لمّا دَعا دَاعِي الهَوَى لَبّيتُهُ

لمّا دَعا دَاعِي الهَوَى لَبّيتُهُ

وحَثَثْتُ رَحْليَ مُسْرِعاً وأتَيْتُهُ

وحَثَثْتُ رَحْليَ مُسْرِعاً وأتَيْتُهُ

When love's herald called, I answered him,

When the caller of passion called me, I responded,

And urged my mount in haste and came to him.

And I hurried my camel and came to him.

وحَجَجْتُ كَعْبَتَهُ فَما مِنْ مَنْسَكٍ

وحَجَجْتُ كَعْبَتَهُ فَما مِنْ مَنْسَكٍ

إلاّ أقَمْتُ شِعارَهُ وقَضَيْتُهُ

إلاّ أقَمْتُ شِعارَهُ وقَضَيْتُهُ

And I made pilgrimage to his Kaaba; there was no rite

And I performed pilgrimage to his Kaaba, so there was no ritual

Whose observance I did not uphold and fulfill.

That I did not establish its waymarks and fulfill it.

ولَو انّني أنْصَفْتُ حَجّ بِيَ الهَوى

ولَو انّني أنْصَفْتُ حَجّ بِيَ الهَوى

عَيْنايَ زَمْزَمُهُ وقَلبي بيتُهُ

عَيْنايَ زَمْزَمُهُ وقَلبي بيتُهُ

Yet had I been fair, love would have made pilgrimage to me:

If I were fair with my passion's pilgrimage,

My eyes are its Zamzam, and my heart its House.

My eyes would be its Zamzam and my heart its home.

مَنْ مُنْصِفي منْ جِيرَةٍ لمْ يَرْحَموا

مَنْ مُنْصِفي منْ جِيرَةٍ لمْ يَرْحَموا

دَمْعاً على عَرَصاتِهِمْ أجْرَيْتُهُ

دَمْعاً على عَرَصاتِهِمْ أجْرَيْتُهُ

Who will grant me justice against neighbors who had no pity

Who is fair to me from neighbors who had no mercy,

On the tears I shed across their courtyards?

And shed tears on their thresholds which I poured?

راعُوا فُؤادي بالصُّدودِ وما رَعَوْا

راعُوا فُؤادي بالصُّدودِ وما رَعَوْا

عَهْداً لهُمْ حافَظْتُهُ ورَعَيْتُهُ

عَهْداً لهُمْ حافَظْتُهُ ورَعَيْتُهُ

They terrified my heart by turning away, and did not honor

They guarded my heart with repulsions and did not guard

A pledge to them that I had guarded and upheld.

A pact with them which I kept and pastured.

طاوَعْتُ قَلْبي حينَ لجَّ لَجاجُهُ

طاوَعْتُ قَلْبي حينَ لجَّ لَجاجُهُ

في حُبِّهِمْ ولَوِ انْتَهى لنَهَيْتُهُ

في حُبِّهِمْ ولَوِ انْتَهى لنَهَيْتُهُ

I obeyed my heart when its obstinacy persisted

I made my heart comply when its obstinacy plunged

In loving them; had it ceased, I would have forbidden it to cease.

In loving them, and if it went too far I would restrain it.

مَنْ ذا يُواسي في أسىً حالَفْتُهُ

مَنْ ذا يُواسي في أسىً حالَفْتُهُ

أمْ مَنْ يُعاني منْ جَوَى عانَيْتُه

أمْ مَنْ يُعاني منْ جَوَى عانَيْتُه

Who will comfort me in the grief I have made my ally,

Who consoles me in a grief that I swore?

Or endure the burning heartache I have endured?

Or who helps me with an affection that I suffered?

مهْما زَجَرْتُ صَبابَتي حرّضْتُها

مهْما زَجَرْتُ صَبابَتي حرّضْتُها

وإذا كَفَفْتُ تَشَوُّقي أغْرَيْتُهُ

وإذا كَفَفْتُ تَشَوُّقي أغْرَيْتُهُ

However much I rebuked my passion, I spurred it on;

However much I deterred my youthfulness, I provoked it,

And whenever I restrained my yearning, I incited it.

And if I limited my longing, I enticed it.

يا مَنْ سُكوتي في هَواهُ تَفَكُّرٌ

يا مَنْ سُكوتي في هَواهُ تَفَكُّرٌ

فِي شأنِهِ وإذا نَطَقْتُ عَنَيْتُهُ

فِي شأنِهِ وإذا نَطَقْتُ عَنَيْتُهُ

O you, my silence in loving you is contemplation

O you whose silence in his love is contemplation

Of you; and whenever I speak, it is you I mean.

About his affair, and if I spoke I protected him.

