لَحا اللَهُ دَهراً حالَ بَيني وَبَينَكُم

لَحا اللَهُ دَهراً حالَ بَيني وَبَينَكُم

وَحَرَّمَ وَصلَ الحُبِّ وَهوَ مُحَلَّلُ

وَحَرَّمَ وَصلَ الحُبِّ وَهوَ مُحَلَّلُ

May God curse an age that came between me and you,

May God curse the age that came between me and you,

God has estranged for a time me from you

May God curse the Time that interposed itself between me and you,

forbidding love’s union though it is lawful.

And forbade love's union, though it is lawful.

And forbidden the union of love, though 'tis lawful

And forbade the union of love, though it is rightfully permitted.

لباناتُ نَفسي عِندَكُم وَشِفاؤُها

لباناتُ نَفسي عِندَكُم وَشِفاؤُها

مِنَ السقمِ لَو أَنَّ السَّقيمِ يُعَلَّلُ

مِنَ السقمِ لَو أَنَّ السَّقيمِ يُعَلَّلُ

My soul’s deepest longings are in your keeping, as is its cure

My soul's longings lie with you, and its cure

The cure of my soul is with you

The deepest needs of my soul reside with you, as does its cure

from sickness—if one sick with love can be consoled.

From sickness—if only the sick could be comforted.

And healing from sickness if only the sick were made whole

From this malady, if only the sufferer could be soothed.

لَبِستُ الضَنى حَتّى تَبَدَّلت صورَةً

لَبِستُ الضَنى حَتّى تَبَدَّلت صورَةً

سِوى صورَتي وَالحُبُّ لا يَتَبَدَّلُ

سِوى صورَتي وَالحُبُّ لا يَتَبَدَّلُ

I donned wasting sickness until I took on a form

I wore wasting sickness until I assumed a form

I wore sadness until my appearance was changed

I have worn the garment of wasting away until my very form changed

other than my own; yet love does not change.

Other than my own; yet love does not change.

Unlike my appearance, and love changes not

Into an image other than my own, yet my love remains unchanged.

لَعَلَّ اللَيالي وَالحَوادِث خَصمُنا

لَعَلَّ اللَيالي وَالحَوادِث خَصمُنا

كَما حَكَمَت فينا بِجَورٍ سَتَعدلُ

كَما حَكَمَت فينا بِجَورٍ سَتَعدلُ

Perhaps the nights and turns of fate, our adversary,

Perhaps the nights and misfortunes—our adversary—

Perhaps the nights and misfortunes will reconcile us

Perhaps the nights and calamities, currently our adversary,

having judged us unjustly, will come to act justly.

Will deal justly, as they have judged us unjustly.

As they have judged between us unjustly, they may yet make right

Just as they judged against us with tyranny, will turn to act with justice.

لَقَد ضِقتُ ذرعاً بِالهَوى ثُمَّ بِالنَوى

لَقَد ضِقتُ ذرعاً بِالهَوى ثُمَّ بِالنَوى

وَلا ذَنبَ لي لكِنَّني أَتَجَمَّلُ

وَلا ذَنبَ لي لكِنَّني أَتَجَمَّلُ

I can no longer bear passion, and then separation;

Indeed, I was overwhelmed by passion, then by separation,

Indeed I have wearied of passion, then of resolve

I have grown utterly weary of passion, and then of separation,

I am not to blame, yet I maintain a brave face.

And I am blameless, yet I bear it with dignity.

Yet I have no fault, though I make myself appear graceful

And I am without fault, yet I endure with feigned patience.

لَمى شَفَةِ المَحبوبِ أَو وَردُ خَدِّهِ

لَمى شَفَةِ المَحبوبِ أَو وَردُ خَدِّهِ

مَدى أَمَلى لَو تَمَّ لي ما أَؤمّلُ

مَدى أَمَلى لَو تَمَّ لي ما أَؤمّلُ

The dusky beauty of my beloved’s lip, or the rose of his cheek,

The dusky hue of the beloved's lip, or the rose of his cheek,

The lips of the beloved or rose of his cheek

The dark luster of the beloved’s lip or the roses of his cheek

is the utmost reach of my hope—if only what I hope for were fulfilled.

Is the utmost of my hope—if only what I hope for came true.

Are the extent of my hopes, if what I wish would be fulfilled

Are the furthest reach of my hope, if my wishes could be granted.

لَعَمري لَو قَبّلتُهُ كَيفَ أَشتَهي

لَعَمري لَو قَبّلتُهُ كَيفَ أَشتَهي

لأَعطَيتهُ دُنيايَ لَو كانَ يَقبَلُ

لأَعطَيتهُ دُنيايَ لَو كانَ يَقبَلُ

By my life, if I kissed him as I desire,

By my life, if I kissed him as I desire,

By my life, if I kissed him, how I desire

By my life, were I to kiss him as I deeply desire,

I would give him my whole world, if he would accept it.

I would give him my world, if he would accept it.

I would give him my world if only he would accept

I would surrender my whole world to him, if he would accept it.

لَهَوتُ بِهِ لَهوَ التَريف بِكَأسِهِ

لَهَوتُ بِهِ لَهوَ التَريف بِكَأسِهِ

يُوَلّي بِتَوقيعِ المدامِ وَيَعزِلُ

يُوَلّي بِتَوقيعِ المدامِ وَيَعزِلُ

I reveled in him as a man of luxury revels in his cup,

I reveled in him as a pampered man revels with his cup,

I would revel with him in the joy of the wine cup

I would delight in him as a reveler delights in his cup,

appointing and dismissing at the wine’s signed decree.

Appointing and dismissing by wine's decree.

Turning from sealing the wine and withdrawing

Who appoints and dismisses by the decree of the wine.

لِسانيَ حُلوٌ وَهوَ أَحلى لَوَ اِنَّهُ

لِسانيَ حُلوٌ وَهوَ أَحلى لَوَ اِنَّهُ

يعلُّ بِسِلسالِ الرُضابِ وَيَنهَلُ

يعلُّ بِسِلسالِ الرُضابِ وَيَنهَلُ

My tongue is sweet—and sweeter would it be, if only it

My tongue is sweet, and would be sweeter if it

My tongue is sweet and it is sweeter still if only

My tongue is sweet, yet it would be sweeter still if

could drink from the limpid stream of your saliva and drink its fill.

Drank its fill and drank again of sweet-flowing saliva.

It articulates the harmony and tastes the draft

It could drink again and again from the cool nectar of his mouth.

ليَ الويحُ إِن لَم أَحظَ مِنكَ بِنَظرَةٍ

ليَ الويحُ إِن لَم أَحظَ مِنكَ بِنَظرَةٍ

مُعاوِدَةٍ أَحيا بِها حينَ أقتلُ

مُعاوِدَةٍ أَحيا بِها حينَ أقتلُ

Woe is me if I do not gain from you a glance

Woe to me if I do not win a glance from you,

Woe to me, if I do not receive from you a glance,

Woe unto me if I am not favored with a single glance from you,

returned again—one by which I live when I am slain.

Renewed, through which I live when I am slain.

Repeated, by which I may live when I am killed

A returning gaze by which I might revive when I am slain.