وَمُهَفهَفٍ كَالغُصنِ في حَرَكاتِهِ

وَمُهَفهَفٍ كَالغُصنِ في حَرَكاتِهِ

حُلوِ القَوامِ رَشيقِهِ مَيّادِهِ

حُلوِ القَوامِ رَشيقِهِ مَيّادِهِ

And a slender beauty, like a branch in his movements,

Swaying like a branch in his movements

Lovely of figure, graceful and swaying;

Sweet of figure, graceful and slender

صَنَمٍ لَعَمرُكَ ما بَراهُ اللَهُ في

صَنَمٍ لَعَمرُكَ ما بَراهُ اللَهُ في

ذا الحُسنِ إِلاّ فِتنَةً لِعِبادِهِ

ذا الحُسنِ إِلاّ فِتنَةً لِعِبادِهِ

An idol—by your life!—God fashioned him with

An idol, by God, whom Allah did not create

Such beauty only as a trial for His servants.

With such beauty, except as a test for His servants

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ فِعلُهُ بِمُحِبِّهِ

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ فِعلُهُ بِمُحِبِّهِ

يَصليهِ ناراً وَهُوَ مِن عُبّادِهِ

يَصليهِ ناراً وَهُوَ مِن عُبّادِهِ

And among the marvels is his treatment of his lover:

And among the wonders is His act with the lover

He burns him with fire, though he is one of his worshippers.

Making him suffer fire though he is of His servants

وَيُبيحُ للتَعذيبِ في سَهَرِ الدُجى

وَيُبيحُ للتَعذيبِ في سَهَرِ الدُجى

طَرفَ المُحبِّ وَذاكَ مِن أَجنادِهِ

طَرفَ المُحبِّ وَذاكَ مِن أَجنادِهِ

And gives over to torment, in the dark night's vigil,

And allowing torment in the night's vigil

The lover's eye, though it is one of his soldiers.

For the eye of the lover, and that one is of His troops

يا عاذِلي ما كُنتُ أَوّلَ عاشِقٍ

يا عاذِلي ما كُنتُ أَوّلَ عاشِقٍ

فَتَكَ الغَرامُ بِلُبِّهِ وَفُؤادِهِ

فَتَكَ الغَرامُ بِلُبِّهِ وَفُؤادِهِ

O you who reproach me, I was not the first lover

Oh you who blame me! I was not the first lover

Whose mind and heart were ravaged by passion.

That passion took hold of his heart and soul

فَالقَلبُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ في غَيِّهِ

فَالقَلبُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ في غَيِّهِ

لَكِن تَغَطَّت عَنهُ سُبلُ رَشادِهِ

لَكِن تَغَطَّت عَنهُ سُبلُ رَشادِهِ

For the heart knows it is astray,

The heart knows it is lost in love

But the paths to its right guidance are hidden from it.

But the ways to guidance are covered from it

لا تَطلُبَن هَيهاتِ مِنهُ صَلاحَهُ

لا تَطلُبَن هَيهاتِ مِنهُ صَلاحَهُ

إِن كانَ رَبُّكَ قَد قَضى بِفسادِهِ

إِن كانَ رَبُّكَ قَد قَضى بِفسادِهِ

Do not seek its reform from it—how hopeless!—

Do not seek, alas, his rectitude

If your Lord has already decreed its corruption.

If your Lord has decreed his corruption