مَن مُنقِذي مِن مُنقِذِيٍّ عِشقُهُ

مَن مُنقِذي مِن مُنقِذِيٍّ عِشقُهُ

بَحرٌ غَرِقتُ بِهِ وَما لِيَ مُنقِذُ

بَحرٌ غَرِقتُ بِهِ وَما لِيَ مُنقِذُ

Who will rescue me from a Munqidhī, love for whom

Who can save me from my beloved

is a sea I have drowned in, with no rescuer for me?

Whose love is an ocean in which I've drowned, with no savior

مُتَدَلِّلٌ صَلَفاً عَلى مُتَذَلِّلٍ

مُتَدَلِّلٌ صَلَفاً عَلى مُتَذَلِّلٍ

كَلِفاً وَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلَيهِ مَنفَذُ

كَلِفاً وَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلَيهِ مَنفَذُ

He is coy and haughty toward one who humbles himself,

Arrogant yet fawning over the fawning one

consumed with love, yet with no way to reach him.

Burdened, with no escape

ريمٌ مَتى ما يَرنُ تَرمِ بِأَسهُمٍ

ريمٌ مَتى ما يَرنُ تَرمِ بِأَسهُمٍ

لَحَظاتُهُ حبَّ القُلوبِ فَتَنفُذُ

لَحَظاتُهُ حبَّ القُلوبِ فَتَنفُذُ

A gazelle—whenever he gazes, arrows are shot

A spear whose wounds, when it pierces,

by his glances into the cores of hearts, piercing through.

Pierce hearts with moments of love

فَكَأَنَّما أَذكى بِقَلبي هَجرُهُ

فَكَأَنَّما أَذكى بِقَلبي هَجرُهُ

نارَ المَجوسِ إِذا اِصطَلاها المَوبَذُ

نارَ المَجوسِ إِذا اِصطَلاها المَوبَذُ

It is as though his abandonment had kindled in my heart

So that his estrangement has kindled my heart

the Magians' fire, when the high priest warms himself at it.

Like a Magian fire, when the abandoned fuel is added

بَهَرَت عُقولَ العالَمينَ صِفاتُهُ

بَهَرَت عُقولَ العالَمينَ صِفاتُهُ

فَمُبَسمِلٌ مِن حَولِهِ وَمُعَوِّذُ

فَمُبَسمِلٌ مِن حَولِهِ وَمُعَوِّذُ

His qualities have dazzled the minds of all mankind;

His attributes have dazzled the minds of all creation

so around him, one invokes God's name, another His protection.

So those around him smile, protected

إِن تَستَلِذَّ عَذابَنا فَقُلوبُنا

إِن تَستَلِذَّ عَذابَنا فَقُلوبُنا

في جَنَّةٍ بِعَذابِها تَتَلَذَّذُ

في جَنَّةٍ بِعَذابِها تَتَلَذَّذُ

If you delight in our torment, then our hearts

If you enjoy our torment, our hearts are in a paradise

are in paradise, delighting in their torment.

Delighting in their torment

مُتَصَرِّفٌ في سَلبِ أَلبابِ الوَرى

مُتَصَرِّفٌ في سَلبِ أَلبابِ الوَرى

فَكَأَنَّما هُوَ في التَصَرُّفِ جهبذُ

فَكَأَنَّما هُوَ في التَصَرُّفِ جهبذُ

He works his will in stealing the wits of mankind,

Disposing freely of the minds of all mankind

as though he were a master of such dealings.

As if he were a supreme master in his actions

كَبِدي بِعَقرَبِ صُدغِهِ مَسلوبَةٌ

كَبِدي بِعَقرَبِ صُدغِهِ مَسلوبَةٌ

وَبِلَحظِهِ إِذ كانَ سَيفاً تَفلَذُ

وَبِلَحظِهِ إِذ كانَ سَيفاً تَفلَذُ

My liver is stolen by the scorpion-curl at his temple,

My liver is plundered by the scorpion sting of his cheek

and cut to pieces by his glance, since it is a sword.

And by his glance, which is like an unsheathed sword

اُنبُذ مَلامي يا عَذولُ فَإِنَّني

اُنبُذ مَلامي يا عَذولُ فَإِنَّني

لِلعَذلِ فيهِ وَراءَ ظَهري أَنبُذُ

لِلعَذلِ فيهِ وَراءَ ظَهري أَنبُذُ

Cease reproaching me, O reproacher, for I

Stop blaming me, O critic, for I

cast reproach concerning him behind my back.

Have discarded blame behind my back

فَجَمالُ يوسُفَ لَو رَأَى حُسنَ الَّذي

فَجَمالُ يوسُفَ لَو رَأَى حُسنَ الَّذي

أَهوى لَكانَ لِحُسنِهِ يَتَتَلمَذُ

أَهوى لَكانَ لِحُسنِهِ يَتَتَلمَذُ

For Yusuf's beauty, if it saw the beauty of the one

If Joseph’s beauty saw the loveliness I love

I love, would become a pupil of his beauty.

It would become his student in beauty

ظَبيٌ يَسُلُّ مِنَ الجُفونِ السودِ بي

ظَبيٌ يَسُلُّ مِنَ الجُفونِ السودِ بي

ضَ الهِندِ تُصقَلُ لِلجِلادِ وَتُشحَذُ

ضَ الهِندِ تُصقَلُ لِلجِلادِ وَتُشحَذُ

A gazelle who draws from his black eyelids the white

A gazelle drawing pure white swords from its eyelids

swords of India, polished and sharpened for combat.

To be burnished and sharpened for slaughter