يا بِأَبي مَن وَصَلا

يا بِأَبي مَن وَصَلا

وَمَلَّ مِمّا مَطَلا

وَمَلَّ مِمّا مَطَلا

Ah, may my father be ransom for him who came to me,

O my father who has connected

and grew weary of his own delays.

And procrastinated what he has prolonged

زارَ وَقَد خاطَ الدُّجَى

زارَ وَقَد خاطَ الدُّجَى

على حُلاهُ حُلَلا

على حُلاهُ حُلَلا

He visited, when darkness had sewn

He visited while the darkness draped

robes over his charms.

Over his gowns, gown over gown

فَكِدْتُ إِجلالاً لَهُ

فَكِدْتُ إِجلالاً لَهُ

أُدْمِي يَدَيْهِ قُبَلا

أُدْمِي يَدَيْهِ قُبَلا

So, out of reverence for him, I nearly

So I almost revered him

made his hands bleed with kisses.

By kissing his hands in welcome

فَقُلتُ مَولايَ أَلا

فَقُلتُ مَولايَ أَلا

غَيرَ اليَدينِ قالَ لا

غَيرَ اليَدينِ قالَ لا

So I said, 'My lord, may I not kiss

But I said, my Master, why not

something besides your hands?' He said, 'No.'

Other than the hands, he said no

وَدارَ ماءُ الحُسْنِ فَو

وَدارَ ماءُ الحُسْنِ فَو

قَ وَجْنَتَيْهِ خَجلا

قَ وَجْنَتَيْهِ خَجلا

And beauty's water flowed over

The water of beauty circulated so

his cheeks in bashfulness,

It overflowed his cheeks out of shyness

حَتّى إِذا سَرَّى سَرى

حَتّى إِذا سَرَّى سَرى

وَحينَ أَحْيَا قَتَلا

وَحينَ أَحْيَا قَتَلا

until, once he had comforted me, he left by night;

Until when he was happy he brought joy

and when he had given me life, he killed me,

And when he gave life he killed

كَما حَلا طيفُ الخَيا

كَما حَلا طيفُ الخَيا

لِ نَفساً ثُمَّ اِنْجَلا

لِ نَفساً ثُمَّ اِنْجَلا

as a phantom of imagination brought sweetness

Like the phantom of life

to the soul, then vanished.

To a soul, then it disappeared

يا حَبّذا ذاكَ الغَزا

يا حَبّذا ذاكَ الغَزا

لَ لَو شَفاني غَزلا

لَ لَو شَفاني غَزلا

Ah, how lovely that gazelle,

O how I wish for that flirtation

if only he would cure my lovesickness!

If only he had flirted with me

فَدَيْتُ مَن أَبيتُ مِن

فَدَيْتُ مَن أَبيتُ مِن

هُ وَعَلَيهِ وَجَلا

هُ وَعَلَيهِ وَجَلا

May I be ransom for him—I spend the night

I would sacrifice anyone I desire

afraid of him, and afraid for him.

Him, and exalted is He

بَدرٌ إِذا البَدرُ سَرى

بَدرٌ إِذا البَدرُ سَرى

فيهِ المَحاقُ كَملا

فيهِ المَحاقُ كَملا

A full moon: when the full moon is overtaken

A full moon when the full moon rose

by the dark of waning, he grows full.

The plenitude in it was complete

شَمسٌ إِذا الشَّمسُ خَبَتْ

شَمسٌ إِذا الشَّمسُ خَبَتْ

تَحتَ الكُسُوفِ اِشتَعلا

تَحتَ الكُسُوفِ اِشتَعلا

A sun: when the sun goes dim

A sun when the sun sets

beneath an eclipse, he blazes.

Under the eclipse it ignited

إِذا تَلَطَّفْتُ قَسا

إِذا تَلَطَّفْتُ قَسا

وَإِنْ سَأَلتُ بَخلا

وَإِنْ سَأَلتُ بَخلا

When I am gentle, he grows harsh,

When I was gentle he was firm

and if I ask, he is stingy.

And when I asked he was stingy

لَيتَ اِعتِدالَ قَدِّهِ

لَيتَ اِعتِدالَ قَدِّهِ

عَطَفَهُ فَعَدَلا

عَطَفَهُ فَعَدَلا

Would that the straightness of his stature

If only the straightness of his stature

bent him toward kindness, so he would be just.

Inclined toward fairness

بَل لَيتَ صَحْنَ خَدِّهِ

بَل لَيتَ صَحْنَ خَدِّهِ

مِن ذَلكَ الخالِ خَلا

مِن ذَلكَ الخالِ خَلا

Rather, would that the expanse of his cheek

But no, if only the moles on his cheek

were free of that mole.

Were without that birthmark

فَهوَ الَّذي قَلَّبَ قَل

فَهوَ الَّذي قَلَّبَ قَل

بي في قَواليبِ البِلا

بي في قَواليبِ البِلا

For it is what has turned my heart

For he is the one who tossed my

in the molds of decay.

Heart into tribulations

يا سَائِلي عَنِ الهَوَى

يا سَائِلي عَنِ الهَوَى

وَطَعمِهِ سَلْ مَن سَلا

وَطَعمِهِ سَلْ مَن سَلا

O you who ask me about love

O you who ask about love

and its taste, ask one who has ceased to love.

And its tastes, ask whoever has asked

أَسكَرني الحُبُّ فَما

أَسكَرني الحُبُّ فَما

أَدري أَمَرَّ أَمْ حَلا

أَدري أَمَرَّ أَمْ حَلا

Love made me drunk, so I do not

Love has intoxicated me so I don’t

know whether it was bitter or sweet.

Know, did it become bitter or sweet