أحببت شخصاً جميعُ الناسِ تعرفهُ

أحببت شخصاً جميعُ الناسِ تعرفهُ

من كانَ في بدوه أو كان في حضرِه

من كانَ في بدوه أو كان في حضرِه

I have loved a person whom everyone knows,

I loved a person whom everyone knows,

whether dwelling in the desert or settled in town.

Whether they live as nomads or dwell in towns.

الشمسُ من نورِه فالقلبُ منزله

الشمسُ من نورِه فالقلبُ منزله

والمسكُ من ريحه والشهدُ من أثره

والمسكُ من ريحه والشهدُ من أثره

The sun is born of his light, and the heart is his dwelling;

The sun comes from his light, and the heart is his dwelling;

musk comes from his fragrance, and honey from his trace.

And musk comes from his fragrance, and honey from his trace.

إذا أعاينه تسري الحياة به

إذا أعاينه تسري الحياة به

في خدّه فيذوبُ القلبُ من خفره

في خدّه فيذوبُ القلبُ من خفره

Whenever I behold him, life courses through him,

When I behold him, life courses through him

within his cheek—and the heart melts at his bashfulness.

In his cheek, so the heart melts at his bashfulness.

لما بحثتُ عليه لا أراه سوى

لما بحثتُ عليه لا أراه سوى

ما قام بالنفس منه فهو من أثره

ما قام بالنفس منه فهو من أثره

When I sought him out, I saw him only as

When I searched for him, I saw nothing of him but

what of him arose within the soul—for that itself is one of his effects.

What of him dwelt in the soul; that comes from his trace.

فما يهيم قلباً في الهوى أبداً

فما يهيم قلباً في الهوى أبداً

إلا تخيله لا غير من نظره

إلا تخيله لا غير من نظره

Nothing ever drives a heart mad with love

For nothing ever drives a heart mad with love

except imagining him alone, born of beholding him.

Except imagining him—nothing else—arising from seeing him.

فالخيالِ نعيمُ الناسِ أجمعُهم

فالخيالِ نعيمُ الناسِ أجمعُهم

كما به الألم الآتي على قدره

كما به الألم الآتي على قدره

Imagination is the bliss of all humankind,

So imagination is the bliss of all people,

just as through it, too, comes pain in its due measure.

Just as through it comes pain, in proportion to it.

إذا علمت بهذا قد نعمت بما

إذا علمت بهذا قد نعمت بما

تشكو نواه إذا ما غاب في سفره

تشكو نواه إذا ما غاب في سفره

Once you understand this, you have found delight in the one

If you understand this, you have found delight in the one

whose distance you lament whenever he is away on his journey.

Whose distance you lament when he is away on his journey.