بِأَبي جُفونُ مُعَذِّبي وَجُفوني

بِأَبي جُفونُ مُعَذِّبي وَجُفوني

فَهِيَ الَّتي جَلَبَت إِلَيَّ مَنوني

فَهِيَ الَّتي جَلَبَت إِلَيَّ مَنوني

My father be ransom for my tormentor's eyelids and mine,

By my tormented eyelids and my eyelids

for they are what brought my death upon me.

Which have brought my demise upon me

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّ جَفني قَبلَها

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّ جَفني قَبلَها

يَقتادُني مِن نَظرَةٍ لِفُتونِ

يَقتادُني مِن نَظرَةٍ لِفُتونِ

Before them, I never thought my eyelid

I never thought before her that my eyelids

could lead me, at a glance, into infatuation.

Would lead me astray with a glance of passion

يا قاتَلَ اللَهُ العُيونَ لِأَنَّها

يا قاتَلَ اللَهُ العُيونَ لِأَنَّها

حَكَمَت عَلَينا بِالهَوى وَالهونِ

حَكَمَت عَلَينا بِالهَوى وَالهونِ

Ah, may God curse eyes, for they

Oh may God destroy the eyes for they

have sentenced us to passion and humiliation.

Have judged us with love and weakness

وَلَقَد كَتَمتُ الحُبَّ بَينَ جَوانِحي

وَلَقَد كَتَمتُ الحُبَّ بَينَ جَوانِحي

حَتّى تَكَلَّمَ في دُموعِ شُؤوني

حَتّى تَكَلَّمَ في دُموعِ شُؤوني

And indeed, I concealed love between my ribs,

And I had concealed love in my bosom

until it spoke through the tears of my tear ducts.

Until it spoke through the tears of my passion

هَيهاتَ لا تَخفى عَلاماتُ الهَوى

هَيهاتَ لا تَخفى عَلاماتُ الهَوى

كادَ المُريبُ بِأَن يَقولَ خُذوني

كادَ المُريبُ بِأَن يَقولَ خُذوني

Impossible! The signs of passion cannot be hidden;

Alas you cannot conceal the signs of love

the suspect almost says, 'Seize me!'

My confidant almost said take me

وَبِمُهجَتي أَلحاظُ ظَبيَةِ وَجرَةٍ

وَبِمُهجَتي أَلحاظُ ظَبيَةِ وَجرَةٍ

حُرّاسُ مَسكِنِها أُسودُ عَرينِ

حُرّاسُ مَسكِنِها أُسودُ عَرينِ

And my lifeblood be ransom for the glances of Wajra's gazelle;

And my dear one has the gazes of a startled gazelle

her dwelling's guards are lions in their lair.

The black lions guarding her abode have barred my way

سَدّوا عَلَيَّ الطُرقَ خَوفَ طَريقِهِم

سَدّوا عَلَيَّ الطُرقَ خَوفَ طَريقِهِم

فَالطَيفُ لا يَسري عَلى تَأمينِ

فَالطَيفُ لا يَسري عَلى تَأمينِ

They barred the roads against me, fearing their night visitor;

They closed the paths to me fearing for their road

so the dream-phantom cannot travel by night in safety.

So the specter cannot travel with ease

أَوَما كَفاهُم مَنعُهُم حَتّى رَمَوا

أَوَما كَفاهُم مَنعُهُم حَتّى رَمَوا

مِنها مُبَرَّأَةً بِرَجمِ ظُنونِ

مِنها مُبَرَّأَةً بِرَجمِ ظُنونِ

Was their barring me not enough for them, that they pelted

Was it not enough they prevented me that they blamed

her innocent self with stones of suspicion?

Her innocent with the stoning of suspicions

وَتَوَهَّموا أَن قَد تَعاطَت قَهوَةً

وَتَوَهَّموا أَن قَد تَعاطَت قَهوَةً

لَمّا رَأَوها تَنثَني مِن لينِ

لَمّا رَأَوها تَنثَني مِن لينِ

And they imagined she had drunk wine,

And imagined she had taken coffee

when they saw her sway with suppleness.

When they saw her bending with softness

وَاِستَفهِموها مَن سَقاكِ وَما دَرَوا

وَاِستَفهِموها مَن سَقاكِ وَما دَرَوا

ما اِستودِعَت مِن مَبسِمٍ وَجُفونِ

ما اِستودِعَت مِن مَبسِمٍ وَجُفونِ

And they asked her, 'Who gave you drink?'—not knowing

And they questioned her who gave you to drink and they did not know

what she had been endowed with: a smiling mouth and eyelids.

What her smile and eyelids concealed

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُم قَد عَرَّضوا

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُم قَد عَرَّضوا

بي لِلفُتونِ وَبَعدَهُ عَذَلوني

بي لِلفُتونِ وَبَعدَهُ عَذَلوني

And it is a wonder that they exposed

And of wonders that they exposed me

me to infatuation, and after it reproached me.

To passion and after seduced me

خَدَعوا فُؤادي بِالوِصالِ وَعِندَما

خَدَعوا فُؤادي بِالوِصالِ وَعِندَما

شَبّوا الهَوى في أَضلُعي هَجَروني

شَبّوا الهَوى في أَضلُعي هَجَروني

They beguiled my heart with union, and when

They deceived my heart with union and when

they kindled passion in my ribs, they abandoned me.

