اِسمَعي يا خُلَيدَ أَنتِ الخُلودُ

اِسمَعي يا خُلَيدَ أَنتِ الخُلودُ

ما يَقولُ المُتَيَّمُ المَعمودُ

ما يَقولُ المُتَيَّمُ المَعمودُ

Listen, Khulayd—you are eternity—

Listen Khulayd, you are eternity

to what the love-enslaved, afflicted man says.

What the passionate worshipper says is right

إِن تَصُدّي عَنّي فَلَستُ بِراءٍ

إِن تَصُدّي عَنّي فَلَستُ بِراءٍ

وَجهَ نَومي حَتّى يَموتَ الصُدودُ

وَجهَ نَومي حَتّى يَموتَ الصُدودُ

If you turn away from me, I shall not see

If you turn away from me, I am not innocent

the face of sleep until rejection dies.

My sleep is restless until barriers fall

لَو دَعاكِ الَّذي دَعاني مِنَ الشَو

لَو دَعاكِ الَّذي دَعاني مِنَ الشَو

قِ فُواقاً أَرَدتِ بي ما أُريدُ

قِ فُواقاً أَرَدتِ بي ما أُريدُ

If what summons me from longing summoned you

If who called me from passion called you

for a moment, you would want from me what I want.

I would want you to reciprocate as I wish

قَرِّبيني خُلَيدَ إِنّي وَدودٌ

قَرِّبيني خُلَيدَ إِنّي وَدودٌ

وَحَقيقٌ بِالقُربِ مِنكِ الوَدودُ

وَحَقيقٌ بِالقُربِ مِنكِ الوَدودُ

Draw me close, Khulayd; I am loving,

Come close Khulayd, I am affectionate

and a loving man deserves nearness to you.

And rightfully intimate with you, o intimate one

لا تُمَنّي أَخاكِ في مِلَّةِ الحُب

لا تُمَنّي أَخاكِ في مِلَّةِ الحُب

بِ بِداءٍ دَواؤُهُ مَفقودُ

بِ بِداءٍ دَواؤُهُ مَفقودُ

Do not afflict your brother in the creed of love

Do not wish for your brother in the path of love

with an illness whose cure is nowhere to be found.

An affliction whose cure is lost

لا أُعَفّي بِهِ وَلا أَعرِفُ العَي

لا أُعَفّي بِهِ وَلا أَعرِفُ العَي

شَ وَعِندي بَلِيَّةٌ لا تَبيدُ

شَ وَعِندي بَلِيَّةٌ لا تَبيدُ

I find no relief from it, nor do I know life,

I cannot bear it or know a life

while I bear an affliction that never perishes.

And I have an incessant affliction

يا بَلائي قَد طُلتَ حَتّى لَوَ اَنّي

يا بَلائي قَد طُلتَ حَتّى لَوَ اَنّي

مِن حَديدٍ لَذابَ ذاكَ الحَديدُ

مِن حَديدٍ لَذابَ ذاكَ الحَديدُ

O my affliction, you have lasted so long that, were I

Oh my affliction you have lasted until even if

made of iron, that iron would have melted.

I were iron, that iron would melt

كَم جَوى عَبرَةٍ وَزَفرَةِ عَينٍ

كَم جَوى عَبرَةٍ وَزَفرَةِ عَينٍ

قَد تَضَمَّنتُها فَما أَستَزيدُ

قَد تَضَمَّنتُها فَما أَستَزيدُ

How much anguish of tears and sighs of an eye

How much suppressed tears and sighs

have I held within; I ask for no more.

I have contained and still do not have enough

حَسبُ نَفسي مِن حُبِّها ما بِنَفسي

حَسبُ نَفسي مِن حُبِّها ما بِنَفسي

أَنا بالٍ وَالحُبُّ غَضٌّ جَديدُ

أَنا بالٍ وَالحُبُّ غَضٌّ جَديدُ

My soul has enough love for her in what it already bears.

It is enough for my soul what it has for her sake

I am worn out, while love is fresh and new.

I am in misery and love is renewed severity

لَم أُقَصِّر عَنِ الأَوانِسِ حَتّى

لَم أُقَصِّر عَنِ الأَوانِسِ حَتّى

مَسَّني مِن عُبَيدَةَ التَسهيدُ

مَسَّني مِن عُبَيدَةَ التَسهيدُ

I did not hold back from young women until

I did not fail the virgins until

sleeplessness from ʿUbayda touched me.

I was touched by Ubaydah's coquetry

جَلَّ ما بي مِنها وَما جَلَّ نَيلٌ

جَلَّ ما بي مِنها وَما جَلَّ نَيلٌ

عِندَها إِنَّها عَلَيها جُمودُ

عِندَها إِنَّها عَلَيها جُمودُ

Great is what I suffer from her, yet no great favor

Far from me is what I have of her and far is the attainment

is found with her; indeed, coldness lies upon her.

With her, indeed with her there is frigidity

أَيُّ شَيءٍ أَجَلُّ مِن أَنَّ قَلبي

أَيُّ شَيءٍ أَجَلُّ مِن أَنَّ قَلبي

لَيسَ يَصحو وَلا أَراها تَجودُ

لَيسَ يَصحو وَلا أَراها تَجودُ

What is graver than that my heart

What is more exalted than that my heart

never sobers, while I never see her give generously?

Does not awaken or see her generosity

قَيَّدَتني عَن كُلِّ أُنثى تَعَدّى

قَيَّدَتني عَن كُلِّ أُنثى تَعَدّى

بِهَواها وَمِن هَواها قُيودُ

بِهَواها وَمِن هَواها قُيودُ

She has fettered me away from every woman; my heart overstepped

She has shackled me from every female whose

through love for her, and fetters come from love for her.

