لَمّا بَعَثتُ بِداعي الشَوقِ وَالدَلهِ

لَمّا بَعَثتُ بِداعي الشَوقِ وَالدَلهِ

إِلى زِيارَةِ مَن فيها نَما وَلَهي

إِلى زِيارَةِ مَن فيها نَما وَلَهي

When I set forth, prompted by longing and love's bewilderment,

When I was stirred by yearning and passion’s claim

to visit her for whom my passion had grown,

To visit her in whom my heart took delight

وَالحَيُّ لَم يَخلُ مَن صاحَ وَمُتَنَبِّهِ

وَالحَيُّ لَم يَخلُ مَن صاحَ وَمُتَنَبِّهِ

قالَت وَاِبثَثتُها شَوقي وَبُحتُ بِهِ

قالَت وَاِبثَثتُها شَوقي وَبُحتُ بِهِ

and the quarter was not without the wakeful and the alert,

Those ever wakeful, though the living slept, exclaim’d

she said, as I confided my longing to her and spoke openly of it:

And I disclosed my secret, hiding naught thro’ shame

قَد كُنتَ عِندي مَكانَ السَترِ فَاِستَتِرِ

قَد كُنتَ عِندي مَكانَ السَترِ فَاِستَتِرِ

هَذا الغِوايَةُ مَن لِلنَفسِ سَولَها

هَذا الغِوايَةُ مَن لِلنَفسِ سَولَها

"You held a place of secrecy with me, so keep yourself concealed.

Thou wast to me a screen, so screen what I didst blame

This is folly—who made it alluring to the soul?

This was self-love, its wiles my reason sway’d aright

أَرى ذَكاءَكَ مِن عِشقي غَدا بَلَها

أَرى ذَكاءَكَ مِن عِشقي غَدا بَلَها

فَكَيفَ تَظهَرُ لي يا سَيِّدي وَلَها

فَكَيفَ تَظهَرُ لي يا سَيِّدي وَلَها

I see your wit has turned to foolishness through love of me.

Thou seest me crazed with passion beyond all sight

How, then, do you appear before me, my lord, so lovesick?

How can I meet thee then, my lord, without diffame?

أَلَستَ تُبصِرُ مِن حَولي فَقُلتُ لَها

أَلَستَ تُبصِرُ مِن حَولي فَقُلتُ لَها

غَطى هَواكَ وَما أَلقى عَلى بَصَري

غَطى هَواكَ وَما أَلقى عَلى بَصَري

Do you not see those around me?" So I said to her:

I answered: ‘Dost thou not see what is around?

"Love for you and what I endure have cast a veil over my sight."

My love for thee bath overcast my vision clear’