هذا الغرامُ غَرِمْتُ آخرَهُ

هذا الغرامُ غَرِمْتُ آخرَهُ

عُدْماً لَهُ ورَبِحتُ أَوَّلَهُ

عُدْماً لَهُ ورَبِحتُ أَوَّلَهُ

This passion—I paid dearly at its end;

This love I fell into, its end I lost

may it perish! Yet I profited at its beginning.

And its beginning I profited

كم قيل لِي فيمَنْ كَلفتُ بِه

كم قيل لِي فيمَنْ كَلفتُ بِه

هَذَا غرامٌ فيه أَوْ وَلَهُ

هَذَا غرامٌ فيه أَوْ وَلَهُ

How often I was told, about the one I adored:

How much was said to me about the one I fancied

"This is passion for him, or love-madness."

This is an infatuation, leave it be

فأَجبت ما قَدْ مرَّ مِنْ جَسَدِي

فأَجبت ما قَدْ مرَّ مِنْ جَسَدِي

فيه وما أَبْقاه فَهْوَ لَه

فيه وما أَبْقاه فَهْوَ لَه

So I answered: "Whatever of my body has already wasted away

So I responded, what has passed of my body

for him, and whatever he has spared, is his."

Is his, and what remains, remains his

لَمْ أَنْس ليلاً كَانَ قَصَّرَهُ

لَمْ أَنْس ليلاً كَانَ قَصَّرَهُ

وَصْلٌ بِمَنْ لو شَاءَ طوّلَه

وَصْلٌ بِمَنْ لو شَاءَ طوّلَه

I have not forgotten a night that was shortened

I did not forget a night whose length he shortened

by union with one who, had he wished, would have lengthened it.

With a union, had he willed he'd have lengthened

وافى وكانَ الصَحوُ حرَّمَهُ

وافى وكانَ الصَحوُ حرَّمَهُ

حتى رأَيت السُّكْرَ حلَّله

حتى رأَيت السُّكْرَ حلَّله

He came; sobriety had made him forbidden

He came and went while the morning made it unlawful

until I saw intoxication make him lawful.

Until I saw intoxication make it lawful

وشربت من يَدِه مُشَعْشَعَةً

وشربت من يَدِه مُشَعْشَعَةً

عَلَّت عليلاً كان علَّلَه

عَلَّت عليلاً كان علَّلَه

And from his hand I drank wine mixed with water,

And I drank from his hand scintillating

which gave another draught to an ailing man he had soothed.

It had weakened me, and he had strengthened

ونَبَذْتُ منديلي بِمَسْحِ فمي

ونَبَذْتُ منديلي بِمَسْحِ فمي

وجَعَلْتُ منديلي مُقَبَّلَهُ

وجَعَلْتُ منديلي مُقَبَّلَهُ

And I cast my handkerchief aside as I wiped my mouth,

I flung my kerchief, wiping my mouth

and made his lips my handkerchief.

And made my kerchief where his lips had been