رعى اللَه وصل من نحبه

ومن قلبي إليه مشتاق

May God preserve union with the one we love,

and the one for whom my heart longs.

فهو دائي ومنه طبه

وسكنه في سواد الاحداق

For he is my ailment, and from him comes its cure;

and his dwelling is in the blackness of the pupils.

يقولوا إن عاد قلبه

إلينا يا فلان توّاق

They ask whether his heart is still

yearning for us, O so-and-so.

فأما أنا وحقّ ربه

على عهده ولست مذاق

As for me, by his Lord’s sacred right,

I remain true to his covenant, no false-hearted lover.

عشق قلبي فكيف أقول به

إذا هو من قديم عشاق

My heart has fallen in love—what can I say of it,

when it has long been an ardent lover?

إذا هبّ الصبا طمح به

يسوقه أين ماله أستاق

When the east wind blows, it bears my heart aloft;

it drives my heart; wherever it turns it, I follow.

دعوا العاشق ومن علق به

فقد غلبت عليه الأشواق

Leave the lover and the one he clings to,

for longings have overwhelmed him.

وأن لا تمنعوه شربه

إذا محبوبه له ساق

And do not withhold his drink from him

when his beloved is his cupbearer.

هلمّ به يا نديم هلم به

فان السلسبيل قد راق

Bring it, O boon companion, bring it!

For Salsabil has become clear.

فحبه في الجمال حسبه

وزاد أكمل بحسن الأخلاق

His beauty is reason enough to love him,

and fine character makes him more perfect still.

كمل ما فيه شي يشين به

سوى أنه قليل الاشفاق

He is perfect; nothing in him mars him,

except that he has little compassion.

فخلقه من رآه شغف به

وقد فاق القمر في الاشراق

Such is his form: whoever sees him is enthralled by him;

and he has surpassed the moon in radiance.

وطرفي مذ رآه متن به

فدمعي لم يزل دفاق

And my gaze, since seeing him, is spellbound by him [reading uncertain];

so my tears have never ceased to pour.

فرض يا ناس عليّ حبه

فعشقي في سواه ما لاق

Loving him is a duty upon me, O people;

so loving anyone but him does not befit me.