وَحَقٍّ الهَوَى عَنْ ذِكْرِكُمْ لَيْسَ لِي شُغْلُ

وَحَقٍّ الهَوَى عَنْ ذِكْرِكُمْ لَيْسَ لِي شُغْلُ

وَما أَنا مَن يَنْسَى المَوَدَّةَ أَوْ يَسْلُو

وَما أَنا مَن يَنْسَى المَوَدَّةَ أَوْ يَسْلُو

And by love's sanctity, nothing distracts me from remembering you.

It is truly my right to always think of you,

And I am not one to forget affection or cease to love.

I cannot forget our love or forsake it.

حَرامٌ عَلى عَيْنِي تَرَى غَيْرِ حُسْنِكُمْ

حَرامٌ عَلى عَيْنِي تَرَى غَيْرِ حُسْنِكُمْ

جَمالاً وَسَمْعِي عَدْلُ

جَمالاً وَسَمْعِي عَدْلُ

My eye is forbidden to see, apart from your loveliness,

My eyes are forbidden to see any beauty but yours,

Any beauty; and my hearing is just.

Or my hearing to find any voice sweet but yours.

تَعَشَّقْتُكُمْ طِفْلاً وَهِمْتُ بِكُمْ فَتًى

تَعَشَّقْتُكُمْ طِفْلاً وَهِمْتُ بِكُمْ فَتًى

وَأَنْفَقْتُ عَمْرِي فِيْكُمُ وَأَنا كَهْلُ

وَأَنْفَقْتُ عَمْرِي فِيْكُمُ وَأَنا كَهْلُ

I fell in love with you as a child, and was mad for you as a youth.

I loved you as a child, and dreamed of you as a youth,

And I have spent my life on you, now in middle age.

I have spent my life loving you, and now I am old.

ومَا كانَ أَهْنَى العَيْشِ لَوْلاَ تَقَلُّتِ ال

ومَا كانَ أَهْنَى العَيْشِ لَوْلاَ تَقَلُّتِ ال

لَيالِي الصَّبْر عَن دارِكُمْ يَحْلُو

لَيالِي الصَّبْر عَن دارِكُمْ يَحْلُو

And how sweet life would have been, but for the [vicissitudes?] of the—

Life would not be worth living without

Nights; patience away from your abode is sweet.

The sweet nights of patience, far from your home.

رَعَى اللَّه قَلْباً أَنْتُمُ فِي رُبوعِهِ

رَعَى اللَّه قَلْباً أَنْتُمُ فِي رُبوعِهِ

وَسَهَّدَ طَرْفِي

وَسَهَّدَ طَرْفِي

May God guard a heart in whose quarters you dwell,

May God guard a heart that holds you in its depths,

And keep my eye sleepless.

And give rest to my eyes.

ومَا زالَتِ العُشَّاُق فِي مَذْهَبِ الهَوى

ومَا زالَتِ العُشَّاُق فِي مَذْهَبِ الهَوى

يُفَرِّقُها بَيْنٌ وَيَجْمَعُهَا شَمْلُ

يُفَرِّقُها بَيْنٌ وَيَجْمَعُهَا شَمْلُ

And lovers are ever, in love's creed,

Lovers have always followed the ways of passion,

Divided by parting and gathered by reunion.

Parted by distances, united in spirit.

وَصَبٍّ يُعانِي الغَانِياتِ وَقَلْبُهُ

وَصَبٍّ يُعانِي الغَانِياتِ وَقَلْبُهُ

تُكَلِّمُهُ الأَلْحَاظُ وَالحَدَقُ النُّجْلُ

تُكَلِّمُهُ الأَلْحَاظُ وَالحَدَقُ النُّجْلُ

And many a lovesick man suffers over beautiful women, while his heart

My heart suffers the pangs of those pained by love,

Is wounded by glances and wide eyes.

My glances and pupils speak to it.

وَمَنْ يَعْشَقِ البِيضَ الحِسانَ تَيَقَّنَتْ

وَمَنْ يَعْشَقِ البِيضَ الحِسانَ تَيَقَّنَتْ

ضَمائِرُهُ بِالقَطْعِ إِنْ حَصَلَ الوَصْلُ

ضَمائِرُهُ بِالقَطْعِ إِنْ حَصَلَ الوَصْلُ

And whoever loves fair beauties becomes certain,

He who loves the fair-faced gazelles knows for certain

In his innermost thoughts, of severance if union is attained.

That when joined, hearts are sundered.

ألا إنَّ قَلْبِي قَدْ أَصابَتْهُ أَسْهُمٌ

ألا إنَّ قَلْبِي قَدْ أَصابَتْهُ أَسْهُمٌ

مِنَ البَيْنِ حَتَّى النَّصْل صَادَفهُ النَّصْلُ

مِنَ البَيْنِ حَتَّى النَّصْل صَادَفهُ النَّصْلُ

Lo, my heart has indeed been struck by arrows

Alas! Arrows of separation have struck my heart

Of separation, until arrowhead met arrowhead.

Until their tips met within.

كَأنَّ مَقادِيرَ الزَّمانِ قِسِيُّهُ

كَأنَّ مَقادِيرَ الزَّمانِ قِسِيُّهُ

رَمانِي بِها وَالحَادِثاتِ لَها نَبْلُ

رَمانِي بِها وَالحَادِثاتِ لَها نَبْلُ

As though Time's decrees were its bows;

It is as though the blows of fate

It shot me with them, and misfortunes were their arrows.

Are hurled at me while events have their own course.