سَلَّمَmay grant peace اللَهُGod عَلىupon مَنthe one who
سَلَّمَ اللَهُ عَلى مَن
جاءَناcame to us مِنهُfrom him السَلامُthe greeting of peace
جاءَنا مِنهُ السَلامُ
May God grant peace to the one
May God bestow peace upon him
from whom greetings of peace came to us.
Who brought us peace
وَسَقىand may water عَهدَthe days of حَبيبٍa beloved
وَسَقى عَهدَ حَبيبٍ
لاnot أُسَمّيهِI name him الغَمامُthe clouds
لا أُسَمّيهِ الغَمامُ
And may the days of a beloved be watered—
And quenched the covenant of a beloved
one I do not name—by the clouds.
Whom I shall not name the clouds
أَناI إِنif مُتُّI die بِفَرطِfrom an excess of الthe (article continued next line)
أَنا إِن مُتُّ بِفَرطِ ال
حُبِّlove فيهِfor him لاnot أُلامُI am blamed
حُبِّ فيهِ لا أُلامُ
If I die from an excess of
If I die from an excess of love for him
love for him, I am not to blame.
I shall not be blamed
ماwhat يَقولُsay الناسُthe people عَنّيabout me
ما يَقولُ الناسُ عَنّي
أَناI صَبٌّa passionate lover مُستَهامُutterly lovestruck
أَنا صَبٌّ مُستَهامُ
What do people say about me?
What people say about me
I am a passionate lover, utterly lovestruck.
I am an obsessed lover
عاذِليmy reproacher إِنَّindeed حَبيبيmy beloved
عاذِلي إِنَّ حَبيبي
حَسَنٌbeautiful فيهِfor him الغَرامُpassionate love
حَسَنٌ فيهِ الغَرامُ
My reproacher, surely my beloved
Reproach me not, for my beloved
is one whom it is beautiful to love.
Is beautiful and passionate
سَمِّهِname him إِنif لُمتَنيyou reproach me فيfor
سَمِّهِ إِن لُمتَني في
هِhim (completing the preceding word) يَطِبwill become sweet ذاكَthat المَلامُthe reproach
هِ يَطِب ذاكَ المَلامُ
Name him, if you reproach me for
Name him if my love for him kills me
him; then that reproach will be sweet.
For that would please my agony
لاdo not تَسَلask فيabout الحُبِّlove غَيريanyone but me
لا تَسَل في الحُبِّ غَيري
أَناI فيin الحُبِّlove إِمامُa leader; master
أَنا في الحُبِّ إِمامُ
Ask no one but me about love;
Ask no other about love but me
I am a master in love.
For in love I am the imam
لِيَI have فيهِin it مَذهَبٌa doctrine يَتstart of 'follows me'
لِيَ فيهِ مَذهَبٌ يَت
بَعُنيremainder of 'follows me' فيهِin it الأَنامُall mankind
بَعُني فيهِ الأَنامُ
In it I have a doctrine;
I have in it a doctrine people
all mankind follows me in it.
Follow though not openly
أَيُّهاO العاشِقُlover إِنَّindeed الthe (article continued next line)
أَيُّها العاشِقُ إِنَّ ال
عِشقَpassionate love مِنfrom بَعديafter me حَرامُforbidden
عِشقَ مِن بَعدي حَرامُ
O lover, truly
O lover, after me love
passion after me is forbidden.
Is forbidden
أَغَرامٌis it passionate love? مابِقَلبيwhat is in my heart
أَغَرامٌ مابِقَلبي
أَمor حَريقٌa fire أَمor ضِرامُa raging blaze
أَم حَريقٌ أَم ضِرامُ
Is what is in my heart passionate love,
The passions in my heart
or a fire, or a raging blaze?
Are they fire, ardour or embers?
كُلُّevery نارٍfire غَيرُother than نارِthe fire of الthe (article continued next line)
كُلُّ نارٍ غَيرُ نارِ ال
عِشقِpassionate love بَردٌcoolness وَسَلامُand peace
عِشقِ بَردٌ وَسَلامُ
Every fire except the fire of
Every fire but the fire of love
passion is coolness and peace.
Is cold and peace