لَعَمري لَقَد ذُقتُ الهَوىَ فَوَجَدتُهُ

لَعَمري لَقَد ذُقتُ الهَوىَ فَوَجَدتُهُ

وَبَاطِنُهُ صَعبٌ وظاهِرُهُ سَهلُ

وَبَاطِنُهُ صَعبٌ وظاهِرُهُ سَهلُ

By my life, I have tasted love and found it—

By my life! I have tasted love and found it

Hard within, yet easy on the surface.

Difficult within, easy without.

لَبِستُ الضَّنى لمّا تَحقَّقتُ بالهَوى

لَبِستُ الضَّنى لمّا تَحقَّقتُ بالهَوى

فأصبَحَ لي عَن كُلِّ شُغلٍ بهِ شُغلُ

فأصبَحَ لي عَن كُلِّ شُغلٍ بهِ شُغلُ

I donned wasting sickness when I became steeped in love;

I donned sorrow when I became truthful in love -

So preoccupation with it displaced every other concern.

So it has become my sole preoccupation.

لَهِيبُ الأسَى بَينَ الجَوانحِ لائحٌ

لَهِيبُ الأسَى بَينَ الجَوانحِ لائحٌ

فَدَمعِيَ لا يَرقَا وقَلبِيَ لا يَسلُو

فَدَمعِيَ لا يَرقَا وقَلبِيَ لا يَسلُو

The flame of sorrow glows between my ribs;

The flames of grief blaze between my ribs

So my tears never cease, and my heart finds no solace.

Yet my tears flow not, nor does my heart find peace.

لَمَحتُ بِقَلبي مَن هُو القَلبُ كُلُّهُ

لَمَحتُ بِقَلبي مَن هُو القَلبُ كُلُّهُ

فَعايَنتُ مَولىً لا يَليقُ بهِ المِثلٌُ

فَعايَنتُ مَولىً لا يَليقُ بهِ المِثلٌُ

With my heart I glimpsed the one who is the heart entire;

I glimpsed with my heart the one who is all heart -

Then I beheld a Lord beyond all comparison.

So I saw my Master, who cannot be equaled.

لَحَونِي وقَالوا أنتَ للعَقلِ تَاركٌ

لَحَونِي وقَالوا أنتَ للعَقلِ تَاركٌ

وَهَل وَجَدوا قَبلي مُحِبّاً لَهُ عَقلُ

وَهَل وَجَدوا قَبلي مُحِبّاً لَهُ عَقلُ

They reproached me and said, “You have forsaken reason.”

They blamed me and said, "You have abandoned reason."

But had they found, before me, a lover possessed of reason?

But did they ever find a lover who had reason?

لِذِكرِكَ في نطقي وَصَمتي حَلاوَةٌ

لِذِكرِكَ في نطقي وَصَمتي حَلاوَةٌ

لِذَلِكَ قَلبي مِن خَيالِكَ لا يَخلُو

لِذَلِكَ قَلبي مِن خَيالِكَ لا يَخلُو

Remembering you is sweet in my speech and my silence;

The sweetness of your mention in my speech and silence -

Thus my heart is never empty of your image.

So my heart is never devoid of your image.

لَذِيذٌ عَلَى سَمعي حَديثُكَ كُلُّه

لَذِيذٌ عَلَى سَمعي حَديثُكَ كُلُّه

وإن كانَ في إنشائِهِ اللَّومُ والعَذلُ

وإن كانَ في إنشائِهِ اللَّومُ والعَذلُ

All your speech is sweet to my hearing,

Sweet upon my hearing is all your discourse,

Even if its wording contains blame and reproach.

Though there may be therein blame and rebuke.

لو اجتَمَعَت عَيني بمرآكَ لَمحَةً

لو اجتَمَعَت عَيني بمرآكَ لَمحَةً

لَلَذَّ لها في حَقِّكًَ المَوتُ والقَتلُ

لَلَذَّ لها في حَقِّكًَ المَوتُ والقَتلُ

If my eye met the sight of you for an instant,

If my eyes united with a glimpse of you

Death and being slain for your sake would be sweet to it.

Death and murder would be sweet for their sake.

لعلَّ لثاءَ الحِبِّ قَبلَ أوَانِهِ

لعلَّ لثاءَ الحِبِّ قَبلَ أوَانِهِ

فَرُبَّ فِراقٍ كانَ آخرَهُ الوَصلُ

فَرُبَّ فِراقٍ كانَ آخرَهُ الوَصلُ

Perhaps kissing the beloved will come before its time;

Perhaps too soon I sing love's praises -

For many a parting has ended in union.

For separation oft comes after union.

لَكَ الحَقُّ إن أَدنَيتَني أو حَجَبتَنِي

لَكَ الحَقُّ إن أَدنَيتَني أو حَجَبتَنِي

وَأنتَ لإدنَائي عَلى عِلَّتِي أهلُ

وَأنتَ لإدنَائي عَلى عِلَّتِي أهلُ

Yours is the right, whether you draw me near or shut me out;

You have the right, if you draw me near or distance me,

And it befits you to draw me near, despite my infirmity.

For to draw me near, you know best my condition.