لَنا قَدَمٌ في ساحَةِ الحُبِّ راسِخ

لَنا قَدَمٌ في ساحَةِ الحُبِّ راسِخ

وَحُكمٌ لِمسلاةِ المُحبينَ ناسِخُ

وَحُكمٌ لِمسلاةِ المُحبينَ ناسِخُ

We have a firm foothold in love’s arena,

We have a firm foothold in the field of love,

and a decree annulling lovers’ solace.

And a ruling to comfort lovers established.

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 were my heart to seek a pact with forgetfulness,

Even if my heart desired to form a pact for solace,

it would find an annuller in love’s judge.

It would have from the master of passion an annulment.

وَلي مِن بَني الأَتراكِ أَهيفُ شادنٌ

وَلي مِن بَني الأَتراكِ أَهيفُ شادنٌ

لَهُ نَسَبٌ في آلِ خاقانَ باذِخُ

لَهُ نَسَبٌ في آلِ خاقانَ باذِخُ

And among the Turks I have a slender-waisted young gazelle,

And I have from the Turkish people a tall and slender beloved

whose lofty lineage belongs to the house of Khaqan.

With lineage among the house of Khagan prominent.

يلينُ كَلاماً وَهوَ قاسٍ فؤادُهُ

يلينُ كَلاماً وَهوَ قاسٍ فؤادُهُ

وَيَدنو اتضاعاً مِنهُ وَالأَنفُ شامِخُ

وَيَدنو اتضاعاً مِنهُ وَالأَنفُ شامِخُ

He is gentle in speech, yet hard of heart,

Gentle in speech though his heart is harsh,

and approaches humbly, though his nose is held high.

He approaches with humility though his nose is haughty.

بِوَجهٍ يَلوحُ الحُسنُ مِن قَسماتِهِ

بِوَجهٍ يَلوحُ الحُسنُ مِن قَسماتِهِ

وَقَدٍّ كَغُصنِ البانِ وَالبانُ شارِخُ

وَقَدٍّ كَغُصنِ البانِ وَالبانُ شارِخُ

With a face from whose features beauty gleams,

With a face whose beauty radiates from its features,

and a figure like a bān-tree’s branch, the tree in its youthful prime.

And a neck like a banana branch with ripening clusters.

وَرِدفٌ حماهُ أَن يُنالَ بِنَظرَةٍ

وَرِدفٌ حماهُ أَن يُنالَ بِنَظرَةٍ

مِن الشعرِ المضفورِ أَسودُ سالِخُ

مِن الشعرِ المضفورِ أَسودُ سالِخُ

And a rump shielded from even a glance

His shoulders protect him from being attained with a glance

by a black, sloughing serpent of braided hair.

Of the braided black hair cascading down his back.

إِذا ما رَنا يَوماً إِلَيهِ أَخو الهَوى

إِذا ما رَنا يَوماً إِلَيهِ أَخو الهَوى

تَلَقّاه مِنهُ نافِثُ السُمِّ نافِخُ

تَلَقّاه مِنهُ نافِثُ السُمِّ نافِخُ

If a lover should one day gaze upon it,

When the brother of passion looked upon him one day,

a venom-spitter confronts him from there, hissing.

He was met with venom spewing from his breath.

أَيا عَجَباً للحُبِّ كَم ذا أكنُّهُ

أَيا عَجَباً للحُبِّ كَم ذا أكنُّهُ

وَأكتمُهُ وَالوَجد بِالحُبِّ صارِخُ

وَأكتمُهُ وَالوَجد بِالحُبِّ صارِخُ

Ah, the wonder of love! How I conceal it,

Oh, the wonders of love! How much I harbor it

and keep it secret, while yearning proclaims love aloud!

And conceal it, while ardently consumed by it!

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, as if

one of its lures were an archer shooting it toward my heart.

Through its urges it cleaves towards 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

And a torment has befallen me whose slightest part, if it struck

And I have been afflicted with that, if but a little of it

Yadhbul, would leave it sinking into the earth.

Afflicted another, it would leave him withered on the ground.

فَفي مُهجَتي نارٌ عَلى الكبدِ وَقدها

فَفي مُهجَتي نارٌ عَلى الكبدِ وَقدها

وَمِن مُقلَتي ماءٌ عَلى الخَدِّ ناضِخُ

وَمِن مُقلَتي ماءٌ عَلى الخَدِّ ناضِخُ

So in my heart is a fire, its blaze upon my liver,

So in my innermost being there is a fire scorching my liver,

and from my eye, water gushes over my cheek.

While from my eyelids pours water gushing down my cheek.