سِواكَ الَّذي وُدّي لَدَيهِ مُضَيَّعٌ

سِواكَ الَّذي وُدّي لَدَيهِ مُضَيَّعٌ

وَغَيرُكَ مَن سَعيِي إِلَيهِ مُخَيَّبُ

وَغَيرُكَ مَن سَعيِي إِلَيهِ مُخَيَّبُ

It is with someone other than you that my affection is wasted,

None but you, to whom my love is wasted

And it is toward another, not you, that my efforts are frustrated.

And seeking others brings naught but bitter disappointment,

وَوَاللَهِ ما آتيكَ إِلّا مَحَبَّةً

وَوَاللَهِ ما آتيكَ إِلّا مَحَبَّةً

وَإِنِّيَ في أَهلِ الفَضيلَةِ أَرغَبُ

وَإِنِّيَ في أَهلِ الفَضيلَةِ أَرغَبُ

And by God, I come to you only out of love,

By God, I come to you with nothing but affection

And indeed I am drawn to people of virtue.

And aspire to those of highest virtue.

أَبُثُّ لَكَ الشُكرَ الَّذي طابَ نَشرُهُ

أَبُثُّ لَكَ الشُكرَ الَّذي طابَ نَشرُهُ

وَأُطري بِما أُثني عَلَيكَ وَأُطرِبُ

وَأُطري بِما أُثني عَلَيكَ وَأُطرِبُ

I proclaim my gratitude to you, sweet in its fragrance,

I unfold gratitude sweet-scented to inhale

And I extol you with my praise and give delight.

And swoon delighted from your praise, elate.

فَما لِيَ أَلقى دونَ بابِكَ جَفوَةً

فَما لِيَ أَلقى دونَ بابِكَ جَفوَةً

لِغَيرِكَ تُعزى لا إِلَيكَ وَتُنسَبُ

لِغَيرِكَ تُعزى لا إِلَيكَ وَتُنسَبُ

So why do I encounter coldness before your door,

So why should I encounter barred gates blocking your door

Attributed and ascribed to another, not to you?

When coldness comes from others, not you, upon whom I wait?

أُرِدُّ بِرَدِّ البابِ إِن جِئتُ زائِراً

أُرِدُّ بِرَدِّ البابِ إِن جِئتُ زائِراً

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري أَينَ أَهلٌ وَمَرحَبُ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري أَينَ أَهلٌ وَمَرحَبُ

I am turned away by the shutting of the door if I come to visit;

Should I come by your door, may it swing open free

Ah, if only I knew—where are 'Welcome!' and 'Greetings!'?

Oh, that I knew where dwells the welcoming host!

وَلَستُ بِأَوقاتِ الزِيارَةِ جاهِلاً

وَلَستُ بِأَوقاتِ الزِيارَةِ جاهِلاً

وَلا أَنا مِمَّن قُربُهُ يُتَجَنَّبُ

وَلا أَنا مِمَّن قُربُهُ يُتَجَنَّبُ

And I am not ignorant of the times for visiting,

The hours of calling I know notoriously well,

Nor am I one whose company is avoided.

From your proximity no visitors exempt.

وَقَد ذَكَروا في خادِمِ القَومِ أَنَّهُ

وَقَد ذَكَروا في خادِمِ القَومِ أَنَّهُ

بِما كانَ مِن أَخلاقِهِم يَتَهَذَّبُ

بِما كانَ مِن أَخلاقِهِم يَتَهَذَّبُ

And they have said of a household's servant that he

It's said a people’s servant reflects well their ways

Is refined by whatever manners they possess.

So why didn’t gentility spread amongst them from you?

فَهَلّا سَرَت مِنكَ اللَطافَةُ فيهِمُ

فَهَلّا سَرَت مِنكَ اللَطافَةُ فيهِمُ

وَأَعتَدتَهُم آدابَها فَتَأَدَّبوا

وَأَعتَدتَهُم آدابَها فَتَأَدَّبوا

Why, then, has graciousness not spread from you among them,

I find trying situations I’m not used to

And why have you not equipped them with its manners, so they might learn courtesy?

Though distance from your side more difficult to subdue.

وَتَصعُبُ عِندي حالَةٌ ما أَلِفتُها

وَتَصعُبُ عِندي حالَةٌ ما أَلِفتُها

عَلى أَنَّ بُعدي عَن جَنابِكَ أَصعَبُ

عَلى أَنَّ بُعدي عَن جَنابِكَ أَصعَبُ

And a state I am unused to is hard for me,

Reluctantly I curb my soul from seeing you,

Though being far from your presence is harder still.

Battling longing - and longing ever battles me.

وَأُمسِكُ نَفسي عَن لِقائِكَ كارِهاً

وَأُمسِكُ نَفسي عَن لِقائِكَ كارِهاً

أُغالِبُ فيكَ الشَوقَ وَالشَوقُ أَغلَبُ

أُغالِبُ فيكَ الشَوقَ وَالشَوقُ أَغلَبُ

And I restrain myself from meeting you, unwillingly;

For virtue of which you are lord I rage

I struggle against longing for you, but longing is stronger.

Not for my own sake, but yours, outrage.

وَأَغضَبُ لِلفَضلِ الَّذي أَنتَ رَبُّهُ

وَأَغضَبُ لِلفَضلِ الَّذي أَنتَ رَبُّهُ

لِأَجلِكَ لا أَنّي لِنَفسِيَ أَغضَبُ

لِأَجلِكَ لا أَنّي لِنَفسِيَ أَغضَبُ

And I am angered for the virtue of which you are master,

I disdain - did honor from you come my way

For your sake—not because I am angered for myself.

Or for being so humbled - blame on whom would lay?

وَآنَفُ إِمّا عِزَّةً مِنكَ نِلتُها

وَآنَفُ إِمّا عِزَّةً مِنكَ نِلتُها

وَإِمّا لِإِذلالٍ بِهِ أَتَعَتَّبُ

وَإِمّا لِإِذلالٍ بِهِ أَتَعَتَّبُ

And I take offense, either out of dignity I have gained from you,

Since for such lowliness I was not made

Or at a humiliation over which I voice reproach.

My fleeing in shame will price enough be paid.

وَإِذ كُنتُ لَم أَعتَد لِهاتَيكَ ذِلَّةً

وَإِذ كُنتُ لَم أَعتَد لِهاتَيكَ ذِلَّةً

فَحَسبي بِها مِن خَجلَةٍ حينَ أَذهَبُ

فَحَسبي بِها مِن خَجلَةٍ حينَ أَذهَبُ

And since I am not accustomed to humiliation of that kind,

So the shame of it when I go is enough for me.