قَالَتْ أَرَاكَ عَلِيلَ الْجِسْمِ قُلْتُ لَهَا

قَالَتْ أَرَاكَ عَلِيلَ الْجِسْمِ قُلْتُ لَهَا

مَنْ شَفَّهُ الْحُبُّ أَبْلَى جِسْمَهُ السَّقَمُ

مَنْ شَفَّهُ الْحُبُّ أَبْلَى جِسْمَهُ السَّقَمُ

She said, “I see that you are sick in body.” I said to her:

She said, “I see you ailing in body.” I said to her:

“He whom love has wasted—sickness has worn his body away.”

“Sickness wastes the body of anyone whom love has worn thin.”

قَالَتْ فَهَلْ مِنْ دَوَاءٍ يُسْتَطَبُّ بِهِ

قَالَتْ فَهَلْ مِنْ دَوَاءٍ يُسْتَطَبُّ بِهِ

قُلْتُ الْوصَالُ فَرَاحَتْ وَهْيَ تَبْتَسِمُ

قُلْتُ الْوصَالُ فَرَاحَتْ وَهْيَ تَبْتَسِمُ

She said, “Is there some remedy by which you might be cured?”

She said, “Then is there any remedy with which one may be healed?”

I said, “Union.” And off she went, smiling.

I said, “Union.” Then she went away, smiling.

فَبِتُّ فِي حَيْرَةٍ لا الْقَلْبُ مُصْطَبِرٌ

فَبِتُّ فِي حَيْرَةٍ لا الْقَلْبُ مُصْطَبِرٌ

وَلا الْوُصُولُ إِلَى مَا يَشْتَهِي أَمَمُ

وَلا الْوُصُولُ إِلَى مَا يَشْتَهِي أَمَمُ

So I spent the night bewildered: the heart could not endure,

So I spent the night in bewilderment: neither could my heart endure,

Nor was attaining what it longed for within reach.

nor was attaining what it desired within easy reach.

وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ هَوَاهُ غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ

وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ هَوَاهُ غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ

بِمَا يَكُونُ فَعُقْبَى أَمْرِهِ نَدَمُ

بِمَا يَكُونُ فَعُقْبَى أَمْرِهِ نَدَمُ

Whoever obeys his passion, utterly heedless

And whoever obeys his passion, heedless

Of what may come—the end of his affair is regret.

of what may come, has regret as the outcome of his course.