لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلاَّ الْكَلامَ مُعَبِّرٌ

لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ إِلاَّ الْكَلامَ مُعَبِّرٌ

لَجَرَتْ بُحُورُ الْحُبِّ مِنْ كَلِمَاتِي

لَجَرَتْ بُحُورُ الْحُبِّ مِنْ كَلِمَاتِي

If speech were the only means of expression,

If words alone could not express,

Seas of love would flow from my words.

then love's seas would flow from my utterances.

هَذَا شَذَاهُ يَفُوحُ مِنْ قَلْبِي وَمَا

هَذَا شَذَاهُ يَفُوحُ مِنْ قَلْبِي وَمَا

أَشْذَاهُ حِينَ يَفُوحُ مِنْ نَظَرَاتِي

أَشْذَاهُ حِينَ يَفُوحُ مِنْ نَظَرَاتِي

This is its fragrance, wafting from my heart—and how

This is the fragrance that wafts from my heart, but

Fragrant it is when it wafts from my glances!

how more fragrant when it wafts from my gaze!

لَكِنْ شَذَاهُ يَدُومُ مِنْ قَلْبِي وَهَلْ

لَكِنْ شَذَاهُ يَدُومُ مِنْ قَلْبِي وَهَلْ

لِشَذَا الْقُلُوبِ نِهَايَةٌ، أَحَيَاتِي

لِشَذَا الْقُلُوبِ نِهَايَةٌ، أَحَيَاتِي

But its fragrance from my heart endures—and is there

Yet its fragrance endures from my heart, for can

An end to the fragrance of hearts, O my life?

the heart's passion have an end, my life?

فَالْعَيْنُ تَرْنُو عَلَّ تَرْوَى مِنْ صَدًى

فَالْعَيْنُ تَرْنُو عَلَّ تَرْوَى مِنْ صَدًى

بَعْدَ الْفِرَاقِ يَطُولُ لَوْ لَحَظَاتِ

بَعْدَ الْفِرَاقِ يَطُولُ لَوْ لَحَظَاتِ

For the eye gazes longingly, hoping its thirst will be quenched

So the eye hopes it may glimpse but an echo

After a parting that drags on, even if only for moments.

after our parting, though moments stretch long.

وَالْقَلْبُ مَا عَرَفَ الْفِرَاقَ لأَنَّهُ

وَالْقَلْبُ مَا عَرَفَ الْفِرَاقَ لأَنَّهُ

تَحْيَيْنَ فِيهِ فَصَارَ كَالْجَنَّاتِ

تَحْيَيْنَ فِيهِ فَصَارَ كَالْجَنَّاتِ

And the heart has never known parting, because

While my heart never knew parting, for you

You dwell within it, so it has become like gardens.

revive in it, so it becomes like gardens.

قَدْ كَانَ يَحْيَا قَاحِلاً فَأَتَيْتِهِ

قَدْ كَانَ يَحْيَا قَاحِلاً فَأَتَيْتِهِ

مِثْلَ الرَّبِيعِ فَأَزْهَرَ الْعَطِرَاتِ

مِثْلَ الرَّبِيعِ فَأَزْهَرَ الْعَطِرَاتِ

It once lived barren; then you came to it,

It once lay barren, but you came to it

Like spring, so it blossomed with fragrant flowers.

like Spring, and the buds burst into bloom.

فَأَسَرَّ لِي عَهْدًا سَيَحْيَا حَامِيًا

فَأَسَرَّ لِي عَهْدًا سَيَحْيَا حَامِيًا

تَحْيَيْنَ فِيهِ الدُّرَّ فِي الصَّدَفَاتِ

تَحْيَيْنَ فِيهِ الدُّرَّ فِي الصَّدَفَاتِ

So it confided a pledge to me: it would live as a guardian;

So it vowed to me an oath it will keep ardent,

You dwell within it—a pearl within shells.

you revive in it pearls in their shells.

هَذَا الشَّذَا لِحَدِيثِهِ تَهْفُو الْقُلُو

هَذَا الشَّذَا لِحَدِيثِهِ تَهْفُو الْقُلُو

بُ لِصِدْقِهِ يَعْرُو الأَسَى الْكَلِمَاتِ

بُ لِصِدْقِهِ يَعْرُو الأَسَى الْكَلِمَاتِ

This fragrance—hearts yearn for its speech;

This fragrance, in its words the hearts flutter,

Because of its sincerity, sorrow overtakes the words.

in its truth ache is lifted from words.