على غير ضَلاَّتِ الأَمانِي تَعَوُّلِي

على غير ضَلاَّتِ الأَمانِي تَعَوُّلِي

ومن غيرِ علاَّت المُدامِ تَعَلُّلِي

ومن غيرِ علاَّت المُدامِ تَعَلُّلِي

I rely on something other than the delusions of hope,

Do not rely on the illusions of wishes,

and seek solace elsewhere than in repeated draughts of wine.

Nor seek pretexts in the pleasures of wine.

ومثلي يرى شرْبَ الدِّماءِ محلَّلا

ومثلي يرى شرْبَ الدِّماءِ محلَّلا

وشربَ دمِ الصهباءِ غيرَ محلَّل

وشربَ دمِ الصهباءِ غيرَ محلَّل

And one like me deems drinking blood lawful,

One like me sees drinking blood as lawful,

but drinking the blood of tawny wine unlawful.

Yet drinking the blood of a fair maiden unlawful.

أَصولُ ولكن مِنْ يراعِيَ عَامِلي

أَصولُ ولكن مِنْ يراعِيَ عَامِلي

وأَسطو ولكن من لساني مُنْصُلي

وأَسطو ولكن من لساني مُنْصُلي

I charge, but my spear-shaft comes from my reed pen;

My principles are sound, but who considers what I have endured?

and I strike, but my blade comes from my tongue.

My roots are firm, yet who cares that my tongue is torn out?

وما هو إِلاَّ أَنَّ عندِي رسالةً

وما هو إِلاَّ أَنَّ عندِي رسالةً

إِلى سَهْمِ عينيهِ بإِملاءِ مَقْتَلِي

إِلى سَهْمِ عينيهِ بإِملاءِ مَقْتَلِي

It is only that I have a letter

It is but that I have a message

to the arrow of his eyes, at my death's dictation.

For the arrow of his eyes, dictating my demise.

وما الحبُّ إِلاَّ ما جرى مِنْ مَدمعي

وما الحبُّ إِلاَّ ما جرى مِنْ مَدمعي

وما هو عنه بالحديثِ المطوَّل

وما هو عنه بالحديثِ المطوَّل

And love is nothing but what has flowed from my eye,

Love is naught but what flows from my tears,

not long-winded talk about it.

It cannot be captured in elaborate speech.

إِذا قيل لا تهلك أَسىً فجهَالةٌ

إِذا قيل لا تهلك أَسىً فجهَالةٌ

لقائِل هذا قولُه وتَجمَّل

لقائِل هذا قولُه وتَجمَّل

If one says, 'Do not perish of grief,' it is folly

If one says, “Do not perish from agony,”

for the one saying this to add, 'And bear up!'

ignorance shapes such a saying and its delivery.

قفا نَبك من ذِكْرى حبيبِيَ وحدَه

قفا نَبك من ذِكْرى حبيبِيَ وحدَه

أَأَخلط ذكراً للحبِيبِ بمنْزِل

أَأَخلط ذكراً للحبِيبِ بمنْزِل

Halt, you two; let us weep at the memory of my beloved alone.

Stop crying over the memory of my beloved alone,

Shall I mingle remembrance of the beloved with that of a dwelling?

Shall I mix the memory of my beloved with another’s abode?