نُفُوسٌ نَفِيْسَاتٌ إِلىَ القُرْبِ حَنَّتِ

نُفُوسٌ نَفِيْسَاتٌ إِلىَ القُرْبِ حَنَّتِ

فَلَمَّا سَقَاهَا الحُبُّ بِالكَأْسِ جُنَّتِ

فَلَمَّا سَقَاهَا الحُبُّ بِالكَأْسِ جُنَّتِ

Precious souls yearned for nearness;

Precious souls inclined towards intimacy

then, when Love gave them drink from the cup, they went mad.

When love offered the chalice, they became possessed

وَكَانَتْ تَمَنَّتْ أَنْ تَمُوتَ صَبَابَةً

وَكَانَتْ تَمَنَّتْ أَنْ تَمُوتَ صَبَابَةً

فَسَاقَ إِليْهَا الوَجْدُ مَا قدْ تَمَنَّتِ

فَسَاقَ إِليْهَا الوَجْدُ مَا قدْ تَمَنَّتِ

And they had wished to die of ardent longing,

She wished to die young and passionate

so ecstasy brought them what they had wished.

So fervor brought her what she had wished for

وَفي الحَيِّ هَيْفَاءُ المَعَاطِفِ لَوْ بدَتْ

وَفي الحَيِّ هَيْفَاءُ المَعَاطِفِ لَوْ بدَتْ

عَلى البَانِ كَانَ الوُرْقُ فيْهَا تَغَنَّتِ

عَلى البَانِ كَانَ الوُرْقُ فيْهَا تَغَنَّتِ

And in the encampment is a slender-limbed beauty; had she appeared

In the alley, the rustling of garments, had they appeared

upon the moringa trees, the gray doves would have sung of her.

On the terrace, the leaves would have sang

عَجِبْتُ لَهَا في حُسْنِهَا إِذْ تَفَرَّدَتْ

عَجِبْتُ لَهَا في حُسْنِهَا إِذْ تَفَرَّدَتْ

لأَيَّة مَعْنىً بَعْدَهَا قَدْ تَثَنَّتِ

لأَيَّة مَعْنىً بَعْدَهَا قَدْ تَثَنَّتِ

I marveled at her, since in beauty she was peerless:

I wondered at her beauty when she was unmatched

for what reason, after that, did she sway?

To what purpose did she incline after that?

شَكَا سُقْمَهُ مُضْنَى هَوَاهَا صَبَابَةً

شَكَا سُقْمَهُ مُضْنَى هَوَاهَا صَبَابَةً

فَقَالتْ لَهُ أصبِرْ فِي الصَّبَابةِ أَوْ مُتِ

فَقَالتْ لَهُ أصبِرْ فِي الصَّبَابةِ أَوْ مُتِ

One wasted by love of her complained of his sickness in ardent longing;

A passionate youth complained of his tormenting love

then she said to him: Endure in longing, or die.

She said: be patient with passion or die

فَمَا عَاشَ إِلاَّ مُغْرَمٌ مَاتَ في الهَوىَ

فَمَا عَاشَ إِلاَّ مُغْرَمٌ مَاتَ في الهَوىَ

بِحُبِّي وَهَذَا فِي المُحِبيِّنَ سُنّتِي

بِحُبِّي وَهَذَا فِي المُحِبيِّنَ سُنّتِي

For none has lived but a lover who died in passion

He lived not but enamored, and died of love

for love of me; this is my way with lovers.

This is my way with lovers

سَتَأْتيِكَ مِنِّي قَهْوةٌ إِنْ شَرَبْتَهَا

سَتَأْتيِكَ مِنِّي قَهْوةٌ إِنْ شَرَبْتَهَا

صَحَوْتَ وَفِي صَحْوِ الهَوىَ كُلَّ سَكْرَتِي

صَحَوْتَ وَفِي صَحْوِ الهَوىَ كُلَّ سَكْرَتِي

Wine will come to you from me; if you drink it,

A coffee from me will come to you, if you drink it

you will grow sober, and in love's sobriety lies all my intoxication.

You'll wake in the intoxication of passion

فَلاَ تَمْزِجَنْهَا فَهْيَ بِالْمَزْجِ حُرِّمَتْ

فَلاَ تَمْزِجَنْهَا فَهْيَ بِالْمَزْجِ حُرِّمَتْ

وَلَوْ جُلِيَتْ صِرْفاً عَلَيْهِمْ لَحَلَّتِ

وَلَوْ جُلِيَتْ صِرْفاً عَلَيْهِمْ لَحَلَّتِ

So never dilute it, for mixing makes it forbidden;

Do not mix it, for it is forbidden when blended

yet were it unveiled to them unmixed, it would be lawful.

