أَيا قُبلَةً مَرَّت عَلى ضَفَّتَي في

أَيا قُبلَةً مَرَّت عَلى ضَفَّتَي في

كَطَيفِ حَبيبٍ مَرَّ في الحُلمِ وَاِنطَلَق

كَطَيفِ حَبيبٍ مَرَّ في الحُلمِ وَاِنطَلَق

O kiss that passed over the two banks of my mouth,

O kiss that passed over my banks like

like a beloved's apparition that passed through a dream and departed,

the phantom of a beloved who passed in a dream and took flight

فَأَجرَت بِهِ نَهراً مِن الحُبِّ وَالجَوى

فَأَجرَت بِهِ نَهراً مِن الحُبِّ وَالجَوى

تَدَفَّق ناراً في عُروقي إِلى الرَمَق

تَدَفَّق ناراً في عُروقي إِلى الرَمَق

then made a river of love and heartache flow through it,

It drew with it a river of love and passion

flowing as fire through my veins to my last breath.

that flowed as fire in my veins to the last breath

مَلكتِ شُعوري إِذ مَلَأتِ جَوارِحي

مَلكتِ شُعوري إِذ مَلَأتِ جَوارِحي

لَكِ اللَهَ إِنّي في ذُهولٍ وَفي غَرَق

لَكِ اللَهَ إِنّي في ذُهولٍ وَفي غَرَق

You took possession of my feelings as you filled my limbs.

You possessed my feelings when you filled my senses

God be with you! I am bewildered and drowning.

To You, O God, I am in bewilderment and drowning

أُقَضّي نَهاري في اِنقِباضٍ وَريبَةٍ

أُقَضّي نَهاري في اِنقِباضٍ وَريبَةٍ

وَيُشتَدُّ بي وَجدي إِذا أَقبَلَ الغَسَق

وَيُشتَدُّ بي وَجدي إِذا أَقبَلَ الغَسَق

I spend my day in dejection and doubt,

I spend my day contracting and in apprehension

and my yearning intensifies when dusk comes on.

and my fervor intensifies when dusk approaches

إِذا قَدمت خَفَّ اللَهيبُ بِمُهجَتي

إِذا قَدمت خَفَّ اللَهيبُ بِمُهجَتي

وَإِن غادَرَتني عاوَدَت مُهجَتي الحُرَق

وَإِن غادَرَتني عاوَدَت مُهجَتي الحُرَق

When she comes, the blaze in my heart abates,

When you come, the blaze softens in my mind

and if she leaves me, burning pangs revisit my heart.

and when you leave me, my mind returns to burning

أَقولُ لِقَلبي إِنَّها الصدقُ في الهَوى

أَقولُ لِقَلبي إِنَّها الصدقُ في الهَوى

وَفي قَلبِها حُبٌّ لِغَيرِكَ ما خَفَق

وَفي قَلبِها حُبٌّ لِغَيرِكَ ما خَفَق

I tell my heart: she is truth itself in love,

I say to my heart that she is truthful in love

and no love for anyone but you has throbbed in her heart.

and in her heart is love for another, it did not flutter

فَآمِن بِها آمن بِما في عُيونِها

فَآمِن بِها آمن بِما في عُيونِها

أَلَم تَرَها أَرغى بِها الماءُ وَاِحتَرَق

أَلَم تَرَها أَرغى بِها الماءُ وَاِحتَرَق

So believe in her; believe in what is in her eyes.

So believe her, believe what is in her eyes

Have you not seen her eyes, where the water foamed and burned?

Did you not see it, the water longed for it and caught fire

وَيا بَصري حِد مَرَّةً عَن طَريقِها

وَيا بَصري حِد مَرَّةً عَن طَريقِها

كَأَنَّكَ مَمدودٌ بِخيطٍ مِن القَلَق

كَأَنَّكَ مَمدودٌ بِخيطٍ مِن القَلَق

And, O my sight, turn once away from her path,

And my sight, once glance away from her path

as though you were drawn taut by a thread of anxiety.

As if you are stretched by a thread of anxiety

وَيا شُعراءِ الأَرضِ ما أَصدَقَ النَدى

وَيا شُعراءِ الأَرضِ ما أَصدَقَ النَدى

إِذا اِبتَسَمَت لَيلى وَما أَكذبَ الوَرَق

إِذا اِبتَسَمَت لَيلى وَما أَكذبَ الوَرَق

And, O poets of the earth, how truthful the dew is

And poets of the earth, how truthful is the dew

when Layla smiles—and how false the paper!

when Layla smiles and how false is the paper

وَإِن نَظَرت ما أَبلَغَ الشِعرَ صامِتاً

وَإِن نَظَرت ما أَبلَغَ الشِعرَ صامِتاً

وَإِن نَطَقَت ما أَعذَبَ الشِعرَ إِن نَطَق

وَإِن نَطَقَت ما أَعذَبَ الشِعرَ إِن نَطَق

And if she gazes, how eloquent is poetry in silence!

And if she looks, how eloquent is silent poetry

And if she speaks, how sweet is poetry when it speaks!

And if she speaks, how sweet is poetry when it speaks

مَرَرتُ بِأَلوانِ الكَلامِ وَوَهجِهِ

مَرَرتُ بِأَلوانِ الكَلامِ وَوَهجِهِ

فَما جازَ عَيني ثُمَّ ماتَ عَلى الحَدَق

فَما جازَ عَيني ثُمَّ ماتَ عَلى الحَدَق

I passed through the colors of speech and its glow;

I passed by the colors of words and their splendor

yet it went no further than my eye, then died upon the pupils,

So nothing pleased my eye, then it died on the eyelids

كَغيمٍ خَفيفٍ يَمسح النورُ وَجهَهُ

كَغيمٍ خَفيفٍ يَمسح النورُ وَجهَهُ

لِأُولى رِياح اللَيلِ يَنحلُّ في الشَفَق

لِأُولى رِياح اللَيلِ يَنحلُّ في الشَفَق

like a thin cloud whose face the light brushes;

Like a light cloud that the light wipes its face

at the first winds of night, it dissolves in the afterglow.

To the first winds of night it dissolves in the horizon

فَيا أذنُ لا تَخدَعكِ في القَولِ بَهجَةٌ

فَيا أذنُ لا تَخدَعكِ في القَولِ بَهجَةٌ

وَيا قَلبُ عَلِّم أَعذَبُ الشِعرِ ما صَدَق

وَيا قَلبُ عَلِّم أَعذَبُ الشِعرِ ما صَدَق

So, O ear, let no splendor in speech deceive you;

So listen, do not be deceived by the joy in words

and, O heart, teach: the sweetest poetry is what is true.

And heart, teach that the sweetest poetry is what is truthful