أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَعود لِقَبضَتي

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَعود لِقَبضَتي

لَيال بِها المَعشوق غَير مَخالِفِ

لَيال بِها المَعشوق غَير مَخالِفِ

Ah, would that I knew: will there return to my grasp

Alas! If only I knew, will she return to my embrace

nights when the beloved was not averse?

On nights when the beloved does not object?

وَهَلأ يَرجَعنَ عَيشي كَما كانَ أَرغَداً

وَهَلأ يَرجَعنَ عَيشي كَما كانَ أَرغَداً

وَأَخلو كَما كُنا بِتلكَ اللطائِفِ

وَأَخلو كَما كُنا بِتلكَ اللطائِفِ

And will they restore my life to its former ease,

Will my life return to what it was, most plentiful?

and shall I enjoy those delights in private, as we once did?

And will we be alone together again, with those kindnesses?

بَكَيتُ دَماً إِن لَم أَرق ماء مُهجَتي

بَكَيتُ دَماً إِن لَم أَرق ماء مُهجَتي

دُموعاً عَلى تِلكَ اللَيالي السَوالِفِ

دُموعاً عَلى تِلكَ اللَيالي السَوالِفِ

May I weep blood if I have not poured out my heart's water

I wept blood, if my eyelids did not flow with water,

as tears for those bygone nights.

Tears over those fleeting nights,

تَذَكَرتُ أَياماً مَضَينَ وَمَألفاً

تَذَكَرتُ أَياماً مَضَينَ وَمَألفاً

وَعادة مِن يَهوى إِدكار المَآلِفِ

وَعادة مِن يَهوى إِدكار المَآلِفِ

I recalled days gone by and a familiar haunt;

I remembered days gone by, and intimacy,

and recalling familiar haunts is the habit of one who loves.

It is the habit of lovers to cherish what is familiar.

وَقَفتُ وَدَمعي قاذف سر مُهجَتي

وَقَفتُ وَدَمعي قاذف سر مُهجَتي

إِلَيهِ وَما دَمعي بِأَوَلِ قاذِفِ

إِلَيهِ وَما دَمعي بِأَوَلِ قاذِفِ

I stood, my tears flinging my heart's secret

I paused, my tears revealing the secret of my passion,

to him—and my tears are not the first to fling it.

Flowing to him, and they were not the first to flow.

يَمرّ عَلى دار الحَبيب مُحَمحِماً

يَمرّ عَلى دار الحَبيب مُحَمحِماً

جَوادي بِذكر السالِفات المَواقِفِ

جَوادي بِذكر السالِفات المَواقِفِ

By the beloved's dwelling goes, softly whinnying,

My steed gallops past the home of the beloved,

my steed, recalling the stopping places of old.

With memories of joyful adventures.

وَيَرعى نُجوماً طالَما قَد رَعَيتَها

وَيَرعى نُجوماً طالَما قَد رَعَيتَها

لَياليَ صَد الحُب كانَ مُحالِفي

لَياليَ صَد الحُب كانَ مُحالِفي

And he watches stars that I have so often watched

And watches the stars I used to watch

on nights when love's rejection was my ally.

On nights when love’s company was my ally.

وَما دارَهُ قَصدي وَلَكن لِأَجلِهِ

وَما دارَهُ قَصدي وَلَكن لِأَجلِهِ

أَحنُّ فَلا أَلفي لَها غَير آلفِ

أَحنُّ فَلا أَلفي لَها غَير آلفِ

And his dwelling is not my aim; rather, for his sake

It is not his house I intend, but for his sake,

I yearn, and find myself nothing but devoted to it.

I yearn, so I find no joy but in what is familiar.