They ignited love in my ribs they deserted me

لَو لَم يُريدوا قَتلَتي لَم يُطعِموا

لَو لَم يُريدوا قَتلَتي لَم يُطعِموا

في القُربِ قَلبَ مُتَيَّمٍ مَفتونِ

في القُربِ قَلبَ مُتَيَّمٍ مَفتونِ

Had they not wanted my death, they would not have fed

Had they not wanted my murder they would not have fed

with nearness the heart of a lovesick, spellbound man.

A coveting heart proximity in the past

لَم يَرحَموني حينَ حانَ فِراقُهُم

لَم يَرحَموني حينَ حانَ فِراقُهُم

ما ضَرَّهُم لَو أَنَّهُم رَحَموني

ما ضَرَّهُم لَو أَنَّهُم رَحَموني

They did not pity me when it was time to part from them;

They did not have mercy when it was time for their separation

what harm would it have done them, had they pitied me?

What harm if they had mercy upon me

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن تَعَجَّبَ عاذِلي

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن تَعَجَّبَ عاذِلي

مِن أَن يَطولَ تَشَوُّقي وَحَنيني

مِن أَن يَطولَ تَشَوُّقي وَحَنيني

And it is a wonder that my reproacher was amazed

And of wonders that my critic was astonished

that my yearning and longing should last so long.

That my longing and my yearning prolonged

يا عاذِلي ذَرني وَقَلبي وَالهَوى

يا عاذِلي ذَرني وَقَلبي وَالهَوى

أَأَعَرتَني قَلباً لِحَملِ شُجوني

أَأَعَرتَني قَلباً لِحَملِ شُجوني

O my reproacher, leave me, my heart, and passion alone;

Oh my critic leave me and my heart and love

did you lend me a heart to bear my sorrows?

Did you fault me a heart to carry my passion

يا ظَبيَةً تَلوي دُيوني في الهَوى

يا ظَبيَةً تَلوي دُيوني في الهَوى

كَيفَ السَبيلُ إِلى اِقتِضاءِ دُيوني

كَيفَ السَبيلُ إِلى اِقتِضاءِ دُيوني

O gazelle, who delays paying my dues in love,

Oh gazelle twisting my debts in love

how can I find a way to collect my dues?

What is the way to collect my debts

بَيني وَبَينَكِ حينَ تَأخُذُ ثَأرَها

بَيني وَبَينَكِ حينَ تَأخُذُ ثَأرَها

مَرضى قُلوبٍ مِن مِراضِ جُفونِ

مَرضى قُلوبٍ مِن مِراضِ جُفونِ

Between me and you, when they exact their vengeance,

Between me and you when it takes its revenge

stand ailing hearts against languid eyelids.

Are hearts sick from the illness of eyelids

ما كانَ ضَرَّكِ يا شَقيقَةَ مُهجَتي

ما كانَ ضَرَّكِ يا شَقيقَةَ مُهجَتي

أَن لَو بَعَثتِ تَحِيَّةً تُحيِيني

أَن لَو بَعَثتِ تَحِيَّةً تُحيِيني

What harm would it have done you, O twin of my soul,

What harm would it have done you, oh sister of my dear one

if you had sent a greeting to revive me?

If you had sent a greeting to give me life

زَكّي جَمالاً أَنتِ فيهِ غَنِيَّةٌ

زَكّي جَمالاً أَنتِ فيهِ غَنِيَّةٌ

وَتَصَدَّقي مِنهُ عَلى المِسكينِ

وَتَصَدَّقي مِنهُ عَلى المِسكينِ

Pay the alms due on the beauty in which you are rich,

Beautify perfection you are rich in it

and give some of it in charity to the poor man.

And give charity from it to the pauper

مُنّي عَلَيَّ وَلَو بِطَيفٍ طارِقٍ

مُنّي عَلَيَّ وَلَو بِطَيفٍ طارِقٍ

ما قَلَّ يَكثُرُ مِن نَوالِ ضَنينِ

ما قَلَّ يَكثُرُ مِن نَوالِ ضَنينِ

Bestow your favor upon me, if only with a dream-phantom visiting by night;

Favor me even with a visiting specter

a little becomes much from the bounty of one who withholds.

Little does not decrease from the bestowal of the stingy

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ قَبلَ حُبِّكِ أَن أَرى

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ قَبلَ حُبِّكِ أَن أَرى

في غَيرِ دارِ الخُلدِ حورَ العينِ

في غَيرِ دارِ الخُلدِ حورَ العينِ

Before loving you, I never thought I would see

I never thought before your love that I would see

wide-eyed houris outside the abode of eternity.

In a house other than eternal, maidens of paradise

قَسَماً بِحُسنِكِ ما بَصُرتُ بِمِثلِهِ

قَسَماً بِحُسنِكِ ما بَصُرتُ بِمِثلِهِ

في العالَمينَ شَهادَةً بِيَمينِ

في العالَمينَ شَهادَةً بِيَمينِ

I swear by your beauty: I have never seen its like

By your beauty, I swear I have not seen the likes of it

in all the worlds—testimony sworn on oath.

In both worlds, so true is my oath