بَدَاappeared عَلَمٌa banner لِلحُبِّof love يَمَّمْتُI headed نَحْوَهُtoward it
بَدَا عَلَمٌ لِلحُبِّ يَمَّمْتُ نَحْوَهُ
فَلَمْand did not أَنْقَلِبْI turn back حَتَّىuntil احْتَسَبْتُI counted as lost بِهِthrough it قَلْبِيmy heart
فَلَمْ أَنْقَلِبْ حَتَّى احْتَسَبْتُ بِهِ قَلْبِي
A banner of love appeared; I made my way toward it.
I did not turn back until I had reckoned my heart lost to it.
بَلَوْتُI tested الهَوىَlove قَبْلَbefore الهَوىَlove فَوَجَدْتُهُand I found it
بَلَوْتُ الهَوىَ قَبْلَ الهَوىَ فَوَجَدْتُهُ
إِسَاراًcaptivity بِلاَwithout فَكٍّrelease سُقَاماًsickness بِلاَwithout طِبِّremedy
إِسَاراً بِلاَ فَكٍّ سُقَاماً بِلاَ طِبِّ
I tested love before love, and found it
Captivity without release, sickness without a cure.
بِرُوحِيwith my soul as ransom حَبِيبٌa beloved لاَnot أُصَرِّحُI speak openly بِاسْمِهِof his name
بِرُوحِي حَبِيبٌ لاَ أُصَرِّحُ بِاسْمِهِ
وَكُلًّand every مُحِبٍّlover فَهْوَhe, then يُكْنِspeaks indirectly عَنِof الحُبِّlove
وَكُلًّ مُحِبٍّ فَهْوَ يُكْنِ عَنِ الحُبِّ
My soul be ransom for a beloved whose name I do not reveal.
And every lover speaks of love in veiled terms.
بَرانِيwasted me هَوَاهُlove for him ظَاهِراًoutwardly بَعْدَafter بَاطِنٍinwardly
بَرانِي هَوَاهُ ظَاهِراً بَعْدَ بَاطِنٍ
فَجِسْمِيso my body بِلاَwithout رُوحٍa soul وَقَلْبِيand my heart بِلاَwithout لُبِّreason
فَجِسْمِي بِلاَ رُوحٍ وَقَلْبِي بِلاَ لُبِّ
Love for him wasted me outwardly, after wasting me within.
So my body is without a soul, and my heart without reason.
بِحُبِّكَby your love هَلْis there? لِيfor me فِيin لِقَائِكَmeeting you مَطْمَعٌhope
بِحُبِّكَ هَلْ لِي فِي لِقَائِكَ مَطْمَعٌ
فَإِنِّيَfor indeed I مِنْfrom كَرْبٍanguish عَلَيْكَover you إلىto كَرْبِanguish
فَإِنِّيَ مِنْ كَرْبٍ عَلَيْكَ إلى كَرْبِ
By your love, have I any hope of meeting you?
For I pass from one anguish over you to another.
بِكُلِّon every طَرِيقٍpath ليfor me إِلَيْكِto you مَنِيَّةٌa death
بِكُلِّ طَرِيقٍ لي إِلَيْكِ مَنِيَّةٌ
كَأَنِّيas though I مَعَwith الأَيّامِthe days بَعْدَكَafter you فِيin حَرْبِwar
كَأَنِّي مَعَ الأَيّامِ بَعْدَكَ فِي حَرْبِ
On every path to you, a death awaits me,
As though, without you, I were at war with the days.
بَكَيْتُI wept فَقَالُواso they said أَنْتَyou بِالحُبِّof love بَائِحٌone who divulges
بَكَيْتُ فَقَالُوا أَنْتَ بِالحُبِّ بَائِحٌ
صَمَتُّI kept silent فَقَالُواso they said أَنْتَyou خُلْوٌdevoid مِنَof الحُبِّlove
صَمَتُّ فَقَالُوا أَنْتَ خُلْوٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ
I wept, and they said, 'You are revealing your love.'
I kept silent, and they said, 'You are devoid of love.'
بَوَارِقُlightning flashes لاَحَتْgleamed لِلْوِصَالِof union فَثَّمَّهَاand there they are
بَوَارِقُ لاَحَتْ لِلْوِصَالِ فَثَّمَّهَا
فَيَاand ah بَعْدَafter بُعْدٍseparation قَدْindeed دَنَاhas drawn near زَمَنُthe time القُرْبِnearness
فَيَا بَعْدَ بُعْدٍ قَدْ دَنَا زَمَنُ القُرْبِ
Flashes of union gleamed—there they are!
And ah, after separation, the time of nearness has drawn near!
بَقِيتُI survived وَهَلْand can? يَبْقَىsurvive صَبٌa lovesick lover بهِwithin him لَوْعَةٌburning anguish
بَقِيتُ وَهَلْ يَبْقَى صَبٌ بهِ لَوْعَةٌ
تُقَلِّبُهُtoss him الأَشوَاقُlongings جَنْباًside إِلىto جَنْبِside
تُقَلِّبُهُ الأَشوَاقُ جَنْباً إِلى جَنْبِ
I have survived—but can a lover survive with burning anguish,
While longings toss him from side to side?
بَلَغْتُI attained المُنَىdesires مِمَّنْfrom the one whom أُحِبُّI love بِحُبِّهِthrough loving him
بَلَغْتُ المُنَى مِمَّنْ أُحِبُّ بِحُبِّهِ
ولاَand no بُدْescape لِلمَرْبُوبِfor the creature مِنْfrom رَحْمَةِmercy الرَّبِّthe Lord
ولاَ بُدْ لِلمَرْبُوبِ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ الرَّبِّ
I attained my desires from the one I love, through loving him.
And the creature cannot do without the Lord's mercy.