يا شمسُ والشمسُ لها حاجبٌ

يا شمسُ والشمسُ لها حاجبٌ

حاجِبُكَ الطّلقُ لماذا انزوى

حاجِبُكَ الطّلقُ لماذا انزوى

O Shams—the sun, too, has a brow—

O sun, though the sun has an eyelid

why has your cheerful brow drawn in?

Your eyelid is the horizon, why did it disappear?

أإنْ هَفا لُبِّي من نَشوةٍ

أإنْ هَفا لُبِّي من نَشوةٍ

لَظاتُها نَزّاعةٌ للشَّوى

لَظاتُها نَزّاعةٌ للشَّوى

Is it because my mind faltered from an intoxication

Is it that my fervent heart's intoxication

whose flames tear away the scalp?

Made its flashes too hot to bear?

فانْوِ ائْتلافاً فلكلِّ امرئٍ

فانْوِ ائْتلافاً فلكلِّ امرئٍ

قال النبيُّ المصطفى ما نَوى

قال النبيُّ المصطفى ما نَوى

Then resolve on union, for each person has—

So compose yourself, for each person

as the chosen Prophet said—what they intended.

Will attain what they intended, said the Prophet

حتى إذا قيلَ صَحا وارعَوى

حتى إذا قيلَ صَحا وارعَوى

عادَ كذا عادةُ أهلِ الهَوى

عادَ كذا عادةُ أهلِ الهَوى

Until, when it was said, 'He has sobered and come to his senses,'

Until when it's said he woke and saw clearly

he relapsed—such is the way of lovers.

That is the habit of the passionate

دبَّ في خاطرِه ثانيا

دبَّ في خاطرِه ثانيا

ذكرُ اللوى سَقياً لعهدِ اللوى

ذكرُ اللوى سَقياً لعهدِ اللوى

Once more there crept into his mind

Then in his mind again crept

the memory of al-Liwā—may rain bless the days of al-Liwā!

The memory of passion, watering passion's pact

مَرعىً نضيرٌ لم نُصبْ بعدَهُ

مَرعىً نضيرٌ لم نُصبْ بعدَهُ

نظيرَهُ مذ أَزعجتْنا النّوى

نظيرَهُ مذ أَزعجتْنا النّوى

A lush pasture; after it we never found

A meadow, peerless since we were troubled by love

its equal, since separation drove us away.

Its peer since we yearned and pined

تَدعو حَماماهُ ولو لم يُجِب

تَدعو حَماماهُ ولو لم يُجِب

نوحُهُما المطربُ لن يَدعُوَا

نوحُهُما المطربُ لن يَدعُوَا

Its two doves call; had there been no response

Though the dove call not her mate, their sobbing

from their tuneful lament, they would not call.

Will not the melodious rain call them both?

ما شئتَ من خَيرٍ ومَيرٍ ومن

ما شئتَ من خَيرٍ ومَيرٍ ومن

كافٍ وهاءٍ وصلا بالفَوا

كافٍ وهاءٍ وصلا بالفَوا

All you could wish for: bounty, provisions, and

Whatever good or ill you wish, or union

kāf and hāʾ joined to fawā—'fruits.'

Enough separation, join us through love!

فالآن قد أكسف من بالهِ

فالآن قد أكسف من بالهِ

بِلىً طوى رونقَهُ فانطَوى

بِلىً طوى رونقَهُ فانطَوى

And now its state has been darkened

Now his mood is downcast again

by decay, which folded away its splendor; it, too, vanished.

Yes, its bloom has faded and folded away

كأنّهُ لم يَغْنَ بالأمسِ وإ

كأنّهُ لم يَغْنَ بالأمسِ وإ

كآبتَا منهُ ولم تُغْنِ وا

كآبتَا منهُ ولم تُغْنِ وا

As though it had not flourished yesterday—and oh,

As if he did not sing yesterday, though

the sorrow it brings! And 'alas' brought no relief.

His song made me sing, and wouldn't relent

ذوى فإن قيلَ لماذا أقُلْ

ذوى فإن قيلَ لماذا أقُلْ

غابَ ذَووهُ فلهذا ذَوى

غابَ ذَووهُ فلهذا ذَوى

It withered; if asked why, I say:

He pined, so if asked why I'm silent, say

Its people are gone; that is why it withered.

His friends who made him sing have gone away

كانوا إذا اجتَزتُ بهم رقّعوا

كانوا إذا اجتَزتُ بهم رقّعوا

بالمُقَلِ الدُّعجِ خروقَ الكُوى

بالمُقَلِ الدُّعجِ خروقَ الكُوى

Whenever I passed by them, they would patch

When I passed them, they'd patch the tatters

the gaps in the windows with their wide, dark eyes.

Of my being with joyful celebration

طابَ بهم عَيشي سوى أنَّهُ

طابَ بهم عَيشي سوى أنَّهُ

طارَ معَ العنقاءِ نحوَ الهَوى

طارَ معَ العنقاءِ نحوَ الهَوى

My life was sweet with them, except that it

My life was good with them, except that

flew away with the ʿAnqāʾ (phoenix) into the air.

It flew with the wild geese towards passion