كتبت لقاضي العشق سطرا من الهوى

كتبت لقاضي العشق سطرا من الهوى

مضمنه سر لديه خفا خفا

مضمنه سر لديه خفا خفا

I wrote to love's judge a line of passion,

I wrote a line of passion for the judge of love

Its content: a secret with him, hidden—hidden.

Containing a secret with him, softly, softly

إذا ظفرت يمناك بالدهر

إذا ظفرت يمناك بالدهر

زمانك بالإسراف واستتعب الطرفا

زمانك بالإسراف واستتعب الطرفا

If your right hand gained mastery over time,

If your right hand gains fortune from fate

Your time in excess—and it wearied the gaze.

Your time in excess and the gaze elongated

تضرم جسمي بالغرام وإنه

تضرم جسمي بالغرام وإنه

مسبوق لظلم الحب فيه جفا جفا

مسبوق لظلم الحب فيه جفا جفا

My body blazed with ardent love, and indeed it

My body kindles with love and it

Is overtaken by love's injustice; within it, harshness—harshness.

Preceded by the injustice of love, harshly, harshly

تمنيت من دهري وصار غزالة

تمنيت من دهري وصار غزالة

بروض رياض القدس فيه شفا شفا

بروض رياض القدس فيه شفا شفا

I wished of my fate, and it became a gazelle

I wished from my fate and it became a gazelle

In a meadow of the gardens of holiness, with healing there—healing.

In the meadows of holy Jerusalem, healing, healing

فلي من جيوش الصبر جيشا مؤيدا

فلي من جيوش الصبر جيشا مؤيدا

وعند فؤاد الحب فيه جفا جفا

وعند فؤاد الحب فيه جفا جفا

So I have, from the armies of patience, a strengthened army,

So I have from the armies of patience, a supporting army

And at love's heart, within it, harshness—harshness.

And in the heart of love, harshly, harshly

فوا كبدي لولا الهوى ما درى الهوى

فوا كبدي لولا الهوى ما درى الهوى

فؤادي ولولا البين قيل وفا وفا

فؤادي ولولا البين قيل وفا وفا

Ah, my liver! But for passion, passion would not have known

Oh my liver, if not for love, love would not be known

My heart; and but for separation, it would be said: 'It kept faith, kept faith.'

My heart, and if not for separation, it was said fidelity, fidelity

تقدمت للمحراب كي ما أرى

تقدمت للمحراب كي ما أرى

جمال جمال الوجه قيل قفا قفا

جمال جمال الوجه قيل قفا قفا

I advanced toward the prayer niche so that I might see

I went to the shrine so that I may see

The beauty of the face's beauty; it was said: 'Halt, you two! Halt, you two!'

The beauty of the beautiful face, it was said stop, stop

فصرت وسري معرب بهيامه

فصرت وسري معرب بهيامه

وعند تلاشي الصبا قيل صفا صفا

وعند تلاشي الصبا قيل صفا صفا

So I came to be, my secret voicing its mad love,

So I became and my secret Arabized by its obsession

And as youth faded, it was said: 'It grew clear, grew clear.'

And at the demise of youth, it was said clarity, clarity