مَنwho عاذِريmy defender فيin الحُبِّlove مِنagainst عاذِلٍa reproacher
مَن عاذِري في الحُبِّ مِن عاذِلٍ
يَشوبُtaints حُبّيmy love فيهِfor him بِالباطِلِwith falsehood
يَشوبُ حُبّي فيهِ بِالباطِلِ
Who will defend me in love against a reproacher
Who should blame me for loving, blaming with falsehood
who taints my love for him with falsehood?
He distances me while he is connected in his absence to the noble connector
يَسُومُنِيhe demands of me هَجراًestrangement لِمَنfrom one whom وَصلُهkeeping ties with him
يَسُومُنِي هَجراً لِمَن وَصلُه
فيin هَجرهhis estrangement مِنpart of شَرَفِthe honor of الواصِلِthe one who keeps ties
في هَجره مِن شَرَفِ الواصِلِ
He bids me forsake one—yet keeping ties with him,
A critic targeted my heart as a martyr to desire
even when he shuns me, is the faithful lover's honor.
With an arrow lethal to passion
رِيمٌa gazelle رَمىshot مُحتَسِباًdeeming it meritorious لِلوَرىfor humankind
رِيمٌ رَمى مُحتَسِباً لِلوَرى
قَلبِيmy heart بِسَهمٍwith an arrow لِلهَوىto love قاتِلِdeadly
قَلبِي بِسَهمٍ لِلهَوى قاتِلِ
A gazelle, counting it a good deed for humankind, shot
My waist is like two palms where
my heart with an arrow deadly to love.
Sorrow established its body in my slender frame
ناحِلslender خصرَينboth flanks هُماthe two of them أَثبَتاthey both implanted
ناحِل خصرَين هُما أَثبَتا
جسمthe body of الضَنىwasting sickness فيin جِسمِيَmy body الناحِلِwasted
جسم الضَنى في جِسمِيَ الناحِلِ
Slender in both flanks, which have lodged
A secret hidden by love in an eyelid
the embodiment of wasting sickness in my wasted body.
Which its tears revealed it to the dreamer
سِرٌّa secret طَواهُconcealed it الحُبُّlove فِيin مُقلَةٍan eye
سِرٌّ طَواهُ الحُبُّ فِي مُقلَةٍ
باحَتspoke openly بِهِof it فيin دِمعِهاits tears الهامِلِstreaming
باحَت بِهِ في دِمعِها الهامِلِ
A secret that love concealed within an eye,
How strange is the inhabitant of my eyelid
which disclosed it in its streaming tears.
That he survived its flowing tears
ياoh عَجَباًwhat a wonder مِنat ساكِنٍa dweller in مُقلَتيmy eye
يا عَجَباً مِن ساكِنٍ مُقلَتي
كَيفَhow نَجاhe escaped مِنfrom دِمعِهاits tears السائِلِflowing
كَيفَ نَجا مِن دِمعِها السائِلِ
Oh, how wondrous the dweller in my eye—
Present yet so far, the distance
how did he escape its flowing tears?
From this year to the next
وَحاضِرand present فيهاin it وَمَنand one دُونِهِbefore reaching him
وَحاضِر فيها وَمَن دُونِهِ
مَسافَةُthe distance of العامِthis year إِلىto القابِلِthe next year
مَسافَةُ العامِ إِلى القابِلِ
And present within it, yet one separated from me
Patience has left me, so I say
by the span from this year to the next.
About the fleeting with the fleeting
زالَhe departed فَزالَso departed الصَبرُpatience عَنّيfrom me فقُلso speak
زالَ فَزالَ الصَبرُ عَنّي فقُل
فيof فجعَةِthe grief of الزائِلِthe departed one بِالزائِلِover the departed one
في فجعَةِ الزائِلِ بِالزائِلِ
He departed, and patience departed from me; so speak
Oh how I bear such agony
of the departed one's grief over the departed.
That the strongest bearer cannot withstand
آهٍah لَماfor what حُمِّلتُI was made to bear مِنof لَوعَةٍburning anguish
آهٍ لَما حُمِّلتُ مِن لَوعَةٍ
لَمdid not تَحتَمِلهاendure it قُوَّةُthe strength of الحامِلِthe bearer
لَم تَحتَمِلها قُوَّةُ الحامِلِ
Ah, for the burning anguish I was made to bear,
Yearning for days when I enjoyed reason
which the bearer's strength could not endure.
And companionship of the wise
لَهفيmy regret عَلىfor عَصرٍa time صَحِبتُI kept company with الهَوىlove
لَهفي عَلى عَصرٍ صَحِبتُ الهَوى
فيهِin it هَنيئاًhappily صُحبَةَthe companionship of العاقِلِthe wise man
فيهِ هَنيئاً صُحبَةَ العاقِلِ
Alas for the time when I kept company with love,
I listen with time to my pleasure
happily in it, as a wise man would keep company.
And not to the blamer
أَصغِيI listen مَعَwith الدَهرtime إِلىto لَذّتيmy delight
أَصغِي مَعَ الدَهر إِلى لَذّتي
فيهِin it وَلاand not أصغيI listen إِلىto العاذِلِthe reproacher
فيهِ وَلا أصغي إِلى العاذِلِ
I would listen, as time passed, to my delight
therein, and would not heed the reproacher.
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.