غَرِقتُ وَلا ماء سِوى فَيض أَدمُعي

غَرِقتُ وَلا ماء سِوى فَيض أَدمُعي

جَرَت وَالأَسى في باطِنِ الصَبرِ دامِغُ

جَرَت وَالأَسى في باطِنِ الصَبرِ دامِغُ

I drowned, though there was no water but the flood of my tears;

I drowned, with no water but the flood of my tears;

I drowned though there was no water save the stream of my tears

I drowned, though there was no water but the flood of my tears,

They flowed, while grief beneath my patience struck a crushing blow.

They flowed while grief crushed patience from within,

That flowed while anguish penetrated the essence of patience completely

Which flowed, while sorrow struck a crushing blow to the core of my patience,

غَداةَ أَجابَت عيسُنا داعي النَوى

غَداةَ أَجابَت عيسُنا داعي النَوى

وَوَدَّعَني بَدرٌ مِنَ السجفِ بازِغُ

وَوَدَّعَني بَدرٌ مِنَ السجفِ بازِغُ

On the morning our white camels answered separation’s call,

On the morning our pale camels answered separation's call,

The morning after our happiness answered the caller of my desire

On the morning our camels answered the summoner of separation,

A full moon, rising from behind the curtain, bade me farewell.

And a full moon emerging from behind the curtain bade me farewell.

And a full moon bid me farewell, rising from the horizon

And a full moon bade me farewell, rising from behind the veils,

غَضَضتُ جُفوني عَن سَناهُ مَهابَةً

غَضَضتُ جُفوني عَن سَناهُ مَهابَةً

وَفي القَلبِ شَيطانٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ نازِغُ

وَفي القَلبِ شَيطانٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ نازِغُ

I lowered my eyelids before his radiance, in awe,

I lowered my eyelids to shut out his radiance, in awe,

I shut my eyelids in awe of its brilliance

I lowered my eyelids before his radiance out of awe,

While in my heart a devil born of love urged me on.

And in my heart a demon of love was stirring mischief.

While in my heart was a devil of love inciting me

While in the heart, a demon of love was whispering temptation,

غَزالٌ تَحَلّى بِالبَهاءِ وَبِالسَّنا

غَزالٌ تَحَلّى بِالبَهاءِ وَبِالسَّنا

وَناهيكَ مِن حليٍ لَهُ اللَهُ صائِغُ

وَناهيكَ مِن حليٍ لَهُ اللَهُ صائِغُ

A gazelle adorned with beauty and radiant light—

A gazelle adorned with splendor and radiance—

A gazelle adorned with beauty and charm

A gazelle adorned with splendor and brilliance,

And what adornment it is, when God Himself is its fashioner!

And what an adornment, whose goldsmith is God!

And what jewelry Allah has fashioned for it!

And suffice it for you as adornment that God is his fashioner,

غَريرٌ شَمَمتُ المِسكَ مِن فيهِ سحرَةً

غَريرٌ شَمَمتُ المِسكَ مِن فيهِ سحرَةً

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَل أَنتَ لِلمِسكِ ماضِغُ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَل أَنتَ لِلمِسكِ ماضِغُ

An innocent youth—from his mouth I smelled musk at dawn,

A guileless youth—I smelled musk from his mouth before dawn,

A throat whose musk I inhaled, as if by magic

An innocent one; I smelled musk from his mouth at dawn,

And asked him, “Have you been chewing musk?”

So I said to him, "Are you chewing musk?"

I said to it, “Are you not intoxicated by musk?”

And I asked him, "Is it musk that you are chewing?"

غَيورٌ أَبوهُ كَيفَ لي بِلِقائِهِ

غَيورٌ أَبوهُ كَيفَ لي بِلِقائِهِ

وَمِن حَولِهِ سُمرُ القَنا وَالسَوابِغُ

وَمِن حَولِهِ سُمرُ القَنا وَالسَوابِغُ

His father is jealous and watchful—how can I contrive to meet him,

His father is jealous—how can I meet him,

A jealous father - how can I meet him

His father is jealous; how then can I meet him,

When all around him stand brown-shafted spears and ample coats of mail?

With dark lances and full-length coats of mail around him?

When around him are swords and armed guards?

When around him stand tawny spears and chainmail coats?

غَوى القَلبُ فيهِ وَهوَ لَولاهُ راشِدٌ

غَوى القَلبُ فيهِ وَهوَ لَولاهُ راشِدٌ

وَمَلآن مِنهُ وَهوَ لَولاهُ فارِغُ

وَمَلآن مِنهُ وَهوَ لَولاهُ فارِغُ

My heart went astray in him, though but for him it would be rightly guided;

My heart went astray over him, though without him it would be rightly guided,

My heart strayed toward him though without him it was righteous

The heart went astray for him, though without him it was guided,

It is filled with him, though but for him it would be empty.

And it is full of him, though without him it would be empty.

And filled by him though without him empty

And it is filled with him, though without him it was empty.

غَلَبتُ عَدُوّي حُجَّةً بِجُفونِهِ

غَلَبتُ عَدُوّي حُجَّةً بِجُفونِهِ

وَهَل حُجَجُ العُشّاقُ إِلّا بَوالِغُ

وَهَل حُجَجُ العُشّاقُ إِلّا بَوالِغُ

I defeated my rival in argument with the proof of his eyelids—

I bested my foe with his eyelids as my proof;

I overcame my foe with his eyelids as proof

I defeated my enemy in argument using his eyelids,

And are the arguments of lovers ever anything but conclusive?

And are lovers' arguments anything but conclusive?

For what proofs do lovers have but self-evident ones?

For are not the arguments of lovers conclusive?

غريتُ أَنا وَالعاشِقونَ بِحُبِّهِ

غريتُ أَنا وَالعاشِقونَ بِحُبِّهِ

وَفي مِثلِهِ عُذرُ المُحِبّينَ سائِغُ

وَفي مِثلِهِ عُذرُ المُحِبّينَ سائِغُ

I—and all lovers—have become infatuated with loving him;

I and the lovers were enthralled by love for him,

I and the lovers boasted of his love

I and all lovers are enamored with his love,

And for one such as he, the lovers’ excuse is readily accepted.

And for one like him, the lovers' excuse is justified.

And the like of him makes the lovers’ excuses valid

And for one like him, the excuse of lovers is accepted.

غَزَتني عُيونٌ أَيَّدَتها عَلى دَمي

غَزَتني عُيونٌ أَيَّدَتها عَلى دَمي

عَقارِبُ مِسكٍ لِلقُلوبِ لَوادِغُ

عَقارِبُ مِسكٍ لِلقُلوبِ لَوادِغُ

Eyes assailed me; in spilling my blood they were aided

Eyes assailed me, aided in shedding my blood by

Eyes assaulted me, aided against my blood

Eyes invaded me, aided against my lifeblood

By musk-dark scorpions, stingers of hearts.

Scorpions of musk that sting hearts.

By the eyelashes’ spears that pierce hearts

By scorpions of musk that sting the hearts.