إِلى كَم أُداري أَلفَ واشٍ وَحاسِدِ

إِلى كَم أُداري أَلفَ واشٍ وَحاسِدِ

فَمَن مُرشِدي مَن مُنجِدي مَن مُساعِدي

فَمَن مُرشِدي مَن مُنجِدي مَن مُساعِدي

How long must I placate a thousand slanderers and enviers?

To how many foes and enviers shall I show tolerance?

Who, then, will guide me, who will rescue me, who will help me?

Who will guide me, save me, or lend me support?

وَلَو كانَ بَعضُ الناسِ لي مِنهُ جانِبٌ

وَلَو كانَ بَعضُ الناسِ لي مِنهُ جانِبٌ

وَعَيشِكَ لَم أَحفِل بِكُلِّ مُعانِدِ

وَعَيشِكَ لَم أَحفِل بِكُلِّ مُعانِدِ

And had I support from just one person,

Had some people inclined toward me a little,

By your life, I would care nothing for any adversary.

I would not have cared for any antagonist.

إِذا كُنتَ يا روحي بِعَهدِيَ لا تَفي

إِذا كُنتَ يا روحي بِعَهدِيَ لا تَفي

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يَرجو وَفاءَ مَعاهِدي

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يَرجو وَفاءَ مَعاهِدي

If you, my soul, do not keep faith with me,

O my soul, if you do not break your vow to me,

Then who can hope for fidelity from one pledged to me?

Then who is it that hopes for the loyalty of my allies?

أَظُنُّ فُؤادي شَوقُهُ غَيرُ زائِدٍ

أَظُنُّ فُؤادي شَوقُهُ غَيرُ زائِدٍ

وَأَحسَبُ جَفني نَومُهُ غَيرُ عائِدِ

وَأَحسَبُ جَفني نَومُهُ غَيرُ عائِدِ

I think my heart's longing can grow no greater,

Methinks my heart's yearning is not excessive,

And I reckon sleep will never return to my eyelids.

And my eyelids' sleep will not return.

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن أَهيمَ صَبابَةً

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن أَهيمَ صَبابَةً

بِحِفظِ عُهودٍ أَو بِذِكرِ مَعاهِدِ

بِحِفظِ عُهودٍ أَو بِذِكرِ مَعاهِدِ

God has willed nothing but that I be lost in longing,

God willed that I wander distracted

Through keeping pledges or recalling familiar haunts.

By keeping pacts or mentioning agreements.

وَكَم مَورِدٍ لي في الهَوى قَد وَرَدتُهُ

وَكَم مَورِدٍ لي في الهَوى قَد وَرَدتُهُ

وَضَيَّعتُ عُمري في اِزدِحامِ المَوارِدِ

وَضَيَّعتُ عُمري في اِزدِحامِ المَوارِدِ

And how many a watering place in love I have reached,

And how many watering places in love I have attained

And squandered my life in the crush at those watering places.

And wasted my life in the crowds at the watering holes.

وَما لِيَ مَن أَشتاقُهُ غَيرُ واحِدٍ

وَما لِيَ مَن أَشتاقُهُ غَيرُ واحِدٍ

فَلا كانَتِ الدُنيا إِذا غابَ واحِدي

فَلا كانَتِ الدُنيا إِذا غابَ واحِدي

Yet there is only one for whom I yearn;

I have none I yearn for but one,

Then let the world cease to be if my only one is absent.

Since for me the world was nothing when the one was gone.

أَأَحبابَنا أَينَ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

أَأَحبابَنا أَينَ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

وَأَينَ الَّذي أَسلَفتُمُ مِن مَواعِدِ

وَأَينَ الَّذي أَسلَفتُمُ مِن مَواعِدِ

O our beloved ones, where is what once was between us?

O beloved ones, where is he who was once between us

And where are the promises you once made?

And where is he whose promises you made?

جَعَلتُكُمُ حَظّي مِنَ الناسِ كُلُّهُمُ

جَعَلتُكُمُ حَظّي مِنَ الناسِ كُلُّهُمُ

وَأَعرَضتُ عَن زَيدٍ وَعَمرٍ وَخالِدِ

وَأَعرَضتُ عَن زَيدٍ وَعَمرٍ وَخالِدِ

I made you my portion of all mankind,

I preferred you above all other people

And turned away from Zayd, Amr, and Khalid.

And turned away from Zayd, Amr, and Khalid.

