قالوا اصطبر وَهوَ شَيءٌ لَستُ أَعرفُهُ

قالوا اصطبر وَهوَ شَيءٌ لَستُ أَعرفُهُ

مَن لَيسَ يعرفُ صَبراً كَيفَ يصطَبرُ

مَن لَيسَ يعرفُ صَبراً كَيفَ يصطَبرُ

They said, “Be patient”—but that is something I do not know.

They said be patient, yet it's something I don't know

How can one who knows no patience be patient?

How can one be patient when patience they don't know

أوصى الخليّ بِأَن يَغضي المُلاحِظُ عَن

أوصى الخليّ بِأَن يَغضي المُلاحِظُ عَن

غُرِّ الوُجوهِ فَفي إِهمالِها غررُ

غُرِّ الوُجوهِ فَفي إِهمالِها غررُ

The carefree one advised the gazer to avert his eyes from

The wise advised to turn a blind eye on

radiant faces, for carelessness with them is perilous.

The frowns of faces, ignoring them wins the show

وَفاتنِ الحُسنِ قتَّالِ الهَوى نَظرت

وَفاتنِ الحُسنِ قتَّالِ الهَوى نَظرت

عَيني إِلَيهِ فَكانَ المَوت وَالنَّظرُ

عَيني إِلَيهِ فَكانَ المَوت وَالنَّظرُ

And at one of bewitching beauty, deadly in love, gazed

The beauties of charm, the killers of passion I saw

my eye; death came with the glance.

My eyes looked at them, and then came death and the woe

ثُمَ اِنتَصَرتَ بِعَيني وَهيَ قاتِلَتي

ثُمَ اِنتَصَرتَ بِعَيني وَهيَ قاتِلَتي

ماذا تُريدُ بِقَتلي حينَ تَنتَصِرُ

ماذا تُريدُ بِقَتلي حينَ تَنتَصِرُ

Then you triumphed through my eye, though it is my slayer.

Yet with my eyes you were victorious, those eyes that slay me

What do you seek by killing me when you triumph?

What do you want with my murder when you're the victor now

يا شُقَّةَ النَّفس وَاصِلها بِشُقَّتها

يا شُقَّةَ النَّفس وَاصِلها بِشُقَّتها

فَإِنَّما أَنفسُ الأَعداءِ تَهتَجِرُ

فَإِنَّما أَنفسُ الأَعداءِ تَهتَجِرُ

O half of my soul, unite it with its other half,

Oh splitter of souls, keep splitting those souls

for only enemies’ souls shun one another.

For only enemies' souls split up and rue

ظَلَمتَني ثم إِني جئت مُعتَذِراً

ظَلَمتَني ثم إِني جئت مُعتَذِراً

يَكفيكَ أَنِّيَ مَظلومٌ وَمُعتذِرُ

يَكفيكَ أَنِّيَ مَظلومٌ وَمُعتذِرُ

You wronged me; then I came apologizing.

You wronged me, yet I came apologizing still

It is enough for you that I am wronged and apologizing.

It's enough that I'm wronged and apologizing too