عَدِمتُ لَذِيذَ العَيشِ بِعدَك وَالكَرى

عَدِمتُ لَذِيذَ العَيشِ بِعدَك وَالكَرى

وَشَغّلتَ قَلبِي لَوعَةً وَتَذَكُّرا

وَشَغّلتَ قَلبِي لَوعَةً وَتَذَكُّرا

I have lost life's sweetness and slumber since you left,

I've lost the sweetness of living since you left, and memories

And you have filled my heart with burning grief and remembrance.

You've filled my heart with anguish and remembrance

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بتّ فيها مُولَّهاً

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بتّ فيها مُولَّهاً

مَخافَةَ نَفسِي أَن تَذوبَ تَحَسُّرا

مَخافَةَ نَفسِي أَن تَذوبَ تَحَسُّرا

How many a night I have spent distraught with love,

How many nights have I spent sleepless

For fear my soul might melt away in sorrow.

Fearing for myself, about to melt from regret

أُقابلُ مَسرى الريح مِن نَحوِ أَرضِكُم

أُقابلُ مَسرى الريح مِن نَحوِ أَرضِكُم

فِيَحرِمُني بَردَ النَسيم إِذا سَرى

فِيَحرِمُني بَردَ النَسيم إِذا سَرى

I face the wind's course from the direction of your land,

I face the wind coming from your land

Yet it denies me the breeze's coolness when it passes by night.

But the cool breeze denies me when it blows

لَقَد خابَ ما أَمَّلتُ مُذ سِرتُ عَنكُمُ

لَقَد خابَ ما أَمَّلتُ مُذ سِرتُ عَنكُمُ

وَمِن رَكِبَ الآمال لَم يَحمَدِ السُرى

وَمِن رَكِبَ الآمال لَم يَحمَدِ السُرى

What I hoped for has indeed failed since I journeyed away from you,

What I hoped for has failed since I left you

And whoever rides upon hopes does not praise the night journey.

And my hopes didn't benefit from the journey

تنكّرَ لي دَهرِي وَلم يَدرِ أَنَّني

تنكّرَ لي دَهرِي وَلم يَدرِ أَنَّني

عَرَفتُ جَليّ الأَمرِ لَمّا تَنَكّرا

عَرَفتُ جَليّ الأَمرِ لَمّا تَنَكّرا

My fate turned hostile to me, not knowing that I

My fate turned against me, not knowing

Had recognized the plain truth when it turned against me.

I recognized the obvious when it disguised itself

يَقُولونَ لِي صَبراً عَلى البُعدِ وَالنَوى

يَقُولونَ لِي صَبراً عَلى البُعدِ وَالنَوى

وَمُذ بِنتَ عَنّي ما رُزِقتُ تَصَبُّرا

وَمُذ بِنتَ عَنّي ما رُزِقتُ تَصَبُّرا

They tell me, "Be patient with distance and separation,"

They tell me to be patient with the separation and intention

Yet since you parted from me, I have been granted no patient endurance.

But since you left me, I've lacked patience

وَمِمّا شَجاني أَنَّني بِتّ مُغرَماً

وَمِمّا شَجاني أَنَّني بِتّ مُغرَماً

بِأَزهَرَ يَحكِي البَدرَ حُسناً وَمَنظَرا

بِأَزهَرَ يَحكِي البَدرَ حُسناً وَمَنظَرا

And among my sorrows is that I spent the night enamored

What hurts me is that I fell for

Of a radiant one who resembles the full moon in beauty and appearance.

The most beautiful flower, beautiful like the full moon

يُؤرّقُ جَفنِي مِنهُ غُنجُ مَحاجِرٍ

يُؤرّقُ جَفنِي مِنهُ غُنجُ مَحاجِرٍ

تَعدّ مِنامَ الجفنِ حِجراً مُحَجّرا

تَعدّ مِنامَ الجفنِ حِجراً مُحَجّرا

The coy charm of his eyes keeps my eyelid sleepless;

Whose eyelashes deprive my eyes of sleep

They deem the eyelid's sleep utterly forbidden.

