لذة العَيش بِسَفح الكَرملِ

لذة العَيش بِسَفح الكَرملِ

لَيلَة الكرمل عودي كَرَما

لَيلَة الكرمل عودي كَرَما

The sweetness of life upon Carmel’s slope.

The delight of life at the foot of Carmel.

O night of Carmel, return as an act of grace;

Night of Carmel, kindly return.

لَيلة الكرمل عودي وَاِسأَلي

لَيلة الكرمل عودي وَاِسأَلي

عَن مُحب كادَ يودي سَقما

عَن مُحب كادَ يودي سَقما

O night of Carmel, return and inquire

Night of Carmel, return and ask

about a lover whom sickness nearly destroyed.

About a lover who nearly died of sickness.

لَيلة الكرمل عودي وَانظُري

لَيلة الكرمل عودي وَانظُري

أَيّ قَلب قَطَعته الزَفرات

أَيّ قَلب قَطَعته الزَفرات

O night of Carmel, return and behold

Night of Carmel, return and see

what heart the sighs have torn apart,

What a heart the sighs have torn apart,

أَيّ نَفس زَهقت بَعدُ جَوىً

أَيّ نَفس زَهقت بَعدُ جَوىً

أَي روحٍ قَد تَلاشَت حَسَرات

أَي روحٍ قَد تَلاشَت حَسَرات

what soul has since expired, consumed by passion,

What a soul has since perished of burning grief,

what spirit has dissolved in regrets.

What a spirit has vanished in sorrow.

لَيسَ لي غَير البُكا وَالسَهر

لَيسَ لي غَير البُكا وَالسَهر

وَهُما للدَهر عِندي حَسَنات

وَهُما للدَهر عِندي حَسَنات

I have nothing but weeping and sleeplessness,

I have nothing but weeping and sleeplessness,

and these are Time’s two blessings in my eyes.

And to me, both count as Time's good deeds.

فيهما ذِكرى اللقاء الأوّل

فيهما ذِكرى اللقاء الأوّل

أَرشف الأَدمُع مِنها وَاللَمى

أَرشف الأَدمُع مِنها وَاللَمى

Within them lives the memory of our first meeting;

In them is the memory of the first meeting;

from that memory I sip both tears and dusky lips.

From it I sip tears and the dark hue of lips.

فَصلي اللَيل بِليل أَطول

فَصلي اللَيل بِليل أَطول

يا جُفوني وَاذرفي الدَمع دَما

يا جُفوني وَاذرفي الدَمع دَما

So join this night to one still longer,

So join the night to a longer night,

O my eyelids, and shed tears of blood.

O my eyelids, and shed tears of blood.

كُنتُ أَجني ثَمَراً حُلو الجَني

كُنتُ أَجني ثَمَراً حُلو الجَني

رب طَير فَوقَهُ لَم يَقَع

رب طَير فَوقَهُ لَم يَقَع

I once gathered fruit, sweet to harvest—

I used to gather fruit whose harvest was sweet;

many a bird above it never alighted.

Many a bird had never alighted above it.

حوَّم الدَهر عَلَيهِ وَاِنثَنى

حوَّم الدَهر عَلَيهِ وَاِنثَنى

يَدعي مِن خَيبة ما يَدَعي

يَدعي مِن خَيبة ما يَدَعي

Time hovered over it, then turned away,

Time hovered over it and withdrew,

claiming, in disappointment, whatever it would claim.

Making, out of disappointment, whatever claims it made.

هَل دَرى يا وَيحه أَن المُنى

هَل دَرى يا وَيحه أَن المُنى

في الهَوى لا تَجتَني بِالخدع

في الهَوى لا تَجتَني بِالخدع

Did it know—alas for it—that desires

Did it know—woe to it!—that wishes

in love cannot be harvested through deceit?

In love cannot be reaped through deceit?

إِنَّما يُدرك أَقصي الأَمل

إِنَّما يُدرك أَقصي الأَمل

ثابت القَلب عَلى ما عَزَما

ثابت القَلب عَلى ما عَزَما

Only he attains the furthest reach of hope

Only he attains the utmost hope

whose heart stands firm upon what he resolved.

Whose heart holds firm to what he has resolved to do.

مَن يَروم أَمراً بِقَلب حوّلِ

مَن يَروم أَمراً بِقَلب حوّلِ

يَنقضِ الدَهر لَهُ ما أَبرَما

يَنقضِ الدَهر لَهُ ما أَبرَما

Whoever pursues a purpose with a fickle heart—

Whoever pursues an aim with a fickle heart,

Time undoes for him whatever he has bound.

Time undoes for him what he has bound fast.