أيا من طرفه سحرُ

أيا من طرفه سحرُ

ومن ريقته خمرُ

ومن ريقته خمرُ

O you whose glance is magic,

O you whose glance is enchanting,

and whose saliva is wine,

And whose saliva is wine,

تجاسرتُ فكاشفت

تجاسرتُ فكاشفت

كَ لما غُلبَ الصبرُ

كَ لما غُلبَ الصبرُ

I grew bold and spoke frankly

I dared and unveiled

to you, when patience was overcome.

When patience was overcome.

وما أحسن في مِث

وما أحسن في مِث

لِك أن ينهتك السترُ

لِك أن ينهتك السترُ

And how lovely, in one

And how good it is in poetry

like you, for the veil to be torn!

For the veil to be torn.

وإن لامني الناسُ

وإن لامني الناسُ

ففي وجهك لي عُذرُ

ففي وجهك لي عُذرُ

And if people blame me,

And if people blame me

in your face I have an excuse.

In your face I have an excuse.

فدعني من مواعيد

فدعني من مواعيد

ك إذ حينكَ الدهرُ

ك إذ حينكَ الدهرُ

So spare me the promises

So leave me from your promises

of yours, since Time has doomed you.

When your time has passed.

فلا واللَه لا تبر

فلا واللَه لا تبر

حُ أو ينقضي الأمرُ

حُ أو ينقضي الأمرُ

No, by God, you shall not

No, by Allah, do not cheer up

leave until the matter is settled.

Or the matter will be undone.

فإما الغَصبُ والذمُّ

فإما الغَصبُ والذمُّ

وإمّا البذلُ والشكرُ

وإمّا البذلُ والشكرُ

Either force and reproach,

Either forced and blamed,

or willing giving and gratitude.

Or given and thanked.

ولو شئتَ تيسَّرتَ

ولو شئتَ تيسَّرتَ

كما سُمِّيت يا يُسرُ

كما سُمِّيت يا يُسرُ

And if you wished, you would be accommodating,

If you wanted, you would make it easy

as your name suggests, O Yusr.

As you are named Easy.

وكن كاسمك لا تَمن

وكن كاسمك لا تَمن

عك النخوةُ والكبرُ

عك النخوةُ والكبرُ

And live up to your name; let not

And be like your name, do not prevent

haughtiness and arrogance hold you back.

Generosity and pride from you.

فلا فُزتُ بحظِّي مِن

فلا فُزتُ بحظِّي مِن

ك إن ذاع له ذِكرُ

ك إن ذاع له ذِكرُ

Then may I not win my share from

So I have not won my share of you

you, if any mention of it spreads.

If your mention spreads.

أتاني عنك ما ليس

أتاني عنك ما ليس

على مكروههِ صبرُ

على مكروههِ صبرُ

Word reached me about you

Something has come to me about you

whose unpleasantness could not be endured.

That has no patience for disliked things.

فأغضيت على عمدٍ

فأغضيت على عمدٍ

وقد يغضي الفتى الحر

وقد يغضي الفتى الحر

So I deliberately turned a blind eye,

So I intentionally turned away

and a noble youth may turn a blind eye.

As a young man may turn away.

وأدبتك بالهجر

وأدبتك بالهجر

فما أدبك الهجرُ

فما أدبك الهجرُ

And I disciplined you by shunning you,

And I disciplined you with estrangement

but estrangement did not discipline you.

But estrangement did not discipline you.

ولا ردَّك عما كا

ولا ردَّك عما كا

ن منك النُصحُ والزجرُ

ن منك النُصحُ والزجرُ

Nor were you turned from your ways

Nor did advice and warning

by counsel and rebuke.

Bring you back from what you were.

فلما اضطرني المكرو

فلما اضطرني المكرو

هُ واشتدَّ بي الأمرُ

هُ واشتدَّ بي الأمرُ

Then, when the unpleasantness left me no choice,

So when hated things compelled me

and the matter grew severe for me,

And the matter became severe,

تناولتك من ضري

تناولتك من ضري

بما ليس له قدرُ

بما ليس له قدرُ

I assailed you with some harm of mine,

I struck you with a blow

with something of little account.

That has no equal.

فحرَّكتَ جناحَ الذل

فحرَّكتَ جناحَ الذل

لِ لما مسكَ الضرُّ

لِ لما مسكَ الضرُّ

So you stirred the wing of abasement

So you stirred the wings of humiliation

when harm touched you.

When the blow touched you,

إذا لم يُصلِحِ الخيرُ ام

إذا لم يُصلِحِ الخيرُ ام

رَءاً أصلحه الشرُّ

رَءاً أصلحه الشرُّ

If goodness does not reform

If good does not reform

a man, evil reforms him.

A man, evil reforms him.