رِدُوا عَبرَةً تَهمِي كَما انهَمَلَ القَطرُ

رِدُوا عَبرَةً تَهمِي كَما انهَمَلَ القَطرُ

يُؤوِّرُها قَلبٌ كما التَهَبَ الجَمرُ

يُؤوِّرُها قَلبٌ كما التَهَبَ الجَمرُ

Come drink of a tear that streams as rain pours down,

Return a lesson that grieves as rain drips down

Heated by a heart that blazes like embers.

Soaked by a heart as embers flare aflame

رَأيتُ الهَوى مُرّاً عَلَى مَن يَذُوقُهُ

رَأيتُ الهَوى مُرّاً عَلَى مَن يَذُوقُهُ

فَمَطلَبُهُ صَعب ومَركَبُهُ وَعرُ

فَمَطلَبُهُ صَعب ومَركَبُهُ وَعرُ

I found love bitter to whoever tastes it;

I saw passion bitter to whoever tastes it

So seeking it is hard, and riding it is rough.

Its quest is hard and its terrain is rough

رَفَعتُ يَدي نَحوَ الحَبيبِ فَردَّها

رَفَعتُ يَدي نَحوَ الحَبيبِ فَردَّها

فَعُدتُ فَعادَ الجمرُ وافتُضِحَ السِّرُّ

فَعُدتُ فَعادَ الجمرُ وافتُضِحَ السِّرُّ

I raised my hand toward the beloved, and he turned it back.

I raised my hand towards the beloved but he pushed it away

So I returned; the embers returned, and the secret was laid bare.

So I returned as embers relit and secrets shone bare

رَمَانِي بسَهمٍ مِن سِهامِ صُدُودِهِ

رَمَانِي بسَهمٍ مِن سِهامِ صُدُودِهِ

ولاَ هَدَفٌ إلاَّ التَّرائِبُ والنَّحرُ

ولاَ هَدَفٌ إلاَّ التَّرائِبُ والنَّحرُ

He shot me with one of the arrows of his rejection,

He shot me with arrows from his quiver of rejection

With no target but the upper ribs and throat.

No target but doubts and pierced insides for sure

رِضَايَ رِضاهُ بانَ عَنيَ أو دنا

رِضَايَ رِضاهُ بانَ عَنيَ أو دنا

وَيحسُنُ باستحسَانِهِ الوَصلُ والهَجرُ

وَيحسُنُ باستحسَانِهِ الوَصلُ والهَجرُ

My contentment is his, whether he leaves me or draws near,

My pleasure is his pleasure if he draws near or pulls away

And his approval makes union and estrangement beautiful.

Parting and union seem fair by his grace

رَكِبتُ جَموحَ الحُبِّ قَبلَ اختِبارِهِ

رَكِبتُ جَموحَ الحُبِّ قَبلَ اختِبارِهِ

فأذهَلَني عَن وَصفِ أخبَارهِ الخُبرُ

فأذهَلَني عَن وَصفِ أخبَارهِ الخُبرُ

I mounted love's unruly steed before testing it;

I rode the unbroken steed of love before testing it

Then firsthand experience left me too dazed to recount its tales.

Dazed by its ways beyond describing its nature

رَحِيقٌ إذا دَارَت عَلَى القَلبِكاسُهُ

رَحِيقٌ إذا دَارَت عَلَى القَلبِكاسُهُ

فَبَاطِنُهُ صَحوٌ وظَاهِرُهُ سُكرُ

فَبَاطِنُهُ صَحوٌ وظَاهِرُهُ سُكرُ

Pure wine—when its cup circles the heart,

A wine when its cup spins around the heart

Its inward state is sobriety, its outward state intoxication.

Outwardly sober, inwardly drunk in its lure

رَقِيبُ الهَوىَ لَم يُبقِ إلاّ صُبَابَةً

رَقِيبُ الهَوىَ لَم يُبقِ إلاّ صُبَابَةً

مِن الرُّوح تُزجِيها الجَوانحُ والصَّدرُ

مِن الرُّوح تُزجِيها الجَوانحُ والصَّدرُ

Love's watcher has left only a last drop

Love's guardian left me with but a wisp

Of the soul, driven onward by the ribs and breast.

Of spirit that ribs and breast set free

رَهِينَةُ قَلبِي فِي يَدَيكَ وَدِيعَةٌ

رَهِينَةُ قَلبِي فِي يَدَيكَ وَدِيعَةٌ

وكَفِّيَ مِن قَلبِي ومِن حُبِّهِ صِفرُ

وكَفِّيَ مِن قَلبِي ومِن حُبِّهِ صِفرُ

My pledged heart is a trust in your hands,

My heart is your hostage, a trust in your hands

And my palm is empty of my heart and of its love.

And my palms are empty of it and its fervor

رَجعتُ إلى الصَّبرِ الّذِي لا أطيقًهُ

رَجعتُ إلى الصَّبرِ الّذِي لا أطيقًهُ

عَلَآ أنَّ مِثلي لَيسَ يَخدَعُهُ الصَّبرُ

عَلَآ أنَّ مِثلي لَيسَ يَخدَعُهُ الصَّبرُ

I returned to patience, which I cannot bear,

I returned to patience that I cannot endure

Though one like me is not deceived by patience.

Though the likes of me are not fooled by patience