عَلَيكِ سَلامُ الله أفْرَطْتِ يا مَيُّ

عَلَيكِ سَلامُ الله أفْرَطْتِ يا مَيُّ

فقَدْ طَعَنَ العُشَّاقَ منكِ الرُّدَيْنِيُّ

فقَدْ طَعَنَ العُشَّاقَ منكِ الرُّدَيْنِيُّ

God's peace be upon you—you have gone too far, O Mayy.

God's peace upon you, O Mayya, you have gone too far

For the Rudayni spear from you has pierced the lovers.

For the passionate have been stabbed by your refusal

تَمايَلَ منهمْ واجِفاً كُلُّ فارسٍ

تَمايَلَ منهمْ واجِفاً كُلُّ فارسٍ

ولَذَّ لهمْ في حُبِّكَ النَّشْرُ والطَّيُّ

ولَذَّ لهمْ في حُبِّكَ النَّشْرُ والطَّيُّ

Every horseman among them swayed, trembling.

Each knight sways unsteadily from it

And in loving you, unfolding and folding became sweet to them.

And your love brings them delight and misery

بِحَقِّ الهَوى عَطفاً عَليهِمْ فَكُلُّهُمْ

بِحَقِّ الهَوى عَطفاً عَليهِمْ فَكُلُّهُمْ

لأجلكِ من حُكْمِ النَّوى مَيِّتٌ حَيُّ

لأجلكِ من حُكْمِ النَّوى مَيِّتٌ حَيُّ

By the right of love, have pity on them, for each of them

Have mercy on them, in love's name, they are all

Is dead yet alive for your sake, by separation's decree.

For your sake, alive yet dead by fate's decree

لهُمْ كُلُّ قلبٍ قد تَقَلَّب َبالغَضا

لهُمْ كُلُّ قلبٍ قد تَقَلَّب َبالغَضا

فَها هو بالجَمرِ المُؤَجَّجِ مَشْوِيُّ

فَها هو بالجَمرِ المُؤَجَّجِ مَشْوِيُّ

Every heart of theirs has writhed amid ghada embers;

Their hearts tossed and turned in sadness

So here it is, roasted on blazing embers.

Now roasted by fiery coals, burnt through

يَرومُ وِصالاً منكِ يا ريمَةَ اللِّوى

يَرومُ وِصالاً منكِ يا ريمَةَ اللِّوى

فَيَغْدو ومنهُ اللُّبُّ بالنَّبْلِ مَرْمِيُّ

فَيَغْدو ومنهُ اللُّبُّ بالنَّبْلِ مَرْمِيُّ

It seeks union with you, O gazelle of al-Liwa.

They long for union with you, O swaying branch

So it goes forth, its core struck by arrows.

Awakening miserable, their hearts pierced by arrows

لقد ذابَ فيكِ العاشِقونَ تَوَلُّهاً

لقد ذابَ فيكِ العاشِقونَ تَوَلُّهاً

فما لهُمُ يا مَيُّ إن وَقَفوا فَيُّ

فما لهُمُ يا مَيُّ إن وَقَفوا فَيُّ

Indeed, the lovers have melted away in lovesick yearning for you.

For you the lovers melted away in crazed desire

So they have no shadow, O Mayy, if they stand.

What hope have they, O Mayya, if they stand still?

تَحَجَّبْتِ عنهمْ بالذَّوائِبِ فانْبَروا

تَحَجَّبْتِ عنهمْ بالذَّوائِبِ فانْبَروا

وقد عَمَّهُمْ من لَيلِ سابِحِها غَيُّ

وقد عَمَّهُمْ من لَيلِ سابِحِها غَيُّ

You veiled yourself from them with your tresses, so they came forward,

You veiled yourself from them with waving tresses

And bewilderment from the night of those flowing tresses had engulfed them all.

As the night's swimmer surrounds them with darkness

لِوَجدِكِ جِزءٌ في زَوايا قُلوبِهِمْ

لِوَجدِكِ جِزءٌ في زَوايا قُلوبِهِمْ

لهُ مَوْكبٌ من عَسكَرِ العِشْقِ كُلِّيُّ

لهُ مَوْكبٌ من عَسكَرِ العِشْقِ كُلِّيُّ

Longing for you has a share in the recesses of their hearts;

A part of you resides in the corners of their hearts

It has an entire retinue from the army of love.

Guarded by an army of total, maddening love

قدِ اجْتَمَعَ الضِدَّانِ منكِ بِسِرِّهمْ

قدِ اجْتَمَعَ الضِدَّانِ منكِ بِسِرِّهمْ

فَذا الوقْتُ مَرْئِيٌّ وذا القَصْدُ مَخْفِيُّ

فَذا الوقْتُ مَرْئِيٌّ وذا القَصْدُ مَخْفِيُّ

The two opposites from you have indeed met in their secret depths.

The opposites united in you with their secret ways

Thus this moment is visible, and this intent is hidden.

One aim visible, the other hidden from sight

ومن عَجَبٍ والعِشْقُ فيهِ عَجائِبٌ

ومن عَجَبٍ والعِشْقُ فيهِ عَجائِبٌ

غَرامُكَ شَرْقِيُّ الوُلوعِ وغَرْبِيُّ

غَرامُكَ شَرْقِيُّ الوُلوعِ وغَرْبِيُّ

And a wonder it is—and love contains wonders—

And how wondrous, love has its wonders

Passion for you is eastern and western in its ardor.

Your passion Eastern in its fervor, yet Western

هو الحُبُّ مَوتٌ ظاهرٌ فيه باطنٌ

هو الحُبُّ مَوتٌ ظاهرٌ فيه باطنٌ

من الشَّوقِ حَتْمٌ في التَّوَلُّهِ مَقْضِيُّ

من الشَّوقِ حَتْمٌ في التَّوَلُّهِ مَقْضِيُّ

It is love: an outward death with an inward one,

Love is evident death, with hidden depths

From longing—an inevitable fate decreed in lovesick rapture.

Fated misery in crazed desire is sealed

تَظاهَرَ فَرْعِيًّا بِحامِلِ نارهِ

تَظاهَرَ فَرْعِيًّا بِحامِلِ نارهِ

ولَكنَّهُ في طينَةِ القَلبِ أصْلِيُّ

ولَكنَّهُ في طينَةِ القَلبِ أصْلِيُّ

It showed itself as secondary in the bearer of its fire,

He pretends to be reasonable, though fire burns inside

Yet in the clay of the heart it is innate.

But in his heart of hearts, desire rules supreme

ألا فارْحَمي العُشَّاقَ ذابوا وأُحْرِقوا

ألا فارْحَمي العُشَّاقَ ذابوا وأُحْرِقوا

عَليكِ سَلامُ اللهِ أفْرَطْتِ يا مَيُّ

عَليكِ سَلامُ اللهِ أفْرَطْتِ يا مَيُّ

Ah, have mercy on the lovers: they have melted and been burned.

Have mercy, for the lovers melt and burn

God's peace be upon you—you have gone too far, O Mayy.

God's peace upon you, O Mayya, you have gone too far