أشكو له منه مهجتي

أشكو له منه مهجتي

حبستها وقفا أترضى الخرابا

حبستها وقفا أترضى الخرابا

I complain to him of him; my soul—

I complain to him about him, my love for him

I have dedicated it as an endowment. Do you accept its ruin?

Imprisoned me, standing still, would you be pleased with ruin?

إن كنت لا ترضاه لمن أشكو

إن كنت لا ترضاه لمن أشكو

أبحت دمي حتى كان لي خطابا

أبحت دمي حتى كان لي خطابا

If you do not accept it, to whom shall I complain?

If you would not be pleased with it, to whom shall I complain?

You made my blood lawful to shed, until it became a message to me.

I shed my blood until I had an address

إن كنت ترضى قتلي فمن أفتى

إن كنت ترضى قتلي فمن أفتى

بسفك دم شرعا فقلبي شابا

بسفك دم شرعا فقلبي شابا

If you approve of killing me, who gave the ruling

If you would be pleased with killing me, who gave the verdict

for lawfully shedding blood? So my heart has grown gray.

To legally shed blood? So my heart was youthful

وهلا جعلت القتل جورا بو

وهلا جعلت القتل جورا بو

صل ودام الوصل واقتربا

صل ودام الوصل واقتربا

And why not make the killing unjust through—

Why did you not make killing unjust, but

union, and let union endure and draw near?

Reconcile, and let the bond continue and come closer

مهما ذهلت عنه عجبا به

مهما ذهلت عنه عجبا به

تمثل لك في كل مرمى كتابا

تمثل لك في كل مرمى كتابا

Whenever you forget him, in wonder at him,

No matter how I was amazed by him

he takes shape for you as a book wherever your gaze falls.

He appears to you in every target, a book

يا مالك القلب كن شافعي

يا مالك القلب كن شافعي

فإني حنفي أتيت العجابا

فإني حنفي أتيت العجابا

O master (Malik) of the heart, be my intercessor (Shafi‘i);

O owner of my heart, be my intercessor

for I am a Hanafi; I have done wondrous things.

For I am Hanafi, I have come with wonders

توحدت في حبي فما لي سواه

توحدت في حبي فما لي سواه

وظن بوصل الحسن المستطابا

وظن بوصل الحسن المستطابا

I am undivided in my love; I have none but him,

I became solitary in my love, so I have no one but him

and hope of union with delightful beauty.

And I thought the beautiful perfume would join

يا ليت من أفتاك بالصد برهة

يا ليت من أفتاك بالصد برهة

ولغيري بالود ولسنا اكتئابا

ولغيري بالود ولسنا اكتئابا

Oh, if only the one who counseled you to shun me awhile

Oh, if only the one who advised you to be cold for a moment

and favor another—yet we are not dejected.

And affectionate to others, we would not be gloomy

فإني له أهل وبه زعيم

فإني له أهل وبه زعيم

سلطان عشق منيته رضايا

سلطان عشق منيته رضايا

For I am worthy of it and stand surety for it—

For I am his family, and through him a leader

a sultan of love, whose wish is my contentment.

A sultan of love I wished his approval

أهل الهوى جندي وإني رئيسهم

أهل الهوى جندي وإني رئيسهم

وأنت مليك الحسن تبكي السحابا

وأنت مليك الحسن تبكي السحابا

Lovers are my army, and I am their leader;

The people of love are my soldiers, and I am their leader

and you, sovereign of beauty, make the clouds weep.

And you are the king of beauty, the clouds cry to you

يا ما أمر العشق بوصله

يا ما أمر العشق بوصله

وهجره والجسم منى قد ذابا

وهجره والجسم منى قد ذابا

Oh, how bitter love is in union with him,

Oh, how many times love ordered me to join him

and in his desertion; my body has melted away.

And leave him, and my body from me has melted

يا ما أمر العشق يميتني

يا ما أمر العشق يميتني

ما لا يعد اجتهاد ما أصابا

ما لا يعد اجتهاد ما أصابا

Oh, how bitter love is—it kills me.

Oh, how many times love ordered me to die

What is not reckoned as striving has not hit the mark.

Uncountable attempts, what has been attained

فهل إلى خروج من سبيل

فهل إلى خروج من سبيل

يا ليتني قد كنت ترابا

يا ليتني قد كنت ترابا

Is there, then, any way out?

Is there any way out from the captivity?

Oh, if only I had been dust!

Oh, if only I were dust

من لي بأن ترضى طرحي على

من لي بأن ترضى طرحي على

أطلال من يهوى أيرجو جوابا

أطلال من يهوى أيرجو جوابا

Who can assure me that you will accept my being cast upon

Who can make you pleased to cast me upon

the ruins of the one he loves? Does he hope for an answer?

The ruins of one who loves, do I hope for an answer?

فرغت كوني مني مخلصا

فرغت كوني مني مخلصا

لعلي بها أخلو وتجلو النقابا

لعلي بها أخلو وتجلو النقابا

I have emptied my being of myself, in sincere devotion,

I became free of myself, devoted

that perhaps I may be alone among them, and you may lift the veil.

Perhaps through it I will be alone and the veil will be lifted

قد دك طوري لما خر موسى

قد دك طوري لما خر موسى

صعقا ولا موسى وكان سرابا

صعقا ولا موسى وكان سرابا

Indeed, my Sinai was crushed when Moses fell

My passion collapsed when Moses fell down

in a swoon—and there was no Moses; he was a mirage.

Unconscious, and Moses was a mirage