وجَدْتَ فَلِمْ لَمْ تَجُدْ

وجَدْتَ فَلِمْ لَمْ تَجُدْ

على المستهام الكمِدْ

على المستهام الكمِدْ

You had the means—why were you not generous

You found, so why didn't you find

to the love-stricken, sorrowful one?

willingness from the determined one?

وقد جاد من لم يجِد

وقد جاد من لم يجِد

وأنجز من لم يعِد

وأنجز من لم يعِد

Yet one without means has been generous,

He who didn't promise, did fulfill;

and one who never promised has fulfilled a pledge.

He who didn't find, was generous.

إذا كنت تجفو المحبَّ

إذا كنت تجفو المحبَّ

وتزداد هجراً وصدْ

وتزداد هجراً وصدْ

If you shun the lover

If you spurn the lover

and grow in estrangement and rejection,

And increase your estrangement and rejection,

فصُدْغك كيف انثنى

فصُدْغك كيف انثنى

وخَصْرك كيف انعقد

وخَصْرك كيف انعقد

then how did your temple-lock curl,

How did your cheek bend down?

and how did your waist draw tight?

How did your waist gather in?

ولِمْ فترتْ مقلتاك

ولِمْ فترتْ مقلتاك

فُتُوراً أمات الجَلَد

فُتُوراً أمات الجَلَد

And why did your eyes grow languid,

Why did your glances languish,

with a languor that killed fortitude?

killing the staunch one?

وتُسْفِر عن كالضحى

وتُسْفِر عن كالضحى

وتَبسم عن كالبَرَدْ

وتَبسم عن كالبَرَدْ

And you unveil a face like the morning light,

You reveal like the dawn

and smile to reveal teeth like hailstones,

And smile like the cold.

وتهزِل بالعاشقين

وتهزِل بالعاشقين

كذا الحبُّ هَزْل وجَدْ

كذا الحبُّ هَزْل وجَدْ

and make sport of lovers.

You jest about lovers—

Such is love: jest and earnestness.

This is how love is jest and earnest.