خُشّابَ هَل لِمُحِبٍّ عِندَكُم فَرَجُ

خُشّابَ هَل لِمُحِبٍّ عِندَكُم فَرَجُ

أَو لا فَإِنّي بِحَبلِ المَوتِ مُعتَلِجُ

أَو لا فَإِنّي بِحَبلِ المَوتِ مُعتَلِجُ

Khushshab, is there relief with you for a lover,

Khushebb, is there any hope for a lover with you all?

or not? For I wrestle with the rope of death.

Or not, for I am struggling with the rope of death

لَو كانَ ما بي بِخَلقِ اللَهِ كُلِّهِمُ

لَو كانَ ما بي بِخَلقِ اللَهِ كُلِّهِمُ

لا يَخلُصونَ إِلى أَحبابِهِم دَرَجوا

لا يَخلُصونَ إِلى أَحبابِهِم دَرَجوا

If what ails me afflicted all God's creatures,

If what is in me was in all of God's creation

unable to reach their beloveds, they would perish.

They would not attain their beloveds' abodes

لِلهَجرِ نارٌ عَلى قَلبي وَفي كَبِدي

لِلهَجرِ نارٌ عَلى قَلبي وَفي كَبِدي

إِذا نَأَيتِ وَرُؤيا وَجهِكِ الثَلَجُ

إِذا نَأَيتِ وَرُؤيا وَجهِكِ الثَلَجُ

Separation's fire lies upon my heart and in my liver

For estrangement there is a fire in my heart and liver

when you are far away; seeing your face is snow.

When you are distant, and the vision of your snow-like face

كَأَنَّ حُبَّكِ فَوقي حينَ أَكتُمُهُ

كَأَنَّ حُبَّكِ فَوقي حينَ أَكتُمُهُ

وَتَحتَ رِجلَيَّ لُجٌّ فَوقَهُ لُجَجُ

وَتَحتَ رِجلَيَّ لُجٌّ فَوقَهُ لُجَجُ

When I conceal my love for you, it is as though above me

It is as if your love is above me when I conceal it

and beneath my feet lies a deep sea, with deep seas above it.

And under my feet a swamp over which swamps surge

قَد بُحتُ بِالحُبِّ ضَيقاً عَن جَلالَتِهِ

قَد بُحتُ بِالحُبِّ ضَيقاً عَن جَلالَتِهِ

وَأَنتِ كَالصاعِ تُطوى تَحتَهُ السُرُجُ

وَأَنتِ كَالصاعِ تُطوى تَحتَهُ السُرُجُ

I have confessed my love, unable to contain its grandeur,

I have been indiscreet about love, belittling its majesty

while you are like a grain measure beneath which lamps are hidden.

While you are like a bucket folded under the saddles

خُشّابَ جودي جِهاراً أَو مُسارَقَةً

خُشّابَ جودي جِهاراً أَو مُسارَقَةً

فَقَد بُليتُ وَمَرَّت بِالمُنى حِجَجُ

فَقَد بُليتُ وَمَرَّت بِالمُنى حِجَجُ

Khushshab, be generous, openly or in secret,

Khushebb give freely, openly or stealthily

for I have suffered, and years have passed in wishing.

For I have been tested and the wishes have passed

حَتّى مَتى أَنتِ يا خُشّابَ جالِسَةً

حَتّى مَتى أَنتِ يا خُشّابَ جالِسَةً

لا تَخرُجينَ لَنا يَوماً وَلا تَلِجُ

لا تَخرُجينَ لَنا يَوماً وَلا تَلِجُ

How long will you remain seated, O Khushshab,

How long will you sit, Khushebb, without coming out

never coming out to us for a day, nor coming in?

Not giving us a day, not drawing near?

لَو كُنتِ تَلقينَ ما نَلقى قَسَمتِ لَنا

لَو كُنتِ تَلقينَ ما نَلقى قَسَمتِ لَنا

يَوماً نَعيشُ بِهِ مِنكُم وَنَبتَهِجُ

يَوماً نَعيشُ بِهِ مِنكُم وَنَبتَهِجُ

If you suffered what we suffer, you would allot us

If you were to experience what we experience you would allocate for us

a day with you, to live by and rejoice in.

A day in which we could live with you and rejoice

لا خَيرَ في العَيشِ إِن كُنّا كَذا أَبَداً

لا خَيرَ في العَيشِ إِن كُنّا كَذا أَبَداً

لا نَلتَقي وَسَبيلُ المُلتَقى نَهَجُ

لا نَلتَقي وَسَبيلُ المُلتَقى نَهَجُ

There is no good in life if we remain like this forever,

There is no good in life if we are to be like this forever

not meeting, though the path to meeting is clear.

