أُحَدِّثُهُ إِذا غَفَلَ الرَقيبُ

أُحَدِّثُهُ إِذا غَفَلَ الرَقيبُ

وَأَسأَلُهُ الجَوابَ فَلا يُجيبُ

وَأَسأَلُهُ الجَوابَ فَلا يُجيبُ

I speak to him when the watcher is inattentive.

I speak to him when the watcher is absent,

And I ask him for an answer, but he does not reply.

And ask him for an answer, but he does not respond.

وَأَطمَعُ حينَ أَعطِفُهُ عَساهُ

وَأَطمَعُ حينَ أَعطِفُهُ عَساهُ

يَلينُ لِأَنَّهُ غُصنٌ رَطيبُ

يَلينُ لِأَنَّهُ غُصنٌ رَطيبُ

And when I seek to soften him, I hope he may

And I have hope that when I bend him, he may

Yield, for he is a tender branch.

Soften, for he is a gentle branch.

أَذوبُ إِذا سَمِعتُ لَهُ حَديثاً

أَذوبُ إِذا سَمِعتُ لَهُ حَديثاً

تَكادُ حَلاوَةٌ فيهِ تَذوبُ

تَكادُ حَلاوَةٌ فيهِ تَذوبُ

I melt when I hear him speak;

I melt when I hear him speak,

The sweetness in his speech almost melts.

Sweetness in his words almost melts away.

وَيَخفِقُ حينَ يُبصِرُهُ فُؤادي

وَيَخفِقُ حينَ يُبصِرُهُ فُؤادي

وَلا عَجَبٌ إِذا رَقَصَ الطَروبُ

وَلا عَجَبٌ إِذا رَقَصَ الطَروبُ

And my heart flutters when it beholds him;

And my heart flutters when it sees him,

And no wonder if the enraptured one dances.

No wonder, if the songbird dances.

لَقَد أَضحى مِنَ الدُنيا نَصيبي

لَقَد أَضحى مِنَ الدُنيا نَصيبي

وَما لِيَ مِنهُ في الدُنيا نَصيبُ

وَما لِيَ مِنهُ في الدُنيا نَصيبُ

Indeed, he has become my portion of this world,

He has become my share of this world,

Yet I have no share of him in this world.

And I have no share of him in this world.

فَيا مَولايَ قُل لي أَيُّ ذَنبٍ

فَيا مَولايَ قُل لي أَيُّ ذَنبٍ

جَنَيتُ لَعَلَّني مِنهُ أَتوبُ

جَنَيتُ لَعَلَّني مِنهُ أَتوبُ

So, my lord, tell me what sin

So my Master, tell me what sin

I have committed, that I might repent of it.

I have committed, so that I may repent from it?

أَراكَ عَلَيَّ أَقسى الناسِ قَلباً

أَراكَ عَلَيَّ أَقسى الناسِ قَلباً

وَلي حالٌ تَرِقُّ لَهُ القُلوبُ

وَلي حالٌ تَرِقُّ لَهُ القُلوبُ

I see you as the hardest-hearted of all toward me,

I see you harder of heart towards me than all people

Yet mine is a plight at which hearts grow tender.

While I am in a state that melts hearts.

حَبيبٌ أَنتَ قُل لي أَم عَدُوٌّ

حَبيبٌ أَنتَ قُل لي أَم عَدُوٌّ

فَفِعلُكَ لَيسَ يَفعَلُهُ حَبيبُ

فَفِعلُكَ لَيسَ يَفعَلُهُ حَبيبُ

Tell me, are you a lover or an enemy?

Are you a lover or enemy, tell me?

For no lover does what you do.

For your actions are not those of a lover!

حَبيبي فيكَ أَعدائي ضُروبٌ

حَبيبي فيكَ أَعدائي ضُروبٌ

حَسودٌ عاذِلٌ واشٍ رَقيبُ

حَسودٌ عاذِلٌ واشٍ رَقيبُ

My beloved, my enemies over you are of many kinds:

In you, my lover, are diverse enemies -

An envier, a reproacher, a talebearer, a watcher.

Envier, slanderer and spying watcher.

وَها أَنا ذا وَحَقِّكَ في جِهادٍ

وَها أَنا ذا وَحَقِّكَ في جِهادٍ

عَسى مِن وَصلِكَ الفَتحُ القَريبُ

عَسى مِن وَصلِكَ الفَتحُ القَريبُ

And here I am, by your honor, in a struggle;

Yet here I am, by your right waging jihad,

May the imminent victory come through union with you.

Hoping the near victory will come from your union.

سَأُظهِرُ في هَواكَ إِلَيكَ سِرّي

سَأُظهِرُ في هَواكَ إِلَيكَ سِرّي

وَما أَدري أَأُخطِئُ أَم أُصيبُ

وَما أَدري أَأُخطِئُ أَم أُصيبُ

I shall reveal to you my secret love for you;

I will reveal to you my secret love for you,

And I do not know whether I err or am right.

Not knowing if I will fail or succeed?

أَرى هَذا الجَمالَ دَليلَ خَيرٍ

أَرى هَذا الجَمالَ دَليلَ خَيرٍ

يُبَشِّرُني بِأَنّي لا أَخيبُ

يُبَشِّرُني بِأَنّي لا أَخيبُ

I see this beauty as a sign of good;

I see that this beauty is a sign of goodness,

It gives me glad tidings that I shall not be disappointed.

Giving me glad tidings that I will not fail!