يا صاحِبَيَّ أَلِمّا بي بِمَنزِلَةٍ

يا صاحِبَيَّ أَلِمّا بي بِمَنزِلَةٍ

قَد مَرَّ حينٌ عَلَيها أَيُّما حينِ

قَد مَرَّ حينٌ عَلَيها أَيُّما حينِ

O my two companions, stop with me at a dwelling;

O my companion, do not blame me for the state

An age has passed over it—what an age!

I was once in, for time has passed

في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ ديوانُ مَعرِفَةٍ

في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ ديوانُ مَعرِفَةٍ

لَم يُبقِ باقِيَةً ذِكرُ الدَواوينِ

لَم يُبقِ باقِيَةً ذِكرُ الدَواوينِ

In every dwelling is a record of acquaintance;

In every state is a book of knowledge

Remembering those records has spared nothing.

That does not leave memoirs of books

إِنّي أَرى رَجَعاتِ الحُبِّ تَقتُلُني

إِنّي أَرى رَجَعاتِ الحُبِّ تَقتُلُني

وَكانَ في بَدئِها ما كانَ يَكفيني

وَكانَ في بَدئِها ما كانَ يَكفيني

I see that love's returns are killing me,

I see the returns of love are killing me

And at their beginning there was already enough for me.

Though at the start there was enough for me

لا خَيرَ في الحُبِّ لَيسَت فيهِ قارِعَةٌ

لا خَيرَ في الحُبِّ لَيسَت فيهِ قارِعَةٌ

كَأَنَّ صاحِبَها في نَزعِ مَوتونِ

كَأَنَّ صاحِبَها في نَزعِ مَوتونِ

There is no good in love without a crushing blow,

No good is a love without firmness

As though its victim were in the death throes of one struck in the vital artery.

As if its companion is in death throes

إِن قالَ عُذّالُهُ مَهلاً فُلانٌ لَهُم

إِن قالَ عُذّالُهُ مَهلاً فُلانٌ لَهُم

قالَ الهَوى غَيرُ هَذا القَولِ يُعنيني

قالَ الهَوى غَيرُ هَذا القَولِ يُعنيني

If his reproachers say, 'Easy!'—so-and-so, in reply to them,

If the blamers said, wait, O so-and-so is for them

Says, 'Love, not this talk, is what torments me.'

Desire said, not this saying concerns me

أَلقى مِنَ اليَأسِ تاراتٍ فَتَقتُلُني

أَلقى مِنَ اليَأسِ تاراتٍ فَتَقتُلُني

وَلِلرَجاءِ بَشاشاتٌ فَتُحيِيني

وَلِلرَجاءِ بَشاشاتٌ فَتُحيِيني

I encounter bouts of despair, and they kill me;

I met despair's misfortunes so they kill me

And hope has smiles, and they bring me back to life.

And hope’s blitheness so it revives me