نقض الجرح وكان اندملا

نقض الجرح وكان اندملا

وامتلا القلب وقد كان خلا

وامتلا القلب وقد كان خلا

The wound reopened, though it had healed.

The wound has healed, though it was deep,

And the heart filled, though it had been empty.

My heart is full, though empty it did seem,

عاده داء الهوى من بعد ما

عاده داء الهوى من بعد ما

راح وقد أفرق عنه وسلا

راح وقد أفرق عنه وسلا

Love's sickness returned to him after

The malady of love has come to me,

It had departed, and he had recovered from it and ceased to pine.

After it went, and I thought I was free,

ماله تزعجه زفرته

ماله تزعجه زفرته

كلَّما استاف صباً أو شمألا

كلَّما استاف صباً أو شمألا

What ails him, that his sigh unsettles him

Why does its sighing disturb me so?

Whenever he scents an east wind or a north wind?

Whenever the breeze blows, or the clouds gather,

وإذا شام بروقاً لمعت

وإذا شام بروقاً لمعت

غلب الدَّمع الحيا فانهملا

غلب الدَّمع الحيا فانهملا

And when he sights flashing lightning,

And when lightning flashes in the sky,

His tears surpass the rain and pour down.

Tears overcome me and begin to flow,

ومتى أبصر بدراً طالعاً

ومتى أبصر بدراً طالعاً

ظنَّه عنه الذي قد أفلا

ظنَّه عنه الذي قد أفلا

And whenever he sees a full moon rising,

And when I see the rising full moon,

He takes it for the one that had set beyond his sight.

I think it is the one that's gone, back too soon,

عاش في أرغد عيش برهةً

عاش في أرغد عيش برهةً

مستريحاً راق حالاً وحلا

مستريحاً راق حالاً وحلا

For a while he lived a life of utmost ease,

For a time I lived most happily,

At rest, his state pleasant and sweet.

At ease, content, and fancy free,

ليس يدري الهمَّ حتى أن رأى

ليس يدري الهمَّ حتى أن رأى

ليته لم ير تلك المقلا

ليته لم ير تلك المقلا

He knew no sorrow until he saw—

Not knowing sorrow, until I spied,

Would that he had never seen those eyes!

Would I had not seen those eyes so wide!

فعلت فيه بطرفٍ لو رمى

فعلت فيه بطرفٍ لو رمى

حجراً صلداً به لانفعلا

حجراً صلداً به لانفعلا

They so affected him with a glance: had he struck

With but a glance, if they chose to smite

A hard stone with it, the stone would have been moved.

A solid rock, it would feel their might.

كيف لا يجرح قلبي طرفه

كيف لا يجرح قلبي طرفه

وإذا السَّيف تحرَّى قتلا

وإذا السَّيف تحرَّى قتلا

How could his glance not wound my heart,

How can his eyes not wound my heart?

When a sword kills once it takes aim?

When swords are drawn, they're meant to kill.

والذي يصبو لأحداق المها

والذي يصبو لأحداق المها

لم يمت إلا بها منجدلا

لم يمت إلا بها منجدلا

And he who yearns for the eyes of oryxes

She who gazes on the eyes of the beloved

Dies only by them, laid low.

Will never die except by them, eyes that enthral.

لائم الصَّبِّ على الحب الذي

لائم الصَّبِّ على الحب الذي

سيف لحظيه يبيح الأجلا

سيف لحظيه يبيح الأجلا

O you who blame the lover for loving the one

You blame passion, though it is no sin,

Whose glances' sword makes death lawful,

When his glances, like swords, are meant to win.

خلِّ عنك اللوم بالله فقد

خلِّ عنك اللوم بالله فقد

سبق السَّيف إليه العذلا

سبق السَّيف إليه العذلا

Leave off blame, for God's sake, for

Spare me your blame, for God's sake,

The sword has reached him ahead of reproach.

The sword preceded excuse or mistake.

ويح قلبي من هوى ذي صلفٍ

ويح قلبي من هوى ذي صلفٍ

ظالم في حكمه لو عدلا

ظالم في حكمه لو عدلا

Alas for my heart, loving a haughty one,

Woe to my heart in love with the disdainful one,

Unjust in his judgment—if only he were fair!

Unjust in his decrees, though just he'd seem.

ما له حمَّله ما لم يطق

ما له حمَّله ما لم يطق

أتراه ظنَّ قلبي جبلا

أتراه ظنَّ قلبي جبلا

Why did he burden it with what it could not bear?

Why burden me with more than I can bear?

Do you suppose he thought my heart a mountain?

Does he think my heart is devoid of care?

قال يستطرد بي ما حاله

قال يستطرد بي ما حاله

صار للعشَّاق فينا مثلا

صار للعشَّاق فينا مثلا

He said, digressing about me: 'What is his state?

He says he will lead me where he will go,

He has become a byword for lovers among us.'

And for lovers he's become an example!

أيُّها المعرض لا عن زلَّةٍ

أيُّها المعرض لا عن زلَّةٍ

أدلالاً كان ذا أم مللا

أدلالاً كان ذا أم مللا

O you who turn away, though not for any fault,

O you who scorn me, not for an error

Was this coyness, or boredom?

Or weariness, but with casual acclaim.

بأبي الرِّيم الذي من طرفه

بأبي الرِّيم الذي من طرفه

سرق الظَّبي الكحيل الكحلا

سرق الظَّبي الكحيل الكحلا

May my father be ransom for the white gazelle, from whose eyes

By the one whose sidelong glance has stolen

The kohl-eyed gazelle stole its kohl.

The kohl from the eyes of the wild gazelle,

غصن البان الذي في قدِّه

غصن البان الذي في قدِّه

سلب الليِّن القنا والأسلا

سلب الليِّن القنا والأسلا

A bough of the ban-tree, whose stature

By the myrrh whose bending form has robbed

Robbed lance-shafts and spears of their suppleness.

The tender branch of the gum that it sobbed,

يا خليليَّ بلا أمرٍ سلا

يا خليليَّ بلا أمرٍ سلا

عن فؤادي بعده ما فعلا

عن فؤادي بعده ما فعلا

O my two friends, if you please, inquire

O my friend, without cause you have wrought

About my heart: what has it done since his departure?

Grief in my heart that you hadn't before.

أمقيمٌ بعده يصحبه

أمقيمٌ بعده يصحبه

أم دعاه للردى فامتثلا

أم دعاه للردى فامتثلا

Does it live on after him, keeping him company,

Will you be with me or leave me in sadness?

Or did he summon it to death, so it obeyed?

Have you been called to wrongdoing and madness?