بروحي وما لي غادةً قد سألتُها

بروحي وما لي غادةً قد سألتُها

دليلاً على الحبّ الذي صرَّحَت بهِ

دليلاً على الحبّ الذي صرَّحَت بهِ

With my soul and all I own, I would ransom a graceful maiden whom I asked

With my soul, though I have no appointment with her

for proof of the love she had declared.

As proof of the love she declared

وقلتُ لها هي هيهات ذا وانا الذي

وقلتُ لها هي هيهات ذا وانا الذي

بصدّكِ اضحى الموتُ منيةَ قلبهِ

بصدّكِ اضحى الموتُ منيةَ قلبهِ

And I said to her herself, 'Far-fetched is that, when I am the one

I said to her, alas, is this so, and I am the one

whose heart, through your rejection, has come to wish for death.

Whose heart by your rejection, death has become its wish

أتهوينهُ يا من ملكتِ عنانهُ

أتهوينهُ يا من ملكتِ عنانهُ

ولوعاً ولا تنوينَ تفريج كربهِ

ولوعاً ولا تنوينَ تفريج كربهِ

Do you love him, you who have taken his reins,

Do you make it yearn, O she who holds its reins

passionately, yet have no intention of easing his anguish?

And anguish, yet you do not intend relief for its hardship

يراوحهُ وجدٌ أليمٌ مبرّحٌ

يراوحهُ وجدٌ أليمٌ مبرّحٌ

وقلبك لاهٍ عنهُ هزءاً بحبهِ

وقلبك لاهٍ عنهُ هزءاً بحبهِ

Painful, tormenting longing keeps returning to him,

It tosses and turns in intense burning love

while your heart is heedless of him, mocking his love.'

While your heart is heedless of it, mocking its love

فقالت أحَل اني أحبُّكَ مثلما

فقالت أحَل اني أحبُّكَ مثلما

تحبُّ فكن مثلي عفيفاً وَمُت بهِ

تحبُّ فكن مثلي عفيفاً وَمُت بهِ

She said, 'Yes, I do love you just as

So she said, "It pleases me that you love me as much

you love; so be chaste like me, and die of it.

As you love, so be like me, chaste, and die in it

فيعجبني منكَ المماتُ صبابةً

فيعجبني منكَ المماتُ صبابةً

واطربُ من شكوى الحبيب وعَتبهِ

واطربُ من شكوى الحبيب وعَتبهِ

So I delight in your dying of yearning,

For I am pleased by your death out of passion for me

and rejoice in a lover's complaints and reproaches,

And delighted by the complaints and reproaches of the lover

خلافاً لباقي الغيد يعطفنَ رحمةً

خلافاً لباقي الغيد يعطفنَ رحمةً

ويسعدنَ من يقصدنَ تتييمَ لبّهِ

ويسعدنَ من يقصدنَ تتييمَ لبّهِ

unlike the other graceful maidens, who soften with compassion

Unlike the rest of the gazelles who show mercy

and gladden the one whose mind they seek to enslave with love.

And are gladdened when they are sought to quench their thirst

خُلقتُ على كل الحسان اميرةً

خُلقتُ على كل الحسان اميرةً

ومن أجل ذا حبي غريبٌ بضربهِ

ومن أجل ذا حبي غريبٌ بضربهِ

I was created a princess over all beautiful women,

I was created a princess over all kindness

and for this reason my love is strange in its kind.

And that is why my love is unique in its type

فقاعدتي الفضلى التي قد تخذتها

فقاعدتي الفضلى التي قد تخذتها

مماتُ حبيبٍ من صدود محبّهِ

مماتُ حبيبٍ من صدود محبّهِ

So my finest rule, which I have adopted,

So my supreme principle which I have adopted

is a beloved's death from the rejection of the one who loves him.

Is the death of a lover from the rejection of his beloved

وشرطي بهِ تعذيبُ قلبكَ لوعةً

وشرطي بهِ تعذيبُ قلبكَ لوعةً

بقربي وتضييعي نُهاك بخلبهِ

بقربي وتضييعي نُهاك بخلبهِ

And my condition in it is to torment your heart with burning anguish

And my condition with him is torturing your heart with anguish

through my nearness, and to undo your reason by beguiling it,

By being near yet unattainable, prohibiting you from reaching me

وعيشكَ ملهوفاً وموتكَ مُغرَماً

وعيشكَ ملهوفاً وموتكَ مُغرَماً

شهيداً ينالُ الاجرَ في خلد ربّهِ

شهيداً ينالُ الاجرَ في خلد ربّهِ

and for you to live distraught and die consumed with love,

And your living distressed, and your dying enamored

a martyr who receives his reward in his Lord's eternal abode.'

A martyr who attains reward in the eternal abode of his Lord