يا متُّ قَبلكَ حَتّى

يا متُّ قَبلكَ حَتّى

مَتى يَكونُ رُكوبُك

مَتى يَكونُ رُكوبُك

Oh, may I die before you! How long

O one I loved before you

will it be before you ride out?

When will your visit be?

إِذا طَلَبتُكَ مالي

إِذا طَلَبتُكَ مالي

يا سَيِّدي لا أُصيبُك

يا سَيِّدي لا أُصيبُك

When I seek you, why is it,

When I call for you, my plight -

my lord, that I cannot find you?

O master, does not trouble thee.

قَد قَلَّ مِنكَ نَصيبي

قَد قَلَّ مِنكَ نَصيبي

وَقَلَّ مِنّي نَصيبُك

وَقَلَّ مِنّي نَصيبُك

My share of you has dwindled,

My share of you is little now,

and your share of me has dwindled.

And little is your share of me.

قَد نابَني اليَومَ خَطبٌ

قَد نابَني اليَومَ خَطبٌ

فَاذكُر خطوبا تَنوبُك

فَاذكُر خطوبا تَنوبُك

Today trouble has befallen me;

Misfortunes came to me today -

so remember troubles that befall you.

Remember misfortunes troubling thee,

وَأُنزِلَ الخَطبُ مِنِّي

وَأُنزِلَ الخَطبُ مِنِّي

مَكانَ كانَت خُطوبَك

مَكانَ كانَت خُطوبَك

And my trouble was lodged

And misfortunes were lowered on me

where your troubles once lay.

Where your fortunes used to be.

فَإِنَّ عَيبَكَ عَيبي

فَإِنَّ عَيبَكَ عَيبي

وَإِنَّ عَيبي يُعيبُك

وَإِنَّ عَيبي يُعيبُك

For your fault is my fault,

Your faults are my faults too,

and my fault brings you shame.

And my faults do trouble thee.

وَعِندي اليَومَ ضَيفٌ

وَعِندي اليَومَ ضَيفٌ

يَطولُ مِنهُ نَحيبُك

يَطولُ مِنهُ نَحيبُك

And today I have a guest

Today I have a guest with me

who will make you wail at length:

Whose weeping troubles thee.

مِنَ الأَشاعِثِ ما إِن

مِنَ الأَشاعِثِ ما إِن

يَشفيكَ مِنهُ طَبيبُك

يَشفيكَ مِنهُ طَبيبُك

one of the unkempt sort—never

Of emaciated men not one

will your physician cure you of him.

Can cure you of their company,

وَلَيسَ عِندي نَبيذٌ

وَلَيسَ عِندي نَبيذٌ

فَكَيفَ يُروى حَبيبُك

فَكَيفَ يُروى حَبيبُك

And I have no wine;

And I have here no wine for you

how, then, will your beloved's thirst be quenched?

How can your love be quenched by me?

إِن لَم تَجُد لي بقرّا

إِن لَم تَجُد لي بقرّا

بَة فَرَبِّي حَسيبُك

بَة فَرَبِّي حَسيبُك

If you do not grant me a flask—

If you find for me no young she-camel

then my Lord will hold you to account—

My Lord God suffices thee.

من النَّبيذ فَخَيرُ النْ

من النَّبيذ فَخَيرُ النْ

نَبيذِ عِندي زَبيبُك

نَبيذِ عِندي زَبيبُك

of wine; for the best

Of wine the best wine that I have

wine, to my taste, is your raisin wine.

Is raisins here with me.

قالَت لي النَّفسُ إِذ طا

قالَت لي النَّفسُ إِذ طا

لَ عَن هَواها رُكوبك

لَ عَن هَواها رُكوبك

My soul said to me, when

My soul said when you rode far

your riding out had long lagged behind its wishes:

From the passion it has for thee:

دَع ما يُريبُكَ وَاِقصد

دَع ما يُريبُكَ وَاِقصد

إِلى الَّذي لا يُريبُك

إِلى الَّذي لا يُريبُك

“Leave what makes you doubt, and turn

“Leave what makes you doubtful and go

to what does not make you doubt.

To that which has no doubt in thee,

لَو صالح كانَ مِمَّن

لَو صالح كانَ مِمَّن

يَهواكَ أَو يَستطيبُك

يَهواكَ أَو يَستطيبُك

If Salih were among those

Had he been good who loves you

who love you or find you pleasing,

Or feels desire come over he,

أَجابَ صَوتَكَ لكِن

أَجابَ صَوتَكَ لكِن

أَظُنُّهُ لا يُجيبُك

أَظُنُّهُ لا يُجيبُك

he would have answered your call; but

He would have answered your call but

I think he will not answer you.”

I think he will not answer thee.”

فَقُلتُ يا قَلبُ لا يَك

فَقُلتُ يا قَلبُ لا يَك

ذِبَنكَ عَنهُ كَذوبُك

ذِبَنكَ عَنهُ كَذوبُك

So I said, “O heart, do not let

So I said: “O heart do not lie to me

your liar deceive you about him.

about him or your lies trouble me.

إِنَّ الغُلامَ نَجيبٌ

إِنَّ الغُلامَ نَجيبٌ

وَلَيسَ يَخفى نَجيبُك

وَلَيسَ يَخفى نَجيبُك

The lad is indeed noble,

The boy is of noble birth

and your noble one does not go unnoticed.”

And his nobility is plain to see.

فَقالَ ما تَمَّ شَيءٌ

فَقالَ ما تَمَّ شَيءٌ

يَنامُ عَنهُ رَقيبُك

يَنامُ عَنهُ رَقيبُك

Then he said, “Nothing comes to completion

Nothing is accomplished while

while your watcher sleeps through it.”

Your watcher sleeps forgetfully.”

فَقُلتُ أَخطَأتُ حَتّى

فَقُلتُ أَخطَأتُ حَتّى

رَدَّت بِنُصح جُيوبُك

رَدَّت بِنُصح جُيوبُك

So I said, “I was mistaken, until

So I said: “I was wrong until

your pockets answered with counsel.”

Your wise counsel turned towards me.”

فَقالَ صِف لِيَ شَيئاً

فَقالَ صِف لِيَ شَيئاً

مِنهُ فَإِنّي أُجيبُك

مِنهُ فَإِنّي أُجيبُك

Then he said, “Describe to me something

He said: “Describe him to me,

about him, for I will answer you.”

For I will answer when you describe to me.”

فَما ظَفِرتُ بِشَيءٍ

فَما ظَفِرتُ بِشَيءٍ

تَزولُ فيهِ عُيوبُك

تَزولُ فيهِ عُيوبُك

So I found nothing

But I succeeded not in describing

in which your faults would disappear.

Anything in which his faults could be.

أَستَغفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلَّا

أَستَغفِرُ اللَّهَ إِلَّا

أَنفٌ عَلَيهِ رُكوبُك

أَنفٌ عَلَيهِ رُكوبُك

I ask God's forgiveness—except

I seek God’s forgiveness but

a nose upon which you ride.

A nose upon which you ride is he.