أشاهدُI behold معنَىthe essence of حُسْنكُمْyour beauty فَيَلَذُّso it is sweet ليto me
أشاهدُ معنَى حُسْنكُمْ فَيَلَذُّ لي
خُضُوعيmy submission لَدَيْكُمْbefore you فيin الهوىlove وتَذَلّليand my self-abasement
خُضُوعي لَدَيْكُمْ في الهوى وتَذَلّلي
I behold the essence of your beauty, so I delight in
I see the meaning of your beauty, so my submission to you in love becomes sweet to me,
My submission before you in love, and my self-abasement.
And I long for the melody that you possess,
وأشتاقُand I long للمَغْنَىfor the dwelling الذيwhich أنْتُمُyou بِهِin it
وأشتاقُ للمَغْنَى الذي أنْتُمُ بِهِ
وَلَوْلاَكُمُand were it not for you ماnot شَاقَنِيmade me yearn ذِكْرُmention of منْزلa dwelling
وَلَوْلاَكُمُ ما شَاقَنِي ذِكْرُ منْزل
And I long for the dwelling where you are;
Without you, the thought of an abode would not have tormented me,
And but for you, mention of a dwelling would not make me yearn.
So by Allah, how many nights have I spent
فَلِلَّهِso, by God كمhow many منof ليلةٍa night قدindeed قَطَعْتُهاI spent it
فَلِلَّهِ كم من ليلةٍ قد قَطَعْتُها
بِلَذّةِin the delight of عيشٍliving والرّقِيبand the watcher بمَعزِلat a distance
بِلَذّةِ عيشٍ والرّقِيب بمَعزِل
So, by God, how many a night I have spent
In the pleasure of living, while the watcher was absent,
In the delight of living, with the watcher far away!
Moving my wine cups, while the beloved was my drinking companion,
ونَقْلِيand my relish مُدَاميmy wine والحَبيبُand the beloved مُنادِميmy drinking companion
ونَقْلِي مُدَامي والحَبيبُ مُنادِمي
وأقْداحُand the cups of أفْراحِthe joys of المَحَبَّةِlove تَنْجَليshine forth
وأقْداحُ أفْراحِ المَحَبَّةِ تَنْجَلي
And my relish is my wine, and the beloved my drinking companion;
And the cups of love's joy were passing around,
And the cups of love's joys shine forth.
And I attained my desire, beyond what I had hoped for,
ونِلْتُand I attained مراديmy desire فوقbeyond ماwhat كُنْتُI was راجياًhoping for
ونِلْتُ مرادي فوق ما كُنْتُ راجياً
فواso, oh طَرَباrapture لوif تَمّwere complete هذاthis ودامَand lasted ليfor me
فوا طَرَبا لو تَمّ هذا ودامَ لي
And I attained my desire beyond what I had hoped for.
So oh what rapture, if this would last for me,
So, oh what rapture, if this were complete and lasted for me!
My critic reproached me, he does not know what love is,
لَحانيreproached me عَذُوليmy reproacher ليسdoes not يَعْرِفknow ماwhat الهوَىlove
لَحاني عَذُولي ليس يَعْرِف ما الهوَى
وأينَand where الشجيُّthe sorrowful one المُسْتَهامُcrazed with love مِنَin comparison with الخَليthe carefree one
وأينَ الشجيُّ المُسْتَهامُ مِنَ الخَلي
My reproacher censured me; he does not know what love is.
And where is the ardent lover in isolation from the friend,
And how can one sorrowful and crazed with love compare with the carefree?
So leave me and whoever I love, for my envier has died,
فدَعْنِيso leave me ومَنand the one whom أهوىI love فقدfor indeed ماتhas died حاسديmy envier
فدَعْنِي ومَن أهوى فقد مات حاسدي
وغابَand vanished رقيبيmy watcher عندat قُرْبِthe nearness of مُواصِليthe one who joins me
وغابَ رقيبي عند قُرْبِ مُواصِلي
So leave me with the one I love, for my envier has died;
And my watcher has been absent since I drew near my beloved.
And my watcher vanished as the one who joins me drew near.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.