هَل أَنتَ إِن ظَعَنَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادى

هَل أَنتَ إِن ظَعَنَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادى

أَو قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلِجٌ بِسَوادِ

أَو قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلِجٌ بِسَوادِ

Will you, if the loved ones depart, set out at dawn,

If your loved ones depart, will you depart too

or leave before then, traveling through the night's darkness?

Or have you already been cloaked in darkness

كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

هَمَّ الذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالأَنجادِ

هَمَّ الذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالأَنجادِ

How can you remain in Mecca's valley after

How will you fare in the belly of Mecca after

those you love have resolved to seek the uplands?

Those you love have saddled up to leave

أَم كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً

أَم كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً

سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادى

سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادى

Or how will your heart fare if you stay, afflicted by

Or how will your heart be if you lie sick

sickness in their absence, with your grief plain to see?

Apart from them, your sorrow plain to see

قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جِيرَةٌ

قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جِيرَةٌ

صَبّاً تُطِيفُ بِهم كَأَنَّكَ صادي

صَبّاً تُطِيفُ بِهم كَأَنَّكَ صادي

Before, when they were neighbors to your family, you were

Not long ago, they were your neighbors

lovesick, circling about them as though parched,

Bustling about them, as if herding them home

هَيمانُ تَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حِياضَهُم

هَيمانُ تَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حِياضَهُم

حَرّانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ

حَرّانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ

thirst-maddened, barred by the waterers from their troughs,

Denied water at the reservoir, yearning

burning with thirst, watching for the water-seekers' inattention.

Lying in wait for the nod of the bucket puller

وَلَئن مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن

وَلَئن مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن

مِنّي إِلَيكِ بما فَعَلَتُ أَيادي

مِنّي إِلَيكِ بما فَعَلَتُ أَيادي

And though I have bestowed my affection, there are no

Though I may grant intimacy, it was not

favors from me to you in what I have done.

Through any action of mine, but hands beyond

إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجُودُ بِوَصلِهِ

إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجُودُ بِوَصلِهِ

وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ

وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ

Indeed, I forsake whoever freely offers me union,

I leave behind those who grace me with their love

yet am bound to seek union with every unfeeling one.

Entrusting the love of each thing, animate and not

يا عَمرَ إِنّي فَاصرميني أَو صِلي

يا عَمرَ إِنّي فَاصرميني أَو صِلي

لَجَّت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي

لَجَّت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي

O ʿAmra—cut me off or grant me union—indeed,

O my life! Estrange me or make amends

the daughters of my heart persist in their love for you.

For love of you has enthralled my heart

كَم قَد عَصَيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ

كَم قَد عَصَيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ

داني القَرابَةِ أَو وَعيدَ أَعادي

داني القَرابَةِ أَو وَعيدَ أَعادي

How many an adviser have I defied for your sake,

How often did I disobey well-wishers

close of kin—or threats from enemies!

Of kin or warnings of enemies

وَتَنُوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها

وَتَنُوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها

شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايةِ هادي

شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايةِ هادي

And many a wilderness—I hurl myself across its breadth,

And risk myself heedless of discretion

longing for you, without the guidance of a guide.

Yearning for you with no guide to lead my way

بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ

بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ

جَنبي حُزُونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَتَعادي

جَنبي حُزُونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَتَعادي

At a night's resting place where, whenever it is touched by

In a marriage bed, if ever I touch it

my side, the bed is rough and uneven.

Sorrowful, withdrawn, shunning intimacy

ما إِن بِها لِيَ غَيرُ سَيفي صاحِبٌ

ما إِن بِها لِيَ غَيرُ سَيفي صاحِبٌ

وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وَسادي

وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وَسادي

I have no companion there except my sword,

I have no company but my sword

and a lean she-camel's foreleg, like the crescent moon, is my pillow.

And an arm that bends like the crescent moon lies prone

وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذاكَ بِنافِعي

وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذاكَ بِنافِعي

ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ

ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ

And indeed I see that this will gain me nothing,

And I see that is no use to me

as long as I live, in love and affection with you,

As long as I live devoted to you in passion and love

إِلّا الرَجاءَ وَقَد أَنى لِيَ أَن أَدى

إِلّا الرَجاءَ وَقَد أَنى لِيَ أَن أَدى

طَمَعاً بِكُم وَرِضاً بِغَيرِ سَدادِ

طَمَعاً بِكُم وَرِضاً بِغَيرِ سَدادِ

but hope; and now it is time for me to perish,

Only hope remains, though I weary of

yearning for you and content with what is not right.

Pursuing you, content with less than perfection