مَرَّ حَبيبي ووَقَفْ

مَرَّ حَبيبي ووَقَفْ

والطَّرْفُ للقلبِ طَرَفْ

والطَّرْفُ للقلبِ طَرَفْ

My beloved passed by and stopped,

My beloved passed by and stopped.

and the eye is the heart’s ally.

And the eye is the heart's outer edge.

واعَجَباً مَزَّقهُ

واعَجَباً مَزَّقهُ

وهوَ عليهِ ما عَكَفْ

وهوَ عليهِ ما عَكَفْ

O wonder! He tore it apart,

And how strange! It tore the heart apart,

though he had never devoted himself to it.

though it had never lingered over it.

ودينِ أصحابِ الهَوى

ودينِ أصحابِ الهَوى

من خَلَفٍ بعدَ سَلَفْ

من خَلَفٍ بعدَ سَلَفْ

By the faith of the devotees of love,

By the faith of the devotees of love,

generation following generation;

among successors following predecessors,

ولَيلةِ القُرْبِ التي

ولَيلةِ القُرْبِ التي

مِنها مَحا القلبَ الشغفْ

مِنها مَحا القلبَ الشغفْ

and by that night of union,

and by the night of closeness,

through which ardor effaced the heart;

through which passion erased the heart,

وما طَوَتْهُ مُهْجَتي

وما طَوَتْهُ مُهْجَتي

وحالِفٍ وما حَلَفْ

وحالِفٍ وما حَلَفْ

by what my inmost soul concealed,

and by what my soul has enfolded,

and by the swearer and all that he swore:

and by one who swears, and what he swore:

ما هَفْهَفَ النَّسيمُ إلْ

ما هَفْهَفَ النَّسيمُ إلْ

لا هَفَّ بالرُّوحِ لَهَفْ

لا هَفَّ بالرُّوحِ لَهَفْ

Never did the breeze flutter but—

Never did the breeze flutter—

—yearning fluttered through the soul.

but anguished longing wafted through the soul.

أزْعَجَني حتَّى اعْتَرَفْ

أزْعَجَني حتَّى اعْتَرَفْ

تُ مُغْرَماً أخا كَلَفْ

تُ مُغْرَماً أخا كَلَفْ

It agitated me until I confessed—

It troubled me until I confessed,

—myself enamored, a man consumed by passion.

lovestruck, a companion of ardent passion.

قد يَغْلِبُ السِّرَّ الهَوى

قد يَغْلِبُ السِّرَّ الهَوى

والكَتْمُ في هذا صُدَفْ

والكَتْمُ في هذا صُدَفْ

Passion may overcome secrecy,

Passion may overpower secrecy,

and concealment here is mere chance.

and concealment here is a matter of chance.

وقد يَموتُ كاتِمٌ

وقد يَموتُ كاتِمٌ

أجَلْ وذا الموتُ شَرَفْ

أجَلْ وذا الموتُ شَرَفْ

One who conceals it may even die—

And one who conceals it may die—

indeed, and such a death is honor.

yes, and this death is an honor.

والحُبُّ يَفْضَحُ الفَتى

والحُبُّ يَفْضَحُ الفَتى

كَتمهُ أوِ اعْتَرَفْ

كَتمهُ أوِ اعْتَرَفْ

Love gives the young man away,

And love exposes the young man,

whether he hides it or confesses.

whether he conceals it or confesses.

يُكتَبُ في وُجوهِ من

يُكتَبُ في وُجوهِ من

لهم من الحبِّ طَرَفْ

لهم من الحبِّ طَرَفْ

It is written upon the faces of those

It is written on the faces of those

who have some share in love;

who have some share of love.

يُقْرأُ في جِباهِهِمْ

يُقْرأُ في جِباهِهِمْ

يَعْرِفُ هذا من عَرَفْ

يَعْرِفُ هذا من عَرَفْ

it may be read upon their brows.

It is read upon their foreheads;

Whoever has known love knows this.

whoever has known recognizes this.