أرسلَ اللَّحظَ للقِتالِ نَذِيرَا

أرسلَ اللَّحظَ للقِتالِ نَذِيرَا

لَيتَهُ بالوِصَالِ جَاءَ نَذِيرَا

لَيتَهُ بالوِصَالِ جَاءَ نَذِيرَا

He sent his glance into battle as a herald;

He sent his glance as a herald of battle;

if only it had come heralding union.

would that he had come as a herald of union.

فَتَرَى العاشِقِين في الحب إمَّا

فَتَرَى العاشِقِين في الحب إمَّا

شَاكِراً وَصلَهُ وَإمَّا كَفُورَ

شَاكِراً وَصلَهُ وَإمَّا كَفُورَ

Thus you see lovers, in love, either

Thus you see lovers in love, either

grateful for his union, or utterly ungrateful.

grateful for union with him, or ungrateful.

إنَّ أهلَ الهوَى يَخافونَ يوماً

إنَّ أهلَ الهوَى يَخافونَ يوماً

بِالجَفَا كانَ شَرُّهُ مُستَطيرَا

بِالجَفَا كانَ شَرُّهُ مُستَطيرَا

Indeed, the people of passion fear a day

Indeed, lovers fear a day

whose evil, through estrangement, spreads far and wide.

whose evil, through estrangement, spreads far and wide.

فوَقاهم مِنهُ وَلَقَّاهُمُ مِن

فوَقاهم مِنهُ وَلَقَّاهُمُ مِن

وَجهِهِ اليَومَ نَظرَةً وَسُرُورَا

وَجهِهِ اليَومَ نَظرَةً وَسُرُورَا

So he shielded them from it, and granted them, from

So he protected them from it and bestowed on them, from

his face that day, radiance and joy.

his face today, a glance and joy.

وَجَزَاهُم من وَجنتيه بمَا قَد

وَجَزَاهُم من وَجنتيه بمَا قَد

صَبَرُوا عَنهُ جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرَا

صَبَرُوا عَنهُ جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرَا

And from his cheeks he rewarded them, for what they

And from his cheeks he rewarded them, for having

endured apart from him, with a garden and silk.

patiently gone without him, with a garden and silk.

عارِضَاهُ وَوجنَتَاهُ أعَدَّا

عارِضَاهُ وَوجنَتَاهُ أعَدَّا

لِفُؤَادِي سَلاَسِلاً وَسَعِيرَا

لِفُؤَادِي سَلاَسِلاً وَسَعِيرَا

His two temples and his two cheeks have prepared

His sideburns and his cheeks have prepared

for my heart chains and a blaze.

for my heart chains and a blazing fire.

فإذا ما رَأيتَ فَيضَ دُمُوعي

فإذا ما رَأيتَ فَيضَ دُمُوعي

تَحسَبُ الدَّمعَ لُؤلُؤاً مَنثُورَا

تَحسَبُ الدَّمعَ لُؤلُؤاً مَنثُورَا

And when you see the flood of my tears,

And when you see the flood of my tears,

you take the tears for scattered pearls.

you think the tears are scattered pearls.

لَيتَهُ لو شَفَى سُقامي برِيقٍ

لَيتَهُ لو شَفَى سُقامي برِيقٍ

وَسَقَاني مِنهُ شَرَاباً طَهُورَا

وَسَقَاني مِنهُ شَرَاباً طَهُورَا

If only he would cure my sickness with his saliva

Would that he might heal my sickness with saliva,

and give me from it a purifying drink—

and give me from it a purifying drink,

من رَحيقٍ ختامُه مِسكُ خالٍ

من رَحيقٍ ختامُه مِسكُ خالٍ

كَانَ عِندِي مِزَاجُهُ كَافُورَا

كَانَ عِندِي مِزَاجُهُ كَافُورَا

of pure nectar whose seal is musk;

of pure wine, whose seal is the musk of a beauty mark;

to me, its blend was camphor.

to me, its admixture was camphor.

كلَّمَا لاَحَ لي رَأيتُ نَعِيمَا

كلَّمَا لاَحَ لي رَأيتُ نَعِيمَا

مِن سَنَا وَجهِه ومُلكا كَبيرَا

مِن سَنَا وَجهِه ومُلكا كَبيرَا

Whenever he appeared to me, I beheld bliss

Whenever he appeared to me, I saw bliss

in the radiance of his face, and a mighty kingdom.

from the radiance of his face, and a vast kingdom.

يا حَبيبِي ارجعَن إلى الله فينا

يا حَبيبِي ارجعَن إلى الله فينا

إنَّهُ كَانَ بِالعِبَادِ بَصِيرَا

إنَّهُ كَانَ بِالعِبَادِ بَصِيرَا

My beloved, do return to God in how you treat us;

O my beloved, turn back to God in your treatment of us;

surely He is ever all-seeing of His servants.

indeed, He has ever been watchful over His servants.

لاَ تُطع من عَوَاذِلِ وَوُشَاةٍ

لاَ تُطع من عَوَاذِلِ وَوُشَاةٍ

آثِماً فِي مَلاَمِهِ أو كَفُورَا

آثِماً فِي مَلاَمِهِ أو كَفُورَا

Do not obey any of my reproachers or tale-bearers,

Do not heed, among reproachers and tale-bearers,

whether a sinner in their censure or an ingrate.

anyone sinful in his reproach, or ungrateful.

ما حلاَ لي سوَى الهَوَى ولِهيبي

ما حلاَ لي سوَى الهَوَى ولِهيبي

لم يَزَل في الهَوَى سراجا مُنِيرَا

لم يَزَل في الهَوَى سراجا مُنِيرَا

Nothing has been sweet to me save love; and my rapture

Nothing was sweet to me but love, and my flame

has ever been, in love, a radiant lamp.

has ever been, in love, a shining lamp.