1. أَحريق أَم غَرامُ

    وَجُنون أَم هيامُ

    Is it fire, or passion?

    And madness, or love's delirium?

  2. وَاِشتِياقٌ أَم نِزاع

    وَحَنين أَم جمام

    And longing, or death throes?

    And yearning, or repose?

  3. وَدُموع أَم بِحار

    وَزَفيرٌ أَم ضرام

    And tears, or seas?

    And sighing, or a blaze?

  4. وَذُبول ما بِجسمي

    أَم خَفاءٌ أَم سقام

    And is what afflicts my body withering,

    or vanishing, or sickness?

  5. وَالَّذي قَد قالَهُ اللّا

    حي مَلام أَم خصام

    And what the reproacher has said:

    is it blame, or a quarrel?

  6. وَالَّذي أتنقلهُ الريح

    كَلام أَم سَلام

    And what the wind carries:

    is it speech, or a greeting?

  7. وَمَحياك أَم الشَمس

    أَم البَدر التَمام

    And is it your face, or the sun,

    or the full, perfect moon?

  8. وَالَّذي في فَمك العا

    طر شَهد أَم مَدام

    And what is in your fragrant mouth:

    is it honey, or wine?

  9. وَالَّذي يَهَتَزُّ في بَر

    ديك غصن أَم قَوام

    And what sways within your two robes:

    is it a branch, or your figure?

  10. وَحَلال قَتل مَن لَم

    يَجِن ذَنباً أَم حَرام

    And is it lawful to kill one who has not

    committed a sin—or is it forbidden?

  11. لا وَما يَفعَلَهُ الشَو

    ق بِقَلبي وَالأَوام

    No! By what yearning

    and burning thirst do to my heart!

  12. أَترى ذَنبي زَفيري

    كُلَّما ناحَ الحَمام

    Do you think my sin is my sighing

    whenever the doves lament?

  13. أَم تراهُ سَهري الدا

    ئم وَالخَلقُ نِيام

    Or do you think it is my unceasing vigil,

    while all creation sleeps?

  14. أَم بُكائي كُلَّما لا

    حَ مِن البَرق اِبتِسام

    Or my weeping, whenever

    a smile gleams from the lightning?

  15. إِن تَكُن هَذي ذُنوبي

    في الهَوى فَهِيَ عِظام

    If these are my sins

    in love, then they are grave.

  16. وَلَئن أَثبَتَ لي بِالز

    ور جسمٌ أَو مَنام

    And even if I am falsely credited

    with a body, or with sleep,

  17. فَسَيَمحو هَذه الأَ

    ثار دَمعي وَالغَرام

    then these traces will be erased

    by my tears and passion.

  18. طالَ في الغُربة يا رَب

    هَوااني وَالمَقام

    Long have lasted in exile, O Lord,

    my abasement and my sojourn.

  19. غابَ عَن سَكَني فَاللَيل

    في عَيني قِتام

    He has vanished from my dwelling, so night

    is gloom in my eyes.

  20. وَنَهاري مُنذُ فارقت

    مَحياهُ ظَلام

    And my day, since I parted from

    his face, is darkness.

  21. كُل أنس بَعدَهُ عِنديَ

    وزر وَآثام

    Every solace after him is, to me,

    a burden of sin and wrongdoing.

  22. وَعَلى الدُنيا إِذا ما

    فَقَد الأَلف السَلام

    And to the world, whenever

    one loses the beloved—farewell!