لُمْتُ حظي حيث أمسى

يشتكي من غير داعِ

I blamed my fortune as it came to be,

Complaining without a cause;

عَلَّ لَوْمي زاد ضِعفاً

فأنا باللَّوْم واعِ

Perhaps my blame grew twofold,

For I am fully aware of the blame.

تلك أحزاني توالتْ

ضائعٌ في الدَّرْبِ ساعِ

These are my sorrows, arriving in succession,

A lost wanderer striving upon the path.

بِتَّ تشدو في حُبورٍ

وأنا لِلْهَمِّ راعِ

You spent the night singing in joy,

While I am left to shepherd my cares.

خِلْتُ حالي قد جفاني

أفلا يَنْوي سماعي

I thought my own condition had forsaken me,

Will he not resolve to hear me?

إنني صَبٌّ عليلٌ

في غرامي جِدُّ لاعِ

Indeed, I am an ailing lover,

In my passion, fiercely burning.

هل تراني صرتُ نَسْياً

هائماً تبغي ضياعي

Do you see me now as something forgotten,

Wandering blindly, while you desire my ruin?

فَهْيَ آمالٌ تداعتْ

يومها أذكَتْ صراعي

For these are hopes that have crumbled,

That day, they ignited my struggle.

لم يعد بيني وبين الــ

ــحَتْفِ حَدٌّ قَدْرُ باعِ

There is no longer between me and the—

—demise, a boundary the length of an armspan.

مات عشقي حينها شَنْــ

ـقاً وما في الدار ناعِ

My passion died right then by hang—

—ing, and the house holds no mourner.

حار شعري في ِخطابي

ضاع ما خَطَّتْ يراعي

My poetry grew bewildered in my speech,

Lost is all that my reed pen wrote.

كُلُّ حَكْيٍ بات شَجْواً

ماثلاً فوق الرِّقاعِ

Every spoken word became a lament,

Looming upon the parchments.

ما لقلبي لم يُرحْني

دَعْهُ يلهو في خداعِ

What ails my heart that it brings me no rest?

Let it play in its deception.

ربما يشكو فراغاً

للهوى بعضُ الدَّواعي

Perhaps it complains of an emptiness,

For passion has its own motives.

لو أليفي رَقَّ يوماً

سوف تُثْنيني طباعي

If my companion were to soften one day,

My innate nature would hold me back

عن قُصورٍ من غُرورٍ

إنْ تمادى في صراعي

From the shortcomings of pride,

If he persists in struggling against me.

لا تُدِنّي أو تُهِنّي

قُلْ متى ترضي سماعي

Do not condemn me, nor humiliate me;

Tell me, when will it please you to hear me

بحديث فيه قُرْبٌ

وَوِفاقٌ في المساعي

With words that carry closeness,

And harmony in our endeavors?

دُمْ أنيسي كن جليسي

لا تُغَيِّرمن طباعي

Remain my intimate, be my companion,

Do not change my innate nature.

نَمْ قرير العين دَوْماً

حافظاً للعهد راعِ

Sleep always with a tranquil eye,

Keeping the covenant, ever mindful.

هل لِنُصْحي فيك وَقْعٌ

نِعْمَ للأمرِ المُطاعِ

Does my counsel have any impact upon you?

How excellent is the command obeyed!

أيْ حبيبي كن صديقاً

صادقاً عند الوداعِ

O my beloved, be a friend,

Truthful at the moment of farewell.

يا صَفِيَّ الروح صَبْراً

إنني في الخير ساعِ

O pure of soul, have patience,

For I am striving towards the good.