ياO مَنwho لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick man نَأىstrayed فيin الحُبِّlove عَنfrom رَشَدِهhis good sense
يا مَن لِصَبٍّ نَأى في الحُبِّ عَن رَشَدِه
فَلَيسَfor he is not بِالمُنتَهيone who desists بِاللَومِthrough reproach عَنfrom فَنَدِهhis folly
فَلَيسَ بِالمُنتَهي بِاللَومِ عَن فَنَدِه
O who will aid a lovesick man who has strayed in love from his good sense?
O you who in love strayed far from sanity
For no reproach will make him desist from his folly.
No blame in ending lies, or in parting company
أَثارَroused صَيداًa quarry فَصادَتهُso caught him حَبائِلُهُits snares
أَثارَ صَيداً فَصادَتهُ حَبائِلُهُ
ياO وَيحَهُalas for him باحِثاًseeking عَنfor حَتفِهِhis death بِيَدِهwith his own hand
يا وَيحَهُ باحِثاً عَن حَتفِهِ بِيَدِه
He roused a quarry, and its snares caught him.
A prey he roused, but snares of love ensnared him
Alas for him, seeking his death with his own hand!
Woe to him seeking death with his own hand so bare him
صَيداًa quarry أَعادَreturned الَّذيwhat أَبداهُhe displayed it قانِصُهُits hunter
صَيداً أَعادَ الَّذي أَبداهُ قانِصُهُ
مِنof خَتلِهِhis guile يَومَthe day وافاهُhe came to it وَمِنand of طَرَدِهhis pursuit
مِن خَتلِهِ يَومَ وافاهُ وَمِن طَرَدِه
A quarry that returned what its hunter had shown
The prey the hunter made, he made undone
Of guile when he came upon it, and of pursuit.
In madness, when they met, and in chase outrun
هُوَhe القَتيلُthe slain one الَّذيwho لَمdid not تُخطِerr مُقلَتُهُhis eye
هُوَ القَتيلُ الَّذي لَم تُخطِ مُقلَتُهُ
عَمداًdeliberately وَقاتِلُهُand his killer لَمdid not يَخشَfear مِنof قَوَدِهhis execution in retribution
عَمداً وَقاتِلُهُ لَم يَخشَ مِن قَوَدِه
He is the slain one whose eye did not err
The slain who aimed no dart, no guilt had he
Deliberately; and his killer feared no retaliatory execution.
While his killer feared no law of equity
رَماهُshot him ريمٌa gazelle رَناgazed بِاللَحظِwith a glance مُختَلِساًfurtively
رَماهُ ريمٌ رَنا بِاللَحظِ مُختَلِساً
فَأَثبَتَso lodged الريمُthe gazelle سَهمَthe arrow اللَحظِof the glance فيin كَبِدِهhis liver
فَأَثبَتَ الريمُ سَهمَ اللَحظِ في كَبِدِه
A gazelle shot him, gazing with a furtive glance;
A glance shot random’s arrow through his heart
So the gazelle lodged the arrow of its glance in his liver.
And sealed within his breast the glance’s dart
يَلومُهُreproaches him فارِغٌone untroubled مِمّاfrom what أُصيبَhe was afflicted بِهِby it
يَلومُهُ فارِغٌ مِمّا أُصيبَ بِهِ
فيin الحُبِّlove ماnot عِندَهُhe has ماwhat فيهِis in him مِنof جَلَدِهhis endurance
في الحُبِّ ما عِندَهُ ما فيهِ مِن جَلَدِه
He is reproached by one untouched by what afflicted him
With empty blame for what he felt no smart
In love; that man lacks the sufferer's endurance.
He chides in love, with no such love his part
يُدِلُّtakes pride بِالجيدِin the neck مَنthe one who بِالجيدِwith the neck تَيَّمَنيenslaved me
يُدِلُّ بِالجيدِ مَن بِالجيدِ تَيَّمَني
كَأَنَّهُas though he were ناحِليbestowing on me بِالحُسنِwith beauty مِنfrom جَيَدِهhis neck's graceful length
كَأَنَّهُ ناحِلي بِالحُسنِ مِن جَيَدِه
He who enslaved me with his neck flaunts that neck,
He shows his noble birth who noble birth can claim
As though bestowing beauty upon me from his graceful, long neck.
