خَلِيلَيَّ مَا لِلْقَلْبِ يَهْفُو مِنَ الأَسَى

خَلِيلَيَّ مَا لِلْقَلْبِ يَهْفُو مِنَ الأَسَى

وَمَا لِدُمُوعِ العَيْنِ كَالْعَيْنِ تَنْضَخُ

وَمَا لِدُمُوعِ العَيْنِ كَالْعَيْنِ تَنْضَخُ

My two friends, why does the heart flutter with sorrow?

My beloved, why does the heart overflow with sorrow?

And why do the eye's tears gush like a spring?

Why do tears flow from the eyes like springs?

خُلِقْتُ كَمَا شَاءَ الهَوىَ طَوْعَ حُكْمِهِ

خُلِقْتُ كَمَا شَاءَ الهَوىَ طَوْعَ حُكْمِهِ

فَهَا أَنَا أَبْنِي مُنْذُ حِينٍ وَأَفْسَخُ

فَهَا أَنَا أَبْنِي مُنْذُ حِينٍ وَأَفْسَخُ

I was created as love willed, obedient to its decree.

I was created as passion willed, submitting to its rule.

So here I am, for some time now building and undoing.

So here I am, since that time, building and demolishing.

خَلَعْتُ عِذارِي فِي هَوَاهُ كَأنَّني

خَلَعْتُ عِذارِي فِي هَوَاهُ كَأنَّني

أَصَمُ عَنِ العُذَّالِ فِي الحُبِّ أَصْلَخُ

أَصَمُ عَنِ العُذَّالِ فِي الحُبِّ أَصْلَخُ

I cast off my bridle in love for him, as though I were

I took off my reproachful self for his love, as if

deaf to love's reproachers—utterly deaf.

I were deaf to reproachers in love, withdrawn.

خَضَعْتُ لِمَحْبُوبِ أَذِلُ لِعِزِّهِ

خَضَعْتُ لِمَحْبُوبِ أَذِلُ لِعِزِّهِ

فَيَنْأى عَلى ذَلٍّ لَدَيْهِ وَيَنْسَخُ

فَيَنْأى عَلى ذَلٍّ لَدَيْهِ وَيَنْسَخُ

I submitted to a beloved, humbling myself before his might;

I submitted to my beloved, abased before his glory,

yet he draws away, despite my abasement before him, and effaces me.

Yet he turns away disdainfully and abandons me.

خَفِيتُ عَنِ الأَبصْارِ لَوْلاَ بَقَيَّةٌ

خَفِيتُ عَنِ الأَبصْارِ لَوْلاَ بَقَيَّةٌ

مِنَ القَلْبِ تُبْقِي الحُبَّ فِيْهَا فَيَصْرُخُ

مِنَ القَلْبِ تُبْقِي الحُبَّ فِيْهَا فَيَصْرُخُ

I would have vanished from sight, but for a remnant

I hid from all sights, were it not for a shred

of the heart that keeps love within it, and so it cries out.

Of heart that keeps love alive in it, crying out.

خَيَالٌ كَمَا لاحَ انْحِلاَلُ وَرَاءَهُ

خَيَالٌ كَمَا لاحَ انْحِلاَلُ وَرَاءَهُ

فُؤَادٌ بِمَسْفُوحِ الدَّمَاءِ مُضَمَّخُ

فُؤَادٌ بِمَسْفُوحِ الدَّمَاءِ مُضَمَّخُ

A phantom, like dissolution made visible; behind it

An apparition, vanishing without trace,

a heart drenched in spilled blood.

A heart with spilled blood, stained.

خَلِيٌّ ولَكِنْ مِنْ سِوَاكَ وَفي الحَشَى

خَلِيٌّ ولَكِنْ مِنْ سِوَاكَ وَفي الحَشَى

ضِرَامٌ بِأَنْفَاسِ الصِّبَابَةِ تَنْفُخُ

ضِرَامٌ بِأَنْفَاسِ الصِّبَابَةِ تَنْفُخُ

I am free—but only of all save you; and in my breast

Empty but not of you, in my breast

a blaze you fan with breaths of yearning.

Pangs with the breaths of youth that blow.

خِطَابُكَ رَيْحَانِي وَرَوْحِي وَجَنَّتِي

خِطَابُكَ رَيْحَانِي وَرَوْحِي وَجَنَّتِي

وَمِنْ دُونِه للرُّوحِ في الحُبِّ بَرْزَخُ

وَمِنْ دُونِه للرُّوحِ في الحُبِّ بَرْزَخُ

Your speech is my sweet basil, my repose, and my paradise.

Your words are my bliss, my soul, my paradise,

And without it, the soul faces a barrier in love.

Without them, for the soul in love there is only limbo.

خَبَأْتُ الهَوىَ وَهْوَ الهَوَانُ حَقِيقَةً

خَبَأْتُ الهَوىَ وَهْوَ الهَوَانُ حَقِيقَةً

فَدَعْوَتُهُ تُشْجِي وَدَعْوَاهُ تُرْتِخُ

فَدَعْوَتُهُ تُشْجِي وَدَعْوَاهُ تُرْتِخُ

I concealed love, though in truth it is humiliation;

I concealed passion, though it is humiliation in truth,

for invoking it brings grief, and claiming it brings weakness.

So its call rouses me, and its claim relaxes me.