وَيْلاهُ مِنْ نَارِ الْهَوَى

وَيْلاهُ مِنْ نَارِ الْهَوَى

وَآهِ مِنْ طُولِ الْجَوَى

وَآهِ مِنْ طُولِ الْجَوَى

Woe is me for love's fire!

Alas for the fire of passion!

And ah, for the long ache of longing!

And sighs for the length of separation!

أَرْسَلْتُ طَرْفِي رَائِداً

أَرْسَلْتُ طَرْفِي رَائِداً

فَمَا عَلا حَتَّى هَوَى

فَمَا عَلا حَتَّى هَوَى

I sent my gaze out as a scout,

I sent my eyes ahead as a scout,

but no sooner did it rise than it fell.

But before he knew it, he fell.

وَسَارَ قَلبِي خَلْفَهُ

وَسَارَ قَلبِي خَلْفَهُ

فَلَمْ يَعْدُ حَتَّى اكْتَوَى

فَلَمْ يَعْدُ حَتَّى اكْتَوَى

And my heart followed after it,

And my heart followed after him,

and had scarcely run before it was scorched.

Until he was fully enraptured.

قَدْ طَالَمَا زَجَرْتُهُ

قَدْ طَالَمَا زَجَرْتُهُ

يَا لَيْتَهُ كَانَ ارْعَوَى

يَا لَيْتَهُ كَانَ ارْعَوَى

How often I have rebuked it!

I have often chided him:

Would that it had taken heed!

"Would that you had taken care!"

لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ آفَةٌ

لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ آفَةٌ

وَآفَةُ الْقَلْبِ الْهَوَى

وَآفَةُ الْقَلْبِ الْهَوَى

Everything has its bane,

For everything there is a cause of ruin,

and the heart's bane is love.

And the cause of a heart's ruin is passion.

أَمَا كَفَى هَذَا الْجَفَا

أَمَا كَفَى هَذَا الْجَفَا

حَتَّى أَعَانَتْهُ الْنَّوَى

حَتَّى أَعَانَتْهُ الْنَّوَى

Was this coldness not enough,

Has not this disdain been enough

that separation should come to its aid?

That even parting has helped it?

أَيْنَ اللِّوَى وَعَهْدُهُ

أَيْنَ اللِّوَى وَعَهْدُهُ

أَيْهَاتَ عَهْدٌ بِاللِّوَى

أَيْهَاتَ عَهْدٌ بِاللِّوَى

Where is al-Liwa, and its bygone days?

Where is the intimacy and its pact?

Far away are the days at al-Liwa!

Alas, a pact with intimacy!

وَظَبْيِ أُنْسٍ سُمْتُهُ

وَظَبْيِ أُنْسٍ سُمْتُهُ

إِنْجَازَ وَعْدِي فَلَوَى

إِنْجَازَ وَعْدِي فَلَوَى

And a companionable gazelle—I asked him

I set my course for the gazelle of companionship,

to fulfill the promise made me, but he stalled.

To fulfill my vow, but he dodged away.

طَلَبْتُ مِنْهُ قُبْلَةً

طَلَبْتُ مِنْهُ قُبْلَةً

فَازْوَرَّ عَنِّي وَالْتَوَى

فَازْوَرَّ عَنِّي وَالْتَوَى

I asked him for a kiss,

I sought a kiss from him,

but he turned away from me and drew aside.

But he shied from me and twisted away.

وَسُمْتُهُ وَعْدَ الْمُنَى

وَسُمْتُهُ وَعْدَ الْمُنَى

فَانْحَازَ عَنِّي وَانْزَوَى

فَانْحَازَ عَنِّي وَانْزَوَى

And I asked him to promise what I desired,

And I set my course for the promise of union,

but he drew away from me and withdrew.

But he drew back from me and curled up.

يَا سَائِلِي عَنْ حَالَتِي

يَا سَائِلِي عَنْ حَالَتِي

دَعْنِي فَصَبْرِي قَدْ ذَوَى

دَعْنِي فَصَبْرِي قَدْ ذَوَى

O you who ask me about my state,

O you who ask about my state -

leave me, for my patience has withered.

Leave me; my patience is spent.

وَكَانَ قَلْبِي رَاشِدَاً

وَكَانَ قَلْبِي رَاشِدَاً

لَكِنَّهُ الْيَوْمَ غَوَى

لَكِنَّهُ الْيَوْمَ غَوَى

And my heart was rightly guided,

Once my heart was rightly guided,

but today it has gone astray.

But today it has gone astray.

أُوقِعَ فِي أَشْرَاكِهِ

أُوقِعَ فِي أَشْرَاكِهِ

لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ مَا نَوَى

لِكُلِّ حَيٍّ مَا نَوَى

It was caught in love's snares;

It has fallen into his traps -

each living soul has what it intended.

For each living thing, what he intended.

فَكَيْفَ أَمْضِي فِي الْهَوَى

فَكَيْفَ أَمْضِي فِي الْهَوَى

وَالْجِسْمُ مَحْلُولُ الْقُوَى

وَالْجِسْمُ مَحْلُولُ الْقُوَى

How, then, can I go on in love,

So how can I pursue passion

while my body is sapped of strength?

When my body is feeble and weak?

وَأَيْنَ أَبْغِي نَاصِرَاً

وَأَيْنَ أَبْغِي نَاصِرَاً

هَيْهَاتَ وَالْخَيْرُ انْطَوَى

هَيْهَاتَ وَالْخَيْرُ انْطَوَى

And where shall I seek a helper?

And where can I seek a helper?

Far out of reach—and goodness has vanished!

Alas! Goodness has dwindled away.

أَصْبَحْتُ فِي تَيْهُورَةٍ

أَصْبَحْتُ فِي تَيْهُورَةٍ

يَسْأَمُ فِيهَا مَنْ ثَوَى

يَسْأَمُ فِيهَا مَنْ ثَوَى

I am now in a trackless wilderness,

I am left confused,

where whoever dwells grows weary.

Wearied by my wandering about.

لا صَاحِبٌ وَافَى وَلا

لا صَاحِبٌ وَافَى وَلا

خِلٌّ إِلَى حَالِي أَوَى

خِلٌّ إِلَى حَالِي أَوَى

No companion has come, nor

No loyal friend has stayed,

has a dear friend taken pity on my plight.

No companion has shared my state.

فَيَا إِلَهِي رَاعِنِي

فَيَا إِلَهِي رَاعِنِي

وَادْفَعْ عَنِ النَّفْسِ التَّوَى

وَادْفَعْ عَنِ النَّفْسِ التَّوَى

So, O my God, watch over me,

So O my God, watch over me,

and ward ruin away from my soul.

And ward the craving from my soul.

وَلا تَكِلْنِي لِلَّتِي

وَلا تَكِلْنِي لِلَّتِي

لَوْ صَادَفَتْ نَجْمَاً خَوَى

لَوْ صَادَفَتْ نَجْمَاً خَوَى

And do not abandon me to her—

And do not leave me to her

were she to meet a star, it would fall.

Who, if she met a star, would ruin it!