هُمُ المُنى وَالأَمَلُ

هُمُ المُنى وَالأَمَلُ

إِن قَطَعوا أَو وَصَلوا

إِن قَطَعوا أَو وَصَلوا

They are every longing and every hope,

They are my desires and my hope,

whether they sever the bond or keep it;

Whether they sever ties or keep them;

في حالَتي قُربِهِم

في حالَتي قُربِهِم

وَالبُعدُ جادوا بَخَلوا

وَالبُعدُ جادوا بَخَلوا

in both states—their nearness

In both states—their nearness

and distance—whether lavish or withholding,

And distance—whether they give or withhold;

جاروا عَلى ضَعفي بِطو

جاروا عَلى ضَعفي بِطو

لِ هَجرِهِم أَم عَدَلوا

لِ هَجرِهِم أَم عَدَلوا

whether they wrong my frailty, delay

Whether they wrong my frailty through the length

their desertion, or deal justly.

Of their estrangement, or act justly:

وَلَن أَرى تَبَدُّلاً

وَلَن أَرى تَبَدُّلاً

بِهِم وَإِن تَبَدَّلوا

بِهِم وَإِن تَبَدَّلوا

I shall never change toward them,

And I shall never consider a replacement

even if they change.

For them, even if they change.

وَلَم يَمَل بي عَنهُم

وَلَم يَمَل بي عَنهُم

مِمّا أُلاقي المَلَلُ

مِمّا أُلاقي المَلَلُ

Nor am I turned away from them

Nor have I been swayed away from them

by the weariness of all I endure.

By weariness at what I endure.

إِن أَدبَروا بِوُدِّهِم

إِن أَدبَروا بِوُدِّهِم

فَصِدقُ وُدي مُقبِلُ

فَصِدقُ وُدي مُقبِلُ

If they withdraw their affection,

If they turn away with their affection,

the truth of my love advances still.

Then my faithful love comes forward.

هُم أَهلُ بَدرٍ غَيرَ مَأ

هُم أَهلُ بَدرٍ غَيرَ مَأ

ثومينَ فيما فَعَلوا

ثومينَ فيما فَعَلوا

They are the folk of Badr—full moons, never to be

They are the people of Badr, not held

held guilty for anything they do.

Guilty for what they did.

ما فِيَّ عُضوٌ وَهوَ مِن

ما فِيَّ عُضوٌ وَهوَ مِن

حُبِّهِم مُعَطَّلُ

حُبِّهِم مُعَطَّلُ

No limb in me is free of illness

There is no limb in me that is

from loving them.

Idle in its love for them.

وَلَم يَزَل وَجدي بِهِم

وَلَم يَزَل وَجدي بِهِم

لِأَنَّهُ مُؤَزَّلُ

لِأَنَّهُ مُؤَزَّلُ

My passion for them has never ceased,

And my passion for them has never ceased,

for it is rooted in eternity.

For it is rooted in eternity.

بِحُسنِ غِزلانِهِم

بِحُسنِ غِزلانِهِم

قَد راقَ لي التَغَزُّلُ

قَد راقَ لي التَغَزُّلُ

The beauty of their gazelles

Through the beauty of their gazelles,

has made love-poetry sweet to me.

I have found delight in composing love verse.

لَهفي عَلى قُربِهِمُ

لَهفي عَلى قُربِهِمُ

وَلَيلُ فودي أَلَيلُ

وَلَيلُ فودي أَلَيلُ

Alas for my longing to be near them!

How I yearn for their nearness,

The night of my temple-lock is deepest night.

While the night of my sidelock is pitch-black!

وَدونَ مُنهَلِّ دُمو

وَدونَ مُنهَلِّ دُمو

عي وَرَدَهُم لي مَنهَلُ

عي وَرَدَهُم لي مَنهَلُ

And before the downpour of my tears,

And beneath the streaming of my tears,

their coming is a watering-place for me.

Their roses are a wellspring for me.

وَخيفَهُمُ لي مَأَمَنٌ

وَخيفَهُمُ لي مَأَمَنٌ

مِن خَوفِهِم وَمَعقِلُ

مِن خَوفِهِم وَمَعقِلُ

Their Khayf is my sanctuary

And their Khayf is my refuge

from fear of them, and my stronghold.

From fear of them, and my stronghold.

وَكُلُّ ذي وَجهٍ جَمي

وَكُلُّ ذي وَجهٍ جَمي

لٍ فيهِ عِندي مُجمَلُ

لٍ فيهِ عِندي مُجمَلُ

And everyone with a beautiful face

And everyone with a beautiful face

holds for me some epitome of them.

Is, to me, encompassed there.