أَتطمعُ في عِقالك أَن يُحلاّ

أَتطمعُ في عِقالك أَن يُحلاّ

وتُدرك في ظلام الصُّدغ مَحْلا

وتُدرك في ظلام الصُّدغ مَحْلا

Do you hope that your fetter will be loosened,

Do you hope that your reason will be adorned,

And that you will find a dwelling in the temple-lock's darkness?

And attain enlightenment in the darkness of perception?

وكنتُ أَقول لي صبرٌ مُعينٌ

وكنتُ أَقول لي صبرٌ مُعينٌ

فلمّا صحّ هجرُك لي تخلّى

فلمّا صحّ هجرُك لي تخلّى

And I used to say, 'I have patience to sustain me.'

I used to say to myself, "Patience is a helper,"

But when your desertion of me proved certain, it forsook me.

But when your separation became true to me, it abandoned me.

أَتسمع في مُحِبّك قولَ واشٍ

أَتسمع في مُحِبّك قولَ واشٍ

وما سَمِع المُعَنّى فيك عَذْلا

وما سَمِع المُعَنّى فيك عَذْلا

Do you heed a slanderer's words about your lover,

Do you hear your lover say anything,

While the tormented one has heeded no reproach concerning you?

And the meaning has never heard you to be unjust?

لقد حلّلتَ من قتلي حراماً

لقد حلّلتَ من قتلي حراماً

وحرَّمتَ الوصال وكان حِلاّ

وحرَّمتَ الوصال وكان حِلاّ

You have indeed made lawful the forbidden act of killing me,

You made it unlawfully forbidden for me to be killed,

And made union forbidden, though it was lawful.

And you forbade union though it was permissible.

وتسمح لي بخمر اللَّحظ صِرْفاً

وتسمح لي بخمر اللَّحظ صِرْفاً

وتمنعني مِزاجَ الرّيق بُخلا

وتمنعني مِزاجَ الرّيق بُخلا

And grant me the unmixed wine of your glance,

And you allow me the wine of gazes undiluted,

Yet stingily deny me your saliva to blend with it.

Yet you deprive me of the beverage of saliva out of stinginess.

لقد عذَّبْتني، وأَصبتَ فيه

لقد عذَّبْتني، وأَصبتَ فيه

لأَنّ الحبّ بالتعذيب أَحلى

لأَنّ الحبّ بالتعذيب أَحلى

You have indeed tormented me, and rightly so,

You have tortured me, and been correct in doing so,

For love is sweeter through torment.

Because love is made more beautiful through torment.

لقد نصحت دعاوى العشق قوماً

لقد نصحت دعاوى العشق قوماً

يظنّون البَلا في الحبِّ سهلا

يظنّون البَلا في الحبِّ سهلا

Love's claims have indeed counseled some people,

I advised the claims of passion to a people,

Who think affliction in love is easy.

Who think tribulation in love is easy.

فواحدُهم يَلَذُّ له زماناً

فواحدُهم يَلَذُّ له زماناً

ويطمع أَن يرى أَمناً وعدلا

ويطمع أَن يرى أَمناً وعدلا

So one of them finds it sweet for a while,

One of them enjoys for a time,

And hopes to find safety and justice.

And hopes to see safety and justice.

إِذا ابتسم الوِصال يهيم عِشقاً

إِذا ابتسم الوِصال يهيم عِشقاً

وإِن عَبَس الصّدودُ سلا ومَلاّ

وإِن عَبَس الصّدودُ سلا ومَلاّ

When union smiles, he grows mad with love,

When the union smiles, he ardently loves,

But if rejection frowns, he forgets his love and grows bored.

And if estrangement frowns, he becomes humble and weary.

وشرطُ العِشق أَن تبقى أَسيراً

وشرطُ العِشق أَن تبقى أَسيراً

وتجعلَ حُبَّهم قَيْداً وغُلاّ

وتجعلَ حُبَّهم قَيْداً وغُلاّ

Yet love's condition is that you remain a captive,

The condition of love is that you remain captive,

And make love for them a fetter and an iron collar.

And make their love a shackle and fetter.

فيا دهرُ ارتدِع عني وإِلاّ

فيا دهرُ ارتدِع عني وإِلاّ

ستلقى من مُعين الدين نَصْلا

ستلقى من مُعين الدين نَصْلا

So, O Time, leave me be, or else

O time, beware of me, else

You will meet a blade from Muʿin al-Din.

You will find a sharp sword from the spring of religion.

فتى إِن زُرْتَه أَلفيتَ عزماً

فتى إِن زُرْتَه أَلفيتَ عزماً

يدافع من كُروب الدّهر ثِقْلا

يدافع من كُروب الدّهر ثِقْلا

A youth: if you visit him, you find resolve

A young man, if you visit him you will find resolve,

That wards off the weight of Time's afflictions.

That defends from the burdens of fate.

وتلقى للخطوب حِمىً مَنيعاً

وتلقى للخطوب حِمىً مَنيعاً

وتُبصر جانباً للّهْو سَهلا

وتُبصر جانباً للّهْو سَهلا

And you find an impregnable refuge against calamities,

And you will find strong protection for calamities,

And see a gentle side for merriment.

And you will see an aspect that is easy for enjoyment.

فآلاءُ المكارم منك تَتْرى

فآلاءُ المكارم منك تَتْرى

وآيات المحامد فيك تُتْلى

وآيات المحامد فيك تُتْلى

For the bounties of noble deeds flow from you in succession,

The virtues of nobility flow from you,

And verses of praise about you are recited.

And the signs of praise in you are recited.

مدحتك لا لأَجلِ يسيرِ حَظٍ

مدحتك لا لأَجلِ يسيرِ حَظٍ

ولكن مطلبي أَوفى وأَغلى

ولكن مطلبي أَوفى وأَغلى

I praised you not for a paltry gain,

I have praised you not for the sake of some meager fortune,

But what I seek is greater and more precious.

But rather my request is more faithful and precious.

أُؤَمِّلُ همةً لك أَمتطيها

أُؤَمِّلُ همةً لك أَمتطيها

وأَبلغ في خفارتها المَحَلاّ

وأَبلغ في خفارتها المَحَلاّ

I hope to ride upon your high resolve,

I have high hopes in you that I mount,

And reach my destination under its protection.

And attain the summit in its vigilance.

فَتنْعَشُ قوةً وتُزيلُ هَمّاً

فَتنْعَشُ قوةً وتُزيلُ هَمّاً

وتُحيي مَيِّتاً وَتَرُبُّ شَمْلا

وتُحيي مَيِّتاً وَتَرُبُّ شَمْلا

Thus you revive strength and dispel worry,

It revives strength and dispels anxiety,

And bring the dead to life and restore unity.

It brings the dead to life and nurtures the whole.