مقيمٌ في اقْترابي وابْتعادي

مقيمٌ في اقْترابي وابْتعادي

على عَهْدِ المحبّةِ والوِدادِ

على عَهْدِ المحبّةِ والوِدادِ

I remain, whether drawing near or drawing away,

You reside in my coming and going

True to the pledge of love and affection.

In the covenant of love and amity

خيالكَ ليسَ يَبُرحُ قيدَ فِكري

خيالكَ ليسَ يَبُرحُ قيدَ فِكري

وحُبّك ليسَ ينزحُ عن فؤادي

وحُبّك ليسَ ينزحُ عن فؤادي

Your image never leaves the confines of my thought,

Your image does not depart from the shackles of my thoughts

And love for you never departs from my heart.

And your love does not depart from my heart

خُلِقْتَ لِشقوتي ولِطُولِ حَيْني

خُلِقْتَ لِشقوتي ولِطُولِ حَيْني

على شَرْطِ اختْياري وانْتِقادي

على شَرْطِ اختْياري وانْتِقادي

You were created for my misery and my lingering doom,

You were created for my misery and prolonged longing

According to the terms of my choice and appraisal.

According to my choice and criticism

ولولاَ سحرُ عينِكَ لم تجدْني

ولولاَ سحرُ عينِكَ لم تجدْني

وحقِّك في الهوى سَلْسَ القيادِ

وحقِّك في الهوى سَلْسَ القيادِ

And were it not for the magic of your eye, you would not find me—

Were it not for the magic of your eyes, you would not have found me

By your right over me—so yielding to love’s reins.

And your right to passion is easy to lead

فَزِدْني ما استطعتَ قِلىً وصَدّاً

فَزِدْني ما استطعتَ قِلىً وصَدّاً

فحاكمُنا غداً ربُّ العِبادِ

فحاكمُنا غداً ربُّ العِبادِ

So heap on me all the aversion and rejection you can;

So increase my paucity and rejection as much as you can

For tomorrow our judge will be the Lord of His servants.

For tomorrow our judge is the Lord of all people

وقد يُعمي الهوى بَصَري فأَدْعو

وقد يُعمي الهوى بَصَري فأَدْعو

عليكَ بغيرِ قصدٍ واعتمادٍ

عليكَ بغيرِ قصدٍ واعتمادٍ

And love may blind my sight, so that I pray

Passion may blind my sight so I invoke

Against you, without intent or deliberation.

Upon you without intention or reliance

ولَولاَ أَنْ تَنُمَّ بِنا اللّواحي

ولَولاَ أَنْ تَنُمَّ بِنا اللّواحي

وتَسْلقُنا بأَلْسِنةٍ حدادِ

وتَسْلقُنا بأَلْسِنةٍ حدادِ

And were it not that the reproachers would expose us

Were it not that idle talk brings us down

And lash us with sharp tongues,

And the slandering tongues massacre us

لكنتُ أريك صَبراً في انْتقاصٍ

لكنتُ أريك صَبراً في انْتقاصٍ

بُليتُ بهِ ووجداً في ازْديادِ

بُليتُ بهِ ووجداً في ازْديادِ

I would show you a waning patience,

I would have shown you patience in diminution

With which I am afflicted, and an ever-growing longing,

With which I was afflicted and passion in increase

وقَلباً لا ترقّ لَهُ وترثي

وقَلباً لا ترقّ لَهُ وترثي

وقدْ رقّتْ لَهُ فيكَ الأعادي

وقدْ رقّتْ لَهُ فيكَ الأعادي

And a heart for which you feel neither tenderness nor pity,

A heart that does not soften for you and sympathize

Though even enemies have softened toward it on your account.

While enemies have softened for you

وخالٍ عَن هواك أَطالَ لَوْمي

وخالٍ عَن هواك أَطالَ لَوْمي

ودُونَ سَماعِهِ خرطُ القتادِ

ودُونَ سَماعِهِ خرطُ القتادِ

And one free of love for you reproached me at length,

A critic far from your love who has prolonged my blame

And stripping a thorny tragacanth bush was easier than hearing him.

And without hearing it, the rattling of the sandals

فقُلتُ له رويدَك لا تَلُمني

فقُلتُ له رويدَك لا تَلُمني

فَلومُكَ غيرُ مجدٍ في اعتقادي

فَلومُكَ غيرُ مجدٍ في اعتقادي

So I said to him: Take it gently; do not reproach me,

So I said to him, gently, do not blame me

For your reproach is futile, in my view.

For your blame holds no merit in my belief

أمأسُورٌ فؤادُكَ أَمْ فؤادي

أمأسُورٌ فؤادُكَ أَمْ فؤادي

ومَسْلُوبٌ رُقادُكَ أَمْ رُقادي

ومَسْلُوبٌ رُقادُكَ أَمْ رُقادي

Is it your heart that is captive, or mine?

Is your heart captive or is it mine?

And is it your sleep that is stolen, or mine?

Is your sleep lost or is it mine?