يا قلب أحمد هل سباك

يا قلب أحمد هل سباك

رِيم بسهميه رماك

رِيم بسهميه رماك

O Ahmad's heart, were you captivated

O Ahmad's heart, has your love

by a gazelle that shot you with its two arrows?

Struck you with its arrows and shot you?

فخفقت حتى لاقرا

فخفقت حتى لاقرا

ر وذُبت حتى لا حراك

ر وذُبت حتى لا حراك

So you throbbed until you knew no rest,

You fluttered until you could flutter no more

and melted until you could no longer stir.

And melted until you could melt no more

أنا لا أقول جَنَت يدا

أنا لا أقول جَنَت يدا

ى ولا أقول جنت يداك

ى ولا أقول جنت يداك

I do not say my hands did wrong,

I do not say she has wronged you

nor do I say your hands did wrong.

Nor do I say you have wronged her

ما لي ولا لك بالقضا

ما لي ولا لك بالقضا

ء يدان فيما قد دهاك

ء يدان فيما قد دهاك

Neither I nor you, before fate,

You and her are not to be judged

have any power over what has befallen you.

Both your hands are stained with passion

عادتك عادية الهوى

عادتك عادية الهوى

الله حسبك في هواك

الله حسبك في هواك

Love's onslaught has assailed you;

Your ways are the ways of love

God is enough for you in your love.

God is enough for you in your love

ماذا لقيتَ من الغرا

ماذا لقيتَ من الغرا

م ومن بشدّته ابتلاك

م ومن بشدّته ابتلاك

What have you endured from passion,

What did you find from passion

and who tried you with its intensity?

And from its harshness that tested you?

وإذا القلوب تهالكت

وإذا القلوب تهالكت

دنت الجسوم من الهلاك

دنت الجسوم من الهلاك

And when hearts waste away,

When hearts are destroyed

bodies draw near to destruction.

Bodies draw nearer to ruin

يا قلب قد ذهب الصبا

يا قلب قد ذهب الصبا

عني ولم يذهب صباك

عني ولم يذهب صباك

O heart, youth has departed

O heart, my youth has left me

from me, but your ardor has not departed.

Yet your youth has not left you

أبدا أراك رضى الملا

أبدا أراك رضى الملا

ح كما عهدتهمو رضاك

ح كما عهدتهمو رضاك

Always I see you as the delight of the fair,

I always see you pleased with beauty

just as I have known them to be your delight.

As I knew you and your pleasure

حلو الشمائل في الهوى

حلو الشمائل في الهوى

تُسبى فتَسبىمن سَباك

تُسبى فتَسبىمن سَباك

Sweet of disposition in love,

Sweet are lovers' traits in love

you are captivated, then captivate whoever captivated you.

To be praised, so you are praised by your love

لو همت في بدر السما

لو همت في بدر السما

ء لما أوى إلا سماك

ء لما أوى إلا سماك

If you fell in love with the sky's full moon,

If you aimed for the full moon

it would shelter nowhere but in your sky.

You would find no rest but your love

غصن الأراك وكم أقو

غصن الأراك وكم أقو

ل مغالطا غصن الأراك

ل مغالطا غصن الأراك

A bough of the arak tree—and how often I say,

The branch of the sand dune, how much

equivocating, 'A bough of the arak tree!'

I say wrongly the branch of the sand dune

مِل كيف شئت مع الريا

مِل كيف شئت مع الريا

ح ففي طباع الغصن ذاك

ح ففي طباع الغصن ذاك

Sway as you wish with the winds,

Turn as you wish with the wind

for that is in a bough's nature.

For in the nature of that branch is this

فكري جهاتك أضلعي

فكري جهاتك أضلعي

واديك أحشائي رباك

واديك أحشائي رباك

My thoughts are your surroundings; my ribs

Think carefully, take stock

your valley; my innermost parts, your hills.

My valleys, my breasts, your refuge

يا مالكي بجميله

يا مالكي بجميله

وجماله روحي فداك

وجماله روحي فداك

O you who possess me through your kindness

O you who owns me with his beauty

and your beauty, my soul be your ransom!

And grace, my soul I sacrifice for you

لولا نوى ابن محمد

لولا نوى ابن محمد

ما راعني إلا جفاك

ما راعني إلا جفاك

Were it not for Ibn Muhammad's departure,

If not for the wish of Ibn Muhammad

nothing would alarm me but your estrangement.

Nothing would care for me but your harshness

الله حاطك في مسير

الله حاطك في مسير

ك ثم حاطك في سراك

ك ثم حاطك في سراك

May God guard you on your journey,

God has placed you on your path

then guard you on your travels by night.

Then placed you in your bed

مصر وساكن مصر بالـ

مصر وساكن مصر بالـ

ـصبر المودع ودّعاك

ـصبر المودع ودّعاك

Egypt and Egypt's dweller, with

Egypt, and residing in Egypt, with

patience forsaken, bade you farewell.

Patience bidding farewell and bidding you farewell

الخير في بحر حويـ

الخير في بحر حويـ

ـت وليس في بحر حواك

ـت وليس في بحر حواك

Goodness lies in a sea you contain,

The good is in the sea I swam in

not in a sea that contains you.

Not in the sea you swam in