نَهى عاذِلي المَحبوبِ لا يُدنِني وُدّاً

نَهى عاذِلي المَحبوبِ لا يُدنِني وُدّاً

مَخافَةَ لَمسي الثَغرَ أَو لَثمي الخَدّا

مَخافَةَ لَمسي الثَغرَ أَو لَثمي الخَدّا

My reproachful censor forbade the beloved to draw me near in love,

My reproacher told the beloved not to draw me close in affection,

for fear that I might touch his mouth or kiss his cheek.

For fear I might touch his lips or kiss his cheek.

وَلَم يَدرِ أَنّي مُذ وَفي رُغمِهِ الوَعدا

وَلَم يَدرِ أَنّي مُذ وَفي رُغمِهِ الوَعدا

دَنَوتُ وَقَد أَبدى الكَرى مِنهُ ما أَبدى

دَنَوتُ وَقَد أَبدى الكَرى مِنهُ ما أَبدى

He did not know that, once the promise was fulfilled despite him,

Nor did he know that, once the promise was kept against his wishes,

I drew near, while slumber disclosed of him all that it disclosed,

I drew near, while slumber revealed of him what it revealed.

فَقَبَّلتُهُ في الثَغرِ تَسعينَ أَو إِحدى

فَقَبَّلتُهُ في الثَغرِ تَسعينَ أَو إِحدى

وَذَلِكَ ثَغرٌ أَودَعَ اللَهُ حِكمَةً

وَذَلِكَ ثَغرٌ أَودَعَ اللَهُ حِكمَةً

and kissed him on the mouth—ninety times, or once.

So I kissed him on the lips ninety times—or once.

That is a mouth in which God has lodged a wisdom:

And that is a mouth where God placed wisdom:

بِهِ الدُرُّ مَعقوداً مِنَ الشَهيدِ بِدعَة

بِهِ الدُرُّ مَعقوداً مِنَ الشَهيدِ بِدعَة

فَآنَستُ مِمّا فيهِ راحاً وَراحَةً

فَآنَستُ مِمّا فيهِ راحاً وَراحَةً

within it pearls lie strung—a marvel wrought of honey.

Within it pearls are strung—a marvel from the Witness.

From what it held, I discovered wine and repose,

So I found in its contents wine and repose,

وَأَبصَرَت في خَدَّيهِ ماءً وَخُضرَة

وَأَبصَرَت في خَدَّيهِ ماءً وَخُضرَة

فَما أَملَحَ المَرعى وَما أَعذَبَ الوَردا

فَما أَملَحَ المَرعى وَما أَعذَبَ الوَردا

and in his two cheeks beheld water and greenery.

And saw water and greenery in his cheeks.

How lovely the pasture, and how sweet the watering place!

How lovely the pasture, and how sweet the roses!

فَمِن نارِ وَجدي حَيثُ كانَت شَديدَةً

فَمِن نارِ وَجدي حَيثُ كانَت شَديدَةً

وَعَظُمَ شُعاعُ القَلبِ إِذ صارَ جَمرَة

وَعَظُمَ شُعاعُ القَلبِ إِذ صارَ جَمرَة

Then, from the fire of my passion when it burned fiercely,

So, from the fire of my longing, when it burned fiercely,

the heart’s radiance swelled as it became an ember;

And the heart's radiance swelled as it became an ember,

وَحَكَمَ اِجتِذابَ النارِ لِلما طَبيعَةً

وَحَكَمَ اِجتِذابَ النارِ لِلما طَبيعَةً

تُلهِبُ ماءَ الخَدِّ إِذ سالَ حُمرَة

تُلهِبُ ماءَ الخَدِّ إِذ سالَ حُمرَة

and natural law decreed fire’s attraction toward water,

Fire's drawing of water was decreed a law of nature,

so the cheek’s water blazed as it flowed crimson.

Setting the cheek's water aflame as it flowed red.

فَيا ماءُ ما أَذكى وَيا نارُ ما أَندى

فَيا ماءُ ما أَذكى وَيا نارُ ما أَندى

وَمِن عَجَبِ أَنّى تَقيهِ فَتكَهُ

وَمِن عَجَبِ أَنّى تَقيهِ فَتكَهُ

O water, how fiery you are! O fire, how dewy!

O water, how fiery! And O fire, how dewy!

What a wonder—how can you ward off its deadly assault?

And it is strange: how can you shield him from his deadly assault?

هَمَمتَ بِتَركِيِّهِ وَعِزَّةَ مُلكِهِ

هَمَمتَ بِتَركِيِّهِ وَعِزَّةَ مُلكِهِ

وَها أَنا في بُؤسِ الغَرامِ وَضَنكِهِ

وَها أَنا في بُؤسِ الغَرامِ وَضَنكِهِ

You sought to combine it, but mastery of it proved unattainable.

