لاَ تَطْمَعَنَّ فَمَا سَلُوُّ فُؤَادِهِ

لاَ تَطْمَعَنَّ فَمَا سَلُوُّ فُؤَادِهِ

فِي وُسْعِ طَاقَتِهِ وَلاَ اسْتِعْدَادِه

فِي وُسْعِ طَاقَتِهِ وَلاَ اسْتِعْدَادِه

Do not hope, for his heart's release from love is not

Do not be ambitious, for his heart's desire

Within his power or his innate capacity.

Is not within his capacity or preparation.

هَيْهَاتَ أَنْ يُصْغِي إِلى غَيْرِ الهَوى

هَيْهَاتَ أَنْ يُصْغِي إِلى غَيْرِ الهَوى

قَلْبُ المُحِبِّ فَإِنْ شَكَكْتَ فَنَادِهِ

قَلْبُ المُحِبِّ فَإِنْ شَكَكْتَ فَنَادِهِ

Never could anything but love be heeded

Alas! The heart of a lover cannot heed aught but passion—

By the lover's heart; if you doubt, then call to him.

If you doubt this, just call out to him.

أَعْطَى هَوَى لَيْلَىجَميعَ رُسُومِهِ

أَعْطَى هَوَى لَيْلَىجَميعَ رُسُومِهِ

إِلاَّ مُنَيْزِلَةَ الَّذِي بِفُؤَادِهِ

إِلاَّ مُنَيْزِلَةَ الَّذِي بِفُؤَادِهِ

To his love for Layla he gave every trace of himself,

He gave his love for Layla his all,

Except the little dwelling of the one within his heart.

Except the place in his heart.

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَمْلِكُ وَصْلَهُ عَانَقْتُهُ

لَوْ كُنْتُ أَمْلِكُ وَصْلَهُ عَانَقْتُهُ

حَتَّى أَرَى التَّوْحِيدَ فِي تَعْدَادِهِ

حَتَّى أَرَى التَّوْحِيدَ فِي تَعْدَادِهِ

Were union with him mine to command, I would embrace him,

If I could attain union with him, I would embrace him

Until I saw oneness in his multiplicity.

Until I behold oneness in his countenance.

لَكِنَّنِي مَا رمْتُ أَشْهَدُ حُسْنَهُ

لَكِنَّنِي مَا رمْتُ أَشْهَدُ حُسْنَهُ

إِلاَّ فَنِيتُ فَغِبْتُ عَنْ إِشْهَادِهِ

إِلاَّ فَنِيتُ فَغِبْتُ عَنْ إِشْهَادِهِ

Yet whenever I sought to behold his beauty,

But I did not intend to witness his beauty

I was annihilated, losing awareness of witnessing him.

Except that I was annihilated and absent from witnessing him.