أَبى القَلبُ إِلّا أن يَكونَ جَميعُهُ

أَبى القَلبُ إِلّا أن يَكونَ جَميعُهُ

لَدَيكَ وَإِن قَسَّمتَهُ قَد تَقَسَّما

لَدَيكَ وَإِن قَسَّمتَهُ قَد تَقَسَّما

The heart insists on being wholly

My heart refused to be divided

With you; though if you divide it, it will indeed divide.

And insisted on belonging to you utterly

فَلا وَطَرٌ غَيرُ الصِبا كَيفَ بِالصِبا

فَلا وَطَرٌ غَيرُ الصِبا كَيفَ بِالصِبا

وَلا وَطَنٌ غَيرُ الحِمى سُقِيَ الحِمى

وَلا وَطَنٌ غَيرُ الحِمى سُقِيَ الحِمى

So no desire but youth—what of youth?

So how could the morning breeze compare to you

And no homeland but the sanctuary—may the sanctuary be watered.

And what homeland but passion could ever quench my thirst

نَسيمٌ مَعَ الآصالِ كَالعَتبِ في الهَوى

نَسيمٌ مَعَ الآصالِ كَالعَتبِ في الهَوى

وَزَهرٌ مَعَ الأَسحارِ كَالثَغرِ في الظَما

وَزَهرٌ مَعَ الأَسحارِ كَالثَغرِ في الظَما

A breeze at eventide, like reproach in love,

The fragrant breeze along with dawn

And blossoms before dawn, like lips in thirst.

Was like a mouth of thirst in the dark of night

لَعَلَّ وَلا مَعنى لِما في لَعَلَّما

لَعَلَّ وَلا مَعنى لِما في لَعَلَّما

نَعَم إِنَّني عَطشانُ مِنكَ لَعَلَّ ما

نَعَم إِنَّني عَطشانُ مِنكَ لَعَلَّ ما

‘Perhaps’—and ‘mā’ has no meaning in ‘laʿallamā’.

Perhaps without meaning is this "perhaps"

Yes, I am thirsty—perhaps some water from you?

Yes, I thirst for you desperately so "perhaps"

عَلَوتَ سَماءً لِلمِلاحِ فَلا تَلُم

عَلَوتَ سَماءً لِلمِلاحِ فَلا تَلُم

إِذا اِستَنزَلَ العَطشانُ ماءً مِنَ السَما

إِذا اِستَنزَلَ العَطشانُ ماءً مِنَ السَما

You have risen as a heaven for the fair—so do not reproach

You are a rain-filled sky to the afflicted

If the thirsty one calls down water from the sky.

So do not blame the thirsty one drinking from the heavens