غَيري بِحَبلِ سِواكُمُ يَتَمَسَّكُ

غَيري بِحَبلِ سِواكُمُ يَتَمَسَّكُ

وَأَنا الَّذي بِتُرابِكُم أَتَمَسَّكُ

وَأَنا الَّذي بِتُرابِكُم أَتَمَسَّكُ

Others cling to the cord of someone other than you,

Others hold fast to your rope,

And I am the one who perfumes himself with your dust as musk.

While I hold fast to your dust.

أَضَعُ الخُدودَ عَلى مَمَرِّ نِعالِكُم

أَضَعُ الخُدودَ عَلى مَمَرِّ نِعالِكُم

فَكَأَنَّني بِتُرابِها أَتَبَرَّكُ

فَكَأَنَّني بِتُرابِها أَتَبَرَّكُ

I lay my cheeks upon the path your sandals tread,

I lay my cheeks in the path of your shoes,

As though I sought blessings through their dust.

As if by its dust I gain blessings.

وَلَقَد بَذَلتُ النَفسَ إِلّا أَنَّني

وَلَقَد بَذَلتُ النَفسَ إِلّا أَنَّني

خادَعتُكُم وَبَذَلتُ ما لا أَملِكُ

خادَعتُكُم وَبَذَلتُ ما لا أَملِكُ

Indeed, I have offered my soul, except that I

Indeed I gave my soul, except that I

Deceived you and offered what I do not own.

Deceived you and gave what I do not own.

شَرطي بِأَنَّ حُشاشَتي رِقٌّ لَكُم

شَرطي بِأَنَّ حُشاشَتي رِقٌّ لَكُم

وَالشَرطُ في كُلِّ المَذاهِبِ أَملِكُ

وَالشَرطُ في كُلِّ المَذاهِبِ أَملِكُ

My stipulation is that my last spark of life is your slave,

My condition is that my love for you is sincere,

And a stipulation takes precedence in every school of law.

And conditions in all doctrines, I own.

قَد ذُقتُ حُبُّكُمُ فَأَصبَحَ مُهلِكِي

قَد ذُقتُ حُبُّكُمُ فَأَصبَحَ مُهلِكِي

وَمِنَ المَطاعِمِ ما يُذاقُ فَيُهلِكُ

وَمِنَ المَطاعِمِ ما يُذاقُ فَيُهلِكُ

I have tasted your love, and it has become my destroyer;

I have tasted your love, so it became my ruin,

And among foods are some that, once tasted, kill.

And some foods when tasted, ruin.

لا تَعجَلوا قَبلَ اللِقاءِ بِقَتلَتي

لا تَعجَلوا قَبلَ اللِقاءِ بِقَتلَتي

وَصِلوا فَذَلِكَ فائِتٌ يُستَدرَكُ

وَصِلوا فَذَلِكَ فائِتٌ يُستَدرَكُ

Do not hasten to kill me before we meet;

Do not rush to kill me before we meet,

And grant me union, for what is missed can still be made up.

And reconcile, for that is a loss that can be regained.

وَلَقَد بَكَيتُ لِدَهشَتي بِقُدومِكُم

وَلَقَد بَكَيتُ لِدَهشَتي بِقُدومِكُم

وَضَحَكتُ قَبلُ وَهَجرُكُم لي مُهلِكٌ

وَضَحَكتُ قَبلُ وَهَجرُكُم لي مُهلِكٌ

Indeed, I wept in astonishment at your arrival,

I cried from my shock at your arrival,

And before, I laughed, though your abandonment was destroying me.

And laughed before while your separation destroys me.

وَلَرُبَّما أَبكى السُرورُ إِذا أَتى

وَلَرُبَّما أَبكى السُرورُ إِذا أَتى

فَرطاً وَفي بَعضِ الشَدائِدِ يُضحِكُ

فَرطاً وَفي بَعضِ الشَدائِدِ يُضحِكُ

And joy may well bring tears when it comes

Sometimes joy makes me cry when it comes

In excess; and some hardships can provoke laughter.

In excess, and in some adversities, it makes me laugh.

زَعَمَ الوُشاةُ بِأَن هَوَيتُ سِواكُمُ

زَعَمَ الوُشاةُ بِأَن هَوَيتُ سِواكُمُ

يا قوتِلَ الواشي فَأَنّى يُؤفَكُ

يا قوتِلَ الواشي فَأَنّى يُؤفَكُ

The slanderers claimed that I loved someone other than you;

The slanderers claimed that I love no one but you,

Oh, may the slanderer be slain—how he is led astray!

O killer of the slanderer, so how can he be refuted?

عارٌ عَلَيَّ بِأَن أَكونَ مُشَرِّعاً

عارٌ عَلَيَّ بِأَن أَكونَ مُشَرِّعاً

دينَ الهَوى وَيُقالُ إِنّي مُشرِكُ

دينَ الهَوى وَيُقالُ إِنّي مُشرِكُ

It would shame me to be the lawgiver

It is disgraceful for me to be a legislator

Of love's religion, yet be called a polytheist.

Of the religion of passion, and be called polytheist.