لمdid not ينجescape منكfrom you الريثdelay والأغذاذُand haste
لم ينج منك الريث والأغذاذُ
والدمعand tears منيfrom me وابلٌa downpour ورذاذُand drizzle
والدمع مني وابلٌ ورذاذُ
Neither delay nor haste has escaped you,
The weak and strong could not escape you,
And my tears are downpour and drizzle.
And my tears are a downpour and spray.
يلتذُّtakes pleasure منكfrom you معذبone tormented بعذابهin his torment
يلتذُّ منك معذب بعذابه
حتىuntil كأنَّas though عذابكyour torment استلذاذُenjoyment
حتى كأنَّ عذابك استلذاذُ
One tormented by you delights in his torment,
A tortured one takes pleasure from you in his torment,
Until your torment seems a pleasure.
As if your torment was pleasurable indulgence.
متعوذseeking refuge باللَهin God خوفاًout of fear لمdid not يكنexist
متعوذ باللَه خوفاً لم يكن
ليfor me فيin جفاكyour coldness سوىexcept هواكlove for you معاذrefuge
لي في جفاك سوى هواك معاذ
Seeking refuge in God out of fear, there was no
Seeking refuge in Allah out of fear, there was not
Refuge for me amid your coldness except my love for you.
For me other than your love as refuge.
فكأنso it is as though قلبكyour heart حينwhen تعرضyou turn away صخرةa rock
فكأن قلبك حين تعرض صخرة
عاديةancient وفؤادكand your heart الفولاذُsteel
عادية وفؤادك الفولاذُ
So your heart, when you turn away, seems a rock,
So it's as if when you act harsh your heart is
Ancient, and your heart is steel.
A normal rock while your heart is steel.
لنزلتyou have indeed settled منamong أفلاذfragments قلبيmy heart منزلاa dwelling
لنزلت من أفلاذ قلبي منزلا
فاستوسقتand gathered together بنزولاكthrough your settling الأفلاذthe fragments
فاستوسقت بنزولاك الأفلاذ
You have indeed taken a dwelling among the fragments of my heart,
You settled in the most cherished part of my heart,
And through your settling there, the fragments gathered together.
And with your settling the most cherished became wounded.
لذناwe sought refuge بوصلكin union with you منfrom صدوركyour departure برهةfor a while
لذنا بوصلك من صدورك برهة
ياO منyou who بهthrough whom منهfrom whom إليهto whom ملاذُa refuge
يا من به منه إليه ملاذُ
For a while, we sought refuge in union with you from your departure,
We indulged with your companionship for a while
O you through whom, from whom, and to whom we find refuge!
O you whom in it from it to it is refuge.
ونبذتهand I cast it away نبذa casting away الحصاةthe pebble تهاوناًcarelessly
ونبذته نبذ الحصاة تهاوناً
وأخوand a companion of الغرامpassion لقلبهof his heart نبّاذa habitual discarder
وأخو الغرام لقلبه نبّاذ
And I cast it away like a pebble, carelessly,
And you discarded it the discarding of a pebble indifferently
And a lover is ever casting his heart away.
While the lover's heart is easily discarded.
علَّقتI hung منagainst خبلmadness براسيon my head عوذةa protective charm
علَّقت من خبل براسي عوذة
لوif only تنفعcould help الأحرازprotective amulets والأعواذand charms
لو تنفع الأحراز والأعواذ
I hung a charm on my head against madness—
I hung a talisman of insanity on my mind
If only amulets and protective charms could help!
As if charms and talismans could be of use.
لولاwere it not for السماوةSamawah ماnot طربتI rejoiced لبلدةin a town
لولا السماوة ما طربت لبلدة
تحتbeneath السماthe sky ولوand even if أنَّهاthat it is بغذاذBaghdad
تحت السما ولو أنَّها بغذاذ
Were it not for Samawah, I would not delight in any town
If not for tolerance I would not be enchanted with a land
Beneath the sky, even if it were Baghdad.
Under the sky even if it is most fertile.
جذاذa severer حبلthe cord الوصلof union ياO بأبيwith my father as ransom وبيand with me as ransom
جذاذ حبل الوصل يا بأبي وبي
رشأa young gazelle لحبلof the cord وصالهhis union جذّاذa severer
رشأ لحبل وصاله جذّاذ
O severer of union's cord—may my father and I be your ransom—
Puller of the rope of connection, O my father and my loving one,
A young gazelle who severs the cord of his union.
Repairer of its rope, puller.
بكbecause of you ليI have جوىًburning anguish بينbetween الأضالعthe ribs نافذpiercing
بك لي جوىً بين الأضالع نافذ
والدمعand tears ليسthere is not لهfor it عليكupon you نفاذpower to penetrate
والدمع ليس له عليك نفاذ
Because of you, I bear a burning ache piercing between my ribs,
In you I have burning embers in my ribs
And tears have no power to penetrate you.
And tears have no effect on you.
لذناwe sought refuge بوصلكin union with you منfrom صدوركyour departure عنوةby force
لذنا بوصلك من صدورك عنوة
إذsince ليسthere is no غيركother than you فيamong الملاحthe beautiful ملاذrefuge
إذ ليس غيرك في الملاح ملاذ
We forcibly sought refuge in union with you from your departure,
We indulged with your companionship by force
Since among the beautiful, none but you is a refuge.
Since there is no refuge in estrangement.
لاno ضيرharm لوif قدindeed راحhe began ينقضundoing مبرماsomething firmly bound
لا ضير لو قد راح ينقض مبرما
مناعa habitual withholder ماwhat طلبsought الهوىlove أخّاذa relentless taker
مناع ما طلب الهوى أخّاذ
No harm if he has begun undoing what was firmly bound—
No harm if the firm covenant hastens to unravel
A withholder of what love has sought, a relentless taker.
A refuge whom desire did not fully seize.
ولقدand indeed صبرتI endured وعدتand I returned فيكfor you إلىto الهوىlove
ولقد صبرت وعدت فيك إلى الهوى
لولاwere it not for الهوىlove ماnot اعتادkept recurring ليto me استحواذoverpowering
لولا الهوى ما اعتاد لي استحواذ
And I have indeed endured, and returned, for you, to love.
And I was patient and returned to you in love
Were it not for love, I would not be so often overpowered.
If not for love, monopoly would not become habit for me.