As though from his own neck he had the gems to frame
ياO واضِحَradiant الثَّغرِthe mouth كَمhow often بِالثَّغرِwith the mouth تَقتُلُyou kill مَنone whom
يا واضِحَ الثَّغرِ كَم بِالثَّغرِ تَقتُلُ مَن
أَصماهُstruck him dead حَرُّthe heat الهَوىof love شَوقاًyearning إِلىfor بَرَدِهits hail-like saliva
أَصماهُ حَرُّ الهَوى شَوقاً إِلى بَرَدِه
O you with the radiant mouth, how often with that mouth you kill one
O you whose lips so clear, how with your lips you kill
Whom love's heat has slain, longing for its cooling hail!
Those maddened by love’s heat for your cool rill
ياO حَبَّذاhow welcome فِعلُهُhis conduct إِنif كانَhe were يَفعَلُto act بيtoward me
يا حَبَّذا فِعلُهُ إِن كانَ يَفعَلُ بي
فيin الحُبِّlove فِعلَthe conduct الَّذيwhat يُبديهِhe displays it مِنof غَيَدِهhis graceful suppleness
في الحُبِّ فِعلَ الَّذي يُبديهِ مِن غَيَدِه
Ah, how welcome his conduct, if he would treat me
Would he but act to me as his true passion bid
In love as his graceful suppleness suggests.
And show the love his heart within so deep lies hid
حُرِمتُI was denied مِنfrom لُؤلُؤَيهِhis two pearls ماwhat أَهيمُI am enamored بِهِof it
حُرِمتُ مِن لُؤلُؤَيهِ ما أَهيمُ بِهِ
مِنof حُسنِthe beauty مَنظومِهِhis strung pearls الغاليprecious وَمِنand of بَدَدِهhis scattered pearls
مِن حُسنِ مَنظومِهِ الغالي وَمِن بَدَدِه
I am denied what I adore in his two kinds of pearls—
Deprived of his sweet pearls I pine away
The beauty of his precious strung pearls and of his scattered ones.
His work, though prized and precious, no help can say
تَشيinform الوُشاةُthe talebearers بِناagainst us عِندَat الفِراقِparting فَإِنand if
تَشي الوُشاةُ بِنا عِندَ الفِراقِ فَإِن
نَحنُwe اِفتَرَقناwe part فَكُلُّthen all القَومِthe people مِنamong رَصَدِهthose watching him
نَحنُ اِفتَرَقنا فَكُلُّ القَومِ مِن رَصَدِه
The talebearers inform against us at parting; and if
When we parted, spies spread talk of suspected ill
We part, all those people are among his watchers.
But we parted - the crowd condemns as it will
مازالَhe never ceased فيin مَنعِwithholding ماwhat أَحبَبتُهُI loved it مَعَهُمwith them
مازالَ في مَنعِ ما أَحبَبتُهُ مَعَهُم
وَلَمand did not يَكُنbe راثِياًpitying يَوماًever لِمُضطَهِدِهfor his persecutor
وَلَم يَكُن راثِياً يَوماً لِمُضطَهِدِه
Together with them, he kept withholding what I loved,
Still bent against me, those with whom he came
And never once showed pity to his persecutor.
No mourner he, though I was sore defamed
ياO لَيتَwould that فيin الدَهرِthis life رُوحَيناour two souls قَدِindeed التَقَياthe two met
يا لَيتَ في الدَهرِ رُوحَينا قَدِ التَقَيا
بِالوُدِّwith affection فيin جَسَديmy body أَوor لاnot فَفيthen in جَسَدِهhis body
بِالوُدِّ في جَسَدي أَو لا فَفي جَسَدِه
O would that, in this life, our two souls had met
Would we had met in spirit and in heart
In love within my body—or, if not, then within his.
Were my body not his, nor his flesh my part!