هَوايَ الَّذي أبدي واضمُره يَحيى

هَوايَ الَّذي أبدي واضمُره يَحيى

وسُؤليَ في دارِ الخلودِ وفي الدُّنيا

وسُؤليَ في دارِ الخلودِ وفي الدُّنيا

My love, which I reveal and conceal, is Yahya,

My love which I confess and its embers revive,

And my desire in the abode of eternity and in this world;

My hopes in the eternal abode and in this life,

وعَيني الَّتي أرعَى بِها مَن يَودُّني

وعَيني الَّتي أرعَى بِها مَن يَودُّني

وكفِّي الَّتي أَرمي الأَعادي بِها رَميا

وكفِّي الَّتي أَرمي الأَعادي بِها رَميا

And my eye, with which I watch over those who love me,

My eyes with which I watch over those who love me,

And my hand, with which I shoot at my enemies.

My palms with which I pelt my enemies,

أأصبر عن يَحيَى وأطوي وِصالَهُ

أأصبر عن يَحيَى وأطوي وِصالَهُ

إذاً فَطَواني عَنه صَرفُ الرَّدى طَيَّا

إذاً فَطَواني عَنه صَرفُ الرَّدى طَيَّا

Can I endure being without Yahya and fold away our union?

Shall I be patient from Yahya and fold up his union,

Then may death's stroke fold me away from him entirely!

If turning away from him destroys me completely?

كتَمتُ الهَوى جَهدي ونَفَّيتُ طاقَتي

كتَمتُ الهَوى جَهدي ونَفَّيتُ طاقَتي

وقد زادَ حَقٌّ ما أُطيقُ له نَفيا

وقد زادَ حَقٌّ ما أُطيقُ له نَفيا

I concealed my love with all my effort and denied it with all my strength,

I concealed my love with all my strength and denied my capability,

Yet a truth has grown that I have no power to deny.

Yet truth increased what I can deny.

يوَدُّ أُناسٌ لَو عَمِيتُ عن الصِّبا

يوَدُّ أُناسٌ لَو عَمِيتُ عن الصِّبا

إذاً فأراني اللَّهُ أعينَهم عُميا

إذاً فأراني اللَّهُ أعينَهم عُميا

Some people wish I were blind to youthful passion;

Some people wish I were blind to youth,

Then may God let me see their eyes blind!

Then may God make their eyes blind.

فَما بالُهم لا قدَّسَ اللَّهُ بالَهُم

فَما بالُهم لا قدَّسَ اللَّهُ بالَهُم

ولا حاطَ مَيتاً منهُمُ لا وَلا حَيَّا

ولا حاطَ مَيتاً منهُمُ لا وَلا حَيَّا

So what ails them? May God never bless their lot,

Why did they not sanctify God in their minds,

Nor protect any of them, dead—no, nor living.

Nor shroud a dead or living person from among them?

يَلُومونَ في يَحيى ولو أنَّ لائِماً

يَلُومونَ في يَحيى ولو أنَّ لائِماً

رَأى وجهَهُ لاستَقبَح اللَّومَ واستَحيا

رَأى وجهَهُ لاستَقبَح اللَّومَ واستَحيا

They reproach me over Yahya; but had a reproacher

They blame Yahya although if a blamer,

Seen his face, he would have deemed reproach ugly and felt ashamed.

Saw his face, he would denounce blaming and be shy.

فيا مُنيَتي كم فيكَ عاصَيتُ عاذِلاً

فيا مُنيَتي كم فيكَ عاصَيتُ عاذِلاً

أرَى غيِّهم رُشداً ورُشدهُم غَيَّا

أرَى غيِّهم رُشداً ورُشدهُم غَيَّا

O my heart's desire, how many reproachers I have defied for you!

Oh my death, how many fault-finders have I disobeyed,

I see their error as wisdom, and their wisdom as error.

I see their misguidance as righteousness and their righteousness as misguidance.

وكَم جاءَني ما قالَهُ فيكَ كاشِحٌ

وكَم جاءَني ما قالَهُ فيكَ كاشِحٌ

فزِدتُكَ حُبّاً كلَّما زادَني نَعيا

فزِدتُكَ حُبّاً كلَّما زادَني نَعيا

And how often what a spiteful foe said of you has reached me;

How often has someone come to me backbiting you,

So I loved you more, the more he spoke ill of you to me.

So I increased my love whenever he increased blaming you.

أأَسمَعُ فيكَ العَذلَ ممَّن يَلومُني

أأَسمَعُ فيكَ العَذلَ ممَّن يَلومُني

فَلا سَمِعَت أُذني إذاً بَعدهُم شَيَّا

فَلا سَمِعَت أُذني إذاً بَعدهُم شَيَّا

Shall I heed reproach about you from one who blames me?

Shall I hear the reproach about you from one who blames me,

Then may my ear hear nothing after them!

Then my ears have not heard anything after them at all.

فَما أحسَنَ الدُّنيا إِذا كُنتَ جانِبي

فَما أحسَنَ الدُّنيا إِذا كُنتَ جانِبي

وإِن غِبتَ عَن عَيني فَما أقبح الدُّنيا

وإِن غِبتَ عَن عَيني فَما أقبح الدُّنيا

How beautiful the world is when you are at my side!

How good is this life when you are at my side,

And if you vanish from my sight, how ugly the world is!

And if you are absent from my eyes, how ugly is this life.