لاdo not تَخَفfear ماwhat صَنَعَتhave done بِكَto you الأَشواقُlongings
لا تَخَف ما صَنَعَت بِكَ الأَشواقُ
فَالعَينُfor the eye قَدmay تُبديهِreveal it وَالآَماقُand the eye-corners
فَالعَينُ قَد تُبديهِ وَالآَماقُ
Do not fear what longings have done to you.
Do not fear what longing has done to you,
For the eye and its corners may reveal it.
For the eye reveals it though depths conceal.
فَاِثبِتso avow جَواكَyour heartache وَلاand do not تُحاوِلtry كَتمَهُconcealing it
فَاِثبِت جَواكَ وَلا تُحاوِل كَتمَهُ
وَاِشرَحand explain هَواكَyour love فَكُلُّناfor we are all عُشّاقُlovers
وَاِشرَح هَواكَ فَكُلُّنا عُشّاقُ
So avow your heartache, and do not try to conceal it.
Stand firmly and do not try to hide it,
And explain your love, for we are all lovers.
Lay bare your passion for we are all lovers.
فَعَسىso perhaps يُعينُكَhelp you مَنthe one whom شَكَونَthey (feminine) complained لَهُto him الهَوىlove
فَعَسى يُعينُكَ مَن شَكَونَ لَهُ الهَوى
وَيُهَوِّنَنَّand surely ease عَلَيكَfor you ماwhat تَشتاقُyou long for
وَيُهَوِّنَنَّ عَلَيكَ ما تَشتاقُ
Perhaps the one to whom they complained of love will help you,
Perhaps one who complained of love to Him,
And surely make your longing easier to bear,
Will make lighter for you what you yearn for,
أَوor يُشرِكَنَّكَsurely make you a partner ماas much as اِستَطاعَhe could بِجُهدِهِwith his effort
أَو يُشرِكَنَّكَ ما اِستَطاعَ بِجُهدِهِ
فيin حَملِهِbearing it فَالعاشِقونَfor lovers رِفاقُcompanions
في حَملِهِ فَالعاشِقونَ رِفاقُ
Or surely share with you, as far as his efforts allow,
Or share with you the burden he bears
In bearing it, for lovers are companions.
As lovers join forces in camaraderie.
لاdo not تَجزِdespair (word fragment) عَنcompletion of 'despair' فَلَستَfor you are not أَوَّلَthe first مُغرَمٍa lover
لا تَجزِ عَن فَلَستَ أَوَّلَ مُغرَمٍ
ضاقَتgrew constrained عَلَيهِupon him مِنَfrom الجَوىheartache أَخلاقُdispositions
ضاقَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ الجَوى أَخلاقُ
Do not despair, for you are not the first lover
Do not despair though you are not the first
Whose temper grew strained by heartache.
Whose nature was straitened by ardent love.
كَمhow many عاشِقٍa lover فيناamong us عَلىin ضَعفٍweakness بِهِin him
كَم عاشِقٍ فينا عَلى ضَعفٍ بِهِ
فَتَكتَslew بِهِhim الوَجتاتَcheeks (uncertain reading) وَالأَحداقُand eyes
فَتَكتَ بِهِ الوَجتاتَ وَالأَحداقُ
How many a lover among us, in his frailty,
How many a weak lover there is among us,
Has been slain by cheeks and eyes!
Whose eyelids and pupils spoke of him.
وَاِصبِرand be patient عَلىwith هَجرِdesertion of الحَبيبِthe beloved فَرُبَّماfor perhaps
وَاِصبِر عَلى هَجرِ الحَبيبِ فَرُبَّما
خافَfeared الرَقيبُthe watcher وَطَبَعَهُand marked him الإِشفاقُapprehension
خافَ الرَقيبُ وَطَبَعَهُ الإِشفاقُ
And endure the beloved's desertion, for perhaps
Be patient with your beloved's estrangement,
He feared the watcher, and apprehension marked him.
Perhaps shyness or care has restrained him.
فَلَرُبَّماfor perhaps بَعدَafter التَباعُدِseparation وَالجَفاand estrangement
فَلَرُبَّما بَعدَ التَباعُدِ وَالجَفا
عادَreturned الوِصالُunion وَلِلهَوىand love has أَخلاقُways
عادَ الوِصالُ وَلِلهَوى أَخلاقُ
For perhaps, after distance and estrangement,
For after avoidance and aloofness,
Union returns; love has its own ways.
