قِفَوا فَاسأَلوني اليَومَ عَن لَوعَةِ الهَوىَ

قِفَوا فَاسأَلوني اليَومَ عَن لَوعَةِ الهَوىَ

فَإنِّي وَلا فَخرٌ أقُولُ فأصدُقُ

فَإنِّي وَلا فَخرٌ أقُولُ فأصدُقُ

Stay, and ask me today about love’s torment;

Stop, and ask me today about the burning anguish of love.

for I—without boasting—speak, and speak truly.

For, without boasting, I speak and tell the truth.

قَضَى القلبُ لمَّا عِيلَ بالصَّبرِ صَبرُهُ

قَضَى القلبُ لمَّا عِيلَ بالصَّبرِ صَبرُهُ

فها هُوَ للأجفانِ فِي الحُبِّ يَخفقُ

فها هُوَ للأجفانِ فِي الحُبِّ يَخفقُ

The heart died when its store of patience was exhausted;

The heart perished when its patience was exhausted by endurance;

yet there it is, fluttering in love for those eyes.

and here it is, fluttering in love for the eyelids.

قَذَفتُ بِنَفسي فِي بِحارِ مَحَبَّةٍ

قَذَفتُ بِنَفسي فِي بِحارِ مَحَبَّةٍ

تَغَرُّ ظُنونَ السَّابحينَ فَتُغرِقُ

تَغَرُّ ظُنونَ السَّابحينَ فَتُغرِقُ

I cast myself into seas of love

I cast myself into seas of love

that beguile swimmers’ expectations, then drown them.

that deceive the swimmers' expectations, then drown them.

قَنِعتُ بَجمرٍ لَم يَلُح لِيَ سِرُّهُ

قَنِعتُ بَجمرٍ لَم يَلُح لِيَ سِرُّهُ

وللنَّارِ إشراقٌ وللسَّيفِ رَونَقُ

وللنَّارِ إشراقٌ وللسَّيفِ رَونَقُ

I contented myself with an ember whose secret never showed itself to me,

I was content with embers whose secret was not revealed to me;

though fire has radiance, and the sword has sheen.

and fire has radiance, and the sword has sheen.

قُرِيبٌ مِنَ المَحبُوبِ جَهدِي ودُونَهُ

قُرِيبٌ مِنَ المَحبُوبِ جَهدِي ودُونَهُ

مَدىً قَلَّ في أسلاكِه مَن يُحَقِّقُ

مَدىً قَلَّ في أسلاكِه مَن يُحَقِّقُ

My utmost striving brings me near the beloved, yet between us lies

My striving is close to the beloved, yet before him

a distance whose paths few ever traverse to the end.

lies a distance amid whose strands few attain their goal.

قَصَرتُ عليهِ الحِسَّ والعَقلَ والهَوى

قَصَرتُ عليهِ الحِسَّ والعَقلَ والهَوى

وكَلُّ لِسانٍ بالمحَبَّةِ يَنطِقُ

وكَلُّ لِسانٍ بالمحَبَّةِ يَنطِقُ

I confined to him all sense, reason, and passion,

I devoted my senses, reason, and passion to him alone;

and every tongue speaks of love.

and every tongue speaks of love.

قَليلُكَ عِندي لاَ كَثِيرٌ كمِثلِهِ

قَليلُكَ عِندي لاَ كَثِيرٌ كمِثلِهِ

ولَمحَةُ طَرفٍ للطَّبيبِ تُرَمِّقُ

ولَمحَةُ طَرفٍ للطَّبيبِ تُرَمِّقُ

The little you grant me is no mere abundance—nothing can compare with it;

A little from you, to me, is matched by no abundance;

and a fleeting glance at the physician keeps me barely alive.

and a fleeting glance of the physician's eye sustains life.

قَدِ اعتَدتَ هِجرَاني فَلَو قالَ قائِلٌ

قَدِ اعتَدتَ هِجرَاني فَلَو قالَ قائِلٌ

أمامَك وَصلٌ قلتُ لَستُ أصَدِّقُ

أمامَك وَصلٌ قلتُ لَستُ أصَدِّقُ

You have so accustomed me to abandonment that, if someone said,

You have grown used to forsaking me; so if someone said,

“Union lies before you,” I would answer, “I do not believe it.”

“Union lies ahead of you,” I would say, “I do not believe it.”

قَصَدت فقيل النَّفرُ عِندَك زائدٌ

قَصَدت فقيل النَّفرُ عِندَك زائدٌ

وعُدتُ فقيلَ البابُ دونَكَ مُغلَقُ

وعُدتُ فقيلَ البابُ دونَكَ مُغلَقُ

I came to you, but was told, “The company with you already has one too many”;

I approached, and was told, “The people with you are too many.”

I returned, but was told, “The door barring your way is shut.”

And I returned, and was told, “The door before you is shut.”

قُصارايَ فيكَ الموتُ والموتُ راحَةٌ

قُصارايَ فيكَ الموتُ والموتُ راحَةٌ

إذا لم تكُن نَفسِي بوصلِكَ تَلحَقُ

إذا لم تكُن نَفسِي بوصلِكَ تَلحَقُ

The utmost I can attain through you is death—and death is rest,

My final end with you is death, and death is relief,

if my soul cannot attain union with you.

if my soul does not attain union with you.