سَلُوا عُلَمَاءَ الحُبِّ عَمَّا أُكِنُّهُ

فَإنِّيَ مِن بُعدِي وقُربيَ في لَبسِ

Ask the scholars of love, about my secret passion

For I am confused, between my closeness and distance

سَقِيمُ الهَوى بَينَ المخَافَةِ والرَّجا

أرُوحُ إلى رَوضٍ وأغدُو إلى رَمسِ

Sick with love, between fear and hope

I wander to a garden, and return to a wasteland

سَبَقَتُ وَلَكِنِّي طَرِيقاًَ للمَحَبَّةِ بَلقَعاً

وَحِيداً مِنَ الجِنسَينِ ألجِنَّ والإنسِ

I raced ahead, yet I'm alone on the path of love

Apart from both genders, shunning jinn and mankind

سَبَقتُ وَلَكِنِّي حُجِبتُ لِعلَّةٍ

وَليسَ يُنالُ الفَوزُ بالثَّمَنِ البَخسِ

I raced ahead, yet I'm veiled for a reason

And triumph is not won with a paltry price

سَألتُكَ وَصلاً لَستُ أهلاً لبَذلِهِ

وَقَد تَطمَعُ الظَّلماءُ فِي وَضَحِ الشَّمسِ

I asked you for union, though I'm not worthy of granting it

Yet the blind may covet the radiance of the sun

سَبيلُ شكاتي فِيكَ غيرُ خَفيَّةٍ

فَمن أدمُعِي نَقشِي وَمِن وَجنتَي طِرسي

My way of complaining about you is no secret

So my tears etched my cheeks and my eyelids swelled

سَواءٌ عَلَيَّ النَّومُ واللَّيلُ والأسَىَ

فأمسِي كما أُضحي وأُضحِي كَما أُمسي

It’s all the same to me, night, sleep and sorrow

I greet the morn as I did eve, and eve as I did morn

سُكَوتِي عَلى النَّومُ واللَّيلُ والأسَىَ

فَأمسِي كما أُضحي وأُضحِي كَما أُمسي

My silence over the night, sleep and sorrow

I greet the morn as I did eve, and eve as I did morn

سُكَوتِي عَلى ذُلِّ الحِجابِ تُكلُّمٌ

إذا نَطقَت حَالِي فَلا صَمتَ للحِسِّ

My silence over the veil of separation is speech

When my state speaks, there is no silence in feeling

سَكَبتُ فُؤادِي أدمُعاً وسَفَحتُهُ

لَعَلَّ غَداً يُعدِي عَلى اليَومٍِ والأمسِ

I poured out my heart in tears and flooded it

Perhaps tomorrow will pass over today and yesterday

سَمَحتُ بِنَفسِي للهَوى واحتسَبتُها

علَيكَ وَلولا أنتَ لَم أحتَسِب نَفسِي

I indulged my soul in passion and sacrificed it

For you—without you I'd not have sacrificed myself