روحي بِقُربِكَ قَد نالَت مِنَ الاِربِ

روحي بِقُربِكَ قَد نالَت مِنَ الاِربِ

ما تَرضيهِ فَمرها في الهَوى تجب

ما تَرضيهِ فَمرها في الهَوى تجب

My soul, through nearness to you, has attained its desire.

My soul, through nearness to you, has attained its desire:

Whatever pleases you, command it in love, and it will obey.

what pleases you; command it in love, and it will answer.

فَضَع يَمينُكَ فَضلا فَوقَ مهجَتِها

فَضَع يَمينُكَ فَضلا فَوقَ مهجَتِها

تكف بِالكَف ما عانَتهُ مِن وَصب

تكف بِالكَف ما عانَتهُ مِن وَصب

Graciously lay your right hand over its very lifeblood,

So lay your right hand, in kindness, upon its heart;

and with that palm ward off the pain it has endured.

with your palm, you will dispel the suffering it has endured.

لا تُنكِرَن مَزايا الحُب اِن لَهُ

لا تُنكِرَن مَزايا الحُب اِن لَهُ

في الراحَتَينِ لَراحات من التَعَب

في الراحَتَينِ لَراحات من التَعَب

Never deny the virtues of love, for it holds

Do not deny love's blessings, for it has

in those two palms relief from weariness.

in both palms, true relief from weariness.

وَاِنظُر تَر الصَب مَلقى لا حِراك بِهِ

وَاِنظُر تَر الصَب مَلقى لا حِراك بِهِ

باك تَردد بَين الماءِ وَاللَهب

باك تَردد بَين الماءِ وَاللَهب

Look: you will see the lover cast down, motionless,

And look: you will see the lovesick lover cast down, unable to move,

tossed, because of you, between water and flame.

weeping, wavering between water and flame.

من روح رَبِّكَ روح قَد خَصَّصَت بِها

من روح رَبِّكَ روح قَد خَصَّصَت بِها

فَاِمنَح بِها مُهجَة اِن تَلتَفِت تجب

فَاِمنَح بِها مُهجَة اِن تَلتَفِت تجب

A spirit from your Lord—a spirit with which you were singled out—

You have been specially endowed with a spirit from your Lord's spirit;

with it, grant life to a heart; if you turn toward it, it will answer.

so favor a heart with it; if you turn toward it, it will answer.

لا تَبخَلَن عَلى نَفس فديت بِها

لا تَبخَلَن عَلى نَفس فديت بِها

وَأَنعِشن بِها قَلبي مِنَ النَصب

وَأَنعِشن بِها قَلبي مِنَ النَصب

Do not withhold it from a soul I sacrificed for you;

Do not be ungenerous to a soul offered as your ransom,

with it, revive my heart from exhaustion.

and with it revive my heart from exhaustion.

وَقُل لاِنسانك الجاني عَلى تَلَفى

وَقُل لاِنسانك الجاني عَلى تَلَفى

بِأَي ذَنبٍ لِقَتلي زدت في الطَلب

بِأَي ذَنبٍ لِقَتلي زدت في الطَلب

And say to the pupil of your eye, guilty of my undoing:

And say to your eye's pupil, guilty of my ruin:

“For what sin did you redouble your pursuit of killing me?”

'For what sin have you pursued my killing all the more?'

نَصبت لَحظا لِقَلب مؤمن كلف

نَصبت لَحظا لِقَلب مؤمن كلف

فَصارَ في الحُبِّ مُهديا اِلى النَصبِ

فَصارَ في الحُبِّ مُهديا اِلى النَصبِ

You trained a glance upon the heart of a love-struck believer,

You aimed a glance at a faithful, lovesick heart,

and in love it was guided only toward suffering.

so in love it became a guide to suffering.

بِمَوسِم الاِنس سَيف اللَحظِ جرده

بِمَوسِم الاِنس سَيف اللَحظِ جرده

وَهَزَّ نَحوي قَواما في الدَلالِ رَبّي

وَهَزَّ نَحوي قَواما في الدَلالِ رَبّي

In the season of intimacy, he unsheathed the sword of his glance

At the festival of intimacy, he unsheathed the sword of his glance,

and brandished it toward me—he whose figure was reared in coy grace.

and my master swayed his figure toward me in coquetry.

أَلزَمتُهُ وَهُوُ وسنان الهَوى ديتي

أَلزَمتُهُ وَهُوُ وسنان الهَوى ديتي

فَأَسدَل الهَدب لي عَجبا وَلَم يجب

فَأَسدَل الهَدب لي عَجبا وَلَم يجب

I charged him, drowsy with love, with payment of my blood-price;

I held him liable for my blood-price while he was drowsy with love;

he lowered his lashes before me in wonder and did not answer.

so he lowered his lashes at me in wonder and did not answer.

