هُوَ الصَّبْرُ أَوْلَى ما اسْتَعانَ بِهِ الصَّبُّ

هُوَ الصَّبْرُ أَوْلَى ما اسْتَعانَ بِهِ الصَّبُّ

وَلَوْلا تَجَنِّي الحِبِّ ما عَذُبَ الحُبُّ

وَلَوْلا تَجَنِّي الحِبِّ ما عَذُبَ الحُبُّ

Patience is the best aid the lovesick lover can seek.

Patience is the greatest aid for the patient one

And were it not for the beloved's unjust treatment, love would not be sweet.

And were it not for the agony of love, love would not be sweet

إِذَا كُنْتُ لا أَهْوَى لِغَيْرِ تَواصُلٍ

إِذَا كُنْتُ لا أَهْوَى لِغَيْرِ تَواصُلٍ

فَعِشْقِي لِرُوحي لا لِمَنْ قُلْتُ ذَا الحِبُّ

فَعِشْقِي لِرُوحي لا لِمَنْ قُلْتُ ذَا الحِبُّ

If I love only for the sake of union,

When I love none but for the sake of communion

then my love is for my own soul, not for the one I called the beloved.

My love is for my soul, not for those I called "my love"

وَمَا أَنَا إِلّا مُغْرَمُ القَلْبِ لَوْ بَقَى

وَمَا أَنَا إِلّا مُغْرَمُ القَلْبِ لَوْ بَقَى

عَلى ما أُعانيهِ مِنَ الوَجْدِ لي قَلْبُ

عَلى ما أُعانيهِ مِنَ الوَجْدِ لي قَلْبُ

And I am but lovesick at heart—if there remained,

I am but a lover with a heart ever present

despite the anguish of love I endure, a heart within me.

Remaining in the passion that my heart endures

يَدُومُ على بُعْدِ المزَارِ بِحَالِهِ

يَدُومُ على بُعْدِ المزَارِ بِحَالِهِ

غَرامِي وَيقْوى إِنْ تَدانى بهِ القُرْبُ

غَرامِي وَيقْوى إِنْ تَدانى بهِ القُرْبُ

Despite the distance to the meeting-place, unchanged endures

It persists in yearning though distant from the shrine

my passion, and it grows stronger if nearness draws close to it.

My passion strengthens if the shrine draws near

كَذَا شِيمتِي فَلْيَقْتَدِ العَاشِقُونَ بِي

كَذَا شِيمتِي فَلْيَقْتَدِ العَاشِقُونَ بِي

وإِلَّا فَدَعْوَاهُم وحَاشَاهُم كِذبُ

وإِلَّا فَدَعْوَاهُم وحَاشَاهُم كِذبُ

Such is my nature; let lovers follow my example.

Such is my way, so let all lovers emulate me

Otherwise their claim—far be it from them—is a lie.

Else their claims of love are but lies

أُجِيبُ الجوابَ السَّهْلَ عَمَّا سُئِلْتُه

أُجِيبُ الجوابَ السَّهْلَ عَمَّا سُئِلْتُه

وَإِنَّ الَّذي يُشْكَى إِليْهِ الهَوَى صَعْبُ

وَإِنَّ الَّذي يُشْكَى إِليْهِ الهَوَى صَعْبُ

I give a simple answer to what I am asked,

I answer easy what questions I am asked

yet the one to whom one complains of love is unyielding.

Yet she to whom love's plaint is made is aloof