أنت الذي علمتني

أنت الذي علمتني

يا سيدي برّ الصديق

يا سيدي برّ الصديق

You are the one who taught me,

You are the one who taught me,

O my master, kindness to a friend.

My master, the kindness of a friend,

وتركتني في فتيةٍ

وتركتني في فتيةٍ

ما فيهمو برٌّ رفيق

ما فيهمو برٌّ رفيق

And you left me among young men

And left me among youths

With not one kind companion among them.

Who have no gentle friendship.

لم ألق بعدك منهمو

لم ألق بعدك منهمو

إلا الجفاء أو العقوق

إلا الجفاء أو العقوق

After you, I have met with nothing from them

After you I have not found among them

But coldness or disloyalty,

Except coldness or filial impiety,

حتى كأني لم أبت

حتى كأني لم أبت

منهم على عهد وثيق

منهم على عهد وثيق

Until it was as though I had never spent a night

As though I had never made

Secure in a steadfast pledge from them,

With them a solemn covenant.

وكأنهم لم يبصروا

وكأنهم لم يبصروا

في خلّتي الحر الصدوق

في خلّتي الحر الصدوق

And as though they had never seen

As though they had never seen

In my friendship a noble, truthful man.

In my intimacy an honest companion.

فنسوا هواي ولم يُفق

فنسوا هواي ولم يُفق

من ودهم قلبي المشوق

من ودهم قلبي المشوق

So they forgot my love, yet never awoke

So they forgot my love and were not roused

From love for them my yearning heart.

By their affection for my yearning heart.

ونسوا طريف حديثنا

ونسوا طريف حديثنا

عند الصبوح أو الغبوق

عند الصبوح أو الغبوق

And they forgot our delightful talk

They forgot our intimate converse

Over morning or evening wine.

In the early dawn or at nightfall.

ليت الهوى ما قادني

ليت الهوى ما قادني

يوما إلى ذاك الطريق

يوما إلى ذاك الطريق

Would that love had never led me

Would that love had never guided me

One day onto that road,

One day to that path,

أو ليتني لم أنخدع

أو ليتني لم أنخدع

جهلا بهاتيك البروق

جهلا بهاتيك البروق

Or would that I had never been deceived,

Or would that I had not been deluded

In ignorance, by those flashes of lightning.

In ignorance by those lightnings,

بل ليتني بعدى الذي

بل ليتني بعدى الذي

عانيت من صحبي أفيق

عانيت من صحبي أفيق

Rather, would that, after what

Rather would that after me there had awakened

I have suffered from my friends, I might come to my senses.

One who suffered from my company.

مولاي لو أبصرتني

مولاي لو أبصرتني

لفزعت من دمعي الطليق

لفزعت من دمعي الطليق

My lord, if you could see me,

My Master, if You saw me

You would be alarmed by my unrestrained tears,

You would be startled by my flowing tears,

وشجاك جسمي ناحلاً

وشجاك جسمي ناحلاً

وكأنه الطيف الطروق

وكأنه الطيف الطروق

And my wasted body would grieve you,

And my emaciated body would stir You,

As though it were a phantom visiting by night.

As though it were a trembling phantom.

أشكو إليك وإنما

أشكو إليك وإنما

يشكو المضيم إلى الشفيق

يشكو المضيم إلى الشفيق

I complain to you, for only

I complain to You, and the oppressed

To the compassionate do the wronged complain.

Complains only to the kindly.

فارحم فديتك مهجةً

فارحم فديتك مهجةً

أودى بها الحزن العميق

أودى بها الحزن العميق

So have mercy—may I be your ransom—on a heart

So have mercy, my ransom, on a life

That deep sorrow has destroyed:

Destroyed by deep sorrow,

حزن يقطع في الحشا

حزن يقطع في الحشا

فكأنه غدر الصديق

فكأنه غدر الصديق

A sorrow that cuts into the vitals,

A grief that slashes the darkness

As though it were a friend's betrayal.

As though it were the betrayal of a friend.

يا ويح قلبي لم يزل

يا ويح قلبي لم يزل

يهفو به الروح الخفوق

يهفو به الروح الخفوق

Ah, alas for my heart! Still

Alas, my heart has not ceased

The fluttering spirit carries it away,

To be consumed by the timid soul,

وتقوده الذكرى إلى

وتقوده الذكرى إلى

عهد الهوى الغض الرفيق

عهد الهوى الغض الرفيق

And memory leads it to

And memory leads it back

The time of tender, gentle love:

To the days of tender love.

أيام نمرح في الصبا

أيام نمرح في الصبا

في ذلك العيش الأنيق

في ذلك العيش الأنيق

Days when we frolicked in youth,

Days when we frolicked in youth

In that lovely life;

In that graceful life,

أيام نسقى في الهوى

أيام نسقى في الهوى

والود كأساً من رحيق

والود كأساً من رحيق

Days when we were served, amid love

Days when we were sated with love

And friendship, a cup of nectar.

And affection was a cup of wine.

تلك الليالي لم تدع

تلك الليالي لم تدع

من بعدها حسنا يروق

من بعدها حسنا يروق

Those nights left no

Those nights left behind them

Beauty after them that could delight.

No beauty that pleases,

كلا ولا خلت لنا

كلا ولا خلت لنا

إلا الزفير أو الشهيق

إلا الزفير أو الشهيق

No, nor did they leave us

No, nor did they leave for us

Anything but sighs or gasps.

Except sighing or moaning.