نسخْتُ بِحَبّي آية العِشْقِ من قبلي

نسخْتُ بِحَبّي آية العِشْقِ من قبلي

فأهْلُ الهوى جُندي وحكمي على الكُلّ

فأهْلُ الهوى جُندي وحكمي على الكُلّ

With my love I have abrogated the verse of passion that came before me.

I copied with my love the verse of passion before me

So lovers are my army, and my rule is over all.

So the people of desire are my soldiers and my rule is over all

وكلُّ فَتىً يهوى فإنّي إمَامُهُ

وكلُّ فَتىً يهوى فإنّي إمَامُهُ

وإني بَريءٌ من فَتىً سامعِ العَذْلِ

وإني بَريءٌ من فَتىً سامعِ العَذْلِ

And every youth who loves—indeed, I am his leader.

And every youth who loves, I am his leader

And I disown any youth who heeds reproach.

And I am innocent of a youth who listens to rebuke

ولي في الهوى عِلْمٌ تَجِلّ صفاتُهُ

ولي في الهوى عِلْمٌ تَجِلّ صفاتُهُ

ومن لم يُفَقّهه الهوى فهْو في جهل

ومن لم يُفَقّهه الهوى فهْو في جهل

And in passion I possess knowledge whose qualities are sublime.

And I have knowledge in love, its attributes are magnificent

And whoever has not been taught by passion is in ignorance.

And whoever love has not made insightful, he is in ignorance

ومن لم يكنْ في عِزّةِ الحبِّ تائهاً

ومن لم يكنْ في عِزّةِ الحبِّ تائهاً

بِحُبّ الذي يَهوى فَبَشّرْهُ بالذّل

بِحُبّ الذي يَهوى فَبَشّرْهُ بالذّل

And whoever does not take pride in love's glory,

And whoever was not lost in the dignity of love

through love for the one he loves—give him glad tidings of abasement.

With the love of whom he loves, give him tidings of humiliation

إذا جادَ أقوامٌ بمالٍ رأيْتَهُمْ

إذا جادَ أقوامٌ بمالٍ رأيْتَهُمْ

يَجودونَ بالأرواحِ مِنْهُمْ بِلا بُخل

يَجودونَ بالأرواحِ مِنْهُمْ بِلا بُخل

When some people give generously of wealth, you see them

When people were generous with money, you saw them

giving their own souls generously, without stint.

Being generous with their souls, without any stinginess

وإن أودِعوا سِراً رأيتَ صُدورهم

وإن أودِعوا سِراً رأيتَ صُدورهم

قُبوراً لأسرارٍ تُنَزّهُ عن نَقلِ

قُبوراً لأسرارٍ تُنَزّهُ عن نَقلِ

And if they are entrusted with a secret, you see their breasts

And if they were entrusted with a secret, you saw their chests

as graves for secrets, kept inviolate from disclosure.

As graves for secrets, protected from transfer

وإن هُدّدوا بالهَجْرِ ماتوا مَخافَةً

وإن هُدّدوا بالهَجْرِ ماتوا مَخافَةً

وإن أوعِدوا بالقَتْلِ حنّوا إلى القتل

وإن أوعِدوا بالقَتْلِ حنّوا إلى القتل

And if threatened with abandonment, they die of fear.

And if they were threatened with separation, they died fearing

And if threatened with being killed, they yearn to be killed.

And if they were promised murder, they leaned towards murder

لَعَمري هُمُ العُشّاقُ عندي حقيقةً

لَعَمري هُمُ العُشّاقُ عندي حقيقةً

على الجِدّ والباقون منهم على الهَزْل

على الجِدّ والباقون منهم على الهَزْل

By my life, they are the true lovers in my eyes,

By my life, they are the true lovers in my view

in earnest, while the rest of them are merely jesting.

Serious in earnest and lasting among them in jest