جَدواكَ بِالعَفوُ مُذ جَلَت مَآثِرها

جَدواكَ بِالعَفوُ مُذ جَلَت مَآثِرها

تَسمو عَلى كُل ما يَسمو مِن الرتب

تَسمو عَلى كُل ما يَسمو مِن الرتب

Your true bounty is pardon, since its noble deeds have shone,

Your bounty in forgiveness, since its merits shone forth,

rising above every rank that rises.

soars above every exalted rank.

نَحنُ الخُلود مِن العُشّاق اِن رَشَفت

نَحنُ الخُلود مِن العُشّاق اِن رَشَفت

تِلكَ الثَنايا وَما في ذاكَ من عَجَب

تِلكَ الثَنايا وَما في ذاكَ من عَجَب

We are the immortals among lovers, if

We lovers are immortality itself, if I sip from

those front teeth sip from us—and in that there is no wonder.

those front teeth—and there is nothing strange in that.

شَفا شَفاهِك مِنهُ الصَب يا أَملي

شَفا شَفاهِك مِنهُ الصَب يا أَملي

في غنية عَن طَبيب حاذِق وَغبي

في غنية عَن طَبيب حاذِق وَغبي

Your lips healed the lover of it, O my hope,

Through the healing of your lips, the lover, O my hope,

leaving him in need of neither skilled physician nor fool.

has no need of a physician, skilled or inept.

أَعزك اللَه بلغ ما أَتيت بِهِ

أَعزك اللَه بلغ ما أَتيت بِهِ

بِعادِل لوثثني قيل أَنتَ نبي

بِعادِل لوثثني قيل أَنتَ نبي

May God exalt you—carry through what I have brought

May God honor you; proclaim what you have brought

past a reproacher: if he turned me back, they would say, “You are a prophet.”

through a just one—[unclear wording]—it was said, 'You are a prophet.'

فَأمة العِشق لاقَت في الغَرامِ لَظى

فَأمة العِشق لاقَت في الغَرامِ لَظى

كَأَنَّما قَد تَبناهُم أَبو لَهب

كَأَنَّما قَد تَبناهُم أَبو لَهب

The nation of lovers has met a blaze in passion,

For love's community has met blazing fire in passion,

as though Abu Lahab had adopted them.

as though Abu Lahab had adopted them.

أَتَت لحيك الأَبصارِ شاخِصَة

أَتَت لحيك الأَبصارِ شاخِصَة

يَستَشفعون بِذاك العادل الرطب

يَستَشفعون بِذاك العادل الرطب

Eyes came to your quarter, fixed and staring,

They came to your quarter, their eyes staring,

seeking intercession through that tender, just one.

seeking intercession through that tender, just one.

فَاِدرَأ بِعَفوِكَ ما لاقوهُ مِن سعر

فَاِدرَأ بِعَفوِكَ ما لاقوهُ مِن سعر

وَاِحكُم كَما تَرتَضى في الحُب وَاِنتَخِب

وَاِحكُم كَما تَرتَضى في الحُب وَاِنتَخِب

By your pardon, then, ward off the flames they have met;

So, with your pardon, avert the burning they have endured,

judge as you please in love, and choose.

and judge in love as you see fit, and choose.

صفت موازين زفرات بِهِم لَعِبت

صفت موازين زفرات بِهِم لَعِبت

في مَحشَرِ الحُب ما مالَت اِلى الرَيب

في مَحشَرِ الحُب ما مالَت اِلى الرَيب

The balances of sighs that played with them stood true

Scales were arrayed for sighs that had toyed with them,

at love’s great assembly, never inclining toward doubt.

at love's gathering for judgment, never tipping toward doubt.

بِعِزة الحُب قُل لي هَل رَأَيت بِهِم

بِعِزة الحُب قُل لي هَل رَأَيت بِهِم

ما قَد رَأَيت مِنَ المَحسوبِ في النَسَب

ما قَد رَأَيت مِنَ المَحسوبِ في النَسَب

By love’s might, tell me: have you seen among them

By love's might, tell me: have you seen in them

what you have seen among those reckoned noble by lineage?

what you have seen in the one reckoned as kin?

حب وَصبر وَحِرمان وَحر جوى

حب وَصبر وَحِرمان وَحر جوى

وَمَدمَع وَسهاد دائِم الوَصب

وَمَدمَع وَسهاد دائِم الوَصب

Love, patience, deprivation, and passion’s scorching heat,

Love, patience, deprivation, and the heat of heartache,

tears and sleeplessness, and pain without end.

and a tearful eye, and sleeplessness with ceaseless suffering.

