لا شيء أحسن من إلفَينِ قد قسما

لا شيء أحسن من إلفَينِ قد قسما

حسنَ الرعاية والإخلاص بينهما

حسنَ الرعاية والإخلاص بينهما

Nothing is lovelier than two lovers who have shared

Nothing is better than two lovers who have divided

Tender care and sincerity between them.

The beauty of caring and sincerity between them

تقاسما الحسن والإحسان فامتزجا

تقاسما الحسن والإحسان فامتزجا

على الصفات فصارا في الهوى عَلَما

على الصفات فصارا في الهوى عَلَما

They shared beauty and kindness, then blended

They shared beauty and benevolence so they blended

In their qualities, becoming an emblem of love.

In passions, thus becoming a symbol for desire

كأنَّما قلمٌ قد خطَّ شكلَهما

كأنَّما قلمٌ قد خطَّ شكلَهما

بل كان ذلك لطفَ اللَه لا قلما

بل كان ذلك لطفَ اللَه لا قلما

As though a pen had traced their forms;

As if a pen had shaped both of their forms

No, it was God's grace, not a pen.

Rather, it was God's kindness, not a pen

ترى الفكاهة والآداب بينهما

ترى الفكاهة والآداب بينهما

حدائقاً ورياضاً تنبت الحِكَما

حدائقاً ورياضاً تنبت الحِكَما

You see wit and refinement between them—

You see amiability and refinement between them

Gardens and meadows that bring forth wise sayings.

Gardens and meadows where wisdom grows

قد أُعطِيا من فنون الشكل ما اشتهيا

قد أُعطِيا من فنون الشكل ما اشتهيا

وحُكِّما في صروف الدهر فاحتكما

وحُكِّما في صروف الدهر فاحتكما

They were granted all the varieties of charm they desired,

They were given of the arts of beauty what they wished for

And given authority over time's vicissitudes, they exercised it.

And they were appointed the judges of fate's twists and turns

وحين يسلم هذا يزدهي فرحاً

وحين يسلم هذا يزدهي فرحاً

لعِلمِه أنَّ مَن يهواه قد سلما

لعِلمِه أنَّ مَن يهواه قد سلما

And when this one is safe, he exults with joy,

And when one is safe, the other rejoices with elation

Knowing that the one he loves is safe.

For knowing their beloved is unharmed

لو حُرِّكا انتثرا شكلاً وإن نطقا

لو حُرِّكا انتثرا شكلاً وإن نطقا

تناثرا لؤلؤاً نظماً وما نُظِما

تناثرا لؤلؤاً نظماً وما نُظِما

Were they stirred, they would scatter charm; and if they spoke,

If they were to move, their form would scatter, and if they spoke

They would scatter pearls in ordered strings, though they were not strung.

Scattering pearls, prose and verse, and whatever was composed

صار الحفاظُ لعين العيب مُتَّهِماً

صار الحفاظُ لعين العيب مُتَّهِماً

فلن ترى منهما بالعَيب مُتَّهَما

فلن ترى منهما بالعَيب مُتَّهَما

Fidelity has become the accuser of the fault-finding eye,

Preserving from fault has become suspicious to the eye of fault

So you will never see either of them accused of fault.

So you will never see either of them accused of a fault

تراضَعا بوفاءٍ كان عيشهما

تراضَعا بوفاءٍ كان عيشهما

منه ولو فُطِما ماتا وما انفطما

منه ولو فُطِما ماتا وما انفطما

They suckled together on fidelity; their life came

They suckled faithfulness, their life together

From it; were they weaned, they would die—but they were not weaned.

Even if weaned, they would have died and not been weaned

كأنَّ رُوحَيهما روح فأنت ترى

كأنَّ رُوحَيهما روح فأنت ترى

وهميهما واحداً في كلِّ ما وَهِما

وهميهما واحداً في كلِّ ما وَهِما

As though their two souls were one soul, so you see

It's as if their two souls are one soul, so you see

Their imaginings as one in everything they imagine.

