أوُلوعٌ وغُربَةٌ وَسقَامٌ

أوُلوعٌ وغُربَةٌ وَسقَامٌ

إِنَّ مِثلِي لَفِي عَذابٍ شَدِيدِ

إِنَّ مِثلِي لَفِي عَذابٍ شَدِيدِ

Passion, exile, and sickness?

Yearning, exile, and sickness -

Indeed, one like me is in grievous torment.

Indeed, the likes of me are in great torment.

هَكَذَا الحُبُّ لا كَدَعوَى أُنَاسٍ

هَكَذَا الحُبُّ لا كَدَعوَى أُنَاسٍ

حَدَّثوا بِالهَوَى عَلَى التَّقلِيدِ

حَدَّثوا بِالهَوَى عَلَى التَّقلِيدِ

Such is love—not as claimed by people

Such is love, not the pretense of people

who spoke of passion merely by imitation.

Who spoke of passion as a tradition.

يَا قَرِيبَ النِّفارِ غَيرَ قَرِيبٍ

يَا قَرِيبَ النِّفارِ غَيرَ قَرِيبٍ

وَبَعِيدَ الوِصَالِ غَيرَ بَعِيدِ

وَبَعِيدَ الوِصَالِ غَيرَ بَعِيدِ

O you, quick to turn away, yet not near,

O stranger to intimacy, not a stranger,

and far from union, yet not far.

And far from union, not far.

مَا رَأينَا مِن قَبلِ جِسمِكَ جِسماً

مَا رَأينَا مِن قَبلِ جِسمِكَ جِسماً

مِن لُجَينٍ وَقَلبُهُ مِن حَدِيدِ

مِن لُجَينٍ وَقَلبُهُ مِن حَدِيدِ

Before your body, we had never seen a body

Never before your body did we see a body

of silver, with a heart of iron.

Made of tenderness, with a heart of iron.

أتَّقِي أَن يَذُوبَ من جَانِبَيهِ

أتَّقِي أَن يَذُوبَ من جَانِبَيهِ

حِينَ يَمشي تَثَاقُلاً بِالبُرُودِ

حِينَ يَمشي تَثَاقُلاً بِالبُرُودِ

I fear it may melt along both its sides

I fear it would melt on both sides

when he walks languidly in his striped robes.

When he walks heavily in the cold.

أتُرَى إِن قَضَيتُ فِيكَ اشتِياقاً

أتُرَى إِن قَضَيتُ فِيكَ اشتِياقاً

أتُصَلِّي عَلَى غَرِيبٍ شَهِيدِ

أتُصَلِّي عَلَى غَرِيبٍ شَهِيدِ

I wonder, if I die of longing for you,

If I die longing for you,

will you pray over a stranger, a martyr?

Would I pray for a stranger martyred?