري إِنَّني مَجهودُ

وَاِعنَي بِأَمري إِنَّني مَجهودُ

Do not kill me with relentless coldness,

Your love yet resides in my heart and swells with

and attend to my plight, for I am exhausted.

Each breath though at times it softens with threads of hope

مازالَ حُبُّكِ في فُؤادي سَاكِناً

مازالَ حُبُّكِ في فُؤادي سَاكِناً

وَلَهُ بِزَيدِ تَنَفُّسي تَرديدُ

وَلَهُ بِزَيدِ تَنَفُّسي تَرديدُ

Love for you still dwells within my heart,

Until my body wastes away with longing for you

and it echoes with the increase in my breathing.

Naught left but dried up bones and leathered skin

فَيَلينُ طَوراً لِلرَّجاءِ وَتارَةً

فَيَلينُ طَوراً لِلرَّجاءِ وَتارَةً

يَشتَدُّ بَينَ جَوانِحي وَيَزيدُ

يَشتَدُّ بَينَ جَوانِحي وَيَزيدُ

So at times it softens with hope, and at others

Never does my heart turn from it, not one hour

it grows fierce between my ribs and swells,

And until I die it surely will not be removed

حَتّى بَرى جِسمي هَواكِ فَما تُرى

حَتّى بَرى جِسمي هَواكِ فَما تُرى

إِلاّ عِظامٌ يُبَّسٌ وَجُلودُ

إِلاّ عِظامٌ يُبَّسٌ وَجُلودُ

until love for you has worn my body away, so nothing is seen

Your love dwells in me as though threaded through my ribs

but dry bones and skin.

My heart's with you, but its home is lost to me

لا الحُبُّ يَصرِفُهُ فُؤادي ساعةً

لا الحُبُّ يَصرِفُهُ فُؤادي ساعةً

عَنهُ وَلا هُوَ ما بَقيتُ يَبيدُ

عَنهُ وَلا هُوَ ما بَقيتُ يَبيدُ

My heart does not turn love away for even an hour

Gone is my heart, I cannot sense its beat

from itself, nor will love perish as long as I live.

I think it will return when again we meet

وَكَأَنَّ حُبَّ الناسِ عِندِيَ ساكِنٌ

وَكَأَنَّ حُبَّ الناسِ عِندِيَ ساكِنٌ

وَكَأَنَّهُ بِجَوانِحي مَشدودُ

وَكَأَنَّهُ بِجَوانِحي مَشدودُ

And it is as though people's love dwells within me,

None but you, my darling, do I wish to love

and as though it were bound to my ribs.

For no fresh branch can sprout from withered wood

أَمسى فُؤادي عِندَكُم وَمَحَلُّهُ

أَمسى فُؤادي عِندَكُم وَمَحَلُّهُ

عِندي فَأَينَ فُؤادِيَ المَفقودُ

عِندي فَأَينَ فُؤادِيَ المَفقودُ

My heart is now with you, though its dwelling

God bless the singers though their disdain pains me

is with me—where, then, is my missing heart?

When absent just one day, no vows they'll make

ذَهَبَ الفُؤادُ فَما أُحِسُّ حَسيسَهُ

ذَهَبَ الفُؤادُ فَما أُحِسُّ حَسيسَهُ

وَأَظُنُّهُ بِوِصالِكُم سَيَعودُ

وَأَظُنُّهُ بِوِصالِكُم سَيَعودُ

My heart has gone; I no longer hear its faint sound,

and I think it will return through reunion with you.

وَاللَهِ لا أَبغي سِواكِ حَبيبَةً

وَاللَهِ لا أَبغي سِواكِ حَبيبَةً

ما اِخضَرَّ في الشَجَرِ المُوَرِّقِ عودُ

ما اِخضَرَّ في الشَجَرِ المُوَرِّقِ عودُ

By God, I seek no beloved other than you,

as long as a bough grows green among leafy trees.

للَّهِ دَرُّ الغانِياتِ جَفَونَني

للَّهِ دَرُّ الغانِياتِ جَفَونَني

وَأَنا لَهُنَّ عَلى الجَفاءِ وَدودُ

وَأَنا لَهُنَّ عَلى الجَفاءِ وَدودُ

God bless the beauties—they have shunned me,

yet I am loving toward them despite their coldness.

يَرعَينَ عَهدي ما شَهِدتُ فَإِن أَغِب

يَرعَينَ عَهدي ما شَهِدتُ فَإِن أَغِب

يَوماً فَما لي عِندَهُنَّ عُهودُ

يَوماً فَما لي عِندَهُنَّ عُهودُ

They keep faith with me while I am present; but if I am absent

for a day, no pledge to me remains with them.