روحي تقول وقد جاءت رسائلكم

روحي تقول وقد جاءت رسائلكم

هل لي إلى الوصل من عقبى أرجيها

هل لي إلى الوصل من عقبى أرجيها

My soul says, now that your letters have arrived:

My soul says, as your missives have arrived:

“Is there any prospect of union for me to hope for?”

Is there any way for me to attain union that I may hope for?

ولم أكن قبلها بالشوق أقتلها

ولم أكن قبلها بالشوق أقتلها

إلا لعلمي بأن الشوق يحييها

إلا لعلمي بأن الشوق يحييها

And before they came, I was slaying it with longing,

Before them, I was not killing myself with yearning,

Only because I knew that longing gives it life.

Save for my knowledge that yearning gives it life.

ولي دموع بسري للورى نطقت

ولي دموع بسري للورى نطقت

فأطلعت قلبها للناس من فيها

فأطلعت قلبها للناس من فيها

And I have tears that told the world my secret;

And I have tears, kept hidden from mankind, that have spoken

So through their mouth they revealed their heart to people.

And so revealed to people what was within my heart -

كالنار لونا وإحراقا فوردتها

كالنار لونا وإحراقا فوردتها

تجني على الكف إن أهويت تجنيها

تجني على الكف إن أهويت تجنيها

Like fire in color and burning—so their rose

Like fire in hue and burning, so I have plucked them

Harms the palm if you reach out to pluck it.

And they sear my palm if I attempt to pluck them.