هَلُمُّوا فعِندي للمَحَبَّةِ والهَوى

هَلُمُّوا فعِندي للمَحَبَّةِ والهَوى

سَقَامُ غَرامٍ لَستُ أُحسِنُ طِبَّهُ

سَقَامُ غَرامٍ لَستُ أُحسِنُ طِبَّهُ

Come, all of you—for I have, from love and passion,

Come, for love and passion have given me

a lovesickness whose cure I do not know.

A sickness of longing I do not know how to cure.

هَبُوا لِيَ جَفنا يَملكُ العقلُ دَمعهُ

هَبُوا لِيَ جَفنا يَملكُ العقلُ دَمعهُ

وإلاَّ فقَلبٌ يَحكُمُ الصَّبرُ لُبَّهُ

وإلاَّ فقَلبٌ يَحكُمُ الصَّبرُ لُبَّهُ

Grant me an eye whose tears reason can command,

Grant me an eyelid whose tears reason governs,

or else a heart whose core patience rules.

Or else a heart whose core patience rules.

هَوَت الشَّهدُ مَمزُوجاًُ بِسُمٍِّ وعَلقَمٍ

هَوَت الشَّهدُ مَمزُوجاًُ بِسُمٍِّ وعَلقَمٍ

أؤمِّلُ عُتبَاهُ وأحذَرُ عَتبَهُ

أؤمِّلُ عُتبَاهُ وأحذَرُ عَتبَهُ

Honey fell, mingled with poison and bitter colocynth;

He is honey mingled with poison and colocynth;

I hope for his favor, yet fear his reproach.

I hope for his favor and fear his reproach.

هَوِيت حَبِيباَ لَستُ أَهلاً لِحُبِّهِ

هَوِيت حَبِيباَ لَستُ أَهلاً لِحُبِّهِ

وأنَّى لِمثلِي أَن يَكُونَ مُحِبَّهُ

وأنَّى لِمثلِي أَن يَكُونَ مُحِبَّهُ

I loved a beloved whose love I am unworthy of—

I loved a beloved whose love I am unworthy of,

and how could one like me ever be his lover?

And how could one like me be his lover?

هِلاُ فُؤادِي كُلَّما ذُقتُ غَفوَةً

هِلاُ فُؤادِي كُلَّما ذُقتُ غَفوَةً

وصُبحُ عِياني كُلَّما أتَنَبَّهُ

وصُبحُ عِياني كُلَّما أتَنَبَّهُ

You are my heart’s crescent whenever I taste a moment’s sleep,

He is my heart’s crescent whenever I taste a moment’s slumber,

and the dawn of my vision whenever I awaken.

And the dawn of my sight whenever I awaken.

هَمَتُ بإدرَاكٍ فقَصَّرتُ هَيبةً

هَمَتُ بإدرَاكٍ فقَصَّرتُ هَيبةً

وَعَجزي عَن الإدراكِ أولى وأشبَهُ

وَعَجزي عَن الإدراكِ أولى وأشبَهُ

I aspired to attainment, but held back in awe;

I yearned to comprehend, but fell short in awe;

my inability to attain is more fitting and seemly.

And my inability to comprehend is more fitting and more seemly.

هَفا بكَ قَلبٌ أنتَ أوريتَ زِندَهُ

هَفا بكَ قَلبٌ أنتَ أوريتَ زِندَهُ

ونالَك طَرفٌ أنتَ أهمَلتَ سُحبَهُ

ونالَك طَرفٌ أنتَ أهمَلتَ سُحبَهُ

A heart yearned for you—you struck its flint alight;

A heart fluttered for you—you kindled its fire-stick;

an eye reached you—you let loose its clouds.

And an eye reached you—you let its clouds pour freely.

هَنيئاً لهذي النَّفسِ أن كُنتَ حَسبَها

هَنيئاً لهذي النَّفسِ أن كُنتَ حَسبَها

وَطُوبى لهذا الرُّوحِ أن كُنتَ حُبَّهُ

وَطُوبى لهذا الرُّوحِ أن كُنتَ حُبَّهُ

Blessed is this soul, if you are all it needs;

Joy to this soul, for you have been all it needs;

and blessed is this spirit, if you are its love.

And bliss to this spirit, for you have been its love.

هَلِ العَيشُ إلاّ الموتُ فيكَ وقولُهُم

هَلِ العَيشُ إلاّ الموتُ فيكَ وقولُهُم

مُحِبٌّ قَضَى في طاعَةِ الحِبِّ نَحبَهُ

مُحِبٌّ قَضَى في طاعَةِ الحِبِّ نَحبَهُ

Is life anything but death for you, and the words they speak:

Is life anything but death in you, and their saying:

“A lover met his death in obedience to the Beloved”?

‘A lover met his end in obedience to the beloved’?