Their love and passion as one in all they fancied

وليس يحلم ذا حلماً برقدته

وليس يحلم ذا حلماً برقدته

إلا وهذا بذاك الحلم قد حلما

إلا وهذا بذاك الحلم قد حلما

Nor does this one dream a dream in his sleep

And one does not dream a dream while sleeping

Without the other having dreamed that very dream.

Unless the other dreamed that very same dream

أعجبْ بإلفَينِ لو بالنار عُذِّبَ ذا

أعجبْ بإلفَينِ لو بالنار عُذِّبَ ذا

وذاك في جنَّة الفردوس قد نعما

وذاك في جنَّة الفردوس قد نعما

Marvel at two lovers: if this one were tortured with fire,

Marvel at two lovers, even if one were tortured with fire

And that one enjoyed bliss in the garden of Paradise,

And the other reveling in Paradise and its bounty

لكان ينعم هذا من تنعُّم ذا

لكان ينعم هذا من تنعُّم ذا

وكان يألم هذا ذلك الألما

وكان يألم هذا ذلك الألما

This one would delight in that one's bliss,

This one would delight in the delight of the other

And the other would suffer that very pain.

And this one would anguish in that same anguish

حُسن اتِّفاقٍ بظهر الغيب بينهما

حُسن اتِّفاقٍ بظهر الغيب بينهما

في كلِّ حالٍ تراه الدهرَ ملتئما

في كلِّ حالٍ تراه الدهرَ ملتئما

A beautiful accord exists between them, even out of sight;

A beautiful concordance manifesting beyond the unseen between them

In every circumstance you see it holding together through all time.

In every state, you see time harmonized

لو مسَّ ذا سَقَمٌ قامت قيامتُه

لو مسَّ ذا سَقَمٌ قامت قيامتُه

لعِلمه أنَّ مَن يهواه قد سقما

لعِلمه أنَّ مَن يهواه قد سقما

If illness touched this one, his Judgment Day would come,

If one fell ill, he would be devastated

Knowing that the one he loves had fallen ill.

Knowing their beloved has fallen sick

كذا يكون وداد الأصفياء كذا

كذا يكون وداد الأصفياء كذا

تصفو القلوبُ فيجلو نورُها الظُّلَما

تصفو القلوبُ فيجلو نورُها الظُّلَما

Thus is the affection of true friends; thus

Such is the affection of the loyal, thus

Hearts grow pure, and their light dispels the darkness.

Hearts become pure, illuminating their darkness

سَقياً لإلفَين لو هَمّا بمَقلِيَةٍ

سَقياً لإلفَين لو هَمّا بمَقلِيَةٍ

ما همَّ أن يبلغا من حيرةٍ نَدَما

ما همَّ أن يبلغا من حيرةٍ نَدَما

May rain refresh two lovers: if they contemplated something hateful,

I wish two lovers, even if tempted by sin

Coming to regret through bewilderment would not trouble them.

Would never reach the regret of confusion

تشاكلا في دوام العهد فائتلفا

تشاكلا في دوام العهد فائتلفا

والختل والغدر من هذا وذا عَدِما

والختل والغدر من هذا وذا عَدِما

They were alike in keeping their pledge forever, and so united;

They resembled in loyalty so they became intimate

And deceit and treachery were absent from both.

While betrayal and deceit from this one and that one vanished

استخلصا خلوات الأُنس بينهما

استخلصا خلوات الأُنس بينهما

محضاً فلو أبصرا ظلَّيهما احتشما

محضاً فلو أبصرا ظلَّيهما احتشما

They kept their secluded hours of companionship for themselves

They extracted the intimacies of companionship between them

Alone; if they saw their shadows, they would feel shy.

Pure, so even if they saw their own shadows, they'd be shy

لو خُلِّيا سرمدَ الدنيا قد انفردا

لو خُلِّيا سرمدَ الدنيا قد انفردا

عند التغازل ما مَلّا وما بَرِما

عند التغازل ما مَلّا وما بَرِما

Were they left for as long as the world endures, alone together,

If left alone for eternity, engrossed

They would never tire of courting, nor grow bored.

