مَلَكتَ قَلبي وَلَم أَملكهُ يا سَكَني

مَلَكتَ قَلبي وَلَم أَملكهُ يا سَكَني

وَما أَراكَ بِهَذا المُلك تَشركني

وَما أَراكَ بِهَذا المُلك تَشركني

You have possessed my heart, while I do not own it, O my solace.

You have possessed my heart yet I do not possess you, my home

And I do not see you letting me share this dominion.

I do not see you sharing this possession with me

فَمرهُ بِاللَهِ يا مَولايَ يُرفق بي

فَمرهُ بِاللَهِ يا مَولايَ يُرفق بي

فَإِن عَبدك قَد أَمسى يُعَذِبُني

فَإِن عَبدك قَد أَمسى يُعَذِبُني

So, by God, O my master, command it to be gentle with me,

So order it, my Master, to be gentle with me

for your slave has begun to torment me.

For your slave has become tortured

أَما تَراهُ بِنار الوَجد يَحرِقُني

أَما تَراهُ بِنار الوَجد يَحرِقُني

ظُلماً وَعَيني بِفَيض الدَمع تَغرِقُني

ظُلماً وَعَيني بِفَيض الدَمع تَغرِقُني

Do you not see it burning me with the fire of passion,

Do you not see it burning with the fire of passion, scorching me

unjustly, while my eye drowns me in a flood of tears?

Unjustly while my eyes drown in a flood of tears

عَلَّمت طَيفك هَجري يا ظَلوم فَلو

عَلَّمت طَيفك هَجري يا ظَلوم فَلو

أَلمَّ بي الطَيف أَمسى النَوم يَهجِرُني

أَلمَّ بي الطَيف أَمسى النَوم يَهجِرُني

You taught your phantom to forsake me, O cruel one; so if

Your absence taught me estrangement, O unjust one, so if

the phantom visited me, sleep would forsake me.

The apparition afflicted me, sleep began to abandon me

فَلا وَعَينيكَ مالي مِن هَواك سِوى ال

فَلا وَعَينيكَ مالي مِن هَواك سِوى ال

سقام وَالسهد وَالأَفكار وَالحُزن

سقام وَالسهد وَالأَفكار وَالحُزن

No, by your eyes, from loving you I have nothing but

By your eyes I swear, I have no madness for your love but

sickness, sleeplessness, thoughts, and grief.

Illness, sleeplessness, obsessive thoughts and sadness

قَد ذُبت حَتّى قَميصي صارَ يُثقِلُني

قَد ذُبت حَتّى قَميصي صارَ يُثقِلُني

وَصارَ يُنكِرُني مَن كانَ يَعرِفُني

وَصارَ يُنكِرُني مَن كانَ يَعرِفُني

I have wasted away until even my shirt weighs me down,

I have melted until my shirt has become heavy on me

and whoever once knew me no longer recognizes me.

And those who knew me have become unrecognizing of me

أَكفكف الدَمع جُهدي وَهُوَ يَسبِقُني

أَكفكف الدَمع جُهدي وَهُوَ يَسبِقُني

وَاِستُر الحُب وَالأَشواق تَفضَحَني

وَاِستُر الحُب وَالأَشواق تَفضَحَني

I try my utmost to hold back my tears, but they outrun me,

I held back my tears with all my strength yet they outpaced me

and I conceal my love, while my longings expose me.

And my love and longing exposed me

وِمِن عَنائيَ إِني قَد فُتِنتُ بِمَن

وِمِن عَنائيَ إِني قَد فُتِنتُ بِمَن

جَمالَهُ أَوقَعَ النسّاك في الفِتَن

جَمالَهُ أَوقَعَ النسّاك في الفِتَن

And part of my suffering is that I am enthralled by one

And from my troubles, I have been tempted by one

whose beauty has cast ascetics into temptation.

Whose beauty has made even ascetics fall into temptation

رَأَيتُ في جِفنِهِ الوَسنان ساحِرُهُ

رَأَيتُ في جِفنِهِ الوَسنان ساحِرُهُ

فَصادَ قَلبي فَلَيتَ الحُب لَم يَكُن

فَصادَ قَلبي فَلَيتَ الحُب لَم يَكُن

I saw its enchanter in his drowsy eyelid,

I saw the youthfulness in his eyelids, his witchery,

so he snared my heart—would that love had never existed.

So my heart was hunted - if only love had not existed

وَلَيتَ عَيني لَم تُبصر مَحاسِنهُ

وَلَيتَ عَيني لَم تُبصر مَحاسِنهُ

فَمَصرَعي كانَ بَينَ السحر وَالوَسَن

فَمَصرَعي كانَ بَينَ السحر وَالوَسَن

And would that my eye had never beheld his charms,

And if only my eyes had not seen his beauty

for my death lay between sorcery and drowsiness.

Then my demise was between witchcraft and youth

أَلفت في حُبِهِ طول السهاد فَلَو

أَلفت في حُبِهِ طول السهاد فَلَو

مَرَّ الغُموض عَلى جِفني لا وَحشَتي

مَرَّ الغُموض عَلى جِفني لا وَحشَتي

In loving him I have grown accustomed to long sleeplessness; so if

I became accustomed to the long sleeplessness, so if

obscurity passed over my eyelid—“no, my loneliness” [wording unclear].

The darkness had passed over my eyelids, I would not feel lonely

أَو كانَ يَشبَهُ بَدر التَمّ طَلعتهُ

أَو كانَ يَشبَهُ بَدر التَمّ طَلعتهُ

لَكانَ عِندَ طُلوع اللَيل يُؤنِسُني

لَكانَ عِندَ طُلوع اللَيل يُؤنِسُني

Or if the full moon resembled his countenance,

Or if his appearance resembled the rising full moon

it would keep me company at the coming of night.

Then at nightfall he would comfort me

أَفديكَ يا مَن إِلَيهِ أَشتَكيهِ عَلى

أَفديكَ يا مَن إِلَيهِ أَشتَكيهِ عَلى

علم بِقَسوَتِهِ إِن لَيسَ يَرحَمَني

علم بِقَسوَتِهِ إِن لَيسَ يَرحَمَني

I would ransom you, O you to whom I complain of you, with

I sacrifice myself for you, the one I complain to of

knowledge of your cruelty, if you do not pity me.

His harshness, knowing he will not have mercy on me

إِن لَم يَكُن لَكَ مِن قَتلي بِلا سَيب

إِن لَم يَكُن لَكَ مِن قَتلي بِلا سَيب

بُدٌ فَبالرفق خُذ روحي مِن البَدَن

بُدٌ فَبالرفق خُذ روحي مِن البَدَن

If, from killing me without bounty, you have no

If you have no choice but to kill me without cause

escape, then gently take my soul from my body.

Then gently take my soul from my body