Neither meeting, though the path to meet is paved

مَن راقَبَ الناسَ لَم يَظفَر بِحاجَتِهِ

مَن راقَبَ الناسَ لَم يَظفَر بِحاجَتِهِ

وَفازَ بِالطَيِّباتِ الفاتِكُ اللَهِجُ

وَفازَ بِالطَيِّباتِ الفاتِكُ اللَهِجُ

Whoever is wary of people will not attain his desire,

Whoever watches people will not attain his need

while the daring, ardent man wins the delights.

But the harsh speaking attains good things

وَقَد نَهاكِ أُناسٌ لا صَفا لَهُمُ

وَقَد نَهاكِ أُناسٌ لا صَفا لَهُمُ

عَيشٌ وَلا عَدِموا خَصماً وَلا فَلَجوا

عَيشٌ وَلا عَدِموا خَصماً وَلا فَلَجوا

And some people have forbidden you—may they never have a sweet

Some people lacking purity have forbidden you

life, may they never lack an adversary, nor ever prevail!

They live without an enemy or solve problems

قالوا حَرامٌ تَلاقينا فَقَد كَذَبوا

قالوا حَرامٌ تَلاقينا فَقَد كَذَبوا

ما في اِلتِزامٍ وَلا في قُبلَةٍ حَرَجُ

ما في اِلتِزامٍ وَلا في قُبلَةٍ حَرَجُ

They said our meeting is forbidden; indeed, they lied.

They have lied saying it is forbidden for us to meet

There is no sin in an embrace or a kiss.

There is no sin in an embrace or a kiss

أَما شَعَرتِ فَدَتكِ النَفسُ جارِيَةً

أَما شَعَرتِ فَدَتكِ النَفسُ جارِيَةً

أَن لَيسَ لي دونَ ما مَنَّيتِني فَرَجُ

أَن لَيسَ لي دونَ ما مَنَّيتِني فَرَجُ

Have you not realized, girl—may my soul ransom you—

Don't you feel, my soul ransoms you, a neighbor

that I have no relief short of what you led me to hope for?

That I have no relief except what you wish for me

إِنّي أُبَشِّرُ نَفسي كُلَّما اِختَلَجَت

إِنّي أُبَشِّرُ نَفسي كُلَّما اِختَلَجَت

عَيني أَقولُ بِنَيلٍ مِنكِ تَختَلِجُ

عَيني أَقولُ بِنَيلٍ مِنكِ تَختَلِجُ

I give myself glad tidings whenever

Whenever my eyes grow teary, I promise myself

my eye twitches; I say, "It twitches for a favor from you."

Attaining you, I writhe

وَقَد تَمَنَّيتُ أَن أَلقاكِ خالِيَةً

وَقَد تَمَنَّيتُ أَن أَلقاكِ خالِيَةً

يَوماً وَأَنّي وَفيما قُلتِ لي عِوَجُ

يَوماً وَأَنّي وَفيما قُلتِ لي عِوَجُ

And I have wished to meet you alone

And I have wished to meet you alone

one day—but how, when there is crookedness in what you told me?

One day, and that I in what you told me have no crookedness

أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ شَوقاً لا يُفَرِّطُني

أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ شَوقاً لا يُفَرِّطُني

وَشُرَّعاً في سَوادِ القَلبِ تَختَلِجُ

وَشُرَّعاً في سَوادِ القَلبِ تَختَلِجُ

I complain to God of a longing that will not let me go,

I complain to God of a longing that gives me no respite

and of leveled spears quivering in my heart's dark core.

And desires churning in the darkness of my heart

يا رَبِّ لا صَبرَ لي عَن قُربِ جارِيَةٍ

يا رَبِّ لا صَبرَ لي عَن قُربِ جارِيَةٍ

تَنأى دَلالاً وَفيها إِن دَنَت غَنَجُ

تَنأى دَلالاً وَفيها إِن دَنَت غَنَجُ

O Lord, I cannot bear to be without the nearness of a girl

O Lord I have no patience to be away from a neighbor girl

who draws away coyly, yet is coquettish when she draws near,

Who charms from afar, and if she draws near, smiles

غَرّاءَ حَوراءَ مِن طيبٍ إِذا نَكَهَت

غَرّاءَ حَوراءَ مِن طيبٍ إِذا نَكَهَت

لِلبَيتِ وَالدارِ مِن أَنفاسِها أَرَجُ

لِلبَيتِ وَالدارِ مِن أَنفاسِها أَرَجُ

radiant-faced, with eyes of striking black and white, so fragrant when she breathes

A radiant, fair maid, when she smiles

that her breaths fill the room and the house with scent.

The house and abode are perfumed with her scent

كَأَنَّها قَمَرٌ رابٍ رَوادِفُهُ

كَأَنَّها قَمَرٌ رابٍ رَوادِفُهُ

عَذبُ الثَنايا بَدا في عَينِهِ دَعَجُ

عَذبُ الثَنايا بَدا في عَينِهِ دَعَجُ

She is like a moon with full buttocks,

As if she were a rising moon escorted

with sweet front teeth and deep blackness showing in its eye.

By sweet-lipped brightness, in her eye a flutter