Reunion may come as passions subside.
كَمhow many لَيلَةًa night أَسهَرَتkept awake أَحداقيmy eyes بِهاduring it
كَم لَيلَةً أَسهَرَت أَحداقي بِها
أَرعىI watch النُجومَthe stars وَأَدمُعيand my tears تَهراقُare poured out
أَرعى النُجومَ وَأَدمُعي تَهراقُ
How many a night has left my eyes sleepless,
How many are the nights my eyes have spent
As I watch the stars while my tears pour down.
Watching the stars while tears flow freely.
بَلrather كُلَّall أَوقاتيmy times وَحَقُّكَby your honor ذائِبٌmelting
بَل كُلَّ أَوقاتي وَحَقُّكَ ذائِبٌ
وَجداًwith longing وَلِلإِنكارِand for disapproval بيupon me أَحداقُeyes
وَجداً وَلِلإِنكارِ بي أَحداقُ
Rather, at all times—by your honor—I am melting
Indeed, all my time is yours in truth,
With longing, while disapproval has its eyes on me.
My eyelids deny it though longing speaks.
ياO رَبِّmy Lord قَدalready بَعُدَgrew distant الَّذينَthose whom أَحَبَّهُمI love them (contextual reading)
يا رَبِّ قَد بَعُدَ الَّذينَ أَحَبَّهُم
وَالجِسمُand the body بَرَحَهُtormented it الضَنىwasting sickness لاmay not ذاقواthey taste
وَالجِسمُ بَرَحَهُ الضَنى لا ذاقوا
O Lord, those I love have grown distant,
O Lord, those I loved are now distant,
And wasting sickness has wracked my body—may they never taste it!
While my body, untouched by their love, pines.
وَأَراهُمand I see them قَدalready أَصبَحواthey have become فيin رَغبَةٍaversion
وَأَراهُم قَد أَصبَحوا في رَغبَةٍ
عَنّيfrom me وَقَدand already أَلِفَgrew accustomed to الفِراقَparting فِراقُparting
عَنّي وَقَد أَلِفَ الفِراقَ فِراقُ
And I see that they have come to turn away
I see them now content in separation,
From me; parting has grown accustomed to parting.
As parting itself has parted from parting.
وَاِسوَدَّand blackened حَظّيmy fortune عِندَهُمwith them لَمّاwhen سَرىtraveled by night
وَاِسوَدَّ حَظّي عِندَهُم لَمّا سَرى
يَبغيseeking الضِياءَthe light وَخانَهُand betrayed it الأَمحاقُthe moon's dark phases
يَبغي الضِياءَ وَخانَهُ الأَمحاقُ
And my fortune with them blackened when it traveled by night,
My fortune has darkened in their eyes,
Seeking light, but the moon's dark phases betrayed it.
Seeking light but betrayed by blindness.
وَالرَأسُand the head أَحرَقَهُscorched it المَشيبُgray hair كَأَنَّماas though
وَالرَأسُ أَحرَقَهُ المَشيبُ كَأَنَّما
فيهِin it بِنارِwith the fire of صَبابَتيmy ardent longing أَحراقُburnings
فيهِ بِنارِ صَبابَتي أَحراقُ
And gray hair scorched my head, as though
Grayness has scorched my head as if
It burned with the fire of my yearning.
The fires of my youth had burned it.
عَرَبٌArabs رَأضيتُI sought to please (uncertain form) أَصبَحَhas become ميثاقٌa covenant لَهُمfor them
عَرَبٌ رَأضيتُ أَصبَحَ ميثاقٌ لَهُم
كَوَميضِlike the flash of بَرقٍlightning لِلغُرورِfor deception يُساقُis driven forth
كَوَميضِ بَرقٍ لِلغُرورِ يُساقُ
The Arabs I sought to please—their covenant has become
Arabs whose pact I cherished at dawn
Like a flash of lightning, brought forth to deceive.
Vanish like lightning led astray.
وَهَلُّمَand come عَهديmy experience بِالمِلاحِwith the fair جَميعُهُمall of them
وَهَلُّمَ عَهدي بِالمِلاحِ جَميعُهُم
أَنthat لاnot يَصِحَّholds good لَدَيهِمwith them ميثاقُa covenant
أَن لا يَصِحَّ لَدَيهِم ميثاقُ
And come, then—my experience with the fair, all of them,
Come, all their covenants with me
Is that no covenant holds good with them.
Are invalid, no pact can they make.