بَدا عَلَمٌ للحُبِّ يَمَّمتُ نَحوَهُ

بَدا عَلَمٌ للحُبِّ يَمَّمتُ نَحوَهُ

فَلَم أنقَلِب حَتَّى احتَسَبتُ بهِ قَلبِي

فَلَم أنقَلِب حَتَّى احتَسَبتُ بهِ قَلبِي

A banner of love appeared; I headed toward it.

A sign of love appeared, I hastened towards it

Nor did I turn back until I had reckoned my heart lost to it.

I did not turn back until I risked my heart with it

بَلَوتُ الهَوى قَبلَ الهوى فَوجَدتُهُ

بَلَوتُ الهَوى قَبلَ الهوى فَوجَدتُهُ

إسَاراً بلا فَكٍّ سَقَاماً بلا طُبِّ

إسَاراً بلا فَكٍّ سَقَاماً بلا طُبِّ

I tested passion before falling in love, and found it

I tested passion before passion, so I found it

Bondage without release, sickness without cure.

A captivity without release, an illness without cure

بنَفسِي حَبيبٌ لا أُصَرِّحُ باسمِهِ

بنَفسِي حَبيبٌ لا أُصَرِّحُ باسمِهِ

وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ فهو يَكنِي عَنِ الحِبِّ

وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ فهو يَكنِي عَنِ الحِبِّ

My life be ransom for a beloved whose name I do not disclose;

In my soul a beloved I do not profess his name

And every lover speaks of the beloved in veiled terms.

And every lover, he intimates instead of love

بَرَاني هَواهُ ظَاهِراً بَعدَ باطنٍ

بَرَاني هَواهُ ظَاهِراً بَعدَ باطنٍ

فجِسمي بلا رُوحٍ وقَلبي بلا لُبِّ

فجِسمي بلا رُوحٍ وقَلبي بلا لُبِّ

Love for him wasted me outwardly, after wasting me within;

His love overwhelmed me openly after hidden

So my body is without a soul, and my heart without reason.

So my body without spirit, and my heart without kernel

بِحُبِّكً هَل لِي في لِقَائكَ مَطمَعٌ

بِحُبِّكً هَل لِي في لِقَائكَ مَطمَعٌ

فإنِّيَ مِن كَرب عَلَيكَ إلَى كَربِ

فإنِّيَ مِن كَرب عَلَيكَ إلَى كَربِ

By your love, have I any hope of meeting you?

With your love, do I have hope in meeting you?

For I pass from anguish over you to anguish.

For I am, from missing you, in suffering to suffering

بكُلِّ طَرِيقٍ لي إليكَ مَنِيَّةٌ

بكُلِّ طَرِيقٍ لي إليكَ مَنِيَّةٌ

كأنّي مَعَ الأيَّامِ بَعدَكَ في حَربِ

كأنّي مَعَ الأيَّامِ بَعدَكَ في حَربِ

On every path I take toward you, death awaits me,

In every way to you, I have an intention

As though, in your absence, I were at war with the days.

As if after you, with the days, I am in war

بكَيتُ فَقَالُوا أنتَ بالحُبِّ بَائحٌ

بكَيتُ فَقَالُوا أنتَ بالحُبِّ بَائحٌ

صَمَتُّ فقالوا أنتَ خِلوٌُ مِنَ الحُبِّ

صَمَتُّ فقالوا أنتَ خِلوٌُ مِنَ الحُبِّ

I wept, and they said, “You are revealing your love.”

I cried, so they said you are lamenting with love

I fell silent, and they said, “You are free of love.”

I was silent, so they said you are devoid of love

بَوارِقُ لاحَت للوصَالِ فَشِمتُها

بَوارِقُ لاحَت للوصَالِ فَشِمتُها

فيا بُعدُ بُعداً قَد دَنَا زَمَنُ القُربِ

فيا بُعدُ بُعداً قَد دَنَا زَمَنُ القُربِ

Flashes of union's lightning gleamed, and I watched them;

Lightnings of union flashed, so I smelled them

Away, then, O distance! The time of nearness has drawn near.

Oh remoteness, remoteness, the time of nearness has come near

بقيتُ فَهَل يَبقَى صُبابَةُ لوعةٍ

بقيتُ فَهَل يَبقَى صُبابَةُ لوعةٍ

تُقلّبهُ الأشواقُ جَنباً إلى جَنبِ

تُقلّبهُ الأشواقُ جَنباً إلى جَنبِ

I have survived—but can a remnant of burning anguish survive,

I remained, does the agony of burning passion remain

As longings toss it from side to side?

The passions toss it from side to side

بَلَغتُ المُنى مِمَّن أحِبُّ بِحُبهِ

بَلَغتُ المُنى مِمَّن أحِبُّ بِحُبهِ

ولا بُدَّ للمَربُوبِ مِن رَحمَةِ الرَّبِّ

ولا بُدَّ للمَربُوبِ مِن رَحمَةِ الرَّبِّ

I attained my wishes from the one I love, through loving him;

I attained wishes from the one I love with his love

And the creature cannot do without the Lord's mercy.

And the worshipped must have the mercy of the worshipper