أَلَحْظٌ ما تَكَحَّلَ أَم حُسامُ

وَغُصنٌ ما تَمايَلَ أَم قوامُ

Is it a glance that has been darkened with kohl, or a sword?

Is it a branch that has swayed, or a figure?

وَخدٌّ ما تَضَرَّجَ أَم وُرودٌ

وَريقٌ ما تَحالَى أَم مُدامُ

Is it a cheek that has blushed, or a rose?

Is it saliva that has sweetened, or wine?

وَبَرقٌ ما تَلامَعَ في الدّياجي

وَصالَ عَلى الظَّلامِ أَمِ اِبتسامُ

Is it a lightning that has glittered in the darkness,

Or a radiance that shone upon gloom - or a smile?

وَثَغرٌ ما رَأَينا أَم لآلٍ

وَدرٌّ ما سَمِعنا أَم كَلامُ

Is it a mouth that we have seen, or rubies?

Is it a pearl that we have heard, or speech?

وَصُبحٌ ما بَدا أَم نورُ جيدٍ

وَوَجهٌ بانَ أَمْ بَدرٌ تَمامُ

Is it a dawn that has appeared, or the light of a cheek?

Is it a face that has shone, or a full moon?

وَلَم أَجهَلْهُ إِذ قَد بانَ لَكِنْ

لَهاني عَن تَحقّقهِ الهِيامُ

I have not been ignorant as it was evident, but

Rapture distracted me from verifying it.

يَلوحُ وَسارَ ماءُ الحُسنِ فيهِ

وَذا ماءٌ بِهِ تَشفى السَّقامُ

The light of beauty was waving in it,

And that is water with which ailments are healed.

فَكَم أَطفأتُ مِن قَلبي لَهيباً

بِهِ فَاِشتَدَّ في قَلبي الضِّرامُ

How much fire have I extinguished from my heart,

By which the embers flared up in my heart!

وَزِدتُ عَلى النَّوى فيهِ غَراماً

وَزادَ عَلى الوِصالِ بيَ الغَرامُ

I increased the passion for it, beyond vowing

And it increased upon union within me, passion.

وَأَيّامُ النَّوى لا شكَّ دَهرٌ

وَأَيّامُ الوِصالِ هيَ اِحتِلامُ

And the days of vowing are undoubtedly an epoch,

And the days of union are delirium.

وَلَيسَ مِنَ الهَوَى يَوماً خَلاصٌ

وَلَيسَ عَلى الهَوى يُجدي الملامُ

And there is from love no day of deliverance,

Nor upon love, does blame avail anything.

أَيُجدي اللَّومُ وَالعُشّاقُ صُمٌّ

وَبُكمٌ ثمَّ عُميٌ حَيثُ هاموا

Does blame avail, while lovers are deaf,

Then mute, then blind, wherever they became impassioned?

وَإِنّي لَيسَ مَعشوقي غُلاماً

وَلَستُ بِمَن تَمَلَّكه غلامُ

And my beloved is not a youth,

Nor am I one whom a youth has possessed.

وَلَستُ بِمَن تملَّكُه الغَواني

وَلا قَدٌّ يَميد ولا قوامُ

Nor am I one whom passions have possessed,

Nor a frame that wavers, nor a figure.

ولا وَجهٌ يُضيء بِهِ ظَلام

وَلَو لَم يَنكَشِف عَنهُ اللّثامُ

Nor a face that illuminates thereby darkness,

Even if the covering were not drawn from it.

وَمَعشوقي مِنَ الدّنيا كَمالٌ

وَغَيرُ هَواهُ في ظنِّي حَرامُ

And my beloved is the perfection of the world,

And other than his love is, to me, forbidden.

وَلي نَفسٌ عَلى الإِذلالِ تَأبى

وَدونَ تَذلُّلي المَوتُ الزؤامُ

And I have a soul that refuses humiliation,

And without my humbling myself, death is miserable.

تَميلُ إِلى المَكارِمِ وَالمَعالي

وَما مالَت لِذا إِلّا الكرامُ

It inclines toward noble deeds and lofty goals,

And none but the generous have inclined to this.

وَلا يَرضى الهَوانَ شَريفُ نَفسٍ

وَلا يَرضى بِهِ إِلّا اللئامُ

Nor does the soul of a noble one accept disgrace,

Nor accept it, except the ignoble.

تَودُّ بِأَنّها تَطأُ الثّريّا

وَيَخدِمُها السّلاطينُ العظامُ

It desires that it tread upon the Pleiades,

And that it be served by the greatest sultans.

وَتَأخذُ فَوقَ هامِ الشَّمسِ داراً

وَفَوقَ دَعائِمِ العليا تقامُ

And that it take, above the orbit of the sun, a house,

And be erected above the highest pillars.

وَتَفرِشُ بِالسّعود وَكلّ مَجدٍ

وتُكسى بِالكمالِ ولا تُضامُ

And that it be furnished with good fortune and glory,

And clothed with perfection, and not deprived.

وَتسكنُ بِالسّرورِ عَلى صَفاءٍ

وَيَبقى بِالهَناءِ لَها الدّوامُ

And that it reside in bliss, in clarity,

While happiness remains with it, everlasting.