مَقاديرُ مِن جَفنَيكِ حَوَلنَ حالِيا

مَقاديرُ مِن جَفنَيكِ حَوَلنَ حالِيا

فَذُقتُ الهَوى بَعدَما كُنتُ خالِيا

فَذُقتُ الهَوى بَعدَما كُنتُ خالِيا

Decrees of fate from your eyelids changed my state,

Measures from your eyelids have changed my state

So I tasted love after I had been free of it.

I tasted love after I had been empty

نَفَذنَ عَلَيَّ اللُبَّ بِالسَهمِ مُرسَلاً

نَفَذنَ عَلَيَّ اللُبَّ بِالسَهمِ مُرسَلاً

وَبِالسِحرِ مَقضِيّاً وَبِالسَيفِ قاضِيا

وَبِالسِحرِ مَقضِيّاً وَبِالسَيفِ قاضِيا

They pierced my reason with an arrow loosed,

Passion pierced me with unleashed arrows

And with magic wrought, and with a sword passing judgment.

Irresistibly destined and with a judging sword

وَأَلبَسنَني ثَوبَ الضَنى فَلَبِستُهُ

وَأَلبَسنَني ثَوبَ الضَنى فَلَبِستُهُ

فَأَحبِب بِهِ ثَوباً وَإِن ضَمَّ بالِيا

فَأَحبِب بِهِ ثَوباً وَإِن ضَمَّ بالِيا

And they clothed me in the robe of wasting sickness, so I wore it.

It clothed me in the garb of grief, so I wore it

So how dear a robe it is, though it enfolds one worn away!

Though it squeezed me, I loved it as my robe

وَما الحُبُّ إِلّا طاعَةٌ وَتَجاوُزٌ

وَما الحُبُّ إِلّا طاعَةٌ وَتَجاوُزٌ

وَإِن أَكثَروا أَوصافَهُ وَالمَعانِيا

وَإِن أَكثَروا أَوصافَهُ وَالمَعانِيا

And love is nothing but obedience and forbearance,

Love is but obedience and concession

Even if they multiply its descriptions and meanings.

Though they describe it abundantly and profoundly

وَما هُوَ إِلّا العَينُ بِالعَينِ تَلتَقي

وَما هُوَ إِلّا العَينُ بِالعَينِ تَلتَقي

وَإِن نَوَّعوا أَسبابَهُ وَالدَواعِيا

وَإِن نَوَّعوا أَسبابَهُ وَالدَواعِيا

And it is nothing but eye meeting eye,

It is but the eyes meeting with the eyes

Even if they diversify its causes and motives.

Though they diversify its causes and incentives

وَعِندي الهَوى مَوصوفُهُ لا صِفاتُهُ

وَعِندي الهَوى مَوصوفُهُ لا صِفاتُهُ

إِذا سَأَلوني ما الهَوى قُلتُ ما بِيا

إِذا سَأَلوني ما الهَوى قُلتُ ما بِيا

And to me, love is the thing described, not its attributes;

To me, love is its object, not its attributes

When they ask me what love is, I say, 'What is within me.'

If asked what is love, I say it is her

وَبي رَشَأٌ قَد كانَ دُنيايَ حاضِراً

وَبي رَشَأٌ قَد كانَ دُنيايَ حاضِراً

فَغادَرَني أَشتاقُ دُنيايَ نائِيا

فَغادَرَني أَشتاقُ دُنيايَ نائِيا

And I am smitten with a young gazelle who was my world when near,

In me was happiness, my life present

Then, far away, he left me yearning for my world.

It left me; I long for my distant life

سَمَحتُ بِروحي في هَواهُ رَخيصَةً

سَمَحتُ بِروحي في هَواهُ رَخيصَةً

وَمَن يَهوَ لا يوثِرُ عَلى الحُبِّ غالِيا

وَمَن يَهوَ لا يوثِرُ عَلى الحُبِّ غالِيا

I freely offered my soul for love of him, counting it cheap;

I gave my soul up cheaply for its love

And whoever loves sets nothing precious above love.

One in love does not prefer anything costlier

وَلَم تَجرِ أَلفاظُ الوُشاةِ بِريبَةٍ

وَلَم تَجرِ أَلفاظُ الوُشاةِ بِريبَةٍ

كَهَذي الَّتي يَجري بِها الدَمعُ واشِيا

كَهَذي الَّتي يَجري بِها الدَمعُ واشِيا

And no suspicion ran through the tale-bearers' words

Nor did the slanderers' words arouse suspicion

Like this one, which my tears reveal as they flow, betraying me.

Like these tears that freely flow

أَقولُ لِمَن وَدَّعتُ وَالرَكبُ سائِرٌ

أَقولُ لِمَن وَدَّعتُ وَالرَكبُ سائِرٌ

بِرُغمِ فُؤادي سائِرٌ بِفُؤاديا

بِرُغمِ فُؤادي سائِرٌ بِفُؤاديا

I say to the one I bade farewell, while the caravan moves on,

I say to those I bade farewell, though my heart

Against my heart's will, moving on with my heart:

Against my will, travels with their hearts

أَماناً لِقَلبي مِن جُفونِكِ في الهَوى

أَماناً لِقَلبي مِن جُفونِكِ في الهَوى

كَفى بِالهَوى كَأساً وَراحاً وَساقِيا

كَفى بِالهَوى كَأساً وَراحاً وَساقِيا

Grant my heart safety from your eyelids in love;

Your eyelids are safety for my heart in love

Love itself suffices as cup, wine, and cupbearer.

Love is enough as a cup, cheer, and pourer

وَلا تَجعَليهِ بَينَ خَدَيكِ وَالنَوى

وَلا تَجعَليهِ بَينَ خَدَيكِ وَالنَوى

مِنَ الظُلمِ أَن يَغدو لِنارَينِ صالِيا

مِنَ الظُلمِ أَن يَغدو لِنارَينِ صالِيا

And do not place it between your cheeks and separation:

And do not let it between your cheek and grace

It is unjust that it should burn in two fires.

Be so unjust as to draw close to two fires

وَلَم يَندَمِل مِن طَعنَةِ القَدِّ جُرحُهُ

وَلَم يَندَمِل مِن طَعنَةِ القَدِّ جُرحُهُ

فَرِفقاً بِهِ مِن طَعنَةِ البَينِ دامِيا

فَرِفقاً بِهِ مِن طَعنَةِ البَينِ دامِيا

And its wound from your figure's thrust has not healed;

Nor has the wound of the spear-thrust healed

So spare it the thrust of parting, bleeding as it is.

So be gentle with it, not with separation's stab