لَعَمري لَقَد ذُقتُ الهَوىَ فَوَجَدتُهُ

لَعَمري لَقَد ذُقتُ الهَوىَ فَوَجَدتُهُ

وَبَاطِنُهُ صَعبٌ وظاهِرُهُ سَهلُ

وَبَاطِنُهُ صَعبٌ وظاهِرُهُ سَهلُ

By my life, I have tasted love and found it thus:

By my life, I have tasted love and found it

Its inward reality is hard, though its outward face is easy.

Hard within, yet easy on the surface.

لَبِستُ الضَّنى لمّا تَحقَّقتُ بالهَوى

لَبِستُ الضَّنى لمّا تَحقَّقتُ بالهَوى

فأصبَحَ لي عَن كُلِّ شُغلٍ بهِ شُغلُ

فأصبَحَ لي عَن كُلِّ شُغلٍ بهِ شُغلُ

I donned the garb of wasting sickness when I became certain of love,

I donned wasting sickness when I became truly imbued with love;

And it became my one preoccupation, distracting me from every other concern.

So my preoccupation with it displaced every other concern.

لَهِيبُ الأسَى بَينَ الجَوانحِ لائحٌ

لَهِيبُ الأسَى بَينَ الجَوانحِ لائحٌ

فَدَمعِيَ لا يَرقَا وقَلبِيَ لا يَسلُو

فَدَمعِيَ لا يَرقَا وقَلبِيَ لا يَسلُو

The flame of sorrow blazes within my breast,

The flame of sorrow glows between my ribs;

So my tears never cease, and my heart finds no solace.

So my tears do not cease, and my heart finds no solace.

لَمَحتُ بِقَلبي مَن هُو القَلبُ كُلُّهُ

لَمَحتُ بِقَلبي مَن هُو القَلبُ كُلُّهُ

فَعايَنتُ مَولىً لا يَليقُ بهِ المِثلٌُ

فَعايَنتُ مَولىً لا يَليقُ بهِ المِثلٌُ

With my heart I glimpsed the one who is my whole heart,

With my heart I glimpsed the one who is my whole heart;

And beheld a lord whom no equal could befit.

So I beheld a lord whom no likeness befits.

لَحَونِي وقَالوا أنتَ للعَقلِ تَاركٌ

لَحَونِي وقَالوا أنتَ للعَقلِ تَاركٌ

وَهَل وَجَدوا قَبلي مُحِبّاً لَهُ عَقلُ

وَهَل وَجَدوا قَبلي مُحِبّاً لَهُ عَقلُ

They reproached me, saying, “You have forsaken reason.”

They reproached me and said, 'You have abandoned reason.'

But have they ever found, before me, a lover who kept his reason?

And had they ever found, before me, a lover with reason?

لِذِكرِكَ في نطقي وَصَمتي حَلاوَةٌ

لِذِكرِكَ في نطقي وَصَمتي حَلاوَةٌ

لِذَلِكَ قَلبي مِن خَيالِكَ لا يَخلُو

لِذَلِكَ قَلبي مِن خَيالِكَ لا يَخلُو

The remembrance of you is sweet whether I speak or keep silent;

Remembering you is sweet in my speech and my silence;

And therefore my heart is never empty of your image.

That is why my heart is never without your image.

لَذِيذٌ عَلَى سَمعي حَديثُكَ كُلُّه

لَذِيذٌ عَلَى سَمعي حَديثُكَ كُلُّه

وإن كانَ في إنشائِهِ اللَّومُ والعَذلُ

وإن كانَ في إنشائِهِ اللَّومُ والعَذلُ

Everything you say is delightful to my ear,

All your speech is sweet to my hearing,

Even when your words are fashioned of blame and reproach.

Even if its telling contains blame and reproach.

لو اجتَمَعَت عَيني بمرآكَ لَمحَةً

لو اجتَمَعَت عَيني بمرآكَ لَمحَةً

لَلَذَّ لها في حَقِّكًَ المَوتُ والقَتلُ

لَلَذَّ لها في حَقِّكًَ المَوتُ والقَتلُ

If my eye could meet the sight of you for a single glance,

If my eye met the sight of you for a moment,

Then, for your sake, even death and slaughter would be sweet to it.

Death and being slain for your sake would surely be sweet to it.

لعلَّ لثاءَ الحِبِّ قَبلَ أوَانِهِ

لعلَّ لثاءَ الحِبِّ قَبلَ أوَانِهِ

فَرُبَّ فِراقٍ كانَ آخرَهُ الوَصلُ

فَرُبَّ فِراقٍ كانَ آخرَهُ الوَصلُ

Perhaps love’s “lathāʾ”—the word is textually uncertain—comes before its appointed time;

Perhaps [meeting] the beloved comes before its appointed time;

For many a separation has ended at last in union.

For many a parting has ended in reunion.

لَكَ الحَقُّ إن أَدنَيتَني أو حَجَبتَنِي

لَكَ الحَقُّ إن أَدنَيتَني أو حَجَبتَنِي

وَأنتَ لإدنَائي عَلى عِلَّتِي أهلُ

وَأنتَ لإدنَائي عَلى عِلَّتِي أهلُ

The right is yours, whether you draw me near or keep me veiled away,

The right is yours, whether you draw me near or shut me out;

Yet, despite my infirmity, you are worthy of drawing me near.

And you are worthy of drawing me near, despite my affliction.