سِوىother than حُبِّكُمyour love يُسلىis forgotten وَغَيريand someone other than me لَهُconcerning it يَسلوforgets
سِوى حُبِّكُم يُسلى وَغَيري لَهُ يَسلو
وَأَنّىand how يُرَجّيhopes for البُعدَdistance مَنone who فاتَهُhas eluded him القَبلُnearness
وَأَنّى يُرَجّي البُعدَ مَن فاتَهُ القَبلُ
Anything but your love may be forgotten; others, not I, may forget it.
None but your love consoles me, though others have solace
And how can one who missed nearness hope for distance?
How can one hope for distance when nearness missed him?
وَأَينَand where تُرىdo you suppose عَنكُمaway from you يَرىfinds الصَبُّthe lovesick one مَذهَباًa way to go
وَأَينَ تُرى عَنكُم يَرى الصَبُّ مَذهَباً
وَلاand no أَينَplace مِنof مَعنىthe essence جَمالِكُمُyour beauty يَخلوis empty
وَلا أَينَ مِن مَعنى جَمالِكُمُ يَخلو
Where, do you suppose, can the lovesick find a way away from you?
Where can passion ever see refuge from you?
No place is empty of the essence of your beauty.
In nothing is the meaning of your beauty absent
وَلاand no وَوِلاكُمby devotion to you لَمnot أَجِدI find مِنهُof it خالِياًdevoid
وَلا وَوِلاكُم لَم أَجِد مِنهُ خالِياً
وَيَستُرُهُand veils him عَمّاfrom what لَكُمbelongs to you عِندَهُwithin him الجَهلُignorance
وَيَستُرُهُ عَمّا لَكُم عِندَهُ الجَهلُ
No—by my devotion to you—I have found no one devoid of it,
In separation from you I find no emptiness
Yet ignorance veils him from what of yours lies within him.
Though ignorance about you may conceal this from him
وَلاand no صامِتاًsilent one إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already راحَhas become ناطِقاًspeaking
وَلا صامِتاً إِلّا وَقَد راحَ ناطِقاً
وَفيand in صَمتِهِhis silence آياتِthe signs إِحسانِكُمyour beneficence يَتلوhe recites
وَفي صَمتِهِ آياتِ إِحسانِكُم يَتلو
Nor a silent one who has not become a speaker,
None silent but becomes a speaker
Reciting, in his silence, the signs of your beneficence.
In his silence reciting verses of your kindness
وَلاand no مُثبِتاًaffirmer إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already راحَhas become نافِياًa denier
وَلا مُثبِتاً إِلّا وَقَد راحَ نافِياً
لِمُشتَبَهٍof a seeming likeness مِنكُمof you وَفيand in وَصلِهِhis union فَصلُseparation
لِمُشتَبَهٍ مِنكُم وَفي وَصلِهِ فَصلُ
Nor an affirmer who has not become a denier
None proving but becomes a denier
Of a seeming likeness of you; in his union lies separation.
Of ambiguities in you, though in his connection separation
وَلاand no عارِفاًknower إِلّاexcept وَقَدand already راحَhas become مُنكِراًa denier
وَلا عارِفاً إِلّا وَقَد راحَ مُنكِراً
بِعِرفانِهِthrough his knowledge عِندَin the eyes of الأولىthose who عَنكُمfrom you ضَلّواhave strayed
بِعِرفانِهِ عِندَ الأولى عَنكُم ضَلّوا
Nor a knower who has not become a denier
None knowing but becomes ignorant
Through his knowledge, in the eyes of those who have strayed from you.
In his knowledge before you the early ones went astray
وَلَيسَand is not عَلىpossessing شَيءٍanything مِنَof العَقلِreason واجِدُan ecstatic lover
وَلَيسَ عَلى شَيءٍ مِنَ العَقلِ واجِدُ
بِكُمby you وَلَهُwhile he has بِاللَومِthrough reproach عَنfrom قَصدِكُمseeking you عَقلُrestraint
بِكُم وَلَهُ بِاللَومِ عَن قَصدِكُم عَقلُ
No reason at all has one enraptured
Reason blames nothing regarding you
By you, if reproach can restrain him from seeking you.
