1. يا مَيُّ نابَ السمعُ عن بَصَري

    في الليلَةِ السوداءِ من صَفَرِ

    O May, hearing has taken the place of my sight

    On the black night of Safar.

  2. ذَهَبَت فلا رجعَت مُخَلَّفةً

    في غورِ روحي أسوا الأثَرِ

    It went away—may it never return—leaving

    In the depths of my soul the worst of marks.

  3. ماذا أقولُ وإن شكَوتُ فمِن

    جورِ القضاءِ وقسوَةِ القدرِ

    What shall I say? And if I complain, it is of

    The injustice of divine decree and the cruelty of fate.

  4. الصدرُ مُنقَبضٌ ولا عجَبٌ

    والنفسُ نَهبُ الهمِّ والضَجَرِ

    My breast is constricted, and no wonder,

    And the soul is prey to worry and vexation.

  5. وأقامَ أحزاني وأقعدَها

    في جانِحَيَّ تَرَنُّمُ الوَتَرِ

    And my sorrows were made to rise and sit

    Within my ribs by the singing of the string.

  6. والكأسُ في يُمنايَ تَنظرني

    شَزراً فأَشربُها على حَذَرِ

    And the cup in my right hand looks at me

    Askance, so I drink it warily.

  7. وأرَقتُها كرهاً على جزعٍ

    فوقَ الرمالِ وبتُّ في سقرِ

    And I poured it out unwillingly, in anguish,

    Upon the sands, and spent the night in Saqar.

  8. والصحبُ راحوا حينَما شَرِبوا

    يَتَبادلون طرائفَ السمَرِ

    And my companions, when they had drunk, began

    Exchanging amusing tales in evening conversation.

  9. نعمَ الندامى لا عدِمتُهُمُ

    يتألَّقونَ كأنجُمِ السحَرِ

    Fine drinking companions—may I never lose them!

    They sparkle like the stars before dawn.

  10. يا ميُّ والأحلامُ شاردةٌ

    رُحماكِ رُدّيها لمفتَقِرِ

    O May, the dreams are straying;

    Have mercy; return them to one in need.

  11. يا ميّ والأيّامُ عابسةٌ

    باللَهِ غنّي وارقُصي وذَري

    O May, the days are frowning;

    By God, sing, dance, and leave things be.

  12. يا ميُّ والأقدارُ ساخِرةٌ

    منّا ولم نسخَر ولم نثُر

    O May, the fates are mocking

    Us, yet we have neither mocked nor rebelled.

  13. قومي لنَسخَرَ مثلَما سخِرَت

    من كلِّ مُدَّخِرٍ ومُحتَكرِ

    Rise, let us scoff just as they have scoffed

    At every hoarder and monopolist.

  14. ما لي أحيّي الشمسَ مُغتَبطاً

    عندَ الغروبِ بأروَعِ السورِ

    Why do I greet the sun joyfully

    At sunset, with the most splendid surahs?

  15. ما لي أودّعُها إذا طلَعت

    بمدامِعي وأعودُ بالكدَرِ

    Why do I bid it farewell when it rises

    With my tears, and return in gloom?

  16. ما لي أرى الغربانَ طائرةً

    والصقرَ دامي القلبِ لم يطِرِ

    Why do I see the ravens flying

    While the falcon, its heart bleeding, has not flown?

  17. ما لي أرى جاري يكَفّرني

    ويُقَدِّمُ القُربانَ للحجَرِ

    Why do I see my neighbor declaring me an unbeliever

    And offering a sacrifice to the stone?

  18. ما لي أرى العُريانِ يسألُهُ

    عن بيتِ ليلى كلُّ مؤتزرِ

    Why do I see the naked man being asked

    About Layla's house by every man in a waistcloth?

  19. ما لي أرى المسكين يلهَثُ في

    هوج الرياح وهاطل المطر

    Why do I see the poor man panting amid

    Raging winds and pouring rain?

  20. ما لي أرى شمعونَ يظلمهُ

    ويبيتُ مرتاحاً على السرر

    Why do I see Sham'un wronging him

    And spending the night at ease upon beds?

  21. ما لي أرى البير منتفِخاً

    وقميصهُ قد قُدَّ من دُبُرِ

    Why do I see Albert puffed up

    While his shirt has been torn from behind?

  22. ما لي أرى ساسون يجرَحُني

    ويقول لابنةِ عمِّهِ اعتذري

    Why do I see Sassoon wounding me

    And telling his paternal uncle's daughter, 'Apologize'?

  23. ما لي أرى حز قيل يقتُلُ مَن

    يهواهُ من أنثى ومن ذكَرِ

    Why do I see Hizqil killing whoever

    Loves him, whether woman or man?

  24. قد طالَ هجرُكَ يا ربيعُ فيا

    لتعاسَةِ الأطيارِ والزَهَرِ

    Your desertion has lasted long, O Spring—alas

    For the misery of the birds and flowers!

  25. دنيا المهازل والشذوذ غدَت

    نار الليوثِ وجنّةَ الحُمُرِ

    The world of farce and perversity has become

    A fire for lions and a paradise for asses.

  26. من لي بمشنَقَةٍ أحزُّ بها

    بعضَ الرقابِ وصارمٍ ذكر

    Who will give me a gallows with which to sever

    Some necks, and a strong, sharp sword?

  27. فلسَوف ينفُخُ يا لخيبتِهِم

    بالصور إسرافيلُ فانتظري

    For a blast will surely sound—oh, their dismay!—

    From Israfil's trumpet; so wait.

  28. فمُشَبّهو ليلى بوالدِها

    شتّانَ بين الفحم والدُرَرِ

    As for those who liken Layla to her father—

    What a gulf between charcoal and pearls!

  29. سرَقَ ابن آوى ديكَنا سحَراً

    ودجاجُنا منه على خطَرِ

    The jackal stole our rooster before dawn,

    And our chickens are in danger from him.

  30. والفأرُ يشرَبُ بيضَها طَرباً

    أبداً فيا لتبلبُلِ الفِكَر

    And the mouse drinks their eggs gleefully

    Endlessly—alas for the confusion of thoughts!

  31. إن جُعتَ يا صيّادُ ويحَكَ لا

    تَتعَب وخلّ الطيرَ في الشجَرِ

    If you are hungry, hunter—poor fellow!—do not

    Wear yourself out; leave the birds in the trees.

  32. وتعالَ حدّثنا وصلّ بنا

    وأكُل كغيركَ أطيبَ الثمَرِ

    And come, talk to us, and lead us in prayer,

    And eat, like the others, the choicest fruit.

  33. لا تحسَبي يا ميُّ أن يدي

    مغلولةٌ غُلَّت يَدُ الأشِرِ

    Do not think, O May, that my hand

    Is fettered—may the insolent man's hand be fettered!

  34. فالحرّ من جورِ الزمانِ هنا

    وهُناكَ بين النابِ والظُفُرِ

    For the free man, through the tyranny of time, here

    And there, is caught between fang and claw.

  35. حسناءُ هاكِ وحطّمي قدحي

    فالكأسُ قد دارَت على البَقَرِ

    Fair one, take this and shatter my goblet,

    For the cup has already gone round among cattle.

  36. لا تعجبي مما صدعتُ بهِ

    فالنارُ لا تخلو من الشَررِ

    Do not be surprised at what I have proclaimed,

    For fire is never without sparks.

  37. حسناءُ والأجفانُ قد ثَقُلَت

    هاتي الدواء وكحّلي بصَري

    Fair one, my eyelids have grown heavy;

    Bring the remedy and anoint my eyes with kohl.