وَلَّت بَشاشَةُ دُنيانا وَدُنياكِ

وَلَّت بَشاشَةُ دُنيانا وَدُنياكِ

وَفارَقَ الأُنسُ مَغنانا وَمَغناكِ

وَفارَقَ الأُنسُ مَغنانا وَمَغناكِ

The gladness of our world and yours has fled,

Joy and bliss of our life have departed,

and companionship has left our dwelling and yours.

And companionship’s cheer left each lover downhearted,

حَماكِ دوني أُسودٌ لا يُطاوِلُها

حَماكِ دوني أُسودٌ لا يُطاوِلُها

شاكي السِلاحَ فَكَيفَ الأَعزَلُ الشاكي

شاكي السِلاحَ فَكَيفَ الأَعزَلُ الشاكي

Lions have kept you from me; they cannot be matched

Without me, dark lions circle your abode,

by a fully armed man—how then by an unarmed sufferer?

Yet weaponless, how can I dare fight this foreboded?

وَجَشَّموني عَلى ضَعفي وَقُوَّتِهِم

وَجَشَّموني عَلى ضَعفي وَقُوَّتِهِم

أَن أُمسِكَ القَولَ حَتّى عَن تَحاياكِ

أَن أُمسِكَ القَولَ حَتّى عَن تَحاياكِ

And they forced me, despite my weakness and their strength,

For my weakness they mocked and their might extolled,

to withhold speech, even greetings to you.

To hush my voice, even your name not to be told,

وَأَرصَدوا لي رَقيباً لَيسَ يُخطِئُهُ

وَأَرصَدوا لي رَقيباً لَيسَ يُخطِئُهُ

هَجسُ الفُؤادِ إِذا حاوَلتُ ذِكراكِ

هَجسُ الفُؤادِ إِذا حاوَلتُ ذِكراكِ

And they set a watcher over me, who never misses

A watcher they set, no whisper of you missed,

the heart's whisper when I try to remember you.

Nor breath of yearning, when you were sweetly recalled,

يُحصي تَرَدُّدَ أَنفاسي وَيَمنَعُني

يُحصي تَرَدُّدَ أَنفاسي وَيَمنَعُني

نَفحَ الشَمائِلِ إِن جازَت بِرَيّاكِ

نَفحَ الشَمائِلِ إِن جازَت بِرَيّاكِ

He counts the ebb and flow of my breaths and denies me

To count every breath and forbid even a nod,

the waft of north winds, should they pass bearing your scent.

If your memory wafted, to smell your fragrance divine,

مُنِعتُ حَتّى مِنَ النَجوى وَسَلوَتِها

مُنِعتُ حَتّى مِنَ النَجوى وَسَلوَتِها

وَكَم تَعَلَّلتُ في البَلوى بِنَجواكِ

وَكَم تَعَلَّلتُ في البَلوى بِنَجواكِ

I was denied even private converse and its solace;

Even from whispers I’m banned, though balm to repined,

and how often, in affliction, I found comfort in converse with you!

Yet still you I recalled, when anguish was mined,

ما كادَ يَأتي عَلى نَفسي وَيورِدُني

ما كادَ يَأتي عَلى نَفسي وَيورِدُني

مَوارِدَ الحَتفِ إِلّا حُبُّكِ الزاكي

مَوارِدَ الحَتفِ إِلّا حُبُّكِ الزاكي

Nothing came close to ending my life and leading me

No doom could befall me, no death make me pine,

to death's watering places except my pure love for you.

Except loving you purely, that virtue of thine,

تَناوَلَت ما وَراءَ النَفسِ غايَتُهُ

تَناوَلَت ما وَراءَ النَفسِ غايَتُهُ

وَقَرَّ في خَلَجاتِ القَلبِ مَثواكِ

وَقَرَّ في خَلَجاتِ القَلبِ مَثواكِ

Its reach encompassed what lies beyond the soul,

You grasped what beyond the soul, no end could confine,

and your dwelling settled amid the heart's stirrings.

In heart’s crevices resting, made there your shrine,

وَظَنَّ أَهلُكِ بي سوءاً وَأَرمَضَني

وَظَنَّ أَهلُكِ بي سوءاً وَأَرمَضَني

قَولُ الوُشاةِ وَدَعوى كُلِّ أَفّاكِ

قَولُ الوُشاةِ وَدَعوى كُلِّ أَفّاكِ

Your people thought ill of me, and I was scorched

Those yours deemed me ill, lies heeded and maligned,

by the slanderers' words and every liar's claim.

From gossiping tongues and every backbiter’s slime,

قالوا سَلا عَنكِ غَدراً وَاِبتَغى بَدَلاً

قالوا سَلا عَنكِ غَدراً وَاِبتَغى بَدَلاً

وَكانَ بِالأَمسِ مِن أَوفى رَعاياكِ

وَكانَ بِالأَمسِ مِن أَوفى رَعاياكِ

They said, 'He treacherously forgot you and sought another,

They claimed I betrayed, other love to purloin,

though yesterday he was among your most loyal subjects.'

When true I had been, of your loyal lieges sublime,

كَم لي أَحاديثُ شَوقٍ لا تُنافِحُها

كَم لي أَحاديثُ شَوقٍ لا تُنافِحُها

زَهرُ الرِياضِ وَلا يَسمو بِها الحاكي

زَهرُ الرِياضِ وَلا يَسمو بِها الحاكي

How many tales of longing I have, whose fragrance cannot be rivaled

Longings I have, beyond words of man to define,

by garden blossoms, nor can a storyteller exalt them.

Nor bloom of gardens, nor poets in rhyme,

إِن تُنكِريها فَكَم طارَ الرُواةُ بِها

إِن تُنكِريها فَكَم طارَ الرُواةُ بِها

إِلى حِماكِ وَكَم قَد عَطَّرَت فاكِ

إِلى حِماكِ وَكَم قَد عَطَّرَت فاكِ

If you deny them, how often reciters have flown with them

Disown them you may, yet carried with time,

to your sanctuary, and how often they have perfumed your mouth!

To you they arrived, and your ears they did find,

سَتَعلَمينَ إِذا ما الغَمرَةُ اِنحَسَرَت

سَتَعلَمينَ إِذا ما الغَمرَةُ اِنحَسَرَت

مَن صَدَّ عَنكِ وَمَن بِالنَفسِ فَدّاكِ

مَن صَدَّ عَنكِ وَمَن بِالنَفسِ فَدّاكِ

You will know, when the engulfing turmoil recedes,

When darkness recedes, you will know in good time,

who turned away from you and who ransomed you with his life.

Who scorned you, who still to your memory was shrined,

رَمَيتُ عَنكِ إِلى أَن خانَني وَتَري

رَمَيتُ عَنكِ إِلى أَن خانَني وَتَري

وَلَم أَخُن في إِساري عَهدَ نُعماكِ

وَلَم أَخُن في إِساري عَهدَ نُعماكِ

I shot arrows in your defense until my bowstring betrayed me,

I shunned you, betrayed, though you I resigned,

and in my captivity I did not betray the bond of your bounty.

Never your troth-plight breaking, or trust undermined