It would be unlawful if served straight to them

فَإِن هِيَ قَدْ أَفْنَتْكَ سُكْراً فَغِبْ بِهَا

فَإِن هِيَ قَدْ أَفْنَتْكَ سُكْراً فَغِبْ بِهَا

فَمَنْ صَرَّفَتْهُ الصِرْفُ بِالنَّفْي يَثْبُتِ

فَمَنْ صَرَّفَتْهُ الصِرْفُ بِالنَّفْي يَثْبُتِ

So if it has annihilated you in drunkenness, vanish through it;

For it has made you drunk, so disappear through it

for whoever is turned aside by pure wine stands firm through negation.

Whoever is turned by serving, will be steadfast

وَفِتْيَانِ صِدْقٍ كَالنُّجُومِ سَرَوْا عَلَى

وَفِتْيَانِ صِدْقٍ كَالنُّجُومِ سَرَوْا عَلَى

رَكَائِبِ عَزْمٍ مَا لَهَا مِنْ أَزْمَّةِ

رَكَائِبِ عَزْمٍ مَا لَهَا مِنْ أَزْمَّةِ

And true-hearted youths, like stars, traveled by night upon

And sincere youths, like stars, rode

mounts of resolve that had no reins,

On the saddles of resolve—they have no weakness

ذَوِي أَنْفُسٍ لَمْ يَبْرْحِ العِزُّ شَأَنَهَا

ذَوِي أَنْفُسٍ لَمْ يَبْرْحِ العِزُّ شَأَنَهَا

رَأَتْ عِزّ لَيْلَى بِالجَمَالِ فَذَلَّتِ

رَأَتْ عِزّ لَيْلَى بِالجَمَالِ فَذَلَّتِ

possessed of souls whose way had always been pride;

Of noble souls, glory never abandoned its affair

they saw Layla's majesty in beauty and were humbled.

It saw Layla's glory through beauty, so it weakened

تَوَاصَوْا عَلى حِفْظِ الوَفَا وتَرَاضَعوا

تَوَاصَوْا عَلى حِفْظِ الوَفَا وتَرَاضَعوا

كُؤُوسَ الصَّفَا وَاسْتَمْسَكُوا بِالمَوَدَّةِ

كُؤُوسَ الصَّفَا وَاسْتَمْسَكُوا بِالمَوَدَّةِ

They urged one another to keep faith, and suckled together

They conspired to keep loyalty and nurtured

from cups of purity, and held fast to affection.

The cups of sincerity and held to affection

فَنَادَاهُمُ خَمَّارُ دَيْرِ مُدِيرِهَا

فَنَادَاهُمُ خَمَّارُ دَيْرِ مُدِيرِهَا

فَلَمَّا أَمَاتَتْهُمْ مِنَ السُّكْرِ أَحْيَتِ

فَلَمَّا أَمَاتَتْهُمْ مِنَ السُّكْرِ أَحْيَتِ

Then the wine-seller of its cupbearer's monastery called to them;

The tavern keeper of her monastery called them

and when it had killed them with drunkenness, it brought them to life.

When she ended their intoxication, she gave them life

فَعَاشُوا بِهَا فِيْهَا علَى حِيْنِ أَسْلَمُوا

فَعَاشُوا بِهَا فِيْهَا علَى حِيْنِ أَسْلَمُوا

إِليْهَا صِفَاتٍ قِيلَ مِنْهَا اسْتُعِيرَتِ

إِليْهَا صِفَاتٍ قِيلَ مِنْهَا اسْتُعِيرَتِ

So they lived through it, in it, when they surrendered

They lived through it in surrender to

to it attributes said to have been borrowed from it.

Attributes said to be borrowed from it

فَمَنْ عَاشَ مِنَّا لَمْ يَنَلْ مِثْلَ نَيْلِهِمْ

فَمَنْ عَاشَ مِنَّا لَمْ يَنَلْ مِثْلَ نَيْلِهِمْ

وَلَكِنْ مَتَّى تَذْكُرْهُمُ النَّفْسُ حَنَّتِ

وَلَكِنْ مَتَّى تَذْكُرْهُمُ النَّفْسُ حَنَّتِ

For none of us living has attained the like of their attainment;

Whoever among us lived never attained the likes of their attainment

yet whenever the soul remembers them, it yearns.

But whenever the soul remembers them, it yearns