خُذ يا غَرامي بِالعِنانِ وَسِر بِهِ

خُذ يا غَرامي بِالعِنانِ وَسِر بِهِ

وَاِطرَح مَقالَةَ عاذِلي طَرحَ الحِذا

وَاِطرَح مَقالَةَ عاذِلي طَرحَ الحِذا

Take the reins, O my passion, and ride on with them.

Take the reins, O my passion, and journey onward with them.

And cast my censor’s words aside as one casts off a shoe.

And cast aside my reproacher's words as one casts off shoes.

هَلّا رَثى لِتأسفي وَتَلَهّفي

هَلّا رَثى لِتأسفي وَتَلَهّفي

أَو كانَ كَفكَفَ وَبلَ دَمعي وَالرذا

أَو كانَ كَفكَفَ وَبلَ دَمعي وَالرذا

Why did he not pity my sorrow and anguish,

Why did he not pity my grief and yearning,

or stem my tears—the downpour and the drizzle?

Or stem the downpour and drizzle of my tears?

لَو قيلَ لِلحُسنِ اِقتَرِح مَن تَصطَفي

لَو قيلَ لِلحُسنِ اِقتَرِح مَن تَصطَفي

لَيَكونَ تاجاً لِلمِلاحِ لَقالَ ذا

لَيَكونَ تاجاً لِلمِلاحِ لَقالَ ذا

Were Beauty told, “Choose the one you would elect

If Beauty were told, 'Name whom you would choose

to be a crown for all the fair,” it would say, “This one.”

To be a crown for the fair,' it would say, 'This one.'

يا صاحِبَيَّ إِذا رَضيتُم مَذهَبي

يا صاحِبَيَّ إِذا رَضيتُم مَذهَبي

فَتَمَسَّكا بِزِمامِهِ وَبِهِ خُذا

فَتَمَسَّكا بِزِمامِهِ وَبِهِ خُذا

O my two companions, if you approve my way,

O my two companions, if you approve my way,

then both hold fast to its rein and take it up.

Then both cling to its rein and hold fast to it.

وَسَلا حُسامَ اللَحظِ مَذهَبي

وَسَلا حُسامَ اللَحظِ مَذهَبي

سَفكَ الدِماءِ وَمَن أَحَدّ وَأَشحَذا

سَفكَ الدِماءِ وَمَن أَحَدّ وَأَشحَذا

And ask the sword of the glance about my creed—

And ask the sword of the gaze about my way—

the spilling of blood—and who gave it edge and honed it.

The shedding of blood—and who sharpened and honed it.

وَسَلا الرِضابَ العَذبَ مَن أَجراهُ في

وَسَلا الرِضابَ العَذبَ مَن أَجراهُ في

تِلكَ الثَنايا سُكَّراً وَتَبَرزَذا

تِلكَ الثَنايا سُكَّراً وَتَبَرزَذا

And ask the sweet mouth-nectar who made it flow

And ask the sweet saliva who made it flow among

among those incisors as sugar and tabarzad rock candy,

Those front teeth as sugar and rock sugar,

وَأَحالَهُ راحاً فَحالَ كَأَنَّهُ

وَأَحالَهُ راحاً فَحالَ كَأَنَّهُ

قَلَبَ الحَقائِقَ ساحِراً وَمُشَعوِذا

قَلَبَ الحَقائِقَ ساحِراً وَمُشَعوِذا

and turned it into wine—then it was as though he had

And turned it into wine; it changed, as though he

transmuted realities, a sorcerer and a conjurer.

Had transformed realities, a magician and conjurer.

لَو مَنَّ حَتّى بِالخَيالِ جَعَلتَهُ

لَو مَنَّ حَتّى بِالخَيالِ جَعَلتَهُ

لِعَظيمِ ما بي شافياً وَمُعَوِّذا

لِعَظيمِ ما بي شافياً وَمُعَوِّذا

If he granted a favor, even in a dream, I would deem him

If he favored me even with a dream-image, I would make it

for my grave affliction a healer and a giver of protective charms.

A healer and a reciter of protective charms against my grievous affliction.

أَو ضَنَّ صُنتُ عَنِ العِقابِ جَنابَهُ

أَو ضَنَّ صُنتُ عَنِ العِقابِ جَنابَهُ

مُستَلِماً مُتَذَلِّلاً مُتَلَذِّذاً

مُستَلِماً مُتَذَلِّلاً مُتَلَذِّذاً

Or if he withheld it, I would spare his noble person all punishment,

Or, if he withheld it, I would shield his person from punishment,

surrendered, abased, yet savoring it.

Accepting, humbling myself, and taking delight.

الذَنبُ لي مَكَّنتُهُ مِن مُهجَتي

الذَنبُ لي مَكَّنتُهُ مِن مُهجَتي

فاِختارَ قَتلي في هَواهُ وَأَنفَذا

فاِختارَ قَتلي في هَواهُ وَأَنفَذا

The fault is mine: I gave him power over my very soul,

The fault is mine: I gave him power over my lifeblood,

so he chose my death in his love and carried it out.

So he chose my death for love of him, and carried it out.

فَليَهنَني أَنّي الشَهيدُ وَكُلّ مَن

فَليَهنَني أَنّي الشَهيدُ وَكُلّ مَن

يَفنى عَلى حُكمِ الصَبابَةِ هَكَذا

يَفنى عَلى حُكمِ الصَبابَةِ هَكَذا

Then let it delight me that I am the martyr—for everyone who

So let it gladden me that I am a martyr—and everyone who

perishes under ardent love’s decree is likewise so.

Perishes under ardent love's rule is likewise a martyr.