ببابِ المصلَّى قد رأيتُ التي أهوى

ببابِ المصلَّى قد رأيتُ التي أهوى

فكان لقلبي عِندَ ذاكَ الهوى مَهوى

فكان لقلبي عِندَ ذاكَ الهوى مَهوى

At the prayer hall’s door, I saw the woman I love.

At the mosque's gate I saw my heart's desire

And then passion became a precipice for my heart.

And so for my heart began this fervent fire

مُسربلةٌ في العيدِ حلَّةَ مخملٍ

مُسربلةٌ في العيدِ حلَّةَ مخملٍ

كما نشَرَ الطَّاووسُ ريشاته زهوا

كما نشَرَ الطَّاووسُ ريشاته زهوا

She was clad on the feast day in a robe of velvet,

Dressed for Eid in a gown of velvet

As a peacock spreads its feathers in pride.

Like a peacock unfurling its feathers in show

نظَرتُ إليها نظرةً كانتِ التي

نظَرتُ إليها نظرةً كانتِ التي

بُليتُ بها والعينُ جالبةُ البلوى

بُليتُ بها والعينُ جالبةُ البلوى

I looked at her with a glance—the very one

I looked at her with a gaze that would

By which I was afflicted; the eye brings affliction.

Spell my ruin, though the eyes court their undoing

لئن قَتَلتني عينُها ألفَ مرَّةٍ

لئن قَتَلتني عينُها ألفَ مرَّةٍ

فكم قتلت عمداً وكم قتلت سَهوا

فكم قتلت عمداً وكم قتلت سَهوا

If indeed her eye has killed me a thousand times,

If her eyes killed me a thousand times over

Then how often it has killed deliberately, and how often inadvertently!

How many slain deliberately, how many in error?

مَشَت في مصلانا تُجَرِّرُ ذيلها

مَشَت في مصلانا تُجَرِّرُ ذيلها

كما جرَّرَتهُ حينَ زَيَّنتِ البَهوا

كما جرَّرَتهُ حينَ زَيَّنتِ البَهوا

She walked through our prayer hall, trailing her train,

She glided in our mosque, dragging her skirt

Just as she trailed it when she adorned the hall.

As she had when gracing the festivities there

وقد رقَّقَت ديني برقَّةِ خَصرها

وقد رقَّقَت ديني برقَّةِ خَصرها

وجاءَت تُصلِّي يومَ حبَّبتِ اللهوا

وجاءَت تُصلِّي يومَ حبَّبتِ اللهوا

And she had softened my faith with the delicacy of her waist,

She weakened my faith with her delicate waist

And she came to pray on the day she made diversion dear.

And came to pray when indulging was dear

فيا ليت قلبي مذبحٌ وهي شمعة

فيا ليت قلبي مذبحٌ وهي شمعة

ويا ليته تفاحةٌ فتنت حوّا

ويا ليته تفاحةٌ فتنت حوّا

Oh, would that my heart were an altar and she a candle,

Would that my heart were an altar and she a candle

And would that it were an apple that tempted Eve.

Would that it were an apple, her bite leaving it bare

رَضيتُ بها لي جنَّةً وأُولو التُّقى

رَضيتُ بها لي جنَّةً وأُولو التُّقى

لهم بعد طيّاتِ الثَّرى جنَّةُ المأوى

لهم بعد طيّاتِ الثَّرى جنَّةُ المأوى

I have accepted her as my paradise; the pious

She was paradise enough, though the pious

Have the Garden of Refuge after the earth enfolds them.

Have paradise still when under the earth they repose

لحقتُ بها لما أتمَّت صلاتها

لحقتُ بها لما أتمَّت صلاتها

وسارت تدوسُ القلبَ أو توسِعُ الخطوا

وسارت تدوسُ القلبَ أو توسِعُ الخطوا

I caught up with her when she had finished her prayer,

I followed her when she finished her prayer

And she walked on, trampling my heart—or lengthening her stride.

Trampling my heart or widening her stride

فقلتُ لها سيري الهُويناءَ واسمَعي

فقلتُ لها سيري الهُويناءَ واسمَعي

حَديثي فإنَّ الحبَّ علَّمني التَّقوى

حَديثي فإنَّ الحبَّ علَّمني التَّقوى

So I said to her, “Walk gently, and listen

I said, walk slowly, my darling, and listen

To my words, for love has taught me piety.”

For love, you must know, gave me faith as my guide

فقالت خجولاً وهي تخفي ابتِسامها

فقالت خجولاً وهي تخفي ابتِسامها

رُوَيدَكِ يومَ العيدِ لا أسمَعُ الشَّكوى

رُوَيدَكِ يومَ العيدِ لا أسمَعُ الشَّكوى

Then she said shyly, concealing her smile,

Shyly, hiding her smile, she replied

“Take your time! On the feast day, I will hear no complaints.”

Hush, no complaints on a holiday!

فقلتُ لها دَعوى هواكِ جليَّةٌ

فقلتُ لها دَعوى هواكِ جليَّةٌ

وقلبُكِ فيها يُصدِرُ الحكمَ والفَتوى

وقلبُكِ فيها يُصدِرُ الحكمَ والفَتوى

So I said to her, “My claim of love for you is clear,

I said, your love for me is clear as day

And your heart issues the judgment and the ruling on it.

And your heart pronounces on this, come what may

فمن مُقلتي نفسي إليكِ تطلَّعت

فمن مُقلتي نفسي إليكِ تطلَّعت

ورُبَّ كتابٍ كان عنوانُه الفَحوى

ورُبَّ كتابٍ كان عنوانُه الفَحوى

For from my eye, my soul gazed out toward you,

For you, from my eyelash, my soul hoped to leap

And many a book has had its meaning as its title.

And many a text had a pretext for passion as title

وإن بعدت دارٌ وشطَّ مزارُها

وإن بعدت دارٌ وشطَّ مزارُها

فللرُّوحِ مع روحٍ تُجاذبُها نجوى

فللرُّوحِ مع روحٍ تُجاذبُها نجوى

And though a dwelling lies far away and its place of visitation is remote,

If a house is far, the spirit still roams there

Yet the soul has secret converse with a soul that draws it.”

Whispering with kindred spirits its secrets to share