لَو كانَ مِنهُ باسِماً لِيَ الصَباحْ

لَو كانَ مِنهُ باسِماً لِيَ الصَباحْ

ما كَتَم التَقطيبُ عَنّي الأَقاحْ

ما كَتَم التَقطيبُ عَنّي الأَقاحْ

Had the morning from him smiled upon me,

If his morning greeting were mine

Frowning would not have hidden the daisies from me.

The frown would not conceal my joy from me

فَما لِعَينٍ عَن رِياضٍ رِضاً

فَما لِعَينٍ عَن رِياضٍ رِضاً

وَلا لِبَرحٍ عَن فُؤادي بَراحْ

وَلا لِبَرحٍ عَن فُؤادي بَراحْ

So no eye is content away from gardens,

So neither eye has pleasure in gardens

Nor does anguish leave my heart.

Nor heart relief away from my heartache

لا مَرِحاً صِرتُ وَلا مُشتَهىً

لا مَرِحاً صِرتُ وَلا مُشتَهىً

أَفقَدَني فَقدُ المِلاحِ المِراح

أَفقَدَني فَقدُ المِلاحِ المِراح

I have become neither merry nor desired;

Neither fun I have become, nor desired

The loss of the beautiful has robbed me of mirth.

Absence of my beloved has deprived me of delight and comfort

أَمّا دُموعي وَجُفوني فَلا

أَمّا دُموعي وَجُفوني فَلا

أَعلَمُها إِلّا دَماً مِن جِراح

أَعلَمُها إِلّا دَماً مِن جِراح

As for my tears and my eyelids, I do not

As for my tears and eyelids, I know naught

Know them except as blood from wounds.

Save that they are blood from wounds

يَضيقُ صَدرُ الدَمعِ مِنّي بِهِ

يَضيقُ صَدرُ الدَمعِ مِنّي بِهِ

فَإِن غَدا أَو راحَ يَبغي السَراح

فَإِن غَدا أَو راحَ يَبغي السَراح

The breast of my tears grows tight with it;

My breast is straitened by tears for him

So if they go forth in the morning or evening, they seek release.

If he go or come tomorrow, he seeks a free rein

لَم تَدخُلِ الأَسرارُ ما بَينَنا

لَم تَدخُلِ الأَسرارُ ما بَينَنا

فَأَظلِمُ الدَمعَ إِذا قُلتُ باح

فَأَظلِمُ الدَمعَ إِذا قُلتُ باح

No secrets have passed between us,

Secrets did not come between us

So I wrong the tears when I say they divulged a secret.

So I wrong the tears if I say "they gushed"

رَسائِلي تُشبِهُ ميعادَكُم

رَسائِلي تُشبِهُ ميعادَكُم

تِلكَ وَهَذا ذاهِبٌ في الرِياح

تِلكَ وَهَذا ذاهِبٌ في الرِياح

My letters resemble your promised meeting:

My messages resemble your trysts

Those and this alike vanish in the winds.

That one and this one going with the winds

زَهَّدَني قُبحُ مَشيبي إِلى

زَهَّدَني قُبحُ مَشيبي إِلى

أَن أَشبَهَت عِندي المِلاحُ القِباح

أَن أَشبَهَت عِندي المِلاحُ القِباح

The ugliness of my gray hair has made me so indifferent

My grey hairs' ugliness has made me shun

That the beautiful have come to resemble the ugly in my eyes.

Lest salt and pepper resemble the ugly and fair

فَما مَهاوِي الشنفِ لي في هَوىً

فَما مَهاوِي الشنفِ لي في هَوىً

وَلا جَرى ذِكرُ مَجاري الوِشاحِ

وَلا جَرى ذِكرُ مَجاري الوِشاحِ

So the places where earrings hang stir no desire in me,

Ravines of coquetry attract me not in love

Nor has there been mention of the paths of the sash.

Nor did mention of parting's channels flow

وَلا اِهتِمامٌ وَالهَوى هِمَّةٌ

وَلا اِهتِمامٌ وَالهَوى هِمَّةٌ

بَل اطِّراحٌ وَالسُلُوُّ اطِّراح

بَل اطِّراحٌ وَالسُلُوُّ اطِّراح

Nor any concern—and passion is resolve;

No concern, for love is a concern

Rather, renunciation—and forgetting love is renunciation.

Nay, renouncing while forgetting is renouncing