يا منيةَ النَّفْسِ يا مِسْكِيَّة النَّفَسِ

يا منيةَ النَّفْسِ يا مِسْكِيَّة النَّفَسِ

يا روضةَ القلبِ يا رَيْحَانةَ الأُنسِ

يا روضةَ القلبِ يا رَيْحَانةَ الأُنسِ

O desire of the soul, O you of musky breath,

O soul's wish, O spirit's delight,

O garden of the heart, O sweet basil of companionship.

O heart's garden, O intimacy's basil,

الشمسُ أَنتِ ولولا أَنْتِ ما طلَعتْ

الشمسُ أَنتِ ولولا أَنْتِ ما طلَعتْ

لأَنَّها منك كالمِشْكَاةِ بالقبَسِ

لأَنَّها منك كالمِشْكَاةِ بالقبَسِ

You are the sun; but for you, it would not have risen,

You are the sun, without you it would not have risen,

For it is lit by you as a lamp-niche is by a flame.

For it is lit by you as a lamp by a wick.

مُتّعْتِ من كل ما تَصْبُو النفوسُ بهِ

مُتّعْتِ من كل ما تَصْبُو النفوسُ بهِ

بالخمس والخمس والخمسين والخمس

بالخمس والخمس والخمسين والخمس

You have been endowed with all that souls yearn for,

You bring joy with everything souls yearn for,

With the five, and the five, and the fifty, and the five.

In fives and fifty-fives and fives.

تحلو إِساءَتُهَا في قلبِ عاشِقها

تحلو إِساءَتُهَا في قلبِ عاشِقها

ريحُ السعادةِ تُجْري السُّفْنَ في اليَبَسِ

ريحُ السعادةِ تُجْري السُّفْنَ في اليَبَسِ

Her mistreatment is sweet in her lover's heart;

Your cruelty is sweet in the heart of your lover,

The wind of good fortune sends ships sailing over dry land.

The wind of happiness sails ships on dry land.

ما بال قلبِكِ لمّا لنْتِ من كَلَف

ما بال قلبِكِ لمّا لنْتِ من كَلَف

قَسَا عليّ ولما أَن ذكَرَتُ نَسِي

قَسَا عليّ ولما أَن ذكَرَتُ نَسِي

Why did your heart, when you grew tender with passion,

Why is your heart hard when you frown?

Harden against me, and forget when I remembered?

It is harsh to me, and when I remember, forgets.

قد نمتُ في غيرِ وقتِ النوم منتظراً

قد نمتُ في غيرِ وقتِ النوم منتظراً

للطَّيْفِ فالطيفُ لا يَخْشَى من الحَرَسِ

للطَّيْفِ فالطيفُ لا يَخْشَى من الحَرَسِ

I have slept when it was not time to sleep, waiting

I slept at the wrong time waiting

For the dream-phantom—for the phantom has no fear of the guards.

For your phantom, but phantoms fear no guards.

فأَرسليه يَجدْني نائماً أَبداً

فأَرسليه يَجدْني نائماً أَبداً

وقتَ الظهيرة بعد الصُّبْح في الغَلَسِ

وقتَ الظهيرة بعد الصُّبْح في الغَلَسِ

So send it: it will find me always asleep,

So send him and he will find me sleeping forever

At noon, after dawn, in the predawn gloom.

At noon after dawn in the shadows.

وأَينما شئْتِ فاعط الصَّبَّ قُبْلَتَهُ

وأَينما شئْتِ فاعط الصَّبَّ قُبْلَتَهُ

في النَّحْرِ في الخَدّ في التأَشير في اللَّعَسِ

في النَّحْرِ في الخَدّ في التأَشير في اللَّعَسِ

And wherever you wish, give the lovesick man his kiss:

Wherever you wish, let the young man kiss

On the throat, on the cheek, on the serrated teeth, on the dusky lips.

My throat, my cheek, my forelock, my chin.

يا قُبْلَتِي إِن أَتَيْتِ النَّحر فاسْتَترِي

يا قُبْلَتِي إِن أَتَيْتِ النَّحر فاسْتَترِي

بالعِقْدِ واكتَتِمِي بالمِسْكِ واحْتَسِبي

بالعِقْدِ واكتَتِمِي بالمِسْكِ واحْتَسِبي

O my kiss, if you reach the throat, then hide

O my kiss, if you come to my throat then hide

Behind the necklace; conceal yourself with musk, and seek reward.

Behind necklaces, conceal yourself with musk, take heed.

وإِن مررتِ بذاكَ الخَدِّ فاخْتَلِسي

وإِن مررتِ بذاكَ الخَدِّ فاخْتَلِسي

للشمسِ شعلة نورٍ منه واقْتَبِسِي

للشمسِ شعلة نورٍ منه واقْتَبِسِي

And if you pass by that cheek, then steal

And if you pass by that cheek, then secretly

For the sun a flame of light from it, and take a spark.

Steal a ray of light from it for the sun, and kindle.

وإِن عَبَرْتِ على التأَشير أَو لَعَس

وإِن عَبَرْتِ على التأَشير أَو لَعَس

عُومي وفي ماءِ ذاكَ الرِّيق فانْغَمِسِي

عُومي وفي ماءِ ذاكَ الرِّيق فانْغَمِسِي

And if you pass over the serrated teeth or dusky lips,

And if you cross my chin or bite my spittle

Swim, and plunge into the water of that saliva.

Swim in that saliva and immerse yourself.

لا أَسمع العَذْل إِني عنه في شُغُل

لا أَسمع العَذْل إِني عنه في شُغُل

عَذْلُ العواذل أَعلى رُتبةِ الهوسِ

عَذْلُ العواذل أَعلى رُتبةِ الهوسِ

I do not listen to reproach; I am too preoccupied for it.

I cannot hear blame, for I am busy

The scolding women's reproach is the highest degree of madness.

With the blame of blamers, the highest rank of passion.

لولا دمُوعِيَ لَمْ يدْرِ العَذُولُ بنا

لولا دمُوعِيَ لَمْ يدْرِ العَذُولُ بنا

فالله يرْمي لسانَ الدَّمْعِ بالخرَسِ

فالله يرْمي لسانَ الدَّمْعِ بالخرَسِ

But for my tears, the reproacher would not have known of us;

If not for my tears, the blamers would not know of us,

So may God strike the tongue of tears dumb.

So God strikes the tongue of tears dumb.

ودمعة الهَجْرِ ضحْكُ الوَصْل أَوجَبَها

ودمعة الهَجْرِ ضحْكُ الوَصْل أَوجَبَها

يومُ الطَّلاَقِ جنَتْهُ ليلةُ العُرسُ

يومُ الطَّلاَقِ جنَتْهُ ليلةُ العُرسُ

And the tear of separation was brought on by the laughter of union;

And the tear of separation, its laughter necessitated union,

The day of divorce was the wedding night's doing.

The day of divorce begot the night of consummation.