Passion transgresses, and her passion is my shackles

أَيُّها اللائِمي وَلَم آتِ بَأساً

أَيُّها اللائِمي وَلَم آتِ بَأساً

يَشهَدُ اللَهُ وَالثَلاثُ الشُهودُ

يَشهَدُ اللَهُ وَالثَلاثُ الشُهودُ

O you who blame me, though I have done no harm—

O you who blame me, I have done no wrong

God bears witness, and the three witnesses.

God bears witness, and the three witnesses

قَد عَصاني قَلبي إِلى مَن عَصاهُ

قَد عَصاني قَلبي إِلى مَن عَصاهُ

فَاِستَفادَ الهَوى وَما يَستَفيدُ

فَاِستَفادَ الهَوى وَما يَستَفيدُ

My heart has disobeyed me for one who disobeyed it,

My heart has disobeyed me toward she who disobeyed it

and so gained passion, yet gains no benefit.

So passion has benefited while it does not benefit

قادَني لِلشَقاءِ جَهراً فُؤادي

قادَني لِلشَقاءِ جَهراً فُؤادي

وَفُؤادي فَعّالُ تِلكَ المُعيدُ

وَفُؤادي فَعّالُ تِلكَ المُعيدُ

My heart has openly led me into misery,

My heart has openly led me to misery

and my heart is ever doing that, ever repeating it.

And my heart activates that repetition

وَيحَ نَفسي أَمِن دَلالِ فَتاةٍ

وَيحَ نَفسي أَمِن دَلالِ فَتاةٍ

راحَ هَمّي وَخَفَّ عَنّي الهُجودُ

راحَ هَمّي وَخَفَّ عَنّي الهُجودُ

Alas for my soul! Is it from a girl's coquetry

Oh my soul, beware the flirtation of a girl

that my care has gone forth and slumber has grown scant for me?

My worries departed and rigidity eased from me

لا رَعى اللَهُ مَن يَلومُ مُحِبّاً

لا رَعى اللَهُ مَن يَلومُ مُحِبّاً

في هَواهُ وَلا سَقَتهُ الرُعودُ

في هَواهُ وَلا سَقَتهُ الرُعودُ

May God not protect anyone who blames a lover

May God not tend to one who blames a lover

for his love, nor may the thunders give him water.

For his passion, nor quench him with rain

عِش بِأَخلافِها قَليلاً سَتَلقا

عِش بِأَخلافِها قَليلاً سَتَلقا

كَ بِأَخلافِها الصَفاةُ الصَلودُ

كَ بِأَخلافِها الصَفاةُ الصَلودُ

Live a little on her teats; soon you will be met

Live for a little while with her successors

at her teats by smooth, unyielding rock.

Her honest, frozen successors will meet you

هِيَ لا تَجتَدي مُحِبّاً وَلا تُج

هِيَ لا تَجتَدي مُحِبّاً وَلا تُج

دي عَليهِ فَفيمَ يَبكي الحَسودُ

دي عَليهِ فَفيمَ يَبكي الحَسودُ

She begs no gifts from a lover, nor bestows

She does not seduce a lover, nor is seduced

anything on him; then why does the envious man weep?

So why does the envious cry?

قَد تَبَرَّضتُها فَغَيرَ جَوادٍ

قَد تَبَرَّضتُها فَغَيرَ جَوادٍ

بِهَوانٍ يَأوي بِهِ مَجهودُ

بِهَوانٍ يَأوي بِهِ مَجهودُ

I have sought a few drops from her, yet she is not generous

I have scorned her, for one humiliated is not generous

to a worn-out man who seeks refuge in abasement.

I wonder, are they all stingy

لَيتَ شِعري أَكُلُّهُنَّ بَخيلٌ

لَيتَ شِعري أَكُلُّهُنَّ بَخيلٌ

مِثلَ ما قَد يَكونُ أَم هُنَّ جودُ

مِثلَ ما قَد يَكونُ أَم هُنَّ جودُ

Would that I knew: are all of them stingy

Or are some of them generous?

as might be the case, or are they generous?

But passion seizes men, though

بَل يَنالُ الهَوى رِجالٌ وَلَكِن

بَل يَنالُ الهَوى رِجالٌ وَلَكِن

نامَ جَدّي وَلا تَنامُ الجُدودُ

نامَ جَدّي وَلا تَنامُ الجُدودُ

Rather, men do attain love, but

My vigor slept and rigor does not sleep

my luck has fallen asleep, though fortunes do not sleep.

Perhaps I have called one proud with vanity

رُبَّما قَد دَعَوتُ بِاللَهوِ خَوداً

رُبَّما قَد دَعَوتُ بِاللَهوِ خَوداً

وَدَعَتني أَنفاسُها وَالجُلودُ

وَدَعَتني أَنفاسُها وَالجُلودُ

Many a time I have invited a tender young woman to dalliance,

And her breaths and smoothness called me

and her breaths and the skins have called to me.

That was when my access to them was pardoned

ذاكَ إِذ مَدخلي عَلَيهِنَّ عَفوٌ

ذاكَ إِذ مَدخلي عَلَيهِنَّ عَفوٌ

وَنَعيمي دانٍ وَعَيشي خَريدُ

وَنَعيمي دانٍ وَعَيشي خَريدُ

That was when my access to them came freely,

And my bliss was close, my life simple

and my bliss was near, and my life a bashful maiden.

Then my fortune changed toward the immoralities

ثُمَّ بُدِّلتُ صَفحَتي لِلغَواني

ثُمَّ بُدِّلتُ صَفحَتي لِلغَواني

كُلُّ شَيءٍ إِلى بِلىً مَردودُ

كُلُّ شَيءٍ إِلى بِلىً مَردودُ

Then my face was changed for the beautiful women;

Everything returns to decay

everything is returned to decay.