شُبِMix ازدياداًan increase فيin الهوىlove بانْتِقَاصْwith a decrease
شُبِ ازدياداً في الهوى بانْتِقَاصْ
ولاand do not تُطِعْobey أمْرَthe command of وَصُولٍa devoted lover وَعَاصْand a defiant one
ولا تُطِعْ أمْرَ وَصُولٍ وَعَاصْ
Blaze ever higher in love through diminution;
Temper an increase in love with a decrease,
and do not obey my command; join me, and disobey.
Nor obey the bidding of a devoted lover or a defiant one.
إنif تَسُمِyou inflict on الشاميَّthe Syrian هَجْراًestrangement فقدthen indeed
إن تَسُمِ الشاميَّ هَجْراً فقد
خَلَّصَهُhas freed him هَجْرُكَyour estrangement كلَّcomplete الخلاصdeliverance
خَلَّصَهُ هَجْرُكَ كلَّ الخلاص
If you inflict estrangement on the Syrian, then
If you inflict estrangement on the Syrian, then
your estrangement has granted him utter deliverance.
Your estrangement has set him wholly free.
ياO ظالماًwrongdoer أصبحَhas become ذاpossessed of لحيةٍa beard
يا ظالماً أصبحَ ذا لحيةٍ
تُعَلِّمُyou teach المظلومَthe wronged person أَخْذَthe exacting of القصاصretribution
تُعَلِّمُ المظلومَ أَخْذَ القصاص
O tyrant who has now grown a beard,
O wrongdoer who has grown a beard,
you teach the wronged how to exact just retribution.
You teach the wronged to exact retribution.
قدindeed كنتَyou were عِلْقاًa prized possession مُثمَناًvalued غالياًcostly
قد كنتَ عِلْقاً مُثمَناً غالياً
فصرتَso you became منamong بعضِsome of العُلوقِthe prized possessions الرِّخاصthe cheap ones
فصرتَ من بعضِ العُلوقِ الرِّخاص
Once you were a treasure, highly prized and dear;
Once you were a prized possession, valued and costly;
then you became one of the cheap treasures.
So you have become one of the cheap possessions.
فأينَwhere, then ذاكthat الحسنُthe beauty ماليwhat is with me? أرىI see
فأينَ ذاك الحسنُ مالي أرى
وَجْهَكَyour face منهof it وهوwhile it is خاليempty العِراصthe courtyards
وَجْهَكَ منه وهو خالي العِراص
Where is that beauty? Why do I see
Where, then, is that beauty? Why do I see
your face bereft of it, its courtyards deserted?
Your face, its courtyards empty of it?
مَنْwho لبسَwore الشَّعْرَthe hair عِذاراًas a cheek-strap فقدthen indeed
مَنْ لبسَ الشَّعْرَ عِذاراً فقد
ألبسكhas fitted you with الشَّعْرُthe hair لجاماًa bridle دِلاصgleaming
ألبسك الشَّعْرُ لجاماً دِلاص
Whoever wears hair as a cheekpiece—then
You who have donned hair as a cheek-strap—
hair has fitted you with a sleek, gleaming bridle.
Hair has indeed fitted you with a gleaming bridle.
فَسِلْso flow بريحِon the wind of الذمِّcensure سَيْلَthe flowing of الهَبَاfine dust
فَسِلْ بريحِ الذمِّ سَيْلَ الهَبَا
وَذُبْand melt بنارِin the fire of الهجرِestrangement ذَوْبَthe melting of الرَّصاصlead
وَذُبْ بنارِ الهجرِ ذَوْبَ الرَّصاص
Then drift on the wind of censure as dust motes drift,
So flow like dust on the wind of censure,
and melt in estrangement’s fire as lead melts.
And melt like lead in the fire of estrangement.