In amorousness, they wouldn't be bored or bothered

ولا أرادا اعتزالاً طول عمرهما

ولا أرادا اعتزالاً طول عمرهما

كأنما شَرِبا من ذا وقد طَعِما

كأنما شَرِبا من ذا وقد طَعِما

Nor would they desire separation throughout their lives,

Nor did they want isolation their whole lives

As though they had drunk of this and fed on it.

As if they drank from the other and found the taste pleasant

يلتذُّ هذا لشكوى ذا ويَعلَمه

يلتذُّ هذا لشكوى ذا ويَعلَمه

وفي التذاذهما تصديق ما عُلِما

وفي التذاذهما تصديق ما عُلِما

This one delights in that one's plaint and knows him;

This one delights in the other's complains and lets him know

And in their delight is confirmation of what was known.

And in their mutual delight, they confirm what was known

كلٌّ له حَرَمٌ من صون صاحبه

كلٌّ له حَرَمٌ من صون صاحبه

ولن يُصاد مصونٌ يألف الحَرَما

ولن يُصاد مصونٌ يألف الحَرَما

Each has a sanctuary in his companion's protection,

Each one has a sanctuary in safeguarding their companion

And no protected one at home in the sanctuary will be hunted.

And no protected place would befriend a sanctuary

فكلُّ ما فعلا قبل اعتصامهما

فكلُّ ما فعلا قبل اعتصامهما

بالودِّ قد طهرا منه مذ اعتصما

بالودِّ قد طهرا منه مذ اعتصما

So everything they did before holding fast

So all they did before fortifying themselves

To love has been purged from them since they held fast.

With affection, they have cleansed since fortifying

كالجاهليَّة بالإسلام قد غُسِلت

كالجاهليَّة بالإسلام قد غُسِلت

ذنوبُها ونفى الإسلامُ ما اجتُرِما

ذنوبُها ونفى الإسلامُ ما اجتُرِما

As with the age of Ignorance, when Islam washed away

Like pre-Islamic ignorance cleansed by Islam

Its sins, and Islam banished whatever wrong was done.

Its sins washed away and Islam negated what was sinned

صار الهوى لهما دِيناً فصانهما

صار الهوى لهما دِيناً فصانهما

عن المساءة ما عِيبا ولا اتُّهِما

عن المساءة ما عِيبا ولا اتُّهِما

Love became their religion, and so protected them

Passion became a religion that protected them

From wrongdoing; they were neither blamed nor accused.

From misdeeds, neither blamed nor accused

إنَّ المُحبين إن داما على ثقةٍ

إنَّ المُحبين إن داما على ثقةٍ

تَهنَّيا العيشَ والدنيا صفت لهما

تَهنَّيا العيشَ والدنيا صفت لهما

Indeed, if two lovers maintain their trust,

Indeed, if lovers remain confident

They enjoy life, and the world grows serene for them.

They enjoy life, and the world caters to them

كُلٌّ لصاحبه تُبلى سرائرهُ

كُلٌّ لصاحبه تُبلى سرائرهُ

بكلِّ ما أظهرا من بعد ما كتما

بكلِّ ما أظهرا من بعد ما كتما

Each one's secrets are laid bare to his companion

Each one's innermost thoughts are revealed to their companion

Through all they revealed after keeping it hidden.

Through all they expressed after what they concealed

فللمحبِّينَ في صفو الهوى نِعَمٌ

فللمحبِّينَ في صفو الهوى نِعَمٌ

إن يشكروهنَّ يزدادوا بها نِعَما

إن يشكروهنَّ يزدادوا بها نِعَما

So lovers have blessings in the purity of love;

For lovers, in the purity of passion, there are blessings

If they give thanks for them, they gain more blessings through them.

If they give thanks, they increase in blessings

يا ربّ إنَّ الهوى لا كاد يحمله

يا ربّ إنَّ الهوى لا كاد يحمله

إلا الكرام فزِد أهلَ الهوى كرما

إلا الكرام فزِد أهلَ الهوى كرما

O Lord, love can scarcely be borne

Oh Lord, passion can hardly be endured

Except by the noble; make love's people nobler still.

Except by the noble, so increase lovers in nobility