كَتَمتُ الهَوى وَهَجَرتُ الحَبيبا

كَتَمتُ الهَوى وَهَجَرتُ الحَبيبا

وَأَضمَرتُ في القَلبِ شَوقاً عَجيبا

وَأَضمَرتُ في القَلبِ شَوقاً عَجيبا

I concealed my passion and forsook the beloved,

I concealed my love and abandoned my beloved

and hid within my heart a wondrous longing.

And harbored in my heart a wondrous yearning

وَلَم يَكُ هَجريهِ عَن بِغضَةٍ

وَلَم يَكُ هَجريهِ عَن بِغضَةٍ

وَلَكِن خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ العُيوبا

وَلَكِن خَشيتُ عَلَيهِ العُيوبا

My forsaking him was not out of hatred,

My abandonment was not out of hatred

but I feared reproach for him.

But fear of defects befalling him

سَأَرعى وَأَكتُمُ أَسرارَهُ

سَأَرعى وَأَكتُمُ أَسرارَهُ

وَأَحفَظُ ما عِشتُ مِنهُ المَغيبا

وَأَحفَظُ ما عِشتُ مِنهُ المَغيبا

I shall guard and conceal his secrets,

I will keep to myself and conceal his secrets

and, as long as I live, safeguard what is hidden of him.

And for as long as I live, guard the unseen from him

فَكَم باسِطينَ إِلى وَصلِنا

فَكَم باسِطينَ إِلى وَصلِنا

أَكُفَّهُمُ لَم يَنالوا نَصيبا

أَكُفَّهُمُ لَم يَنالوا نَصيبا

For how many have stretched toward union with us

So many extending their hands for our union

their hands, yet gained no share!

I held them back, they attained no share

فَيا مَن رَضيتُ بِما قَد لَقي

فَيا مَن رَضيتُ بِما قَد لَقي

تُ مِن حُبِّهِ مُخطِئاً أَو مُصيبا

تُ مِن حُبِّهِ مُخطِئاً أَو مُصيبا

So, O you, I am content with all I have endured

Oh you with whom I was content with all

from loving you, whether I have erred or been right.

I have faced from his love, in error or aright

وَيا مَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ الهَوى

وَيا مَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ الهَوى

فَلَبَّيتُ لَمّا دَعاني مُجيبا

فَلَبَّيتُ لَمّا دَعاني مُجيبا

And O you, to whom passion called me—

Oh you whom desire called me to

when it called me, I answered its summons.

And I responded when he called me, compliant

وَيا مَن تَعَلَّقتُهُ ناشِئاً

وَيا مَن تَعَلَّقتُهُ ناشِئاً

فَشِبتُ وَما آنَ لي أَن أَشيبا

فَشِبتُ وَما آنَ لي أَن أَشيبا

And O you, to whom I grew attached in youth—

Oh you whom I clung to in my youth

I grew gray, though it was not yet my time to grow gray.

And grew up still not ready to grow old

لَعَمري لَقَد كَذَبَ الزاعِمو

لَعَمري لَقَد كَذَبَ الزاعِمو

نَ أَنَّ القُلوبَ تُجازي القُلوبا

نَ أَنَّ القُلوبَ تُجازي القُلوبا

By my life, those have lied who claim

By my life, those who claim

that hearts requite hearts.

That hearts reward hearts have lied

وَلَو كانَ حَقّاً كَما يَزعُمونَ

وَلَو كانَ حَقّاً كَما يَزعُمونَ

لَما كانَ يَجفو حَبيبٌ حَبيبا

لَما كانَ يَجفو حَبيبٌ حَبيبا

And if it were true, as they claim,

If what they claim were true

no beloved would spurn a beloved.

No beloved would spurn a beloved

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ كَما أَشتَهي

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ كَما أَشتَهي

حَبيبٌ يَرى حَسَناتي ذُنوبا

حَبيبٌ يَرى حَسَناتي ذُنوبا

And how could he be as I desire—

How can it be as I wish

a beloved who sees my good deeds as sins?

A beloved who sees my virtues as sins

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَكِ في العالَمي

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَكِ في العالَمي

نَ نِصفاً كَثيباً وَنِصفاً قَضيبا

نَ نِصفاً كَثيباً وَنِصفاً قَضيبا

And I have never seen your like in all the world—

I have not seen your like in all the world

half a sand dune and half a slender branch.

Half so thick, half so thin

وَأَنَّكِ لَو تَطِئينَ التُرابَ

وَأَنَّكِ لَو تَطِئينَ التُرابَ

لَزِدتِ التُرابَ عَلى الطيبِ طيبا

لَزِدتِ التُرابَ عَلى الطيبِ طيبا

And truly, were you to tread upon the dust,

For if you tread on dust

you would make the dust more fragrant than perfume.

You would add more sweetness to the sweet dust