ما كُنتُ في عِشقي لِذاك القَوام

ما كُنتُ في عِشقي لِذاك القَوام

أَوَّل مَن حَبَّ مَليحاً فَهام

أَوَّل مَن حَبَّ مَليحاً فَهام

I was not, in my love for that figure,

I was not the first in my love for that slender figure

the first to love a handsome one and become love-struck.

To become enamored with a beauty and pine

يا صاحِبَ المُقلَةِ يَسطو بِها

يا صاحِبَ المُقلَةِ يَسطو بِها

اللَه في سَفكِ دَمِ المُستَهام

اللَه في سَفكِ دَمِ المُستَهام

O master of the eye, who strikes with it,

O eyelashes that shoot with them

fear God when shedding the blood of the love-stricken.

God sheds the blood of the impassioned

مَن دَلَّ ذاكَ الطَرفَ لَمّا رَنا

مَن دَلَّ ذاكَ الطَرفَ لَمّا رَنا

أَنَّ فُؤادي عَرضٌ لِلسِهام

أَنَّ فُؤادي عَرضٌ لِلسِهام

Who told that eye, when it gazed,

Who showed that glance when it glanced

that my heart was a target for arrows?

That my heart is a target for arrows

في غَنجِ عَينَيهِ وَفي ناظِري

في غَنجِ عَينَيهِ وَفي ناظِري

سِحرٌ حَلالٌ وَرُقادٌ حَرام

سِحرٌ حَلالٌ وَرُقادٌ حَرام

In the coquetry of his eyes, and in my eye,

In the languor of his eyes and in my gaze

lie lawful magic and forbidden sleep.

Magic, permitted and forbidden, sleeps

آهاً مِنَ المُعرِضِ لا قَسوَة

آهاً مِنَ المُعرِضِ لا قَسوَة

لَكِن دَلالاً في الهَوى وَاِحتِشام

لَكِن دَلالاً في الهَوى وَاِحتِشام

Ah, for him who turns away—not from cruelty,

Alas, he who turns away is not harsh

but from coquetry in love and modest reserve.

But gentle in love and modesty

مُبتَسِمٌ أَبكي جُفوني دماً

مُبتَسِمٌ أَبكي جُفوني دماً

مُرُّ الجَفا وَالهَجر حُلوُ الكَلام

مُرُّ الجَفا وَالهَجر حُلوُ الكَلام

He smiles; I weep blood from my eyelids.

I smile as I weep tears of blood

Bitter in coldness and desertion, sweet in speech.

Bitter estrangement, sweet is his talk

واسَقَمي وَالبُرءُ في ريقِهِ

واسَقَمي وَالبُرءُ في ريقِهِ

وَيا ضَلالي وَهوَ بَدرُ التَمام

وَيا ضَلالي وَهوَ بَدرُ التَمام

Alas for my sickness, though healing lies in his saliva!

And my health wastes away while the cure is on his chin

And alas for my straying, though he is the full moon!

And my ruin while he is the full moon

أُفدي الَّذي عَلَّمَني حُبُّهُ

أُفدي الَّذي عَلَّمَني حُبُّهُ

أَعصي المواحي وَأُطيعُ الغَرام

أَعصي المواحي وَأُطيعُ الغَرام

I would give my life for him whose love taught me

I ransom the one who taught me his love

to disobey the reproachers and obey passion.

I disobey wise counsel and obey passion

ما كَحَّلَت بِالسِحرِ أَجفانُهُ

ما كَحَّلَت بِالسِحرِ أَجفانُهُ

إِلّا الحِتفى في الهَوى وَالسَلام

إِلّا الحِتفى في الهَوى وَالسَلام

His eyelids were not lined with magic as kohl

Only linings with magic his eyelids

except to bring death in love—and farewell.

In order to be chaste in love and peace

لِلَهِ كَم حُسنٍ وَكَم بَهجَةٍ

لِلَهِ كَم حُسنٍ وَكَم بَهجَةٍ

تَسبي البَرايا تَحتَ ذاكَ اللِثام

تَسبي البَرايا تَحتَ ذاكَ اللِثام

God! What beauty, what radiance

By God, such beauty and joy

captivate all creation from beneath that veil!

Captivates the open spaces beneath that wrap

مَولايَ لا بِتُّ بِلَيلي الَّذي

مَولايَ لا بِتُّ بِلَيلي الَّذي

أَبيتُ لا أَعرِفُ فيهِ المَنام

أَبيتُ لا أَعرِفُ فيهِ المَنام

My lord, may I never pass my night, in which

My Master, I will not spend a night like the one

I lie awake, knowing no sleep,

In which I did not know sleep

حَيرانُ حَرّانُ الحَشى مُغرَمٌ

حَيرانُ حَرّانُ الحَشى مُغرَمٌ

نَهبُ الأَسى وَالشَوق حلفَ السقام

نَهبُ الأَسى وَالشَوق حلفَ السقام

bewildered, burning at heart, consumed by love,

Perplexed, inflamed, my heart consumed

a prey to sorrow and longing, an ally of sickness;

Plundered by grief and longing, the pact of illness

لا نِلتُ مِن وَصلِكَ ما أبتَغى

لا نِلتُ مِن وَصلِكَ ما أبتَغى

إِن سَمِعَت أُذنايَ فيكَ المَلام

إِن سَمِعَت أُذنايَ فيكَ المَلام

may I never gain from union with you what I seek,

If my ears hear you blame me

if my ears ever listen to reproach concerning you.

I will not attain what I seek of your union