لا تَلقني بِسَعير اِنَّني دنف

لا تَلقني بِسَعير اِنَّني دنف

فيما شَكَوت الهَوى وَالوَجد لَم أَعب

فيما شَكَوت الهَوى وَالوَجد لَم أَعب

Do not cast me into a blaze; I am heartsick:

Do not greet me with blazing fire; I am lovesick.

though I complained of love and longing, I cast no blame.

In complaining of love and longing, I voiced no reproach.

أَعيذ لطفك من ظُلم تَكون بِهِ

أَعيذ لطفك من ظُلم تَكون بِهِ

بَينَ الأَنامِ شَهير الاِسم وَاللَقب

بَينَ الأَنامِ شَهير الاِسم وَاللَقب

I call on your gentleness to be spared an injustice by which you would become

I seek protection for your kindness from an injustice that would make you

notorious among humankind in both name and epithet.

notorious among humankind, in name and title.

أَعاذَكَ اللَهُ مِن يَوم أَراكَ بِهِ

أَعاذَكَ اللَهُ مِن يَوم أَراكَ بِهِ

مِثلي وَحوشيت من أَني أَقيسك بي

مِثلي وَحوشيت من أَني أَقيسك بي

May God protect you from a day when I see you there

May God spare you a day when I see you

with one like me—far be it from me to compare you with myself—

like me—though far be it from me to compare you with myself—

حَيث النُفوسَ أَقرت بِالَّتي صَنَعت

حَيث النُفوسَ أَقرت بِالَّتي صَنَعت

وَهم سُكارى لِما يَخشون مِن عَطب

وَهم سُكارى لِما يَخشون مِن عَطب

when souls confess what they have done,

when souls confess to what they have done,

drunk with fear of the ruin they dread.

while they are drunk with dread of the destruction they fear.

وَحق حُبك لَو في البَعثِ يُمكُنُني

وَحق حُبك لَو في البَعثِ يُمكُنُني

كَتم الشَهادَة لَم أَخرج عَن الادَب

كَتم الشَهادَة لَم أَخرج عَن الادَب

By the truth of your love, if at the Resurrection I could

And by the sanctity of love for you, if at the resurrection I could

conceal my testimony, I would not stray from courtesy.

conceal my testimony, I would not depart from courtesy.

لكنَّني بِاِعتِذار مِنكَ في خَجَل

لكنَّني بِاِعتِذار مِنكَ في خَجَل

اِذ قالَ لا تَكتُموا لِلعَجمِ وَالعَرب

اِذ قالَ لا تَكتُموا لِلعَجمِ وَالعَرب

Yet I stand ashamed, apologizing to you,

But, in apologizing to you, I am ashamed,

since He said, “Do not conceal it, before non-Arabs and Arabs.”

for He told non-Arabs and Arabs, 'Do not conceal testimony.'

فَقالَ لي بِرُموز مِن لَواحِظِهِ

فَقالَ لي بِرُموز مِن لَواحِظِهِ

بعد اِبتِسام وَما أَبداهُ مِن طَرَب

بعد اِبتِسام وَما أَبداهُ مِن طَرَب

Then he spoke to me in the signs of his glances,

Then he spoke to me in signs from his glances,

after a smile and the delight he revealed:

after a smile and the delight he had shown:

أَراكَ قَد جِئتَ عَمّا قُلتَ مُعتَذِرا

أَراكَ قَد جِئتَ عَمّا قُلتَ مُعتَذِرا

وَاِن عُذرُكَ لِلاِحسان لَم يُصِب

وَاِن عُذرُكَ لِلاِحسان لَم يُصِب

“I see you have come apologizing for what you said,

'I see you have come apologizing for what you said,

but your excuse has missed the path of graciousness.

though your excuse has missed the mark of kindness.

يَمحو الجَليلَ عَظيم الاِعتِداء اِذا

يَمحو الجَليلَ عَظيم الاِعتِداء اِذا

ما سامَحَ الخَصم بِالاِخلاص فَاِتئب

ما سامَحَ الخَصم بِالاِخلاص فَاِتئب

The Majestic One effaces even grave transgression when

The Majestic One erases even great transgression if

the injured party sincerely forgives—so repent.”

the injured party forgives sincerely—so be ashamed.'

أَبَحت يا مَعشَرَ العُشّاقِ فَاِستَمِعوا

أَبَحت يا مَعشَرَ العُشّاقِ فَاِستَمِعوا

دمى لِهذا الرَشا طَوعا وَحق أَبي

دمى لِهذا الرَشا طَوعا وَحق أَبي

I declare, O company of lovers—listen!—

I have granted—O company of lovers, so listen—

my blood lawful to this gazelle, willingly, by my father’s honor.

my blood to this fawn, willingly, by my father's honor.