سَمِعَ الْخَلِيُّ تَأَوُّهِي فَتَلَفَّتَا

سَمِعَ الْخَلِيُّ تَأَوُّهِي فَتَلَفَّتَا

وأَصَابَهُ عَجَبٌ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْفَتَى

وأَصَابَهُ عَجَبٌ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْفَتَى

The carefree man heard my sighing and turned around.

The cheeky one heard my sighs and turned about,

And wonder seized him; he said: Who is this youth?

Struck with wonder he asked "Who is that lad?"

فَأَجَبْتُهُ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَعِبَ الأَسَى

فَأَجَبْتُهُ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَعِبَ الأَسَى

بِفُؤادِهِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى فَتَشَتَّتَا

بِفُؤادِهِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى فَتَشَتَّتَا

So I answered him: I am a man—sorrow toyed

I answered him "I am a man whom sorrow played

With his heart on the day of parting, and it fell apart.

With his heart the day desire scattered.

انْظُرْ إِليَّ تَجِدْ خَيَالاً بَالِياً

انْظُرْ إِليَّ تَجِدْ خَيَالاً بَالِياً

تَحْتَ الثِّيَابِ يَكادُ أَلَّا يُنْعَتَا

تَحْتَ الثِّيَابِ يَكادُ أَلَّا يُنْعَتَا

Look at me: you will find a worn-out phantom

Look at me, you'll find a fading shadow

Beneath the clothes, almost beyond description.

Beneath the clothes, barely to be made out.

قَدْ كَانَ لِي قَلْبٌ أَصَابَ سَوادَهُ

قَدْ كَانَ لِي قَلْبٌ أَصَابَ سَوادَهُ

سَهْمٌ لِطَرْفٍ فَاتِرٍ فَتَفَتَّتَا

سَهْمٌ لِطَرْفٍ فَاتِرٍ فَتَفَتَّتَا

Once I had a heart; its innermost core was struck

My heart once had, hitting its core,

By an arrow from a languid gaze, and it crumbled.

An arrow from a languid eyelid shot.

تَبِعَ الْهَوَى قَلْبِي فَهَامَ وَلَيْتَهُ

تَبِعَ الْهَوَى قَلْبِي فَهَامَ وَلَيْتَهُ

قَبْلَ التَّوَغُّلِ فِي البَلاءِ تَثَبَّتَا

قَبْلَ التَّوَغُّلِ فِي البَلاءِ تَثَبَّتَا

My heart followed passion and grew mad with love; if only it

My heart pursued passion so it wandered astray—

Had paused before plunging deep into affliction.

Would that, before trespassing into affliction, it had stood firm!

أَلْقَتْهُ فِي شَرَكِ الْمَحَبَّة غَادَةٌ

أَلْقَتْهُ فِي شَرَكِ الْمَحَبَّة غَادَةٌ

هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ بِصاحِبي إِنْ أَفْلَتَا

هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ بِصاحِبي إِنْ أَفْلَتَا

A graceful maiden cast it into the snare of love.

A coquette cast it into the snare of love.

Impossible! It is no companion of mine if it escapes.

Alas! It is not my comrade if it slips away.

كَالْوَرْدِ خَدَّاً والْبَنَفْسَجِ طُرَّةً

كَالْوَرْدِ خَدَّاً والْبَنَفْسَجِ طُرَّةً

والْغُصْنِ قَدَّاً والْغَزَالَةِ مَلْفَتَا

والْغُصْنِ قَدَّاً والْغَزَالَةِ مَلْفَتَا

Like a rose in cheek, and a violet in forelock,

With cheeks like roses and violets his gaze,

And a branch in stature, and a gazelle in the turn of her neck.

Limbs like branches, hips like a fawn's so sleek,

نَظَرَتْ بِكَحْلاوَيْنِ أَوْدَعَتَا الْهَوَى

نَظَرَتْ بِكَحْلاوَيْنِ أَوْدَعَتَا الْهَوَى

بِالْقَلْبِ حَتَّى هَامَ ثُمَّ تَخَلَّتَا

بِالْقَلْبِ حَتَّى هَامَ ثُمَّ تَخَلَّتَا

She gazed with two dark-rimmed eyes that instilled passion

He looked at me with dark brown eyes that evoked desire

In my heart, until it grew mad with love; then they withdrew.

And lodged it in my heart till I grew mad, then left me.

تاللهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ الْعَذُولُ بِمَا جَنَى

تاللهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ الْعَذُولُ بِمَا جَنَى

طَرْفِي عَليَّ لَساءَهُ أَنْ يَشْمَتَا

طَرْفِي عَليَّ لَساءَهُ أَنْ يَشْمَتَا

By God, if the reproacher knew the harm wrought

By God! If the censurers but knew what

By my gaze against me, it would pain him to gloat.

His eyes gained from me, their spite would gloat.

طَرْفٌ أَطَلْتُ عِنَانَهُ لِيُصِيبَ لي

طَرْفٌ أَطَلْتُ عِنَانَهُ لِيُصِيبَ لي

بَعْضَ الْمُنَى فَأَصابَنِي لَمَّا أَتَى

بَعْضَ الْمُنَى فَأَصابَنِي لَمَّا أَتَى

A gaze I gave free rein, that it might win for me

An eye whose rein I let go to gain for me

Some of my wishes; but it struck me when it came.

Some joy, but when it came, it wounded me.

يا قَلْبُ حَسْبُكَ قَدْ أَفاقَ مَعَاشِرٌ

يا قَلْبُ حَسْبُكَ قَدْ أَفاقَ مَعَاشِرٌ

وَأَراكَ تَدْأَبُ فِي الهَوَى فَإِلَى مَتَى

وَأَراكَ تَدْأَبُ فِي الهَوَى فَإِلَى مَتَى

O heart, enough! Many have already come to their senses,

O heart, enough! People are awake while you

And I see you persisting in passion—how much longer?

Still ply your love. How long will this go on?