إِلى اللَهُ أَشكو إِنَّهُ مَوضِعُ الشَكوى

إِلى اللَهُ أَشكو إِنَّهُ مَوضِعُ الشَكوى

فَقَد صَدَّ عَنّي بِالمَوَدَّةِ مَن أَهوى

فَقَد صَدَّ عَنّي بِالمَوَدَّةِ مَن أَهوى

To God I complain; He is the one to whom complaints are made.

To God I complain of my state, for with Him is the place of complaint.

For the one I love has turned away from me, withholding affection.

He has kept from me the object of my love through affection shown to me.

لَعَمري لَأَهلُ العِشقِ فيما يُصيبُهُم

لَعَمري لَأَهلُ العِشقِ فيما يُصيبُهُم

أَحَقُّ بِأَن يُبكى عَلَيهِم مِنَ المَوتى

أَحَقُّ بِأَن يُبكى عَلَيهِم مِنَ المَوتى

By my life, lovers, for what befalls them,

By my life, lovers in what befalls them,

Are more deserving of being wept over than the dead.

are more deserving to be wept over than the dead.

يُميتُ الهَوى قَوماً فَيَلقَونَ راحَةً

يُميتُ الهَوى قَوماً فَيَلقَونَ راحَةً

مِنَ الضُرِّ وَالجُهدِ المُبَرِّحِ وَالبَلوى

مِنَ الضُرِّ وَالجُهدِ المُبَرِّحِ وَالبَلوى

Love kills some people, and so they find rest

Passion kills some people so they find

From suffering, agonizing hardship, and affliction.

rest from trouble, hardship, and affliction.

وَيحيا بِهِ قَومٌ أَصابوا هَواهُمُ

وَيحيا بِهِ قَومٌ أَصابوا هَواهُمُ

وَقَد صِرتُ فيهِم لا أَموتُ وَلا أَحيا

وَقَد صِرتُ فيهِم لا أَموتُ وَلا أَحيا

And through it others live, having attained their heart's desire.

Yet through it other people live when they attain their passion,

Yet I have come to be among them, neither dying nor living.

and I have become among them, neither living nor dead.

وَإِنّي لَأَشقى الخَلقِ إِن دامَ ما أَرى

وَإِنّي لَأَشقى الخَلقِ إِن دامَ ما أَرى

وَلَم يُسعِدِ الوَصلُ المُؤَمَّلُ في الدُنيا

وَلَم يُسعِدِ الوَصلُ المُؤَمَّلُ في الدُنيا

And surely I am the most wretched of creatures, if what I see endures

Indeed I am the most wretched of people if this state of mine persists

And the hoped-for union brings me no happiness in this world.

and the longed for union does not bring happiness in this world.

أَلا إِنَّ شَمسَ الأَرضِ فيما يُقالُ لي

أَلا إِنَّ شَمسَ الأَرضِ فيما يُقالُ لي

تَمَشَّت عَلى شَمسٍ فَطوبى لَها طوبى

تَمَشَّت عَلى شَمسٍ فَطوبى لَها طوبى

Behold, the sun of the earth, as I am told,

Behold, the sun of the land, it is said to me,

Has walked upon a sun—so blessed is she, blessed!

has walked upon a sun - so blessed, doubly blessed is she!

فَقولي لَها يا شَمسُ عَنِّيَ ما الَّذي

فَقولي لَها يا شَمسُ عَنِّيَ ما الَّذي

يَسُرُّكِ في قَتلي أَما لَكِ مِن بُقيا

يَسُرُّكِ في قَتلي أَما لَكِ مِن بُقيا

So tell her, O sun, on my behalf: what is it

Say to her from me: what is it that delights you

That pleases you in killing me? Have you no mercy?

in killing me? Is there no life left in you for me?

تَصُدّينَ عَنّي أَن شَكَوتُ صَبابَتي

تَصُدّينَ عَنّي أَن شَكَوتُ صَبابَتي

وَلَو تَفهَمُ الأُخرى تَحَمَّلَتِ الأُخرى

وَلَو تَفهَمُ الأُخرى تَحَمَّلَتِ الأُخرى

You turn away from me because I complained of my ardent longing;

You bar me from complaining of my love-sickness -

And were the other to understand, the other would endure.

if the other knew, she would bear the other's burden.