سُلطانُ حُسن والملاحُ جُنودُه

سُلطانُ حُسن والملاحُ جُنودُه

والعاشقونَ بِأَسرِهِم فِي أَسرِهِ

والعاشقونَ بِأَسرِهِم فِي أَسرِهِ

Beauty is a sovereign, and the fair are his soldiers;

A sultan of beauty, and the fair are his soldiers.

and the lovers, one and all, are held in his captivity.

And lovers, one and all, are his captives.

أضحَى عَزِيزاً فِي الوَرَى فَكَأَنَّهُ

أضحَى عَزِيزاً فِي الوَرَى فَكَأَنَّهُ

فِي الحُسنِ يُوسُف عَصرِهِ فِي مِصرِهِ

فِي الحُسنِ يُوسُف عَصرِهِ فِي مِصرِهِ

He has become mighty among humankind, as though

He has become exalted among mankind, as though he were

in beauty he were the Joseph of his age, in his Egypt.

In beauty, the Yusuf of his age in his Egypt.

قَد عَزَّ في سُلطَانِهِ بِجَمَالِهِ

قَد عَزَّ في سُلطَانِهِ بِجَمَالِهِ

لَكِنَّنِي فِي ذلَّةٍ مِن هَجرِهِ

لَكِنَّنِي فِي ذلَّةٍ مِن هَجرِهِ

Through his beauty he has grown mighty in his dominion;

He has grown mighty in his dominion through his beauty,

yet I am humbled by his abandonment.

But I am abased by his abandonment.

أَنَا مُغرَمٌ فِي حُبِّهِ وَمُتَيَّمٌ

أَنَا مُغرَمٌ فِي حُبِّهِ وَمُتَيَّمٌ

أَنَا عَبدُه طوعاً لَهُ فِي أَمرِهِ

أَنَا عَبدُه طوعاً لَهُ فِي أَمرِهِ

I am enamored of his love, utterly enthralled;

I am smitten with love for him and enslaved by love.

I am his slave, willingly obedient to his command.

I am his slave, willingly subject to his command.

أنَا قد رَضيتُ بما يَشَاءُ في حُكمِهِ

أنَا قد رَضيتُ بما يَشَاءُ في حُكمِهِ

فِي حَالَتَي عُسرٍ الغرامِ وَيُسرِهِ

فِي حَالَتَي عُسرٍ الغرامِ وَيُسرِهِ

I have accepted whatever he wills in his judgment,

I have accepted whatever he wills in his judgment,

in love’s twin states—its hardship and its ease.

In both states of love—its hardship and its ease.

تبّت يَدَا مَن لامَنِي فِي حُسنِه

تبّت يَدَا مَن لامَنِي فِي حُسنِه

لَم يَدرِ مِن حُلو الغَرَامِ وَمُرِّهِ

لَم يَدرِ مِن حُلو الغَرَامِ وَمُرِّهِ

May the hands of whoever blamed me for his beauty perish;

May the hands of whoever reproached me for his beauty perish!

he knew nothing of love’s sweetness and its bitterness.

He knew nothing of love's sweetness and its bitterness.

وَاللَّهِ لَو ذَابَ الفُؤادُ مِنَ الجَوَى

وَاللَّهِ لَو ذَابَ الفُؤادُ مِنَ الجَوَى

ما بُحتُ يَوماً في الغَرَامِ بِسِرِّهِ

ما بُحتُ يَوماً في الغَرَامِ بِسِرِّهِ

By God, even if the heart should melt from passion’s anguish,

By God, even if my heart melted from love's anguish,

I would never disclose his secret in love.

I would never divulge his secret in love.

وَلأَصبِرَنَّ عَلَى هَوَاهُ فَرُبَّما

وَلأَصبِرَنَّ عَلَى هَوَاهُ فَرُبَّما

فَازَ المُتَيَّمُ بِالوِصالِ بِصَبرِهِ

فَازَ المُتَيَّمُ بِالوِصالِ بِصَبرِهِ

I shall surely remain patient in loving him, for perhaps

And I shall surely persevere in love for him, for perhaps

the enthralled lover may win union through his patience.

The love-enslaved lover will win union through his patience.