هل إلى برد الثنايا من سبيل

هل إلى برد الثنايا من سبيل

لمشوق ذاب من حرّ الغليل

لمشوق ذاب من حرّ الغليل

Is there any way to the coolness of the front teeth,

Is there a way to the coolness of intimacy

for a yearning lover melted by burning thirst?

For a lover melted by the heat of passion?

او الى الوصل وصول خلسةً

او الى الوصل وصول خلسةً

لمحبٍ بين واش وعذول

لمحبٍ بين واش وعذول

Or any furtive access to union,

Or a secret path to union

for a lover between a tale-bearer and a reprover?

For a lover amid spies and slanderers?

تعب الواشي ولو شاء اكتفى

تعب الواشي ولو شاء اكتفى

بوشاة من دموعي ونحولي

بوشاة من دموعي ونحولي

The tale-bearer has wearied himself; had he wished, he could have made do

The spy is tired, though he could be satisfied

with my tears and my wasting as tale-bearers,

With my tears and my thinness as his informant,

وبواشٍ من كثير الطيب ان

وبواشٍ من كثير الطيب ان

سمح المحبوب بالوصل القليل

سمح المحبوب بالوصل القليل

and with abundant perfume as a tale-bearer, if

And perfumes as his spy

the beloved grants a little union.

If the beloved would allow a little union.

وعذولي لجّ في عذلي اذ

وعذولي لجّ في عذلي اذ

لم ير الخال على الخد الاسيل

لم ير الخال على الخد الاسيل

And my reprover persisted in reproaching me, since

Yet my slanderer is immersed in slandering me

he had not seen the mole on the smooth cheek.

For he has not seen a mole on the smooth cheek.

لو رأى وجه جبيبي عاذ لي

لو رأى وجه جبيبي عاذ لي

لتفاصلنا على وجه جميل

لتفاصلنا على وجه جميل

Had my reprover seen my beloved's face,

If he saw my beloved's face, he would permit me -

we would have parted on good terms.

So we could be reconciled in a beautiful manner.

حبذا وجه حبيبي جنة

حبذا وجه حبيبي جنة

ذات ظل مد بالصدغ ظليل

ذات ظل مد بالصدغ ظليل

How lovely my beloved's face—a paradise,

Blessed is the face of my beloved, a garden

with sheltering shade spread by the temple-lock.

With shade stretched by the temple, cool.

لم يرق قلبى خليل غيره

لم يرق قلبى خليل غيره

وسلام انها نار الخليل

وسلام انها نار الخليل

No beloved but he has charmed my heart;

My heart has not been soothed by a lover but him -

and peace—indeed, it is the fire of the Friend.

And greetings, for he is the passion of the bosom.

أنا مقتول كما شاء الهوى

أنا مقتول كما شاء الهوى

بالقوام اللدن والطرف الكحيل

بالقوام اللدن والطرف الكحيل

I am slain, as passion willed,

I was killed by love however it wished,

by the supple figure and the kohl-dark gaze.

By the soft figure and the kohl-lined eye.

مت بالحبّ شهيدا فعسى

مت بالحبّ شهيدا فعسى

في جنان الخلد أن يقضى دخولي

في جنان الخلد أن يقضى دخولي

I died a martyr to love; so perhaps

I died of love a martyr, so perhaps

my entry into the gardens of eternity will be decreed.

In the gardens of eternity my entrance will be ordained.