إِنّيindeed I عَشِقتُhave fallen in love وَهَلand is there فيin العِشقِlove مِنany باسِharm
إِنّي عَشِقتُ وَهَل في العِشقِ مِن باسِ
ماnot مَرَّhas passed مِثلُlike الهَوىpassion شَيءٌanything عَلىover راسيmy head
ما مَرَّ مِثلُ الهَوى شَيءٌ عَلى راسي
Indeed, I have fallen in love—and is there any harm in love?
I loved though there is no harm in love
I have fallen in love—and is there any harm in loving?
Nothing like passion has ever passed over my head.
Nothing like passion has happened to me before
No force has ever swept over me quite like passion.
ماwhat ليfor me وَلِلناسِand for the people كَمhow often يَلحَونَنيthey reproach me سَفَهاًfoolishly
ما لي وَلِلناسِ كَم يَلحَونَني سَفَهاً
دينيmy religion لِنَفسيfor myself وَدينُand the religion الناسِof the people لِلناسِfor the people
ديني لِنَفسي وَدينُ الناسِ لِلناسِ
What have I to do with people? How often they foolishly reproach me!
Why do foolish people pester me so
What have I to do with people? How foolishly they blame me!
My religion is for myself, and people's religion is for them.
My religion is my own, people's religion for themselves
My religion is for me, and the religion of others is for them.
ماwhat لِلعُداةِwith the enemies إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle زُرتُI visited مالِكَتيmy mistress
ما لِلعُداةِ إِذا ما زُرتُ مالِكَتي
كَأَنَّas though أَوجُهَهُمtheir faces تُطلىare painted بِأَنقاسِwith ink
كَأَنَّ أَوجُهَهُم تُطلى بِأَنقاسِ
What is wrong with the enemies whenever I visit my mistress,
What business have enemies if I visit my beloved
What ails my critics when I visit the one who owns my heart?
As though their faces were painted with ink?
As if their faces are smeared with filth
It is as though their faces are smeared with darkest ink.
اللَهُGod يَعلَمُknows ماnot تَركيmy giving up زِيارَتَكُمvisiting you
اللَهُ يَعلَمُ ما تَركي زِيارَتَكُم
إِلّاexcept مَخافَةَfor fear of أَعدائيmy enemies وَحُرّاسيand my guards
إِلّا مَخافَةَ أَعدائي وَحُرّاسي
God knows I do not forgo visiting you
God knows I avoid visiting you
God knows I have not ceased my visits to your door,
Except for fear of my enemies and my guards.
Only for fear of foes and guards
Save for the fear of my enemies and my guards.
وَلَوand if قَدِرناwe were capable عَلىof الإِتيانِcoming جِئتُكُمُI would come to you
وَلَو قَدِرنا عَلى الإِتيانِ جِئتُكُمُ
سَعياًrunning عَلىon الوَجهِthe face أَوor مَشياًwalking عَلىon الراسِthe head
سَعياً عَلى الوَجهِ أَو مَشياً عَلى الراسِ
And if we were able to come, I would come to you,
If we could come, I would hasten on foot or head
Yet if I had the power to reach you, I would have come,
Running on my face, or walking on my head.
To reach you, striving the best I can
Crawling upon my face, or walking upon my head.
وَقَدand indeed قَرَأتُI have read كِتاباًa text مِنfrom صَحائِفِكُمyour pages
وَقَد قَرَأتُ كِتاباً مِن صَحائِفِكُم
لاnot يَرحَمُshows mercy اللَهُGod إِلّاexcept راحِمَone who shows mercy to الناسِthe people
لا يَرحَمُ اللَهُ إِلّا راحِمَ الناسِ
And I have indeed read a text from your pages:
I read in your scrolls
For I have read a decree within your own scrolls:
God shows mercy only to those who show mercy to people.
May God not pity those who do not pity people
"God shows no mercy save to those who show mercy to all."