مِن مُنصِفي أَو مِن مُجيري

مِن مُنصِفي أَو مِن مُجيري

مِن جَفوة الرَشأ الغَرير

مِن جَفوة الرَشأ الغَرير

Who will give me justice, or shelter me

Who will do me justice, or who will shelter me

from the coldness of the guileless young gazelle?

from the guileless fawn's coldness?

قَسَماً بِما يُسمي جُنو

قَسَماً بِما يُسمي جُنو

ن الحُب يَنفُث في الصُدور

ن الحُب يَنفُث في الصُدور

I swear by what is called mad—

I swear by what is called the madness

—ness of love, which breathes into every breast:

of love, breathing into breasts:

إِني إِلَيكَ لَباسط

إِني إِلَيكَ لَباسط

كَف الأَسير المُستَجير

كَف الأَسير المُستَجير

I stretch out to you

indeed, toward you I stretch out

the hand of a captive pleading for refuge.

the hand of the captive seeking refuge.

شَوقي إِلى تَقبيل ثَغ

شَوقي إِلى تَقبيل ثَغ

رك دونَهُ حَرّ السَعير

رك دونَهُ حَرّ السَعير

I long to kiss your li—

My longing to kiss your mouth

—ps, though Hellfire’s heat stands in the way.

is barred by the heat of the blazing fire.

بِاللَهِ فَأَذن لي أَقب

بِاللَهِ فَأَذن لي أَقب

ل دُرهُ بِفَم الضَمير

ل دُرهُ بِفَم الضَمير

By God, grant me leave to ki—

By God, grant me leave to kiss

—ss their pearls with the mouth of imagination.

its pearls with the mouth of the inner self.

لَو أَبصَرتكُ القاصِرا

لَو أَبصَرتكُ القاصِرا

ت الطَرف مِن غُرف القُصور

ت الطَرف مِن غُرف القُصور

If the mai—

Had the women of lowered gaze seen you

—dens with downcast eyes in palace chambers saw you,

from the chambers of palaces,

لَتهتكت كَتَهَتُكي

لَتهتكت كَتَهَتُكي

وَتَعَلمتُ كَشف السُنور

وَتَعَلمتُ كَشف السُنور

they would cast off restraint as you do

they would have cast off modesty, as I have;

and learn to draw aside the veils.

and I learned to uncover the cat [perhaps 'the veils'].

أَو لَو نَظَرت إِلى الجَما

أَو لَو نَظَرت إِلى الجَما

د لَجادَ بِالعَذب النَمير

د لَجادَ بِالعَذب النَمير

Or if you looked upon inan—

Or, had you looked upon lifeless matter,

—imate matter, it would pour forth sweet, abundant water.

it would have poured forth sweet, wholesome water.

أَو لَيسَ في حَبيك لي

أَو لَيسَ في حَبيك لي

عُذرٌ وَلَكن مِن عَذيري

عُذرٌ وَلَكن مِن عَذيري

Is there not, in loving you, an excuse for me?

Or is there not, in my love for you,

Yet who will excuse me?

an excuse for me? But who will excuse me?

وَمَتّى أَصخت إِلى الشِكا

وَمَتّى أَصخت إِلى الشِكا

ية مِن صُدودك يا أَميري

ية مِن صُدودك يا أَميري

Whenever you lend an ear to the complai—

And whenever you listen to the complaint

—nt at your rejection, O prince,

of your turning away, O my prince,

غَناكَ في قَصب العِظا

غَناكَ في قَصب العِظا

م صَفير أَنفاس الزَفير

م صَفير أَنفاس الزَفير

your song through the reeds of my bo—

through the reedlike shafts of bones there sings to you

—nes is the whistling breath of sighs.

the whistling of sighing breaths.

أَمعذبي قَد مَلَّ طَو

أَمعذبي قَد مَلَّ طَو

ق الأَسر مِن نَحر الأَسير

ق الأَسر مِن نَحر الأَسير

O my tormentor, captivity’s co—

O my tormentor, captivity's collar has grown weary

—llar has wearied of the captive’s throat.

of the captive's throat.

وَالفت طول الحُزن حي

وَالفت طول الحُزن حي

ن أَلفَت أَنواع النُفور

ن أَلفَت أَنواع النُفور

I grew accustomed to grief’s long span whe—

And I grew used to prolonged sorrow when

—n I grew accustomed to every kind of estrangement,

you grew used to every kind of aversion,

حَتّى لَقَد صارَ الفُؤا

حَتّى لَقَد صارَ الفُؤا

د يراع مِن ذكر السُرور

د يراع مِن ذكر السُرور

until the hea—

until, indeed, the heart has come

—rt came to fear even the mention of joy.

to be frightened by the mention of joy.

هاتَ أَسقِنيها بِالصغي

هاتَ أَسقِنيها بِالصغي

ر وَإِن سَمَحَت فَبالكَبير

ر وَإِن سَمَحَت فَبالكَبير

Come—give it me to drink from the sma—

Bring it; give it to me to drink in the small cup,

—ll cup, and, if you are generous, from the large.

and if you are generous, then in the large one.

وَإِنظُر إِليَّ مُرنِقاً

وَإِنظُر إِليَّ مُرنِقاً

حَتّى إَغيب عَن الشُعور

حَتّى إَغيب عَن الشُعور

And look at me languidly

And look at me with half-closed eyes

until I pass beyond awareness.

until I lose awareness.

وَاستلَّ روحي يا حَيا

وَاستلَّ روحي يا حَيا

تي مِن جُنونك بِالفُتور

تي مِن جُنونك بِالفُتور

And draw out my soul, O my li—

And draw out my soul, O my life,

—fe, with the languor of your eyelids.

from your madness, with languor.

وَعَلى الحَياة وَطَيبِها

وَعَلى الحَياة وَطَيبِها

مني السَلام إِلى النُشور

مني السَلام إِلى النُشور

And to life, for all its sweetness,

And to life and its sweetness,

from me, farewell until the Resurrection.

my farewell, until the Resurrection.