هُوَit الصَّبْرُpatience أَوْلَىmost fitting ماthat which اسْتَعانَsought help بِهِfrom it الصَّبُّthe lovesick lover
هُوَ الصَّبْرُ أَوْلَى ما اسْتَعانَ بِهِ الصَّبُّ
وَلَوْلاand were it not for تَجَنِّيunjust treatment الحِبِّthe beloved ماnot عَذُبَbecame sweet الحُبُّlove
وَلَوْلا تَجَنِّي الحِبِّ ما عَذُبَ الحُبُّ
Patience is the best aid the lovesick lover can seek.
Patience is the greatest aid for the patient one
And were it not for the beloved's unjust treatment, love would not be sweet.
And were it not for the agony of love, love would not be sweet
إِذَاif كُنْتُI am لاnot أَهْوَىI love لِغَيْرِfor other than تَواصُلٍunion
إِذَا كُنْتُ لا أَهْوَى لِغَيْرِ تَواصُلٍ
فَعِشْقِيthen my love لِرُوحيfor my soul لاnot لِمَنْfor the one whom قُلْتُI said ذَاthis الحِبُّthe beloved
فَعِشْقِي لِرُوحي لا لِمَنْ قُلْتُ ذَا الحِبُّ
If I love only for the sake of union,
When I love none but for the sake of communion
then my love is for my own soul, not for the one I called the beloved.
My love is for my soul, not for those I called "my love"
وَمَاand not أَنَاI إِلّاexcept مُغْرَمُlove-stricken القَلْبِthe heart لَوْif بَقَىremained
وَمَا أَنَا إِلّا مُغْرَمُ القَلْبِ لَوْ بَقَى
عَلىdespite ماwhat أُعانيهِI endure it مِنَof الوَجْدِlove's anguish ليfor me قَلْبُa heart
عَلى ما أُعانيهِ مِنَ الوَجْدِ لي قَلْبُ
And I am but lovesick at heart—if there remained,
I am but a lover with a heart ever present
despite the anguish of love I endure, a heart within me.
Remaining in the passion that my heart endures
يَدُومُendures علىdespite بُعْدِdistance المزَارِthe meeting-place بِحَالِهِin its unchanged state
يَدُومُ على بُعْدِ المزَارِ بِحَالِهِ
غَرامِيmy passion وَيقْوىand grows stronger إِنْif تَدانىdrew near بهِto it القُرْبُnearness
غَرامِي وَيقْوى إِنْ تَدانى بهِ القُرْبُ
Despite the distance to the meeting-place, unchanged endures
It persists in yearning though distant from the shrine
my passion, and it grows stronger if nearness draws close to it.
My passion strengthens if the shrine draws near
كَذَاsuch شِيمتِيmy nature فَلْيَقْتَدِso let them be guided العَاشِقُونَthe lovers بِيby me
كَذَا شِيمتِي فَلْيَقْتَدِ العَاشِقُونَ بِي
وإِلَّاand otherwise فَدَعْوَاهُمthen their claim وحَاشَاهُمand far be it from them كِذبُa lie
وإِلَّا فَدَعْوَاهُم وحَاشَاهُم كِذبُ
Such is my nature; let lovers follow my example.
Such is my way, so let all lovers emulate me
Otherwise their claim—far be it from them—is a lie.
Else their claims of love are but lies
أُجِيبُI answer الجوابَthe answer السَّهْلَsimple عَمَّاabout what سُئِلْتُهI was asked it
أُجِيبُ الجوابَ السَّهْلَ عَمَّا سُئِلْتُه
وَإِنَّand indeed الَّذيthe one whom يُشْكَىis complained of إِليْهِto him الهَوَىlove صَعْبُunyielding
وَإِنَّ الَّذي يُشْكَى إِليْهِ الهَوَى صَعْبُ
I give a simple answer to what I am asked,
I answer easy what questions I am asked
yet the one to whom one complains of love is unyielding.
Yet she to whom love's plaint is made is aloof
Sol 6.1