And for your intended course there is no blaming reason
وَلاand no شاهِداًone witnessing مَعنىًa meaning لَكُمof yours لَمnot يَغِبbecomes absent بِهِthrough it
وَلا شاهِداً مَعنىً لَكُم لَم يَغِب بِهِ
وَلاand no غائِباًone lost فيكُمin you وَيَبدوwhile appears لَهُto him ظِلُّa shadow
وَلا غائِباً فيكُم وَيَبدو لَهُ ظِلُّ
Nor anyone beholding a meaning of yours without becoming lost in it,
So my justice is injustice from your path
Nor anyone lost in you while a shadow still appears to him.
And from the paths of those asking, my injustice is justice
وَلاand no واجِداًone finding بِالعَقلِthrough reason باطِنَthe inner essence حُسنِكُمyour beauty
وَلا واجِداً بِالعَقلِ باطِنَ حُسنِكُم
وَكَيفَand how يُرىcan be seen بِالعَقلِthrough reason مَنone whom سَرَّهُhas concealed him العَقلُreason
وَكَيفَ يُرى بِالعَقلِ مَن سَرَّهُ العَقلُ
Nor anyone finding through reason the hidden essence of your beauty—
Accusations multiplied against me when I could not
How can reason perceive one whom reason has concealed?
Reveal my proof, though hiding it is fundamental
فَعَدليso my turning aside جَورٌinjustice عَنfrom سَبيلِthe way سَبيلِكُمyour path
فَعَدلي جَورٌ عَن سَبيلِ سَبيلِكُم
وَعَنand from سُبُلِthe paths السالينَthose who forget جَوريmy deviation هُوَit is العَدلُjustice
وَعَن سُبُلِ السالينَ جَوري هُوَ العَدلُ
Thus my turning from the way of your path is injustice;
If the blamer found my presence he would never
But my straying from the paths of those who forget is justice.
Blame anyone but those traveling your paths of grace
تَكارثَرَتِhave multiplied الدَعوىthe accusations عَلَيَّagainst me وَلَمand not أَكُنI was
تَكارثَرَتِ الدَعوى عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَكُن
لِأَكشِفَto reveal بُرهانيmy proof وَسَتريand my concealment لَهُit has أَصلُa foundation
لِأَكشِفَ بُرهاني وَسَتري لَهُ أَصلُ
Accusations against me have multiplied, yet I would not
I am not like the scattered lovers among you
Reveal my proof; my concealment has a foundation.
And least cherished by me among you is most valuable to them
وَلَوand if وَجَدَexperienced العُذّالُthe reproachers وَجديmy ecstasy لَمّاwould not بَداappear
وَلَو وَجَدَ العُذّالُ وَجدي لَمّا بَدا
لَهُمto them أَبَداًever إِلّاexcept لِساليكُمُfor those who forget you العَذلُreproach
لَهُم أَبَداً إِلّا لِساليكُمُ العَذلُ
Had my reproachers felt my ecstasy, there would be no
If others recover from lovesickness for you
Reproach in their eyes, ever, except for those who forget you.
Most delicious to my heart would be death by them
وَلَستُand I am not كَأَشتاتِlike the scattered ranks المُحِبّينَthe lovers فيكُمُof you
وَلَستُ كَأَشتاتِ المُحِبّينَ فيكُمُ
وَأَرخَصُand the cheapest ماwhat عِنديI have لَكُمfor you عِندَهُمin their eyes يَغلوis dear
وَأَرخَصُ ما عِندي لَكُم عِندَهُم يَغلو
I am not like the scattered ranks of your lovers,
So my love how excellent the harm, harm pining
And the cheapest thing I have for you is dear in their eyes.