Making my sleepy eyes into wakeful stones

وَلَولا الَّذي أَخشاهُ مِن جورِ حُكمِهِ

وَلَولا الَّذي أَخشاهُ مِن جورِ حُكمِهِ

لحدّثتُكَ الأَمرَ الخَفِيّ كَما جَرى

لحدّثتُكَ الأَمرَ الخَفِيّ كَما جَرى

And were it not for the injustice I fear in his judgment,

If it wasn't for my fear of the injustice of his rule

I would have told you the hidden matter just as it happened,

I would have told you the hidden tale as it occurred

وَبُحتُ بِمكنُون الضَميرِ إِليكُمُ

وَبُحتُ بِمكنُون الضَميرِ إِليكُمُ

وَأَظهَرتُ وَجداً كانَ في القَلبِ مُضمَرا

وَأَظهَرتُ وَجداً كانَ في القَلبِ مُضمَرا

And confided to you what is hidden in my heart,

And revealed to you the secret feelings in my heart

And revealed a passion that lay concealed in the heart.

Exposing a passion hidden within

وَلا بُدَّ مِن شَكوى فَتَعذِر مُدنَفاً

وَلا بُدَّ مِن شَكوى فَتَعذِر مُدنَفاً

حَليفَ سَقامٍ أَو يَموتَ فَيُعذَرا

حَليفَ سَقامٍ أَو يَموتَ فَيُعذَرا

And I must complain, so you may pardon a man wasting away,

But one who is sick must make excuses

A companion of sickness—or else he dies and is pardoned.

Or die, and thus be excused

وَلَكِنَّهُ مُذ لاحَ لامَ عذارِهِ

وَلَكِنَّهُ مُذ لاحَ لامَ عذارِهِ

تَجَنّى فَلا يَلوي عَلى مَن تَعَذّرا

تَجَنّى فَلا يَلوي عَلى مَن تَعَذّرا

But since the lām-shaped line of his cheek-down appeared,

Since the time he shone, he makes no excuses

He has made unjust accusations and heeds no one who offers an excuse.

He does not bend for one who makes excuses

شَراني بِبَخسٍ وَهُوَ في الحُسنِ يُوسُفٌ

شَراني بِبَخسٍ وَهُوَ في الحُسنِ يُوسُفٌ

وَما بِاعَني إِلّا بِأَرخَصِ ما اِشتَرى

وَما بِاعَني إِلّا بِأَرخَصِ ما اِشتَرى

He bought me for a pittance, though in beauty he is Yusuf,

He bought me for less though he is Joseph in beauty

And he sold me only for less than he had paid.

He did not buy me except for the cheapest price

فَيُمسي إِذا ما أظَلَمَ اللَيلُ ظالِمي

فَيُمسي إِذا ما أظَلَمَ اللَيلُ ظالِمي

وَيَهجُر إِن صامَ النَهارُ وَهَجّرا

وَيَهجُر إِن صامَ النَهارُ وَهَجّرا

So when the night grows dark, he becomes my oppressor,

So he abandons me when night darkens

And he shuns me when the day stands still at high noon.

And shuns me when dawn breaks and shuns

وَلا ذَنبَ إِلّا أَنّني بُحتُ بِاسمِهِ

وَلا ذَنبَ إِلّا أَنّني بُحتُ بِاسمِهِ

وَلا بُدّ لِلمَحزُونِ أَن يَتَذَكّرا

وَلا بُدّ لِلمَحزُونِ أَن يَتَذَكّرا

And my only fault is that I disclosed his name,

My only sin is that I confessed his name

And the sorrowful cannot help remembering.

The anguished cannot but remember

فَكُن ناصِري إِن شِئتَ في مَوقِفِ الهَوى

فَكُن ناصِري إِن شِئتَ في مَوقِفِ الهَوى

فَحُقّ لِمِثلي أَن يُعانَ وَيُنصَرا

فَحُقّ لِمِثلي أَن يُعانَ وَيُنصَرا

So be my supporter, if you wish, in love's ordeal,

So be my ally in this ordeal of passion

For one like me deserves to be helped and supported.

It is deserved that one like me gets helped and supported