حَلَلْتَ بِأَحْشَاءٍ لَها مِنكَ قَاتِلُ

حَلَلْتَ بِأَحْشَاءٍ لَها مِنكَ قَاتِلُ

فَهَلْ أَنْتَ فِيهَا نَازِلٌ أَوْ مُنازِلُ

فَهَلْ أَنْتَ فِيهَا نَازِلٌ أَوْ مُنازِلُ

You have lodged in my inmost depths, whose slayer you are;

You came to dwell in my heart, though it kills for you,

So are you a lodger there, or a combatant?

So are you staying or just passing through?

أَرَى اللَّيْلَ مُذْ حُجِّبْتَ مَا حَالَ لَوْنُهُ

أَرَى اللَّيْلَ مُذْ حُجِّبْتَ مَا حَالَ لَوْنُهُ

عَلى أَنّهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ حَائِلُ

عَلى أَنّهُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ حَائِلُ

I see that night, since you were veiled, has not changed its color,

Since your veiling, what's happened to the night I see?

Though it stands as a barrier between me and you.

It's as if between us there's a divide, blocking the view.

وَمَا كُنْتُ مَجْنُونَ الهَوَى قَبْلَ أَنْ يُرَى

وَمَا كُنْتُ مَجْنُونَ الهَوَى قَبْلَ أَنْ يُرَى

لِقَلْبي مِنْ صُدْغَيْكَ فِي الأَسْرِ عَاقِلُ

لِقَلْبي مِنْ صُدْغَيْكَ فِي الأَسْرِ عَاقِلُ

Nor was I mad with love before there appeared

Before your beauty entranced me, madness of passion

A captor from your temple-locks to hold my heart in bondage.

Had not seized my heart, and made wise counsel its fool.

وَلَوْلا سِنَانٌ مِنْ لِحاظِكَ قاتِلٌ

وَلَوْلا سِنَانٌ مِنْ لِحاظِكَ قاتِلٌ

لَما كُنْتُ أَدْرِي أَنّ طَرْفَكَ ذابِلُ

لَما كُنْتُ أَدْرِي أَنّ طَرْفَكَ ذابِلُ

And were it not for a deadly spearhead from your sidelong glances,

Had your glances not dealt me a blow that proved fatal

I would not have known that your gaze was languid.

I'd not have known that your gaze was beginning to cool.

وَلِمْ لا يَصِحُّ الوَجْدُ فِيكَ ونَاظِري

وَلِمْ لا يَصِحُّ الوَجْدُ فِيكَ ونَاظِري

لِنَسْخَةِ حُسْنٍ مِنْ سَناكَ يُقَابِلُ

لِنَسْخَةِ حُسْنٍ مِنْ سَناكَ يُقَابِلُ

And why should longing for you not be sound, when my eye

Why doesn't lovesickness for you still stir me, when yours

Checks a copy of beauty drawn from your radiance?

Is a vision of beauty mine eyes are denied to duel?

وَلِي مَنْطِقٌ مِنْ نَحْوِ شَوْقي أَصولُه

وَلِي مَنْطِقٌ مِنْ نَحْوِ شَوْقي أَصولُه

بِعِلْمِ المعاني مِنْ خِلافِكَ شَاغِلُ

بِعِلْمِ المعاني مِنْ خِلافِكَ شَاغِلُ

And I have a discourse whose principles spring from the grammar of my longing,

My way of speaking betrays the desire that fills me,

Keeping me busy with the science of meanings because of your opposition.

Though your aloofness from me is my mind's only school.

أَيُسْعِدُني يا طَلْعَةَ البَدْرِ طَالِعٌ

أَيُسْعِدُني يا طَلْعَةَ البَدْرِ طَالِعٌ

وَمِنْ شَقْوتي حَظٌّ بِخَدَّيكَ نَازِلُ

وَمِنْ شَقْوتي حَظٌّ بِخَدَّيكَ نَازِلُ

Can a rising star bring me happiness, O face of the full moon,

Will it bring me joy, dawn of beauty, if fate

While a share of my misfortune has settled on your cheeks?

