سَهِرتُ فيكَ فَلَم أَجحَد يَدَ السَهَرِ

سَهِرتُ فيكَ فَلَم أَجحَد يَدَ السَهَرِ

وَطالَ فِكري وَلا عَتبٌ عَلى الفِكَرِ

وَطالَ فِكري وَلا عَتبٌ عَلى الفِكَرِ

I stayed awake for you and did not deny the kindness of sleeplessness.

I stayed up late for you, not denying the hand of wakefulness,

My thoughts ran long, and I laid no blame upon them.

And my thoughts went on and on, with no blame upon thought.

نادَمتُ ذِكرَكَ وَالظَلماءُ عاكِفَةٌ

نادَمتُ ذِكرَكَ وَالظَلماءُ عاكِفَةٌ

فَكانَ يا سَيِّدي أَحلى مِنَ السَمَرِ

فَكانَ يا سَيِّدي أَحلى مِنَ السَمَرِ

I made your memory my drinking companion while darkness lingered;

I regretted your memory while the darkness kept vigil,

So it was, my lord, sweeter than nighttime conversation.

So it was, my master, sweeter than late-night talk.

فَلَو تَرى عَبرَتي وَالشَوقُ يَسفَحُها

فَلَو تَرى عَبرَتي وَالشَوقُ يَسفَحُها

لَما اِلتَفَتَّ إِلى شَيءٍ مِنَ المَطَرِ

لَما اِلتَفَتَّ إِلى شَيءٍ مِنَ المَطَرِ

So if you could see my tears as longing pours them forth,

If you could see my flowing tears and the passion spilling them,

You would pay no heed to any rain.

You would not have turned to anything like rain.

يا مَن إِذا قُلتُ يا مَن لا نَظيرَ لَهُ

يا مَن إِذا قُلتُ يا مَن لا نَظيرَ لَهُ

في حُسنِهِ قيلَ لي يا أَصدَقَ البَشَرِ

في حُسنِهِ قيلَ لي يا أَصدَقَ البَشَرِ

O you—when I say, ‘O you who have no equal

O you whom when I say ‘O matchless one’

In beauty,’ I am told, ‘O most truthful of humankind!’

I am told ‘O most truthful of men’.

ما إِن أَرى وَجهكَ المَكنونَ جَوهَرُهُ

ما إِن أَرى وَجهكَ المَكنونَ جَوهَرُهُ

يا أَملَحَ الناسِ إِلّا نُسخَةَ القَمَرِ

يا أَملَحَ الناسِ إِلّا نُسخَةَ القَمَرِ

I do not see your face, whose jewel is kept hidden,

Whenever I see your hidden-essence face,

O loveliest of people, as anything but a copy of the moon.

O most elegant of men, it is nothing but a moonscape.