ثَوى لَكَ في قَلبي غَرامٌ مُبَرِّحُ

ثَوى لَكَ في قَلبي غَرامٌ مُبَرِّحُ

أراقِمُهُ في حَبَّة القلبِ تَنفُثُ

أراقِمُهُ في حَبَّة القلبِ تَنفُثُ

An agonizing passion for you has settled in my heart;

A joyous passion has made its home in my heart

Its vipers spit venom in the heart's core.

I nurture it in the kernel of my heart as it exhales

ثَباتي عَلَى هَذا الهَوى غَيرُ مُمكِنٍ

ثَباتي عَلَى هَذا الهَوى غَيرُ مُمكِنٍ

ومِثلِي عَلى مِثلِ الهَوى لَيسَ يَمكُثُ

ومِثلِي عَلى مِثلِ الهَوى لَيسَ يَمكُثُ

I cannot stand firm under this passion;

My steadfastness in this love can hardly persist

And one like me cannot last under such passion.

One like me stays not with the like of such love

ثَمِلتُ وَلم أمدُد يَميناً لِقهوَةٍ

ثَمِلتُ وَلم أمدُد يَميناً لِقهوَةٍ

ومِثلي عَلى مِثلِ الهَوى ليسَ يَمكُثُ

ومِثلي عَلى مِثلِ الهَوى ليسَ يَمكُثُ

I grew drunk without reaching out my right hand for wine;

I became filled, yet stretched not a hand for coffee

And one like me cannot last under such passion.

One like me stays not with the like of such love

ثَنيتُ عِنانَ الحُبِّ نحوَكَ والرِّضا

ثَنيتُ عِنانَ الحُبِّ نحوَكَ والرِّضا

ونارُ الأسى بَينَ الضُّلوعِ تُؤرَّثُ

ونارُ الأسى بَينَ الضُّلوعِ تُؤرَّثُ

I turned the reins of love and contentment toward you,

I pulled at the reins of love toward you, pleased

While sorrow's fire is stoked between my ribs.

While the fire of sorrow burns among my ribs

ثَوابُ الهَوى لَو أسعَدَ الحِبُّ وقفةٌ

ثَوابُ الهَوى لَو أسعَدَ الحِبُّ وقفةٌ

يُحَدِّثُني في ظِلِّها وأُحَدِّثُ

يُحَدِّثُني في ظِلِّها وأُحَدِّثُ

Love's reward, if the beloved would favor me, is a moment's pause,

If love’s reward blessed, a stance for us to converse

In whose shade he speaks to me, and I to him.

Under its shade, I would speak to it and listen

ثَرائي وَجَاهَي فيه وَجدٌ وأدُمعٌ

ثَرائي وَجَاهَي فيه وَجدٌ وأدُمعٌ

فَقلبيَ في الحَالَينِ ضاعٍ مُدَمَّثُ

فَقلبيَ في الحَالَينِ ضاعٍ مُدَمَّثُ

My wealth and standing in this love are yearning and tears;

My wealth and status in it were promise and tears

So in both states my heart is humbled and softened.

So my heart in both is lost and pierced

ثَقيلُ الأسَى عِندِي خَفيفٌ لأجلِهِ

ثَقيلُ الأسَى عِندِي خَفيفٌ لأجلِهِ

فَها أنَا في وَجدِي بِهِ أتَشَبَّثُ

فَها أنَا في وَجدِي بِهِ أتَشَبَّثُ

The weight of sorrow is light to me for his sake;

What’s heavy of sorrow to me seems light for it

So here I am, clinging to him in my yearning.

You’ve broken my heart by yearning, so I’ve bound it

ثَلَمتَ فُؤادِي بالنَّوى فَجَبرتُهُ

ثَلَمتَ فُؤادِي بالنَّوى فَجَبرتُهُ

بِصَبرٍ بهِ أبرَمتُ ما أنتَ تَنكُثُ

بِصَبرٍ بهِ أبرَمتُ ما أنتَ تَنكُثُ

You broke my heart with separation, so I mended it

With patience, whereby I’ve sealed what you untie

With patience, through which I bound fast what you unravel.

I’ve renounced my heart should it ache with sorrow

ثَكِلتُ فُؤادِي إن تألَّم للأسَى

ثَكِلتُ فُؤادِي إن تألَّم للأسَى

عَلَى عِلمِهِ أنَّ الحَوادِثَ تَحدُثُ

عَلَى عِلمِهِ أنَّ الحَوادِثَ تَحدُثُ

May I be bereaved of my heart if it suffers from sorrow,

Knowing that events do come to pass

Though it knows that misfortunes come to pass.

Your praise is my basil, your name my comfort

ثناؤك رَيحَانِي وذِكرُك رَاحَتي

ثناؤك رَيحَانِي وذِكرُك رَاحَتي

وَحُبُّكَ سُلوانِي إلى يَومِ أُبعَثُ

وَحُبُّكَ سُلوانِي إلى يَومِ أُبعَثُ

Praising you is my sweet basil, and remembering you my rest;

Your love my solace until the day I’m resurrected

And loving you is my solace until the day I am resurrected.