مَلامُكُمُ وَالحُبُّ ضِعفانِ مِن نارِ

مَلامُكُمُ وَالحُبُّ ضِعفانِ مِن نارِ

وَفي واحِدٍ ما زادَ عَن كُلِّ مِقدارِ

وَفي واحِدٍ ما زادَ عَن كُلِّ مِقدارِ

Your reproach and love are two portions of fire;

Your blame and love are both weaknesses of fire

And either one alone exceeds every measure.

And in one there is no excess over any measure

وَلِم لُمتُمُ الأَبصارَ فيما أَتَت بِهِ

وَلِم لُمتُمُ الأَبصارَ فيما أَتَت بِهِ

فَإِنّا دَفَعنا عَن قُلوبٍ بِأَبصارِ

فَإِنّا دَفَعنا عَن قُلوبٍ بِأَبصارِ

And why did you blame the eyes for what they brought about?

And why did you avert your eyes to what it brought

For we shielded hearts with eyes.

For we have warded off hearts with eyes

فَلَم تَبتَدِع فيما سَهِرنا لِأَجلِهِ

فَلَم تَبتَدِع فيما سَهِرنا لِأَجلِهِ

فَقَد سَهِرَ الناسُ اللَيالي لِأَقمارِ

فَقَد سَهِرَ الناسُ اللَيالي لِأَقمارِ

So they did nothing unprecedented in what we kept vigil for;

So you did not innovate in what we were awake for

For people have kept vigil through the nights for moons.

For people have stayed awake nights for moons

وَأَقسَمَ طَرفي وَهوَ لَيسَ بِحانِثٍ

وَأَقسَمَ طَرفي وَهوَ لَيسَ بِحانِثٍ

بِأَن لا رَأَيتُ الرَوضَ إِلّا بِأَنهارِ

بِأَن لا رَأَيتُ الرَوضَ إِلّا بِأَنهارِ

And my eye has sworn, and it is no oath-breaker,

And my eyelid swore, and it is no oath-breaker

That I would see no garden save with rivers.

That I did not see the garden except with rivers

بِقَلبي وُجوهٌ إِن رَأَيتَ رِياضَها

بِقَلبي وُجوهٌ إِن رَأَيتَ رِياضَها

فَلا تَنسَ مِن أَلفاظِها مِثلَ أَزهارِ

فَلا تَنسَ مِن أَلفاظِها مِثلَ أَزهارِ

In my heart are faces; if you see their gardens,

In my heart are faces, if you saw their meadows

Then do not forget their words that are like flowers.

Do not forget from its words the likes of flowers

مَحاسِنُ قَد سَبَّحتُ مِنها بِسُبحَةٍ

مَحاسِنُ قَد سَبَّحتُ مِنها بِسُبحَةٍ

فَمَن يُنكِرُ التَسبيحَ لِلخالِقِ الباري

فَمَن يُنكِرُ التَسبيحَ لِلخالِقِ الباري

Beauties for which I have glorified God with prayer beads—

Beauties I have glorified with a rosary

So who objects to glorifying the Creator, the Maker?

So who denies glorification of the Creator

وَفَرَّطتَ في قَلبي وَلَم تَحتَفِل بِهِ

وَفَرَّطتَ في قَلبي وَلَم تَحتَفِل بِهِ

فَصِرتُ بِلا قَلبٍ وَصِرتَ بِلا دارِ

فَصِرتُ بِلا قَلبٍ وَصِرتَ بِلا دارِ

And you neglected my heart and took no care of it;

And you neglected my heart and did not care for it

So I was left without a heart, and you without a home.

So I became without a heart and you without a home

أَفي الحَقِّ أَم في العَدلِ مَطلُ مَواعِدي

أَفي الحَقِّ أَم في العَدلِ مَطلُ مَواعِدي

فَقَضَّيتُ أَيّامي وَلَم تُقضَ أَوطاري

فَقَضَّيتُ أَيّامي وَلَم تُقضَ أَوطاري

Is postponing my promised meetings right or just?

Is my appointment in truth or in justice?

So I have spent my days, yet my desires remain unfulfilled.

For I have spent my days and not fulfilled my times

فَصِلني إِذا اِستَكتَمتَني السِرَّ في الهَوى

فَصِلني إِذا اِستَكتَمتَني السِرَّ في الهَوى

وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ الهَجرَ يَكشِفُ أَسراري

وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ الهَجرَ يَكشِفُ أَسراري

So grant me union, if you ask me to keep love's secret;

Unite me if the secret overwhelms me in passion

Otherwise, estrangement will reveal my secrets.

Otherwise estrangement reveals my mysteries