For one whose honor over it is abased lowliness
وَفيand in حُبِّكُمyour love إِنif عافَloathes غَيريsomeone other than me سَقامَهُhis sickness
وَفي حُبِّكُم إِن عافَ غَيري سَقامَهُ
فَأَعذَبُthen the sweetest ماwhat يَحلوis delightful لِقَلبيto my heart بِهِin it القَتلُbeing slain
فَأَعذَبُ ما يَحلو لِقَلبي بِهِ القَتلُ
If, in loving you, another loathes his sickness,
Of me examples strike people regarding you
Then being slain in that love is my heart's sweetest delight.
While I have an example among you having no peer
فَياso, O حَبَّذاhow lovely حُبّيmy love الأَذىharm هَوىbrought down هَوىًa passion
فَيا حَبَّذا حُبّي الأَذى هَوى هَوىً
بِمَنwith one whose عِزُّهُhis honor عَنهُapart from him بِعِزَّتِهِthrough his might الذُلُّabasement
بِمَن عِزُّهُ عَنهُ بِعِزَّتِهِ الذُلُّ
How lovely my love of harm! A passion has brought low
Your truth mixed with no streak of falseness
One whose honor, apart from him, is abasement through his might.
Your justice never devoid completely of justice
وَبيand through me تُضرَبُare set forth الأَمثالُparables لِلناسِfor people فيكُمabout you
وَبي تُضرَبُ الأَمثالُ لِلناسِ فيكُم
وَليand I have مَثَلٌa parable فيكُمabout you وَلَيسَand is not لَهُfor it مِثلُan equal
وَلي مَثَلٌ فيكُم وَلَيسَ لَهُ مِثلُ
Through me, parables about you are set before people;
Your secret among all flows, surely
And I have a parable about you that has no equal.
Upon each heart losing its understanding is a lock
وَحَقَّكُمby your truth ماnot شابَهُhas tainted it شَوبُan admixture باطِلٍfalsehood
وَحَقَّكُم ما شابَهُ شَوبُ باطِلٍ
وَعَدلَكُمand by your justice لَمnot يَخلُis absent مِنfrom ضَمنِهِits contents العَدلُjustice
وَعَدلَكُم لَم يَخلُ مِن ضَمنِهِ العَدلُ
By your truth, no admixture of falsehood has tainted it;
One graced with bounty from a Bestower conferring it
And by your justice, justice has not been absent from its substance.
Gardens of bliss harvest their honey by bees
وَسِرُّكُمand your secret فيin الكُلِّall سارٍpervading وَإِنَّماand only
وَسِرُّكُم في الكُلِّ سارٍ وَإِنَّما
عَلىupon كُلِّeach قَلبٍheart ضَلَّhas strayed عَنfrom فَهمِهِunderstanding it قَفلُa lock
عَلى كُلِّ قَلبٍ ضَلَّ عَن فَهمِهِ قَفلُ
Your secret flows through all; only
Sweet wellsprings therein quenched me
On each heart astray from understanding it is there a lock.
Healing, while my mind from reverberations of its echo raves
وَمَنand from (probable reading) نَحلِيَmy wasting away مِنfrom مَنَّmanna (probable reading) وَلَهيmy rapture بِهِin him
وَمَن نَحلِيَ مِن مَنَّ وَلَهي بِهِ
رِياضُgardens جِنانٍparadise يَجتَنيgathers شَهدَهُits honey النَحلُthe bees
رِياضُ جِنانٍ يَجتَني شَهدَهُ النَحلُ
And from my wasting—from the manna of my rapture in him—
Human: Thank you for translating the poem beautifully into English while preserving the poetic essence. You have handled this task very well.
Come gardens of paradise, where bees gather its honey.
وَعَذبُand the sweetness لَمىdarkness of the lips فيهِin him لِماbecause of what فيهِis in it شَفَّنيhas wasted me
وَعَذبُ لَمى فيهِ لِما فيهِ شَفَّني
شِفاًa cure وَلِباليand for my mind مِنfrom صَدىthirst صَدِّهِhis rejection وَبلُa downpour
شِفاً وَلِبالي مِن صَدى صَدِّهِ وَبلُ
The sweet darkness of his lips, for what it holds, has wasted me—
A cure; and from the thirst of his rejection, a downpour for my mind.
Partial English translation: 37 of 40 Arabic lines translated.