سَل عن سُهادي وعن سُقمي وعن جَلَدِي

سَل عن سُهادي وعن سُقمي وعن جَلَدِي

كُلَّ النُّجُومِ التَّي مَثنَى وَمُنفَرِدِ

كُلَّ النُّجُومِ التَّي مَثنَى وَمُنفَرِدِ

Ask about my sleeplessness, my illness, and my endurance,

Ask about my insomnia, my sickness, my endurance

all the stars, those in pairs and those alone;

Of all the single and binary stars

وَمَا أقَاسِي مِنَ الأشجَانِ وَالألَمِ

وَمَا أقَاسِي مِنَ الأشجَانِ وَالألَمِ

مِن خَفقِ قَلبِي فَهَا يَدِي على كبِدِي

مِن خَفقِ قَلبِي فَهَا يَدِي على كبِدِي

and about the sorrows and pain I suffer

And how much I suffer from melancholy and pain

from my heart's throbbing—here is my hand upon my liver.

As my heart flutters, here is my hand over my liver

تُصغِي أنِينِي وَشخصِي ليس تُبصِرُهُ

تُصغِي أنِينِي وَشخصِي ليس تُبصِرُهُ

مِن فَرطِ سُقمِيَ لم يبقَ مَعِي جَسَدِي

مِن فَرطِ سُقمِيَ لم يبقَ مَعِي جَسَدِي

You listen to my moaning, yet you do not see my form;

Hear my moaning, and my person you cannot see

so severe is my illness that my body no longer remains with me.

Due to my extreme illness, nothing of me remains

لِي جُذوَةٌ في حَشَاءِ الصَّدرِ ضارِمَةٌ

لِي جُذوَةٌ في حَشَاءِ الصَّدرِ ضارِمَةٌ

حَسبِي أذَاهَا لَقَد وَضَعتُهَا بِيَدِي

حَسبِي أذَاهَا لَقَد وَضَعتُهَا بِيَدِي

I have a blazing ember in the depths of my breast;

I have a blazing ember in the chest cavity

its torment is enough for me—I placed it there with my own hand.

It's enough harm, I myself placed it there

يَا مُنتَهَى الحُسنِ رَاعِ مُوجَعاً دَنِفاً

يَا مُنتَهَى الحُسنِ رَاعِ مُوجَعاً دَنِفاً

أضحَى نَحيلاً كَخَافِي شَعرِكِ الجَعِدِ

أضحَى نَحيلاً كَخَافِي شَعرِكِ الجَعِدِ

O pinnacle of beauty, care for one in pain, gravely ill,

O epitome of beauty, tend to an aching, hunchbacked one

grown thin as a hidden strand of your curly hair.

Who has become lean like your curly hair

وَكَم لَيَالِيَ أخرَى مِن غرَام بِكُم

وَكَم لَيَالِيَ أخرَى مِن غرَام بِكُم

حَتَّى تَخيَّلتُ بِالغِيلاَنِ والأسَدِ

حَتَّى تَخيَّلتُ بِالغِيلاَنِ والأسَدِ

And how many other nights of passion for you,

And many other nights of passion for you

until I had visions of ghouls and lions.

Until I imagined lions and wolves

وَكَم لَيَالٍ وَنارُ الشَّوقِ تُحرِقُنِي

وَكَم لَيَالٍ وَنارُ الشَّوقِ تُحرِقُنِي

قَد يَسكُبُ الدَّمعَ يعلاَني وَجَا الرَّمدِ

قَد يَسكُبُ الدَّمعَ يعلاَني وَجَا الرَّمدِ

And how many nights, while the fire of longing burns me,

And many nights with the fire of longing burning me

it may pour out tears; the ache of inflamed eyes overwhelms me.

Tears may pour, leading to conjunctivitis

لِي فِي اللَّمَا نَشوَةُ الثَّغرِ عَلَى دُرَرِ

لِي فِي اللَّمَا نَشوَةُ الثَّغرِ عَلَى دُرَرِ

يَحكِي إلَى الرَّاحِ وَالسَّلسَالِ وَالقَندِ

يَحكِي إلَى الرَّاحِ وَالسَّلسَالِ وَالقَندِ

In the lips' dusky hue I find the mouth's intoxication above pearls,

For me in conversation is the pleasure of lips over pearls

resembling wine, limpid water, and sugar.

Telling stories to the wind, chains and candy