Decrees I gain your cheek's favor, though fortune is cruel?

بَخِلْتَ وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَمَا مِنْكَ نائِلٌ

بَخِلْتَ وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ فَمَا مِنْكَ نائِلٌ

وَصَانَكَ إِعْراضٌ فَمَا لَكَ نائِلُ

وَصَانَكَ إِعْراضٌ فَمَا لَكَ نائِلُ

You were miserly and did not listen; no gift comes from you.

You've grown stingy, refusing to listen - no gain can be got!

And aloofness has guarded you; no one can attain you.

Modesty keeps you remote - how can anyone rule?

وَلَوْ أَنَّ قِسّاً واصِفٌ مِنْكَ وَجْنةً

وَلَوْ أَنَّ قِسّاً واصِفٌ مِنْكَ وَجْنةً

لأَعَجَزَهُ نَبْتٌ بِهَا وهْوَ باقِلُ

لأَعَجَزَهُ نَبْتٌ بِهَا وهْوَ باقِلُ

And even if Quss were to describe a cheek of yours,

Your cheeks' roses - even the greatest poet would fail

The growth upon it would confound him, though it is Baqil ('sprouting').

To describe them, though long has their beauty been his jewel.

وَلِي مِنْكَ عَرْفٌ مِنْ وِدَادِكَ عاطِرٌ

وَلِي مِنْكَ عَرْفٌ مِنْ وِدَادِكَ عاطِرٌ

وَحَاليَ مِنْ عِرْفَانِ وَصْلِكَ عَاطِلُ

وَحَاليَ مِنْ عِرْفَانِ وَصْلِكَ عَاطِلُ

And I have from you a fragrance, sweet with your affection;

You've withdrawn, yet the perfume of your affection remains,

Yet my state is devoid of any experience of union with you.

While my state is estranged though our love is the tool.

عَلَى كُلِّ أَمْرٍ مِنْكَ عَوْنٌ فَرُبَّما

عَلَى كُلِّ أَمْرٍ مِنْكَ عَوْنٌ فَرُبَّما

يُعينُ الَّذي أَبْلى بِما أَنْتَ فَاعِلُ

يُعينُ الَّذي أَبْلى بِما أَنْتَ فَاعِلُ

There is help against every act of yours; so perhaps

Whatever you do, lends assistance - just as the fallen

The one who afflicted me with what you do will help.

May be raised up again by the hand that caused his downfall.

وَبي ساحِرٌ في اللَّحْظِ لِلخَدِّ حارِسٌ

وَبي ساحِرٌ في اللَّحْظِ لِلخَدِّ حارِسٌ

وذَابِلُ أَعْطافٍ لِدَمْعِي باذِلُ

وذَابِلُ أَعْطافٍ لِدَمْعِي باذِلُ

And I am smitten with one whose glance enchants, a guardian of his cheek,

My eyes are enchanting, guarding my cheek from all gazes,

And supple-limbed, lavish with my tears.

My glances are languid, though freely my tears rise and spill.

وَشَعْرٍ كَليْلِي كانَ طُولاً فَما لَهُ

وَشَعْرٍ كَليْلِي كانَ طُولاً فَما لَهُ

قَصيراً كَحَظِّي هَلْ لِذَاكَ دَلائِلُ

قَصيراً كَحَظِّي هَلْ لِذَاكَ دَلائِلُ

And hair once as long as my night—why is it

My hair is like night - so why is it short, without length,

Short like my luck? Is there evidence for that?

When my lot's bitter sorrow? Does this not cause you to feel?

نَعم قَدْ تَناهى في الظَّلامِ تَطاوُلاً

نَعم قَدْ تَناهى في الظَّلامِ تَطاوُلاً

وَعِنْدَ التَّنَاهِي يَقْصُر المُتطاوِلُ

وَعِنْدَ التَّنَاهِي يَقْصُر المُتطاوِلُ

Yes, in darkness it has grown to its utmost length;

Indeed in the darkness its length grew excessive -

And at the utmost limit, whatever grows long grows short.

But the over-outstretched at the limit turns short, and lies still.