لقد كنت من أمر الهوى أتستر

لقد كنت من أمر الهوى أتستر

وعرفني والحال منيَ منكر

وعرفني والحال منيَ منكر

Indeed, I used to conceal the matter of love.

I have long concealed my love

And he recognized me, though my state was strange.

Though it was clear, and my state betrayed

وصرت انادي والحشا يتفطر

وصرت انادي والحشا يتفطر

ايا معشر العشاق بالله اخبروا

ايا معشر العشاق بالله اخبروا

And I began calling out, my heart splitting apart:

I began to call out while hearts shattered

O company of lovers, by God, tell me:

O company of lovers, for God's sake tell me

إذا اشتد عشق بالفتى كيف يصنع

إذا اشتد عشق بالفتى كيف يصنع

فقالوا مقالا لست اجهل قدره

فقالوا مقالا لست اجهل قدره

When love grows fierce in a young man, what is he to do?

When passion seizes a youth, what can he do?

They spoke words whose worth I well knew:

They answered with words whose value I know

اذا ما اراد الصب يملك امره

اذا ما اراد الصب يملك امره

ويبلغ ما يهوى ويحكم دهره

ويبلغ ما يهوى ويحكم دهره

If the lovesick lover wishes to govern his affairs,

If a youth wants control, he takes charge

And attain what he desires and master his days,

And attains his desires to steer his fate

يداري هواه ثم يكتم سره

يداري هواه ثم يكتم سره

ويصبر في كل الامور ويخضع

ويصبر في كل الامور ويخضع

He must soothe his passion, then conceal his secret,

He hides his love, and guards his secret

And be patient in all things and submit.

And shows patience in all matters, submitting

فقلت لهم والقلب مني تنتنا

فقلت لهم والقلب مني تنتنا

مقالة صب بالصواب لقد اتى

مقالة صب بالصواب لقد اتى

So I said to them, my heart festering within me,

I said to them, my heart convulsing

The words of a lovesick man who had surely spoken rightly:

You have spoken truly, good sirs

فحتى هواه ما يداري الى متى

فحتى هواه ما يداري الى متى

وكيف يداري والهوى قاتل الفتى

وكيف يداري والهوى قاتل الفتى

Yet even his passion he does not soothe—until when?

But how long can one conceal his love?

And how can he soothe it, when love kills the young man,

How can he hide it, when passion kills the youth

وفي كل يوم قلبه يتقطع

وفي كل يوم قلبه يتقطع

فقلت قد بالغت في وصف عذره

فقلت قد بالغت في وصف عذره

And every day his heart is torn apart?

And every day his heart is torn apart?

Then I said: I have gone too far in describing his excuse.

I said, you have made his excuse clear

يسر هواه لا يفوه بذكره

يسر هواه لا يفوه بذكره

ويصبر اولى في الغرام لامره

ويصبر اولى في الغرام لامره

He must conceal his passion, never speaking of it;

Make his love easy - do not speak of it

Patience in love is better for his plight.

Patience is best for one impassioned

وان لم يجد صبرا لكتمان سره

وان لم يجد صبرا لكتمان سره

فليس له شيء سوى الموت انفع

فليس له شيء سوى الموت انفع

And if he finds no patience to conceal his secret,

If he cannot be patient to hide his secret

Then nothing benefits him more than death.

He has no recourse but death's benefit

فقالوا وسمعي للجواب مفرغ

فقالوا وسمعي للجواب مفرغ

مقالا من الدر المنظم ابلغ

مقالا من الدر المنظم ابلغ

Then they spoke, my hearing devoted to the answer,

They said, my ears attentive to their response

Words more eloquent than strung pearls:

Wise words, finer than pearls

فمن ذا الذي عما ذكرتم يروغ

فمن ذا الذي عما ذكرتم يروغ

سمعنا اطعنا ثم متنا فبلغوا

سمعنا اطعنا ثم متنا فبلغوا

Who, then, would turn aside from what you have said?

Who is there that would turn from what you said?

We heard, obeyed, then died; so convey

We have heard and obeyed, so inform

سلامي على من كان للوصل يمنع

سلامي على من كان للوصل يمنع

My greetings to the one who denied union.

My greetings to one who would prevent union