قَصّرْتَُ في خِدَمي تقصيرَ مُعترفٍ

قَصّرْتَُ في خِدَمي تقصيرَ مُعترفٍ

وما كذَا يَفعلُ الإِخوانُ والخَدمُ

وما كذَا يَفعلُ الإِخوانُ والخَدمُ

I fell short in my service, as one who admits his fault;

You failed me in your service, a confessed failure,

and this is not how friends and servants behave.

Not what brothers and servants would do.

حتّى تعصفَرَ لونُ الطِّرسِ من وجَلٍ

حتّى تعصفَرَ لونُ الطِّرسِ من وجَلٍ

فإن صفحتَ جرَى في وجنَتَيْهِ دَمُ

فإن صفحتَ جرَى في وجنَتَيْهِ دَمُ

Until the page’s color turned safflower-yellow with fear;

Until the feathers of the partridge paled from fear,

then, if you pardon me, blood will flow in its two cheeks.

If you forgave, blood would flow in its cheeks.

ولو تجافتْ ليَ الأيّامُ عن وطَرِي

ولو تجافتْ ليَ الأيّامُ عن وطَرِي

لنابَ عن قَلَمِي في سَعيِهِ القَدَمُ

لنابَ عن قَلَمِي في سَعيِهِ القَدَمُ

And were the days to make way for me to attain my desire,

Even if days shunned my desire,

my foot would take my pen’s place in its striving.

My feet would cease their quest.

وبعد عُذري فقد أقرحتُ من أسَفٍ

وبعد عُذري فقد أقرحتُ من أسَفٍ

جفْني وأدمَى بنائي بعدكَ النّدمُ

جفْني وأدمَى بنائي بعدكَ النّدمُ

And after my apology, I have indeed made sore with grief

After my excuse, I fretted with sorrow,

my eyelid; since you left, remorse has bloodied my frame.

My eyelids and my home tearful with regret after you.

أطعتُ حُكم الليالِي في فراقِيَ مَن

أطعتُ حُكم الليالِي في فراقِيَ مَن

وِجدانُنا كُلَّ شيءٍ بعدَه عدَمُ

وِجدانُنا كُلَّ شيءٍ بعدَه عدَمُ

I obeyed the nights’ decree in parting from the one

I obeyed the nights’ rule in leaving one

after whom gaining everything means nothing to us.

Whose company was all, now is naught.

لِمْ لاَ تَصامَمتْ عن داعِي الفِراقِ ومَا

لِمْ لاَ تَصامَمتْ عن داعِي الفِراقِ ومَا

بَالِي صَلِيتُ لَظَاهُ وهو يَحتدِمُ

بَالِي صَلِيتُ لَظَاهُ وهو يَحتدِمُ

Why did I not turn a deaf ear to parting’s summons, and what

Why did you not refuse the caller to part?

was wrong with me, that I suffered its blaze as it raged?

What is with me? I prayed against his rage.

فإن تُقِلنِي اللّيالِي عَثْرتِي وأفُز

فإن تُقِلنِي اللّيالِي عَثْرتِي وأفُز

بالقُربِ منكَ فميعادُ اللّقا الرّدَمُ

بالقُربِ منكَ فميعادُ اللّقا الرّدَمُ

Then if the nights forgive me my stumble, and I gain

If nights reprove my stumbling, and I succeed

nearness to you, al-Radam shall be our meeting place.

In nearing you, our reunion will be the causeway.