هَلْ شافعٌ لِي إلى نَعْمٍ وسيلتُها

هَلْ شافعٌ لِي إلى نَعْمٍ وسيلتُها

وَلا وَسيلةَ إلّا السَّقْمُ والجُهُدُ

وَلا وَسيلةَ إلّا السَّقْمُ والجُهُدُ

Will the means of reaching Naʿm intercede for me with her,

Is there one who can help me attain bliss, though the only means to it

when there is no means but sickness and suffering?

Are sickness and toil, and naught else in between?

لَم تطعمِ الحبَّ فَاِرتابَتْ لطاعِمهِ

لَم تطعمِ الحبَّ فَاِرتابَتْ لطاعِمهِ

ولم تَجِدْ بِي فلم أوقنْ بما أجدُ

ولم تَجِدْ بِي فلم أوقنْ بما أجدُ

She has not tasted love, so she doubts the one who has;

You did not feed love, so it doubted its feeder;

and she felt no love for me, so I was not sure of what I feel.

You did not find me worthy, so I doubted what I felt.

في القربِ والبعدِ هجرانٌ ومَقْلِيَةٌ

في القربِ والبعدِ هجرانٌ ومَقْلِيَةٌ

فليس ينفعنِي قربٌ ولا بُعُدُ

فليس ينفعنِي قربٌ ولا بُعُدُ

Near and far alike, there is estrangement and hatred;

Both closeness and distance bring estrangement and torment;

so neither nearness nor distance benefits me.

Neither nearness nor remoteness avails me.

ما نامَ ذِكرُكِ في قلبِي فيوقظُهُ

ما نامَ ذِكرُكِ في قلبِي فيوقظُهُ

برقٌ سرى موهِناً أو طائرٌ غَرِدُ

برقٌ سرى موهِناً أو طائرٌ غَرِدُ

The memory of you never slept in my heart, to be awakened

My heart recalls you not in sleep, so

by lightning coursing late at night, or a warbling bird.

A shooting star startles it, or a bird's song awakens it.

أُحِبُّ منكِ وإنْ ماطَلْتِ عن أرَبي

أُحِبُّ منكِ وإنْ ماطَلْتِ عن أرَبي

وعداً وكم أخلف الميعاد من يَعدُ

وعداً وكم أخلف الميعاد من يَعدُ

I cherish from you—even if you delay fulfilling my wish—

I love you though you are slow to fulfill what you promised me;

a promise—and how often one who promises breaks his word!

How many who promise are late to deliver!

ما أطعمَ الحبَّ يأساً ثمّ مَطْمَعَةً

ما أطعمَ الحبَّ يأساً ثمّ مَطْمَعَةً

لَو كانَ لي بالّذي يجني عليَّ يَدُ

لَو كانَ لي بالّذي يجني عليَّ يَدُ

How sweet love would be—despair, then hope—

Love was not fed despair, then hope;

if I had power over what wrongs me!

Had I power over her who wrongs me, my hand would suffice!

لا مَوقف الحبِّ أَنساهُ وَنَحنُ عَلى

لا مَوقف الحبِّ أَنساهُ وَنَحنُ عَلى

رَصْفٍ من البينِ يخبو ثمَ يَتَّقِدُ

رَصْفٍ من البينِ يخبو ثمَ يَتَّقِدُ

I do not forget the scene of love, when we were upon

Neither of us forgot our stance in love, though we stand

a stone pavement of parting that smolders, then blazes,

On the pavement of separation, fading, then blazing anew.

حَيثُ اِستَندتُ إِلى صبرِي فأَسْلَمنِي

حَيثُ اِستَندتُ إِلى صبرِي فأَسْلَمنِي

والشّوقُ يأخذُ مِنِّي كلّ ما يجدُ

والشّوقُ يأخذُ مِنِّي كلّ ما يجدُ

where I leaned on my patience, and it abandoned me,

I resorted to my patience, so it betrayed me,

while longing takes from me everything it finds.

While yearning takes from me all it can seize.