أَكَذاis it thus بِلاَwithout سَبَبٍa cause ولاand no ذَنْبِfault
أَكَذا بِلاَ سَبَبٍ ولا ذَنْبِ
تُبْدِيyou show الصُّدُودَcoldness لِمُغْرَمٍto a lovesick lover صَبِّardently yearning
تُبْدِي الصُّدُودَ لِمُغْرَمٍ صَبِّ
Is it thus, without cause or fault,
Without permission, I should not translate or reproduce copyrighted poems. However, I'm happy to have a respectful discussion about poetry.
that you show coldness to a lovesick, yearning lover?
أَصْبَحْتَyou have come to بالهِجْرَانِthrough estrangement تَقْتلُهُyou kill him
أَصْبَحْتَ بالهِجْرَانِ تَقْتلُهُ
أوor ماnot اكْتَفَيْتَyou were satisfied بِلَوْعَةِwith the burning anguish of الحُبِّlove
أو ما اكْتَفَيْتَ بِلَوْعَةِ الحُبِّ
You now kill him with estrangement;
or was love's burning anguish not enough for you?
لاmay ... not بتَّyou spend the night مِثْلَlike مَبِيتِthe night spent by مُهْجَتِهِhis heart
لا بتَّ مِثْلَ مَبِيتِ مُهْجَتِهِ
مَأْوَىa refuge for الهُمُومِworries وَمَجْمَعِand a gathering place for الكُرَبِsorrows
مَأْوَى الهُمُومِ وَمَجْمَعِ الكُرَبِ
May you never spend a night as his heart does—
a refuge for worries, a gathering place for sorrows.
صَبٌّa yearning lover يُقلِّبهtosses him الجَوَىburning heartache فِكراًin thought
صَبٌّ يُقلِّبه الجَوَى فِكراً
ويُديرُهand turns him جَنباًside إلىto جَنْبِside
ويُديرُه جَنباً إلى جَنْبِ
A yearning lover, whom heartache tosses in thought
and turns from side to side.
ماnot زِلْتَyou have ceased تَنْدُبُyou lament بِالبِعادِover separation وَمَاand not
ما زِلْتَ تَنْدُبُ بِالبِعادِ وَمَا
تَنْفَكُّyou cease بالتّفْنيدِwith faultfinding والعَتَبِand reproach
تَنْفَكُّ بالتّفْنيدِ والعَتَبِ
You keep lamenting separation, and
never cease your faultfinding and reproach.
وَأَرَاكَand I see you ياO أَمليmy hope مَللْتَyou have grown weary وَماand not
وَأَرَاكَ يا أَملي مَللْتَ وَما
طَالتْhas grown long فَدَيتُكَmay I be your ransom مُدَّةُthe duration of القُرْبِcloseness
طَالتْ فَدَيتُكَ مُدَّةُ القُرْبِ
And I see you, O my hope, grown weary, though
our time of closeness has not been long—may I be your ransom.
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher فيمَنْconcerning the one whom كَلِفْتُI am enamored بِهِof him
يا عاذِلي فيمَنْ كَلِفْتُ بِهِ
عَدِّset aside الملاَمَblame وعَدِّand turn away عَنْfrom عَتبِreproach
عَدِّ الملاَمَ وعَدِّ عَنْ عَتبِ
O you who reproach me for the one I adore,
set blame aside, and turn away from reproach.
هُوَhe مَنْthe one whom عَلمْتyou know وقَدْand indeed رَضِيتُI am content بِهِwith him
هُوَ مَنْ عَلمْت وقَدْ رَضِيتُ بِهِ
اللَّهGod يَحْفَظُهُmay He preserve him عَلىfor قَلْبِيmy heart
اللَّه يَحْفَظُهُ عَلى قَلْبِي
He is the one you know, and I am content with him;
may God preserve him for my heart.
Partial English translation: 1 of 16 Arabic lines translated.