وَجَدتُ ولا طِبٌّ لما أنَا واجدُ

وَجَدتُ ولا طِبٌّ لما أنَا واجدُ

فِها أنا نِضواً أشتكي البَثَّ والشَّجوا

فِها أنا نِضواً أشتكي البَثَّ والشَّجوا

I pine, and there is no cure for what I feel.

I found no cure for what ails me,

So here I am, wasted away, lamenting anguish and sorrow.

Though I complain of sadness and distress.

وَميضُ الهَوى في القَلب يُوجَدُ خَفقُه

وَميضُ الهَوى في القَلب يُوجَدُ خَفقُه

فَما لجِفُوني تَشتكي ألَمَ العَدوى

فَما لجِفُوني تَشتكي ألَمَ العَدوى

The pulse of passion's flash is felt within the heart;

Passion burns within my heart, igniting its throbbing,

Why, then, do my eyelids complain of contagion's pain?

Yet why do my eyelids complain of sickness?

وَهَل نَافِعي رِيّ الجفونِ بِدَمعِها

وَهَل نَافِعي رِيّ الجفونِ بِدَمعِها

إذا كانَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ لا يَروى

إذا كانَ ما بَينَ الجَوانِحِ لا يَروى

And will drenching my eyelids with their tears avail me,

Of what use are their tears, streaming down,

When what lies between my ribs remains unquenched?

When the space between my ribs is never filled?

وَقَد ذُقتُ طَعمَ الحُبِّ بَدءاً وَعَودَةً

وَقَد ذُقتُ طَعمَ الحُبِّ بَدءاً وَعَودَةً

فلَم أدرِ هَل مُرَاً تَطَعَّمتُ أم حُلوا

فلَم أدرِ هَل مُرَاً تَطَعَّمتُ أم حُلوا

And I have tasted love's flavor, once and again,

I've tasted the sweet and bitter of love.

Yet I could not tell whether I tasted bitterness or sweetness.

I know not if it was bitter I savored, or sweet.

وَعِيدُ فِراقٍ فيهِ للوَصلِ مَوعدٌ

وَعِيدُ فِراقٍ فيهِ للوَصلِ مَوعدٌ

فآونَةً سُكراً وآونَةً صَحوا

فآونَةً سُكراً وآونَةً صَحوا

A threat of parting holds a promise of union within it;

Parting promises reunion in its turn,

So at times I am drunk, and at times sober.

Now drunkenness, now sobriety.

وَقَفتُ بِبَابِ الحِبِّ وقفةَ حائرٍ

وَقَفتُ بِبَابِ الحِبِّ وقفةَ حائرٍ

يؤمِّمل ما يَهوى ويَحذَرُ مَن يَهوى

يؤمِّمل ما يَهوى ويَحذَرُ مَن يَهوى

I stood at the beloved's door like one bewildered,

I stood perplexed at the gate of love,

Hoping for what he desires, yet fearing the one he loves.

Wanting what I love, yet dreading whom I love.

وَهَبتُ لَهُ قَلبي وسَمعِي ونَاظِري

وَهَبتُ لَهُ قَلبي وسَمعِي ونَاظِري

عَسَى مُوجبُ الشَّكوى يُزيلُ من الشّكوى

عَسَى مُوجبُ الشَّكوى يُزيلُ من الشّكوى

I gave him my heart, my hearing, and my sight,

I gave him my heart, my hearing, my sight,

Perhaps he who causes my suffering will ease some of it.

Hoping that my complaints might banish all complaints.

ودائعُ حُبِّي في الفُؤادِ مَصُونَةٌ

ودائعُ حُبِّي في الفُؤادِ مَصُونَةٌ

سِوى عَبرَةٍ تَهِمي على جَسَدٍ يذوى

سِوى عَبرَةٍ تَهِمي على جَسَدٍ يذوى

My love's treasures are kept safe within my heart,

My love is safe inside my heart,

Save for a tear streaming upon a body wasting away.

Save for tears betraying a body wasted away.

وَفَاتي مُحِبّاً إن ظَفِرتُ بوَصلهِ

وَفَاتي مُحِبّاً إن ظَفِرتُ بوَصلهِ

ولي همّةٌ تَسمُو إلى الغَايَةِ القُصوى

ولي همّةٌ تَسمُو إلى الغَايَةِ القُصوى

I shall die a lover, if I attain union with him;

I've missed out on love should I attain its union,

And mine is an aspiration soaring toward the utmost goal.

For I have a spirit that aspires to the highest goal.

وَلَو أنَّه أومى إليَّ بِمِيتَةٍ

وَلَو أنَّه أومى إليَّ بِمِيتَةٍ

لبَادَرتُ نحوَ المَوتِ طَوعاً ولو حَبوَا

لبَادَرتُ نحوَ المَوتِ طَوعاً ولو حَبوَا

And even if he beckoned me to death,

And if he hinted that I should die for him,

I would hasten willingly toward death, even crawling.

I would rush to death willingly, eagerly.