حطَّمَ الحُبُّ  قلبَنا  وتهاوَتْ

حطَّمَ الحُبُّ قلبَنا وتهاوَتْ

من  عُرُوشِ  العُلاَ  نُفُوسٌ   كِرَام

من عُرُوشِ العُلاَ نُفُوسٌ كِرَام

Love shattered our heart, and noble souls came tumbling

Love shattered our heart, and down fell

from the thrones of lofty glory.

Noble souls from the thrones of glory.

وَلَزِمْتُ  الهوى  لعليَّ  أَلْقَى

وَلَزِمْتُ الهوى لعليَّ أَلْقَى

منه   يوماً ،  والمآسي   نِيَام

منه يوماً ، والمآسي نِيَام

I clung to passion, hoping I might meet him

And I clung to passion, hoping to find

through it one day, while lovers slept.

A day from it with tragedies asleep.

وغدا  القلبُ  شاكِيَاً   وكئيباً

وغدا القلبُ شاكِيَاً وكئيباً

حين  أمسى  الهوى   عليّ   لِزَام

حين أمسى الهوى عليّ لِزَام

The heart grew plaintive and dejected

And the heart became lamenting and dejected

when passion became inescapable for me.

When passion became inescapable for me.

ورأى  الحُبُّ لَوْعَتِي  وسقامي

ورأى الحُبُّ لَوْعَتِي وسقامي

فهو  لي   طول  الحياة   سقَام

فهو لي طول الحياة سقَام

Love beheld my burning anguish and sickness,

And love saw my burning anguish and my sickness;

and so it remains my lifelong malady.

So it is my sickness all my life.

وترانِي  ألقى  الهَوَانَ  بِحُبِّي

وترانِي ألقى الهَوَانَ بِحُبِّي

بعد  ما  انْفَكَّ  للوِصَالِ  حِزَام

بعد ما انْفَكَّ للوِصَالِ حِزَام

You see me suffer humiliation for my love

And you see me suffer humiliation through my love,

after union’s girdle came undone.

After the belt of union came undone.

وغَدَا  الحُبُّ  بيننا كجَحِيمٍ

وغَدَا الحُبُّ بيننا كجَحِيمٍ

كيفَ  تَقْوَى  على  الجحيمِ   عِظَام

كيفَ تَقْوَى على الجحيمِ عِظَام

Love between us became like an inferno—

And love became like hell between us.

how can bones withstand the inferno?

How can bones withstand hell?

وَدَعَا  دَاعِي  الهَوَى  فَوَقَفْنَا

وَدَعَا دَاعِي الهَوَى فَوَقَفْنَا

عندَ  بابٍ  يكتظُّ  فيهِ  الزِّحَام

عندَ بابٍ يكتظُّ فيهِ الزِّحَام

The herald of passion called, and we stopped

And passion's caller called, so we stood

at a gate where the crowd pressed thick.

At a door where the crowd thronged.

وَمَشَيْنَا  مَعَ  الْمُحِبِّينَ  حَتَّى

وَمَشَيْنَا مَعَ الْمُحِبِّينَ حَتَّى

قَابَلَتْنَا  مَنْ  مِيطَ  عَنْهَا   اللِّثَام

قَابَلَتْنَا مَنْ مِيطَ عَنْهَا اللِّثَام

We walked among the lovers until

And we walked with the lovers until

there met us one whose face-veil had been lifted away.

She whose face veil had been lifted met us.

طالَعَتْنَا  بعدَ  السَّلامِ   وقالتْ

طالَعَتْنَا بعدَ السَّلامِ وقالتْ

أينَ  مَنْ  حَبَّ  في  الحياةِ   وَهَام

أينَ مَنْ حَبَّ في الحياةِ وَهَام

She looked upon us after the greeting and said:

She looked at us after the greeting and said:

“Where is the one who loved in life and went mad with longing?”

“Where is he who loved in life and was enraptured?”

قربتْ  نَحْوِي  وقالتْ  لي   يا   فتى

قربتْ نَحْوِي وقالتْ لي يا فتى

كيفَ  تَهْوى  وأنتَ   توَّاً  غُلام

كيفَ تَهْوى وأنتَ توَّاً غُلام

She drew near me and said to me, “Young man—

She drew near me and said to me, “O young man,

how can you love when you are still only a boy?”

How do you love when you are still just a boy?”