الحزنُ حُزني والضلوع ضلوعي

الحزنُ حُزني والضلوع ضلوعي

والجَفنُ جفني والدُّموع دموعي

والجَفنُ جفني والدُّموع دموعي

Grief is my grief, and the ribs are my ribs;

The sorrow is mine, and the ribs are mine;

The eyelid is mine, and the tears are my tears.

and the eyelid is mine, and the tears are mine.

فعلامَ يعِذلُني على بَرحِ الهوى

فعلامَ يعِذلُني على بَرحِ الهوى

مَن لا يقومُ نِزاعه بنُزوعي

مَن لا يقومُ نِزاعه بنُزوعي

Why, then, does he reproach me for love’s torment—

Why, then, does he reproach me for love's torment—

He whose yearning cannot rise to the pitch of mine?

one whose longing cannot match my yearning?

ولَعَ الفراقُ بشملنا وَلَعَ الهوىَ

ولَعَ الفراقُ بشملنا وَلَعَ الهوىَ

بقلوبنا وبمَن أُحبُّ ولَوعي

بقلوبنا وبمَن أُحبُّ ولَوعي

Separation clung to our union as passion clung

Parting grew enamored of our union, and love grew enamored

To our hearts—and my ardor to the one I love.

of our hearts; and my own passion is for the one I love.

ولقد أراني للعواذِلِ عاصيا

ولقد أراني للعواذِلِ عاصيا

أبداً لنَهي نُهايَ غيرَ مُطيعِ

أبداً لنَهي نُهايَ غيرَ مُطيعِ

I have always found myself defying the reproachers,

And indeed, I find myself defying the women who reproach me,

Never obeying my forbidders’ prohibition.

forever heedless of my reason's prohibition.

أودعتُهم بالكُرهِ إذ ودّعتُهم

أودعتُهم بالكُرهِ إذ ودّعتُهم

حُسنَ العزاءِ عشيّةَ التوديعِ

حُسنَ العزاءِ عشيّةَ التوديعِ

Against my will, when I bade them farewell, I left with them

I entrusted them, unwillingly, as I bade them farewell,

All graceful consolation on the evening of parting.

with the grace of consolation on the evening of parting.

ووجدتُ حزنَ الحُزن سَهلا بعدهم

ووجدتُ حزنَ الحُزن سَهلا بعدهم

ومنيعَ فيضِ الدّمع غيرَ منيعِ

ومنيعَ فيضِ الدّمع غيرَ منيعِ

After them, I found grief’s very harshness easy,

And after they left, I found sorrow's rugged ground smooth,

And the barrier against the flood of tears no barrier at all.

and the once-restrained flood of tears unrestrained.

وأذبتُ يومَ الجِزع مدامعي

وأذبتُ يومَ الجِزع مدامعي

جَزَعا ولم أكُ قبله بجَزُوعِ

جَزَعا ولم أكُ قبله بجَزُوعِ

On the day at the valley-bend, I poured out my tears

And on the day at al-Jizʿ, I melted my eyes to tears,

In anguish, though never before was I prone to anguish.

in anguish, though before then I was not prone to anguish.

سار الجميعُ فسار بعضي إثرَهُ

سار الجميعُ فسار بعضي إثرَهُ

وودِدَتُ أن لو كان سار جميعي

وودِدَتُ أن لو كان سار جميعي

The whole company departed, and part of me went after it;

Everyone departed, and part of me went in their wake;

I wished that all of me had gone as well.

and I wished that all of me had gone.

يابانَ هل بانَ الصباحُ فإنّني

يابانَ هل بانَ الصباحُ فإنّني

مُذ بانَ بِتُّ بليلة الملسوع

مُذ بانَ بِتُّ بليلة الملسوع

O bān tree, has the dawn appeared? For I,

O bān-tree, has morning appeared? For I,

Since he departed, have passed the night like one bitten.

since he departed, have spent a night like one stung.

زُمّا الَمطيّ عن الطلول فإنّها

زُمّا الَمطيّ عن الطلول فإنّها

بخلت بردِّ جوابِها المسموعِ

بخلت بردِّ جوابِها المسموعِ

Rein the mounts away from the deserted dwellings: they

Rein the camels away from the ruins, you two, for they

Have withheld the audible answer they might return.

have withheld their audible reply.

لسَفهَتُ نفَسي إذ سألتُ ربوعهَا

لسَفهَتُ نفَسي إذ سألتُ ربوعهَا

عن ظاعنٍ مغناه بين ضلوعي

عن ظاعنٍ مغناه بين ضلوعي

I would only make a fool of myself by asking their ruins

I surely made a fool of myself when I questioned her dwellings

About a traveler whose dwelling lies between my ribs.

about a departed one whose dwelling is between my ribs.

ما أنصفتكَ بذي الأراك حمامة

ما أنصفتكَ بذي الأراك حمامة

أبدَت سرائرَ قلبِكَ المفجوعِ

أبدَت سرائرَ قلبِكَ المفجوعِ

The dove at Dhū al-Arāk has not dealt fairly with you:

A dove at Dhū al-Arāk did not treat you fairly—

It has laid bare the secrets of your stricken heart.

one that revealed the secrets of your grief-stricken heart.

أبكي دما وبكِنّها مكنونةٌ

أبكي دما وبكِنّها مكنونةٌ

لكنّها تبكي بغير دمُوعِ

لكنّها تبكي بغير دمُوعِ

I weep blood, while she lies hidden in her shelter;

I weep blood, while she stays hidden in her shelter;

Yet she does her weeping without tears.

yet she weeps without tears.

هيهاتَ لست من البكاءِ وإنّما

هيهاتَ لست من البكاءِ وإنّما

هذا الغناءُ لشملِك الَمجموعِ

هذا الغناءُ لشملِك الَمجموعِ

Far from it—you are not one of those who weep;

Far from it! Yours is no weeping, but only

This song is because your company is whole.

this song for your gathered company.

ولكيفَ يُنصفكَ الحمام وربّما

ولكيفَ يُنصفكَ الحمام وربّما

جارَ الحَميم عليكَ بالتقريعِ

جارَ الحَميم عليكَ بالتقريعِ

And how could the doves deal fairly with you, when perhaps

And how can the doves do you justice, when sometimes

An intimate friend assails you with reproach?

a close friend wrongs you with rebukes?

لا ذنبَ عندي للزمان فإنّه

لا ذنبَ عندي للزمان فإنّه

ما حالَ عن حالٍ يُرَوِّعُ روُعي

ما حالَ عن حالٍ يُرَوِّعُ روُعي

In my eyes, Time bears no blame, for it

I hold Time blameless, for it

Has never swerved from a state that strikes terror into my heart.

has never changed from the state that terrifies my heart.

هو طبعُه ولضلَّ رأي معاتبٍ

هو طبعُه ولضلَّ رأي معاتبٍ

يرجو انتقالَ طبيعةِ المطبوعِ

يرجو انتقالَ طبيعةِ المطبوعِ

Such is its nature; misguided indeed is the reproacher

That is its nature, and misguided indeed is the judgment of one who reproaches it,

Who hopes that what is formed by nature will change its nature.

hoping for a change in a thing's inborn nature.