إِذا لم يكنْ مَعْنى حديثك لي يُدْرَى

إِذا لم يكنْ مَعْنى حديثك لي يُدْرَى

فلا مُهْجْتيِ تُشْفىَ ولا كَبدي تُروَى

فلا مُهْجْتيِ تُشْفىَ ولا كَبدي تُروَى

If I cannot grasp the meaning of your speech,

If the meaning of your speech is not known to me,

Then my soul is not healed, nor is my liver slaked.

Then neither is my soul healed nor my liver quenched.

نَظرتُ فلم أنْظر سِواكَ أحبُّهُ

نَظرتُ فلم أنْظر سِواكَ أحبُّهُ

ولَولاكَ ما طَاَب الهَوى لِلَّذي يَهوى

ولَولاكَ ما طَاَب الهَوى لِلَّذي يَهوى

I looked, and saw no one but you whom I love;

I looked, and saw none whom I love but you.

But for you, passion would not be sweet to one who loves.

And but for you, love would not be sweet to the lover.

ولَّما اجْتلاَك الفكرُ في خَلوة الرّضا

ولَّما اجْتلاَك الفكرُ في خَلوة الرّضا

وغيّبت قال الناس ضَلت بي الاهْوا

وغيّبت قال الناس ضَلت بي الاهْوا

When thought unveiled you in contentment’s seclusion,

And when thought beheld you in the solitude of contentment

And I passed from sight, people said, “Passions have led me astray.”

And I was lost to myself, people said that passions had led me astray.

لَعمرُك ما ضَلَّ المحبُّ وَما غَوى

لَعمرُك ما ضَلَّ المحبُّ وَما غَوى

ولكَّنهمْ لمَّا عمُوا أخطئوا الفتوى

ولكَّنهمْ لمَّا عمُوا أخطئوا الفتوى

By your life, the lover neither strayed nor went wrong;

By your life, the lover has not strayed, nor has he erred.

But, having gone blind, they erred in their fatwa.

But when they became blind, they erred in their ruling.

ولو شَهدوا معنى جمَالِكَ مثْلما

ولو شَهدوا معنى جمَالِكَ مثْلما

شهدْتُ بعينِ القلبِ ما أنكروا الدَّعوى

شهدْتُ بعينِ القلبِ ما أنكروا الدَّعوى

Had they witnessed the meaning of your beauty as

And had they witnessed the meaning of your beauty just as

I witnessed it with the heart’s eye, they would not have denied the claim.

I witnessed it with the heart's eye, they would not have denied the claim.

خلعت عِذاري في هَواك وَمنْ يكنْ

خلعت عِذاري في هَواك وَمنْ يكنْ

خليعَ عِذارِ في الهوى سَرَّهُ النجوى

خليعَ عِذارِ في الهوى سَرَّهُ النجوى

I cast off my bridle in love of you; whoever is

I cast off my bridle in love for you; and whoever is

Unbridled in love is delighted by secret communion.

Unbridled in love is gladdened by intimate converse.

وَمزقتُ أثواب الوقارِ تَهتكا

وَمزقتُ أثواب الوقارِ تَهتكا

عليكَ وطابت في محَبتكَ الْبلوَى

عليكَ وطابت في محَبتكَ الْبلوَى

I tore apart the robes of dignity in shameless abandon,

And I tore the robes of dignity in shameless abandon

All for you; and affliction in loving you became sweet.

For you; and affliction grew sweet in love for you.

فما في الهْوى شكوىَ ولو مُزِّق الحَشَا

فما في الهْوى شكوىَ ولو مُزِّق الحَشَا

وَعارٌ على العُشاق في حُبِّكَ الشَّكوى

وَعارٌ على العُشاق في حُبِّكَ الشَّكوى

There is no complaint in love, though one’s very entrails be torn;

For there is no complaint in love, even if the entrails are torn apart.

To lovers, complaint in loving you is a disgrace.

And complaining in love for you is a disgrace to lovers.