لَنا قَدَمٌ في ساحَةِ الحُبِّ راسِخ

لَنا قَدَمٌ في ساحَةِ الحُبِّ راسِخ

وَحُكمٌ لِمسلاةِ المُحبينَ ناسِخُ

وَحُكمٌ لِمسلاةِ المُحبينَ ناسِخُ

In love’s arena, we have a firmly planted foot,

We have a foot firmly planted in the arena of love,

and a decree that annuls all lovers’ consolation.

And a decree annulling lovers' consolation.

وَلَو أَنَّ قَلبي رامَ عَقداً لسلوَةٍ

وَلَو أَنَّ قَلبي رامَ عَقداً لسلوَةٍ

لَكانَ لَهُ مِن حاكم العشقِ فاسِخُ

لَكانَ لَهُ مِن حاكم العشقِ فاسِخُ

And if my heart should seek a compact with forgetfulness,

And if my heart sought a pact with forgetfulness,

the sovereign power of love would surely dissolve it.

There would be one from passion's judge to annul it.

وَلي مِن بَني الأَتراكِ أَهيفُ شادنٌ

وَلي مِن بَني الأَتراكِ أَهيفُ شادنٌ

لَهُ نَسَبٌ في آلِ خاقانَ باذِخُ

لَهُ نَسَبٌ في آلِ خاقانَ باذِخُ

I have a slender young gazelle from among the Turks,

And mine is a slender-waisted young gazelle among the sons of the Turks,

of lofty lineage in the house of the Khagan.

He has an illustrious lineage in the house of Khāqān.

يلينُ كَلاماً وَهوَ قاسٍ فؤادُهُ

يلينُ كَلاماً وَهوَ قاسٍ فؤادُهُ

وَيَدنو اتضاعاً مِنهُ وَالأَنفُ شامِخُ

وَيَدنو اتضاعاً مِنهُ وَالأَنفُ شامِخُ

His speech is gentle, though his heart is hard;

He is gentle in speech, though his heart is hard,

he draws near in humility, while his pride stands high.

And draws near in humility, though his nose is held high.

بِوَجهٍ يَلوحُ الحُسنُ مِن قَسماتِهِ

بِوَجهٍ يَلوحُ الحُسنُ مِن قَسماتِهِ

وَقَدٍّ كَغُصنِ البانِ وَالبانُ شارِخُ

وَقَدٍّ كَغُصنِ البانِ وَالبانُ شارِخُ

His is a face from whose features beauty gleams,

With a face from whose features beauty shines,

and a figure like a willow bough—the willow tall and young—

And a figure like a bān-tree branch, the tree in its youthful prime.

وَرِدفٌ حماهُ أَن يُنالَ بِنَظرَةٍ

وَرِدفٌ حماهُ أَن يُنالَ بِنَظرَةٍ

مِن الشعرِ المضفورِ أَسودُ سالِخُ

مِن الشعرِ المضفورِ أَسودُ سالِخُ

and haunches guarded even from the reach of a glance

And a rump guarded from the reach of a glance

by braided hair, a black, skin-shedding serpent.

By a black, skin-shedding serpent of braided hair.

إِذا ما رَنا يَوماً إِلَيهِ أَخو الهَوى

إِذا ما رَنا يَوماً إِلَيهِ أَخو الهَوى

تَلَقّاه مِنهُ نافِثُ السُمِّ نافِخُ

تَلَقّاه مِنهُ نافِثُ السُمِّ نافِخُ

Whenever a lover casts his gaze upon them,

If one day a lover gazes toward it,

a hissing, poison-breathing serpent meets him there.

From it, a hissing, venom-spitting serpent confronts him.

أَيا عَجَباً للحُبِّ كَم ذا أكنُّهُ

أَيا عَجَباً للحُبِّ كَم ذا أكنُّهُ

وَأكتمُهُ وَالوَجد بِالحُبِّ صارِخُ

وَأكتمُهُ وَالوَجد بِالحُبِّ صارِخُ

Oh, what a marvel love is! How deeply I conceal it

Oh, the wonder of love! How much I hide it,

and keep it secret, while passion cries love aloud.

And keep it secret, while longing cries out with love!

تملَّكَني هَذا الهَوى فَكَأَنَّما

تملَّكَني هَذا الهَوى فَكَأَنَّما

بِهِ نَحو قَلبي مِن دَواعيه ناتِخُ

بِهِ نَحو قَلبي مِن دَواعيه ناتِخُ

This passion has possessed me, as though

This passion has possessed me, so it is as though

one of its urgings were tugging it toward my heart.

One of its promptings were drawing it toward my heart.

وَقَد حَلَّ بي ما لَو يحُلُّ أَقلُّهُ

وَقَد حَلَّ بي ما لَو يحُلُّ أَقلُّهُ

بِيذبلَ أَمسى وَهوَ في الأَرضِ سايِخُ

بِيذبلَ أَمسى وَهوَ في الأَرضِ سايِخُ

There has befallen me such anguish that, were the least of it

And a plight has befallen me whose least part, if it struck

to strike Mount Yadhbul, it would sink into the earth.

Yadhbul, would leave it sinking into the earth.

فَفي مُهجَتي نارٌ عَلى الكبدِ وَقدها

فَفي مُهجَتي نارٌ عَلى الكبدِ وَقدها

وَمِن مُقلَتي ماءٌ عَلى الخَدِّ ناضِخُ

وَمِن مُقلَتي ماءٌ عَلى الخَدِّ ناضِخُ

Within my very soul is fire, its blaze upon my liver,

So in my heart's blood burns a fire, its blaze upon my liver,

and from my eye comes water, gushing down my cheek.

And from my eye comes water, gushing over my cheek.