عَلِمتُ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما يَجهَلُ

عَلِمتُ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما يَجهَلُ

فَلا كانَ مِن جاهِلٍ يَعذِلُ

فَلا كانَ مِن جاهِلٍ يَعذِلُ

I have learned of beauty what he does not know.

I have learned of beauty what an ignorant man does not know

So may there be no ignorant man to reproach me.

So I do not blame one who is ignorant and finds fault

وَقَد سَلَبَ اللَهُ عَنهُ القَبولَ

وَقَد سَلَبَ اللَهُ عَنهُ القَبولَ

وَيَعلَمُ أَنّي لا أَقبَلُ

وَيَعلَمُ أَنّي لا أَقبَلُ

And God has robbed him of appeal,

For God has denied him acceptance

And he knows I will not heed him.

And he knows I do not accept

وَلَو كانَ لي عَزمَةٌ في السُلُوِّ

وَلَو كانَ لي عَزمَةٌ في السُلُوِّ

لَما كُنتُ مِن أَجلِهِ أَفعَلُ

لَما كُنتُ مِن أَجلِهِ أَفعَلُ

And even if I had the resolve to forget love,

If I had a strong resolve in determination

I would not do so for his sake.

I would not act this way because of him

أَجِئتَ عَلى القَلبِ مُستَأذِناً

أَجِئتَ عَلى القَلبِ مُستَأذِناً

فَقَد حَلَفَ القَلبُ لا تَدخُلُ

فَقَد حَلَفَ القَلبُ لا تَدخُلُ

Have you come to the heart, asking leave?

You came to my heart asking permission to enter

For the heart has sworn: you shall not enter.

But my heart has sworn you cannot enter

ثَقيلٌ عَلى القَلبِ مِنكَ السُكوتُ

ثَقيلٌ عَلى القَلبِ مِنكَ السُكوتُ

وَأَنتَ إِذا قُلتَ لي أَثقَلُ

وَأَنتَ إِذا قُلتَ لي أَثقَلُ

Your silence weighs heavily on the heart,

Your silence is a heavy burden on my heart

And when you speak to me, you are heavier still.

And when you speak to me it is even harder to bear

فَقُل لي وَما لَكَ مَعنىً يَصِحُّ

فَقُل لي وَما لَكَ مَعنىً يَصِحُّ

عَلى أَيِّ شَيءٍ تُرى تُحمَلُ

عَلى أَيِّ شَيءٍ تُرى تُحمَلُ

So tell me—though you make no sense—

So tell me, what meaning can be valid

On what, I wonder, can you be borne?

For what reason can you be blamed?

كَفاكَ الهَوى أَجَلي أَن تَراهُ

كَفاكَ الهَوى أَجَلي أَن تَراهُ

فَحَسبُكَ أَنّيَ مُستَعجِلُ

فَحَسبُكَ أَنّيَ مُستَعجِلُ

Love, let it suffice you to behold my death;

Your love for me is enough, do not wish for more

For it suffices you that I am in haste.

It is enough that I am hasty

وَما الحُبُّ إِلّا الحُسامُ الصَديء

وَما الحُبُّ إِلّا الحُسامُ الصَديء

إِذا العَذلُ مَرَّ بِهِ يُصقَلُ

إِذا العَذلُ مَرَّ بِهِ يُصقَلُ

And love is nothing but a rusty sword:

Love is but the polished sword

When reproach passes over it, it is polished.

When blame passes over it, it is polished

مِنَ الحَيِّ أَوجُهُهُم في الدُجى

مِنَ الحَيِّ أَوجُهُهُم في الدُجى

تُنيرُ فَما لَيلُهُم أَليَلُ

تُنيرُ فَما لَيلُهُم أَليَلُ

The tribe's faces, in the darkness,

The fairest of faces in the darkness of night

Shine, so their night is not deeply dark.

Their light dispels the gloom, their night is not dark

تُرى نارُهُم لِحَريقِ القُلوبِ

تُرى نارُهُم لِحَريقِ القُلوبِ

فَقَد أَوقَدوها وَلَم يَصطَلوا

فَقَد أَوقَدوها وَلَم يَصطَلوا

Is their fire, I wonder, meant to burn hearts?

You see their fire set for burning hearts

For they have kindled it, yet have not warmed themselves.

They lit it but did not light their own lamps

وَبَينَ بُيوتِهِمُ أَنصُلٌ

وَبَينَ بُيوتِهِمُ أَنصُلٌ

خِضابُ الظَلامِ بِها يَنصُلُ

خِضابُ الظَلامِ بِها يَنصُلُ

And between their houses are blades,

Between their homes are unsheathed swords

Through which the dye of darkness fades.

The darkness takes its hue from these bared blades

أَتِلكَ الَّتي قَتَلتَ بِالعُيونِ

أَتِلكَ الَّتي قَتَلتَ بِالعُيونِ

هُنالِكَ أُصرَعُ أَو أُقتَلُ

هُنالِكَ أُصرَعُ أَو أُقتَلُ

Are those the ones you slew with your eyes?

Are those the ones your eyes have killed?

There I am felled or killed.

There I shall be slain or be the slayer