تَنَفَّسَ من أَهوى فأرَّجَ عَرفُهُ

تَنَفَّسَ من أَهوى فأرَّجَ عَرفُهُ

كَأَنَّ سَحيقَ المِسكِ مِن فيهِ ينفَحُ

كَأَنَّ سَحيقَ المِسكِ مِن فيهِ ينفَحُ

The one I love breathed, and his fragrance filled the air,

He breathed in the scent of the one he loved, and his aroma spread,

as though powdered musk were wafting from his mouth.

As though the purest musk was exhaled from his mouth.

فَشَبَّ بِقَلبي نار وَجدٍ وَإِنَّها

فَشَبَّ بِقَلبي نار وَجدٍ وَإِنَّها

سَرَت مِنهُ لِلأَعضاءِ تَذكى وَتلفَحُ

سَرَت مِنهُ لِلأَعضاءِ تَذكى وَتلفَحُ

Then a fire of longing blazed in my heart, and indeed it

So it kindled in my heart a fire of passion, which

spread from my heart into my limbs, blazing and scorching.

Spread from it to my limbs, warming and enflaming them.

هَوىً ما هَوى قَد زادَ حَتّى جَوانِحي

هَوىً ما هَوى قَد زادَ حَتّى جَوانِحي

تَقَلَّبُ في نار وَعَينِيَ تَسفحُ

تَقَلَّبُ في نار وَعَينِيَ تَسفحُ

A love—what a love!—has grown until my ribs

A love the like of which I never loved swelled ever more,

writhe in fire, while my eye pours tears.

Until my very bones toss in a fire, and my eyes stream tears.

وَخِلت اِنتِشاقَ العَرفِ يُبرِدُ غُلَّتي

وَخِلت اِنتِشاقَ العَرفِ يُبرِدُ غُلَّتي

فَزادَت بِهِ ناراً عَلى القَلبِ تَطفَحُ

فَزادَت بِهِ ناراً عَلى القَلبِ تَطفَحُ

And I thought inhaling the fragrance would cool my burning thirst,

And when the aroma began to subside, cooling my fervor,

but through it my thirst grew fiercer, a fire overflowing my heart.

It only stoked the flames in my heart and made them surge.

تَصَفَّحتُ أَقمارَ الوَرى وَمِلاحَهُم

تَصَفَّحتُ أَقمارَ الوَرى وَمِلاحَهُم

فَكانَ حَبيبي فَوقَ مَن أَتَصفَّحُ

فَكانَ حَبيبي فَوقَ مَن أَتَصفَّحُ

I surveyed the moons and beauties of humankind,

I examined the moons of creation and their beauty,

and my beloved surpassed all whom I surveyed

But found my beloved surpassed all those I surveyed.

ذَكاءً كَأَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تَوَقَّدَت

ذَكاءً كَأَنَّ النارَ مِنهُ تَوَقَّدَت

فَيُدرِكُ مَخفيَّ الأُمورِ وَيَشرَحُ

فَيُدرِكُ مَخفيَّ الأُمورِ وَيَشرَحُ

in brilliance—as though fire had been kindled from him;

In intelligence, it's as though fire itself ignited from him,

and so he grasps what is hidden in things and explains it.

Grasping hidden truths, illuminating and explaining.

وَحُسنٌ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ في وَجَناتِهِ

وَحُسنٌ كَأَنَّ الشَمسَ في وَجَناتِهِ

أَقامَت لَها مُمسىً عَلَيها وَمُصبَحُ

أَقامَت لَها مُمسىً عَلَيها وَمُصبَحُ

And beauty—as though the sun upon his cheeks

In beauty, it's as though the sun made its home in his cheeks,

had made its home there at dusk and dawn.

Abiding there every dusk and dawn.

وَفَرطُ حَياءٍ في خَفارة حييٍّ

وَفَرطُ حَياءٍ في خَفارة حييٍّ

يَكادُ للاستحياءِ بِاللَحظِ يجرحُ

يَكادُ للاستحياءِ بِاللَحظِ يجرحُ

And surpassing modesty, in the bashfulness of one so shy

An excess of modesty in the shyness of a bashful one

that, from sheer shyness, a glance almost wounds him.

Who nearly wounds with his glances out of self-effacement.

وَكانَ مَليحاً قَبلَ نَبتِ عِذارِهِ

وَكانَ مَليحاً قَبلَ نَبتِ عِذارِهِ

فَها هُوَ أَضحى وَهوَ بِالنَبتِ أَملَحُ

فَها هُوَ أَضحى وَهوَ بِالنَبتِ أَملَحُ

And he was handsome before his cheek-down sprouted,

He was handsome before his beard sprouted,

and behold, now with its growth he is handsomer still.

But now that it has, he's more striking and resplendent.

لِقَلبي في مَعناهُ سِرّاً تفكر

لِقَلبي في مَعناهُ سِرّاً تفكر

وَللعينِ في مرآهُ جَهراً تلمحُ

وَللعينِ في مرآهُ جَهراً تلمحُ

My heart reflects in secret upon his inner being,

My heart ponders his meaning in secret,

and my eye openly gazes upon his form.

While my eyes openly stare, catching glimpses of him.

وَتَأخُذُني مِن عظمِ رُؤياه هَيبَةٌ

وَتَأخُذُني مِن عظمِ رُؤياه هَيبَةٌ

فَيعيى لِساني بِالَّذي أَنا أفصحُ

فَيعيى لِساني بِالَّذي أَنا أفصحُ

And awe seizes me at the grandeur of beholding him,

And I'm filled with awe by his tremendous image,

so my tongue falters where I am most eloquent.

Rendering my tongue mute with all I could utter.