يَاO قَرِيرَcontented الْعَيْنِthe eye بِالْوَسَنِwith drowsiness
يَا قَرِيرَ الْعَيْنِ بِالْوَسَنِ
مَاwhat الَّذِيthat which أَلْهَاكَdistracted you عَنْfrom شَجَنِيmy sorrow
مَا الَّذِي أَلْهَاكَ عَنْ شَجَنِي
O you whose eyes are at peace in slumber,
O gentle-eyed one with languid grace
What has distracted you from my sorrow?
What has made you neglect my yearning?
كَيْفَhow لاnot تَرْثِيfeel pity لِمُكتَئِبٍfor a despondent man
كَيْفَ لا تَرْثِي لِمُكتَئِبٍ
شَفَّهُwasted him away بَرْحٌtorment مِنَfrom الْحَزَنِgrief
شَفَّهُ بَرْحٌ مِنَ الْحَزَنِ
How can you not pity a despondent man,
Why do you not mourn a depressed one
Whom the torment of grief has wasted away?
Whose lips drip with sadness?
هَبْكَsuppose you لَمْdid not تَسْمَعْhear شَكَاةَcomplaint فَمِيmy mouth
هَبْكَ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ شَكَاةَ فَمِي
أَوَand ...? لَمْdid not تُبْصِرْsee ضَنَىthe wasting of بَدَنِيmy body
أَوَ لَمْ تُبْصِرْ ضَنَى بَدَنِي
Suppose you did not hear my mouth's complaint;
Alas, you did not hear my mouth's complaint
And did you not see my body's wasting?
Or see the wasting of my body.
يَاO عِبَادَservants of اللَّهِGod مَنْwho لِفَتىًfor a youth
يَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ مَنْ لِفَتىً
بِيَدِin the hand of الأَشْوَاقِlongings مُرْتَهَنِheld captive
بِيَدِ الأَشْوَاقِ مُرْتَهَنِ
O servants of God, who will aid a youth
O servants of God, who will help a lad
Held captive in longing's hand?
Enslaved by passions and desires?
رَعَتِgrazed upon الأَشْوَاقُlongings مُهْجَتَهُhis heart
رَعَتِ الأَشْوَاقُ مُهْجَتَهُ
وَبَرَاهُand wore him down الْوَجْدُpassionate yearning فَهْوَso he is ضِنِيwasted
وَبَرَاهُ الْوَجْدُ فَهْوَ ضِنِي
Longings have grazed upon his heart,
Yearning has fed on his essence
And yearning has worn him down, leaving him wasted.
And anguish has consumed him, so he pines.
آهِah! مِنْfor ظَبْيٍa gazelle خَلَعْتُI cast off بِهِbecause of him
آهِ مِنْ ظَبْيٍ خَلَعْتُ بِهِ
فِيin مَيَادِينِthe arenas of الْهَوَىlove رَسَنِيmy halter
فِي مَيَادِينِ الْهَوَى رَسَنِي
Ah, for a gazelle for whose sake I cast off
Ah, for a gazelle I hunted down
My halter in the arenas of love!
Who left me stranded in love's plains.
سَاحِرُbewitching الْعَيْنَيْنِthe two eyes مَاnot بَرِحَتْceased
سَاحِرُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ مَا بَرِحَتْ
لَحْظَتَاهُhis two glances مَصْدَرَa source of الْفِتَنِtemptations
لَحْظَتَاهُ مَصْدَرَ الْفِتَنِ
Bewitching-eyed—never have
Sorcerer of eyes, your glances never
His two glances ceased to be a source of temptation.
Faltered from being sources of temptation.
سَلَكَتْproceeded بَعْضُsome of الْوُشَاةِthe tale-bearers بِهِwith him
سَلَكَتْ بَعْضُ الْوُشَاةِ بِهِ
مِنْof نَمِيمِgossip الْغَيِّwickedness فِيalong سَنَنِa path
مِنْ نَمِيمِ الْغَيِّ فِي سَنَنِ
Some tale-bearers led him
Some tale-bearers have taken him
Along a path of malicious gossip.
And whispered malicious rumors in his ear,
صَرَفُوهُthey turned him عَنْaway from طَبِيعَتِهِhis nature
صَرَفُوهُ عَنْ طَبِيعَتِهِ
وَعِنَانُand the rein of الْقَلْبِthe heart فِيin الأُذُنِthe ear
وَعِنَانُ الْقَلْبِ فِي الأُذُنِ
They turned him away from his nature,
Turning him from his true nature
And the heart's rein lies in the ear.
While his heart's reins are in his ear.
وَقَرِينُand a companion of السُّوءِevil مَجْلَبَةٌa source
وَقَرِينُ السُّوءِ مَجْلَبَةٌ
لِدَواعِيfor causes of الْهَمِّworry وَالْمِحَنِand afflictions
لِدَواعِي الْهَمِّ وَالْمِحَنِ
And an evil companion brings on
An evil companion is one who conjures
Causes of worry and affliction.
Reasons for anxiety and tribulation.
فَاتْرُكِso leave الدُّنْيَاthe world فَلَسْتَfor you do not تَرَىsee
فَاتْرُكِ الدُّنْيَا فَلَسْتَ تَرَى
صَاحِباًa companion إِلَّاexcept عَلَىwith دَخَنِhidden taint
صَاحِباً إِلَّا عَلَى دَخَنِ
So leave the world, for you will not find
So leave this world, for you will not find
A companion without some hidden taint.
A friend save one enshrouded in smoke.
مَنْwhoever جَرَىruns فِيin غَيْرِother than حَلْبَتِهِhis own racecourse
مَنْ جَرَى فِي غَيْرِ حَلْبَتِهِ
كَانَwill be مَوْقُوفَاًsubject عَلَىto الظِّنَنِsuspicions
كَانَ مَوْقُوفَاً عَلَى الظِّنَنِ
Whoever runs on a racecourse not his own
He who flowed beyond his banks
Will be subject to suspicion.
Was left suspended in suspicions.