فَلا تُرضِخوا وُدّاً عَلَيكُم عَرَضتُهُ

فَلا تُرضِخوا وُدّاً عَلَيكُم عَرَضتُهُ

فَيا رُبَّ مَعروضٍ وَلَيسَ بِكاسِدِ

فَيا رُبَّ مَعروضٍ وَلَيسَ بِكاسِدِ

So do not undervalue the love I have offered you;

So do not let a proffered love make you concede,

For many a thing on offer has no lack of buyers.

By my Lord, to that which is worthless and unstable!

وَحَقِّكُمُ عِندي لَهُ أَلفُ طالِبٍ

وَحَقِّكُمُ عِندي لَهُ أَلفُ طالِبٍ

وَأَلفُ زَبونٍ يَشتَريهِ بِزائِدِ

وَأَلفُ زَبونٍ يَشتَريهِ بِزائِدِ

By your claim upon me, it has a thousand seekers,

To me your rights have a thousand seekers

And a thousand buyers who would pay a premium for it.

And a thousand customers who buy them at a profit.

يَقولونَ لي أَنتَ الَّذي سارَ ذِكرُهُ

يَقولونَ لي أَنتَ الَّذي سارَ ذِكرُهُ

فَمِن صادِرٍ يُثني عَلَيهِ وَوارِدِ

فَمِن صادِرٍ يُثني عَلَيهِ وَوارِدِ

They tell me: you are the one whose fame has spread,

They say to me, “You are the one whose fame has spread.”

Praised by those departing and those arriving.

But from whom comes praise, and when have greetings flowed?

هَبوني كَما قَد تَزعَمونَ أَنا الَّذي

هَبوني كَما قَد تَزعَمونَ أَنا الَّذي

فَأَينَ صِلاتي مِنكُمُ وَعَوائِدي

فَأَينَ صِلاتي مِنكُمُ وَعَوائِدي

Suppose I am, as you claim, that very man—

Acclaim me as you claim I am the one—

Then where are your gifts to me and your customary favors?

But where are my visitors and guests from among you?

وَقَد كُنتُمُ عَوني عَلى كُلِّ حادِثٍ

وَقَد كُنتُمُ عَوني عَلى كُلِّ حادِثٍ

وَذُخري الَّذي أَعدَدتُهُ لِلشَدائِدِ

وَذُخري الَّذي أَعدَدتُهُ لِلشَدائِدِ

And indeed, you were my help against every calamity,

Once you were my support against every misfortune,

And the reserve I had laid by for hardships.

The store I prepared for times of hardship.

رَجَوتُكُمُ أَن تَنصُروا فَخَذَلتُمُ

رَجَوتُكُمُ أَن تَنصُروا فَخَذَلتُمُ

عَلى أَنَّكُم سَيفي وَكَفّي وَساعِدي

عَلى أَنَّكُم سَيفي وَكَفّي وَساعِدي

I hoped you would support me, but you abandoned me,

I hoped you would give me victory, but you let me down,

Though you are my sword, my hand, and my forearm.

Despite your being my sword, my palm, and my aide!

فَعَلتُم وَقُلتُم وَاِستَطَلتُم وَجُرتُمُ

فَعَلتُم وَقُلتُم وَاِستَطَلتُم وَجُرتُمُ

وَلَستُ عَليكُم في الجَميعِ بِواجِدِ

وَلَستُ عَليكُم في الجَميعِ بِواجِدِ

You acted and spoke, lorded it over me, and wronged me,

You acted and spoke and made excuses and ran away,

Yet for all this I bear you no resentment.

Yet in all of this I cannot reproach you.

فَجازَيتُمُ تِلكَ المَوَدَّةِ بِالقِلى

فَجازَيتُمُ تِلكَ المَوَدَّةِ بِالقِلى

وَذاكَ التَداني مِنكُمُ بِالتَباعُدِ

وَذاكَ التَداني مِنكُمُ بِالتَباعُدِ

Yet you repaid that affection with hatred,

You rewarded that friendship with aloofness

And that closeness to you with estrangement.

And that intimacy with separation.

إِذا كانَ هَذا في الأَقارِبِ فِعلَكُم

إِذا كانَ هَذا في الأَقارِبِ فِعلَكُم

فَماذا الَّذي أَبقَيتُمُ لِلأَباعِدِ

فَماذا الَّذي أَبقَيتُمُ لِلأَباعِدِ

If this is how you act toward your kin,

If this is what you kinsmen do,

Then what have you left for strangers?

Then what have you left for strangers?