كَتَبتُ إِلَيكَ وَلي مُقلَةٌ

كَتَبتُ إِلَيكَ وَلي مُقلَةٌ

تَسحُّ بِفَيضٍ عَلَيكَ الغُروبا

تَسحُّ بِفَيضٍ عَلَيكَ الغُروبا

I wrote to you while an eye of mine

I wrote to you, my eye

poured forth its streaming tears in floods for you;

pouring torrents of tears for you,

وَقَلبٌ يَذوبُ بنارِ الهَوى

وَقَلبٌ يَذوبُ بنارِ الهَوى

وَلَستُ بَخيلاً بِهِ أَن يَذوبا

وَلَستُ بَخيلاً بِهِ أَن يَذوبا

and my heart melts in passion’s fire,

and my heart melting in passion's fire;

nor am I so sparing of my heart that I would not let it melt.

nor do I begrudge its melting away.

وَمَن يَطوِ مَكنونَ أَحشائِهِ

وَمَن يَطوِ مَكنونَ أَحشائِهِ

عَلى غُللِ الحُبِّ قاسى الكروبا

عَلى غُللِ الحُبِّ قاسى الكروبا

Whoever conceals the secret within his breast

And whoever folds his inmost heart

amid love’s burning thirst has endured agonies.

around love's burning thirst endures anguish.

وَمَن يُمتَحن بِفراقِ الحَبيبِ

وَمَن يُمتَحن بِفراقِ الحَبيبِ

يُلاقِ مِنَ الوَجدِ أَمراً عَجيبا

يُلاقِ مِنَ الوَجدِ أَمراً عَجيبا

Whoever is tried by parting from the beloved

And whoever is tried by parting from the beloved

encounters in yearning something wondrous.

encounters an astonishing ordeal of longing.

وَقَد كُنتُ أَحسَبُني صابِراً

وَقَد كُنتُ أَحسَبُني صابِراً

جَليدَ القُوى حينَ أَلقى الخُطُوبا

جَليدَ القُوى حينَ أَلقى الخُطُوبا

I had indeed thought myself steadfast,

I had thought myself patient,

hardy in strength whenever I faced calamities;

strong and steadfast when facing calamities;

فَأَنكَرتُ نَفسي وَأَلفَيتُها

فَأَنكَرتُ نَفسي وَأَلفَيتُها

ضَعيفَ القُوى إِذ فَقَدتُ الحَبيبا

ضَعيفَ القُوى إِذ فَقَدتُ الحَبيبا

then I failed to recognize myself, and found myself

then I failed to recognize myself, and found myself

weak in strength when I lost the beloved.

feeble in strength when I lost the beloved.

فَقَد أَلِفَ الجَفنُ فيهِ السَجومَ

فَقَد أَلِفَ الجَفنُ فيهِ السَجومَ

وَقَد أَلِفَ القَلبُ فيهِ الوَجَيبا

وَقَد أَلِفَ القَلبُ فيهِ الوَجَيبا

For in love my eyelid has grown used to streaming tears,

For my eyelid has grown used to streaming tears for him,

and in love my heart has grown used to throbbing.

and my heart has grown used to pounding for him.

شَكوتُ هَواهُ إِلى مُقلَتي

شَكوتُ هَواهُ إِلى مُقلَتي

فَأَذرَت عَلى الخَدِّ دَمعاً خَضيبا

فَأَذرَت عَلى الخَدِّ دَمعاً خَضيبا

I complained of his love to my eye,

I complained of love for him to my eye,

and it shed blood-red tears upon my cheek.

so it shed crimson tears upon my cheek.

وَلَمّا تَمادى بِهِ عَتبُهُ

وَلَمّا تَمادى بِهِ عَتبُهُ

وَلَم أَرَ عِندي لِصَبرٍ نَصيبا

وَلَم أَرَ عِندي لِصَبرٍ نَصيبا

And when his reproach persisted too long,

And when his displeasure lingered on,

and I found within me no share of patience,

and I found no share of patience within me,

بَعثتُ إِلَيهِ بِشَكوى النِزاعِ

بَعثتُ إِلَيهِ بِشَكوى النِزاعِ

وَأَمّلتُ مِن كَثَبٍ أَن يَؤوبا

وَأَمّلتُ مِن كَثَبٍ أَن يَؤوبا

I sent him a lament of longing,

I sent him a complaint of yearning,

and hoped that he would soon return.

and hoped he would return before long.

فَثَبّطه قَدَرٌ حُكمُهُ

فَثَبّطه قَدَرٌ حُكمُهُ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي أَمَلٍ أَن يَخيبا

عَلى كُلِّ ذي أَمَلٍ أَن يَخيبا

But Fate held him back; its decree

But fate held him back—its decree

for everyone who hopes is that they be disappointed.

is that all who hope must be disappointed.

وَإِنّي وَفَرطَ اِنتِظاري لَهُ

وَإِنّي وَفَرطَ اِنتِظاري لَهُ

وَخَوفِيَ مِن عائِقٍ أَن يَنُوبا

وَخَوفِيَ مِن عائِقٍ أَن يَنُوبا

Indeed I, in the extremity of my waiting for him,

And I, waiting so eagerly for him

and fearing that some hindrance might intervene,

and fearing that some obstacle might arise,

كَمُنتَظِر الفِطرِ يَومَ الصيامِ

كَمُنتَظِر الفِطرِ يَومَ الصيامِ

وَمُرتَقِبِ الشَمسِ حَتّى تَغيبا

وَمُرتَقِبِ الشَمسِ حَتّى تَغيبا

am like one awaiting the breaking of the fast on a fasting day,

am like one awaiting the breaking of the fast on a fasting day,

watching the sun until it sets;

and watching the sun until it sets;

وَكَالمُبتَلى لَيلهِ بِالسقامِ

وَكَالمُبتَلى لَيلهِ بِالسقامِ

يُراعي الصَباح وَيَرجُو الطَبيبا

يُراعي الصَباح وَيَرجُو الطَبيبا

or like one afflicted through the night by illness,

and like one plagued by sickness through the night,

watching for morning and hoping for the physician.

watching for morning and hoping for the physician.