سَلِ النَومَ يا موسى وَهُنِّئتَ طيبَهُ

سَلِ النَومَ يا موسى وَهُنِّئتَ طيبَهُ

مَتى عَهدُهُ مِن عَينِ مَهجورِكَ الشَقي

مَتى عَهدُهُ مِن عَينِ مَهجورِكَ الشَقي

Ask sleep, O Musa—and may you enjoy its sweetness—

Ask sleep, O Musa, and congratulate its goodness

when it last visited the eye of your wretched, forsaken lover.

When did sleep care for the eye of your miserable lover?

وَطالَ اِتِّقائي أَن أُصابَ بِفِتنَةٍ

وَطالَ اِتِّقائي أَن أُصابَ بِفِتنَةٍ

لَقَد جَلَبَت عَيناكَ ما كُنتُ أَتَّقي

لَقَد جَلَبَت عَيناكَ ما كُنتُ أَتَّقي

And long have I guarded against being struck by temptation;

My fear of falling into temptation grew long

your eyes have indeed brought what I used to guard against.

Indeed your eyes have brought what I feared

نَظَرتَ بِتِلكَ العَينِ نَظرَةَ قاتِلٍ

نَظَرتَ بِتِلكَ العَينِ نَظرَةَ قاتِلٍ

فَهَل عِندَها إِن مُتُّ نَظرَةُ مُشفِقِ

فَهَل عِندَها إِن مُتُّ نَظرَةُ مُشفِقِ

With that eye you cast a killer's glance;

You looked with those eyes, a murderous glance

then, if I die, does it have a compassionate glance?

If you die, will there be a glance of sympathy from them?

أَيا مُعرِضاً أَعلَقتُ مِن حَبلِهِ يَدي

أَيا مُعرِضاً أَعلَقتُ مِن حَبلِهِ يَدي

بِمِثلِ شُعاعِ البارِقِ المُتَأَلِّقِ

بِمِثلِ شُعاعِ البارِقِ المُتَأَلِّقِ

O aloof one, to whose cord I have fastened my hand,

O indifferent one, have I clung my hands to your rope

as to a ray of glittering lightning,

Like the rays of lightning gleaming?

أُبَرهِنُ عِندَ النَفسِ باطِلَ عُذرِهِ

أُبَرهِنُ عِندَ النَفسِ باطِلَ عُذرِهِ

وَأَقنَعُ مِنهُ بِالوِدادِ المُلَفَّقِ

وَأَقنَعُ مِنهُ بِالوِدادِ المُلَفَّقِ

I justify to myself his false excuse,

I prove to the soul the falsity of his excuse

and am content with his fabricated affection.

And convince him with patched up affection

أَأَعرَيتَني مِن ثَوبِ وَصلِكَ بَعدَما

أَأَعرَيتَني مِن ثَوبِ وَصلِكَ بَعدَما

كَسَوتَ الضَنى عِطفَيَّ وَالشَيبَ مَفرِقي

كَسَوتَ الضَنى عِطفَيَّ وَالشَيبَ مَفرِقي

Have you stripped me of the robe of union with you, after

Have you stripped me of the garment of your connection after

you clothed my sides in wasting sickness and my hair's parting in gray?

Sorrow clothed my shoulders and scattered my gray hair?

وَيا سَلوَتي لا أَعرِفُ العُذرَ إِنَّني

وَيا سَلوَتي لا أَعرِفُ العُذرَ إِنَّني

أَخَذتُ مَعَ الأَشجانِ أَكرَمَ مَوثِقِ

أَخَذتُ مَعَ الأَشجانِ أَكرَمَ مَوثِقِ

And O my solace, I know no excuse, for I

O my solace, I do not know the excuse. Indeed,

have made with sorrows the noblest covenant.

I have taken, along with passions, the most solemn pact

وَيا صاحِ إِن لَم تَدرِ أَنَّ شَقاوَةً

وَيا صاحِ إِن لَم تَدرِ أَنَّ شَقاوَةً

تَلَذُّ وَهوناً يُشبِهُ العِزَّ فَاِعشَقِ

تَلَذُّ وَهوناً يُشبِهُ العِزَّ فَاِعشَقِ

And, friend, if you do not know that misery

O companion, if you do not know that wretchedness

is sweet and humiliation resembles honor, then fall in love.

Is pleasurable, and resembles honor, then fall in love!