ليتني أبصرتُ كياني

ليتني أبصرتُ كياني

قبل إتْمام الأوانِ

قبل إتْمام الأوانِ

If only I had perceived my own being

I wish I had seen my being

Would that I had perceived my own essence

before time had run its course.

Before the end of time

Before my time had fully passed.

هِمْتُ أعدو دون وَعْي

هِمْتُ أعدو دون وَعْي

باحثاً عن غصن بانِ

باحثاً عن غصن بانِ

I wandered, running without awareness,

I rushed mindlessly

I wandered, running mindlessly,

searching for a bān-tree bough

Seeking a flowering branch

Searching for a slender branch of the Ban tree.

قد توارى خلف وَهْمٍ

قد توارى خلف وَهْمٍ

هل أُداري ما أعاني

هل أُداري ما أعاني

that had hidden behind an illusion.

It hid behind an illusion

It had vanished behind a veil of illusion;

Should I conceal what I suffer?

Can I endure my suffering?

Should I try to hide the suffering I endure?

لو حَباني منهُ دِفْئاً

لو حَباني منهُ دِفْئاً

بتُّ خصماً غير جانِ

بتُّ خصماً غير جانِ

If only he had granted me some of his warmth!

If it had warmed me

If only he had bestowed upon me some warmth,

I have become an adversary, though no wrongdoer.

I would be a hostile other than self

I became an adversary without committing a crime.

راح عنّي، زاد همّي

راح عنّي، زاد همّي

لِمَ جَوْراً قد رماني

لِمَ جَوْراً قد رماني

He left me; my sorrow grew.

It left me, increasing my worries

He departed from me, and my sorrow deepened;

Why has he assailed me unjustly?

Why so much injustice towards me?

Why has he unjustly cast me away?

جئْتُ لا أشكوهُ حالي

جئْتُ لا أشكوهُ حالي

فدعاني بالمُدانِ

فدعاني بالمُدانِ

I came, not to complain to him of my plight,

I came not to complain of my state

I came not to complain to him of my state,

and he called me the guilty one.

Yet it blamed me

Yet he declared me the guilty one.

قَدَري بَيْنٌ وهجرٌ

قَدَري بَيْنٌ وهجرٌ

فمتى أُلْفي حناني

فمتى أُلْفي حناني

My fate is separation and abandonment;

My fate is clarity and abandonment

My destiny is separation and abandonment,

so when shall I find my tenderness?

So when will I find my tenderness?

So when will I find my tender affection?

كيف ترضى حين أشقى

كيف ترضى حين أشقى

مُسْتَهاماً في هَوانِ

مُسْتَهاماً في هَوانِ

How can you be content when I suffer,

How can you be pleased when I suffer

How can you be content while I suffer,

crazed with love in humiliation?

Lost in degradation?

As an infatuated lover cast into disgrace?

أدركيني مُنْيتي فالشـ

أدركيني مُنْيتي فالشـ

ـشوقُ وافى فدعاني

ـشوقُ وافى فدعاني

Rescue me, my heart's desire, for

Take me, my death, for yearning

Rescue me, my dearest wish, for yearn-

longing has arrived and called me.

Has called me

-ing has arrived and summoned me.

قال قلبي: شُلَّ نبضي

قال قلبي: شُلَّ نبضي

حُبّهُ أوْهى لساني

حُبّهُ أوْهى لساني

My heart said: “My pulse has been paralyzed;

My heart said: my pulse has stopped

My heart said: "May my pulse be paralyzed,

his love has weakened my tongue.”

Its love has silenced my tongue

For his love has enfeebled my tongue."

لم يغبْ عنّي خَيالاً

لم يغبْ عنّي خَيالاً

فَهْوَ طَيْفي كل آنِ

فَهْوَ طَيْفي كل آنِ

As a vision, he has never left me,

Its imagination did not disappear

His phantom has never left my mind,

for he is my phantom at every moment.

It is my specter at every moment

He is my haunting vision at every moment.

ردَّ عقلي وهْوَ يُرْغي:

ردَّ عقلي وهْوَ يُرْغي:

لا تُجادلْ من عداني

لا تُجادلْ من عداني

My mind replied, frothing:

It drove back my mind while murmuring:

My mind replied, foaming with rage:

“Do not argue with one who has passed me by.”

Do not argue with who opposed me

"Do not argue with the one who acts as my enemy."

تاهَ دمعي فوق خدي

تاهَ دمعي فوق خدي

إنَهُ في العينِ عانِ

إنَهُ في العينِ عانِ

My tears strayed over my cheek;

My tear wandered over my cheek

My tear strayed upon my cheek,

indeed, they are captive in the eye.

It is hurting in the eye

For it was held captive within the eye.

كِدْتُ أَنْهي كل ماضٍ

كِدْتُ أَنْهي كل ماضٍ

عندما عقلي نهاني

عندما عقلي نهاني

I nearly put an end to all the past,

I almost ended all the past

I was on the verge of ending all the past,

when my mind held me back.

When my mind forbade me

When my mind strictly forbade me.

بعدها أسْرَرْتُ وَجْدي

بعدها أسْرَرْتُ وَجْدي

وبِهِ أرْقى المعاني

وبِهِ أرْقى المعاني

Afterward, I concealed my passion,

Afterwards, I confessed my passion

Thereafter, I concealed my passionate love,

and in it lie the loftiest meanings.

And with it I reached the highest meanings

Though within it lie the most sublime meanings.

يا حبيباً قد تسامتْ

يا حبيباً قد تسامتْ

نفسُهُ عن كل شانِ

نفسُهُ عن كل شانِ

O beloved, whose soul has risen

Oh beloved! His soul has transcended

O beloved, whose very soul has risen

above every concern!

Every inferior condition

Far above every earthly matter,

سوف يُدْنيني مَقاماً

سوف يُدْنيني مَقاماً

لو أنا في العشقِ دانِ

لو أنا في العشقِ دانِ

He will draw me close in rank,

He will bring me to a station

He will bring me closer in station,

if I am near in love.

If I am wise in passion

If I draw closer in my love.