You meant for me to leave him—by the might of his dominion!

Here I am in passion’s misery and hardship,

And here I am in love's misery and hardship,

أَقولُ لِناهٍ قَد أَشارَ بِتَركِهِ

أَقولُ لِناهٍ قَد أَشارَ بِتَركِهِ

لَقَد زِدتَني فيما أَشرَت بِهِ زُهدا

لَقَد زِدتَني فيما أَشرَت بِهِ زُهدا

saying to the one who forbids it, who counseled abandoning it:

Saying to one who forbids me, who advised forsaking him:

You have only increased my aversion to what you counseled.

Indeed, you have made me more averse to what you advised.

وَمالَكَ تَنهاني وَقَد بَلَغَ الظَما

وَمالَكَ تَنهاني وَقَد بَلَغَ الظَما

نِهايَتُهُ القُصوى وَلَم أَجِدِ الذَما

نِهايَتُهُ القُصوى وَلَم أَجِدِ الذَما

Why do you forbid me, when thirst has already reached

And why do you forbid me, when thirst has reached

its farthest limit, yet I have found no water,

Its furthest limit, and I have found no blame?

وَلا حَيتَني في حُبٍّ أَهيَفَ قَد سَما

وَلا حَيتَني في حُبٍّ أَهيَفَ قَد سَما

فَلِمَ لا نَهَيتُ الثَغرانِ يَعذَبُ اللَمى

فَلِمَ لا نَهَيتُ الثَغرانِ يَعذَبُ اللَمى

nor has she greeted me, though I love a slender beauty who towers high?

And you reproached me for loving a slender-waisted one who rose high.

Why, then, did you not forbid the two lips, whose dusky bloom is sweet,

Then why did I not forbid the two mouths, whose dusky lip-tint is sweet?

وَلَم لا أَمَرتَ الصَدرَ أَن يَكتُمَ النَهدا

وَلَم لا أَمَرتَ الصَدرَ أَن يَكتُمَ النَهدا

وَما راعَني مِن ذَلِكَ الظَبي قُسوَةً

وَما راعَني مِن ذَلِكَ الظَبي قُسوَةً

and why did you not command the breast to conceal the swelling bosom?

And why did you not command the chest to conceal the breast?

No cruelty from that gazelle-like beloved ever frightened me,

And no cruelty from that gazelle frightened me,

وَقَد بِعتُهُ نَفسي كَأَنّي سِلعَة

وَقَد بِعتُهُ نَفسي كَأَنّي سِلعَة

فَأَصبَحَ لا تُلهيهِ مِنّي تِجارَةً

فَأَصبَحَ لا تُلهيهِ مِنّي تِجارَةً

though I sold myself to him as though I were merchandise;

For I had sold him my soul, as though I were merchandise.

and so no commerce can distract him from me.

So now no trade distracts him from me.

وَأُقسِمُ ما عِندي إِلَيهِ صَبابَة

وَأُقسِمُ ما عِندي إِلَيهِ صَبابَة

وَكَيفَ وَجورُ الشَوقِ لَم يَبقَ لي عِندا

وَكَيفَ وَجورُ الشَوقِ لَم يَبقَ لي عِندا

I swear I have no ardent longing left for him—

And I swear I have no yearning for him;

and how could I, when longing’s tyranny has left me nothing in reserve?

And how could I, when longing's tyranny has left me nothing of my own?

فَإِبرَةُ إِدريسَ عَلى الصَدغِ نَمنَمَت

فَإِبرَةُ إِدريسَ عَلى الصَدغِ نَمنَمَت

وَإِن عَصا موسى لِذا القَدِّ قَد حَكَت

وَإِن عَصا موسى لِذا القَدِّ قَد حَكَت

For Idris’s needle embroidered fine patterns upon the temple-lock,

So Idris's needle worked embroidery upon the temple,

and Moses’ staff truly mimicked this stature;

And indeed Moses's staff has imitated this figure.

وَعَينايَ لِلطوفانِ حاكَت وَقَلَّدَت

وَعَينايَ لِلطوفانِ حاكَت وَقَلَّدَت

وَفي القَلبِ نيرانُ الخَليلِ تَوَقَّدَت

وَفي القَلبِ نيرانُ الخَليلِ تَوَقَّدَت

my two eyes vied with the Flood and imitated it,

And my two eyes have mimicked and copied the Flood,

while in my heart the fires of Abraham, the Friend, flared—

And in the heart the fires of Abraham blazed.

وَما ذُقتُ مِنها لا سَلاماً وَلا بَردا

وَما ذُقتُ مِنها لا سَلاماً وَلا بَردا

yet from them I tasted neither safety nor coolness.

And I tasted from them neither peace nor coolness.