هَل أَنتَ بِقصَّتي عَليم

هَل أَنتَ بِقصَّتي عَليم

بي مِنكَ المُقعِدُ المُقيمُ

بي مِنكَ المُقعِدُ المُقيمُ

Are you aware of my story?

Do you know my story, O wise one,

From you I bear a crippling, abiding affliction.

Of how I've been made to stay put by you?

مِن سَقَمِ اللَحظِ صَحَّ وَجدي

مِن سَقَمِ اللَحظِ صَحَّ وَجدي

لَكِنَّ جِسمي بِهِ السَقيمُ

لَكِنَّ جِسمي بِهِ السَقيمُ

From the glance’s languor, my passion grew sound;

Though my gaze has healed my fervor,

But through it my body is ailing.

My body remains frail and sick.

دَمعِيَ أَمسى مِزاجَ كَأسي

دَمعِيَ أَمسى مِزاجَ كَأسي

وَجداً وَنَدامَتي النَديمُ

وَجداً وَنَدامَتي النَديمُ

My tears became the admixture in my cup,

My tears have become the substance of my cup,

Out of passion—and my regret is my drinking companion.

Filled with passion and regret, my companion.

كَم تَمطُلُ يا غَنِيُّ دَيني

كَم تَمطُلُ يا غَنِيُّ دَيني

ظُلماً وَغَرامي الغَريمُ

ظُلماً وَغَرامي الغَريمُ

How long will you delay paying my due, O wealthy one,

How long will my debt to you drag on,

Unjustly, while my passion is the creditor?

Unjustly, while my love is denied?

بِالوَجدِ عَدِمتُ حُسنَ صَبري

بِالوَجدِ عَدِمتُ حُسنَ صَبري

وَالعاشِقُ واجِدٌ عَديمُ

وَالعاشِقُ واجِدٌ عَديمُ

Through passion, I lost the beauty of my patience;

In passion I lost the merit of patience,

And the lover is rich in passion, yet destitute.

While the lover is devoid and wanting.

بِاللَهِ أَعوذُ مِن كَلامٍ

بِاللَهِ أَعوذُ مِن كَلامٍ

فيهِ شَيطانُهُ رَجيمُ

فيهِ شَيطانُهُ رَجيمُ

I seek refuge in God from speech

I take refuge in Allah from words

In which its devil is accursed.

In which Satan the Accursed speaks.

الحُبُّ صِراطُهُ بِقَلبي

الحُبُّ صِراطُهُ بِقَلبي

في نارِ هَواهُ مُستَقيمُ

في نارِ هَواهُ مُستَقيمُ

Love’s path within my heart

The path of love leads straight

Is straight amid the fire of love for him.

Through the fires of passion in my heart.

أَشكو ما بي إِلى حَبيبي

أَشكو ما بي إِلى حَبيبي

لَكِن ما قَلبُهُ رَحيمُ

لَكِن ما قَلبُهُ رَحيمُ

I complain of what ails me to my beloved,

I complain of what's inside me to my beloved,

But his heart is not merciful.

But his heart is not kind.

أَمسَيتُ بِلَوعَتي سَليماً

أَمسَيتُ بِلَوعَتي سَليماً

لَم يَرثِ لِعَولَتي السَليمُ

لَم يَرثِ لِعَولَتي السَليمُ

Through my anguish, I have become as one snakebitten;

I've become healthy in my misery -

The unharmed one did not pity my wailing.

No one inherits the wellness of the wretched.

فَاللَحظُ وَخَصرُهُ كَجِسمي

فَاللَحظُ وَخَصرُهُ كَجِسمي

ضَعفاً وَكَذَلِكَ النَسيمُ

ضَعفاً وَكَذَلِكَ النَسيمُ

For the glance and his waist are like my body

My gaze and its shape are like my body,

In frailty, and so too is the breeze.

Weak, as is the soft breeze.

كَم مِن لَيثٍ سَطا عَلَيهِ

كَم مِن لَيثٍ سَطا عَلَيهِ

في رامَةَ بِاللِحاظِ ريمُ

في رامَةَ بِاللِحاظِ ريمُ

How many a lion has been assailed

Many are the lions that pounced

In Rāmah by a gazelle with its glances!

On the gazelles with a mere gaze in the meadows.