كَن كَيفَما كَنتَ لا بِدعَ كُفيتَ بَلاً

كَن كَيفَما كَنتَ لا بِدعَ كُفيتَ بَلاً

لَدَيهِ كابدتُ لَوماً لِلعَذول كَفى

لَدَيهِ كابدتُ لَوماً لِلعَذول كَفى

Be however you may be—no wonder; may you be spared affliction.

Be as you may, you were inevitably blamed

In his presence I endured reproach enough for the faultfinder.

I have endured blame with him, enough of avoidance

بَدا لِقَوميَ سرٌّ كُنتُ كاتِمهُ

بَدا لِقَوميَ سرٌّ كُنتُ كاتِمهُ

كَما كَسيت لَدَيهِم بِالضَّنى كَلفا

كَما كَسيت لَدَيهِم بِالضَّنى كَلفا

A secret I had concealed became known to my people,

A secret appeared to my people I was hiding

Just as I was clad before them in wasting sickness, lovesick.

As I covered myself with grief before them

بَرَّحتَ لي كَبِداً بِالشَوقِ كَم سُلِبَت

بَرَّحتَ لي كَبِداً بِالشَوقِ كَم سُلِبَت

كَما كَويتُ كلىً بَرّحتُها لَهَفا

كَما كَويتُ كلىً بَرّحتُها لَهَفا

You tormented my liver with longing—how often it was stolen!

You have relieved a liver with yearning, how much was taken

As I seared kidneys, tormenting them in anguish.

As I seared a kidney, it relieved anguish

كَأَنَّما كُنتُ لاهٍ بِالهوى لِعباً

كَأَنَّما كُنتُ لاهٍ بِالهوى لِعباً

وَذاكَ شِرحُ ضُروبِ الحُبِّ قَد كَشَفا

وَذاكَ شِرحُ ضُروبِ الحُبِّ قَد كَشَفا

As though I were amusing myself with love, merely playing,

As if I was a confused lover, a plaything of passion

And that has revealed an explanation of love’s various forms.

That is an exposition of the ways of love, it has revealed