يا مَنْ أُمَوِّهُ بالصِّفاتِ وبالحُلَى

يا مَنْ أُمَوِّهُ بالصِّفاتِ وبالحُلَى

منْ أجلِهِ وأَغارُهُ إنْ سَمّيْتُهُ

منْ أجلِهِ وأَغارُهُ إنْ سَمّيْتُهُ

O you whom I veil with descriptions and adornments,

O you whom I evade with traits and charms

For your sake; and if I name you, I guard you jealously.

For his sake, and I am jealous if I named him.

يا رَوْضَةً غَرَسَتْ لِحاظي وَرْدَها

يا رَوْضَةً غَرَسَتْ لِحاظي وَرْدَها

وسَكبْتُ دَمْعيَ دِيمَةً وسَقَيْتُهُ

وسَكبْتُ دَمْعيَ دِيمَةً وسَقَيْتُهُ

O garden whose roses my glances planted,

O a garden that my eyelids planted its roses

And I poured my tears as steady rain and watered them.

And I poured my tears constantly and watered it.

فإذا جَنَيْتُ بناظِري منْ زَهْرِها

فإذا جَنَيْتُ بناظِري منْ زَهْرِها

كَتَبَ الهَوى ذَنْباً علَيّ جَنَيْتُهُ

كَتَبَ الهَوى ذَنْباً علَيّ جَنَيْتُهُ

And whenever I plucked any of its blossoms with my gaze,

So when I reaped with my glances from its flowers

Love recorded against me a sin I had committed.

Passion wrote a sin upon me that I reaped.

أدّى إليَّ الطّيْفُ عنْكِ رسالةً

أدّى إليَّ الطّيْفُ عنْكِ رسالةً

فقرَأْتُها ولَوِ استَطَعْتُ قَرَيْتُهُ

فقرَأْتُها ولَوِ استَطَعْتُ قَرَيْتُهُ

The dream-phantom delivered a message from you to me;

The specter conveyed to me a message from you

So I read it; had I been able, I would have hosted the phantom.

So I read it and if I was able I would have recited it.

ما كانَ ضرّكِ لوْ أبَحْتِ مُقامَه

ما كانَ ضرّكِ لوْ أبَحْتِ مُقامَه

فبَثَثْتَهُ شَكْوايَ أو ناجَيْتُهُ

فبَثَثْتَهُ شَكْوايَ أو ناجَيْتُهُ

What harm would it have done you had you let it stay,

It would not have harmed you if you disclosed his abode

So I might confide my complaint to it or speak with it in secret?

So you poured out my complaint or confided in him.

قالَتْ فِداكَ أبِي فُؤادُكَ في يَدي

قالَتْ فِداكَ أبِي فُؤادُكَ في يَدي

عانٍ ولَوْ أنّي أشاءُ فَدَيْتُهُ

عانٍ ولَوْ أنّي أشاءُ فَدَيْتُهُ

She said: May my father be your ransom! Your heart in my hand

She said, may your heart be ransomed by my father, in my hand

Is captive; if I wished, I would ransom it.

Is helplessness, and if I wished I would ransom it.

طِبُّ المَسيحِ لدَيّ منْهُ مَسْحَةٌ

طِبُّ المَسيحِ لدَيّ منْهُ مَسْحَةٌ

أيُقِيمُ دَاءٌ كلّما داوَيْتُهُ

أيُقِيمُ دَاءٌ كلّما داوَيْتُهُ

A touch of Christ's healing art is mine;

The healing of the Messiah is ineffectual to me,

Can any illness linger whenever I treat it?

A malady, however much I medicated it.

أهْدِي لمَنْ أبْغي الشِّفاءَ منَ الجَوى

أهْدِي لمَنْ أبْغي الشِّفاءَ منَ الجَوى

فَيُفيقُ مُضْناهُ ويَحْيَى مَيْتُهُ

فَيُفيقُ مُضْناهُ ويَحْيَى مَيْتُهُ

I grant healing from love's anguish to whomever I wish,

I bestow recovery from passion upon whom I love

So the one it has wasted recovers, and the one it has killed revives.

So he awakes from his affliction and his dead lives.

بيَدي حَياةُ مُتَيَّمي وحِمامُهُ

بيَدي حَياةُ مُتَيَّمي وحِمامُهُ

فلَكمْ تَلافَيْتُ الذي أفْنَيْتُهُ

فلَكمْ تَلافَيْتُ الذي أفْنَيْتُهُ

In my hand are my captive lover's life and death;

In my hand is the life of my despairing beloved and his pigeon,

How often have I rescued the one I destroyed!

So how many times have I brought back to life him whom I destroyed!

أسَألْتَ يوْماً يُوسُفاً مَوْلَى الوَرى

أسَألْتَ يوْماً يُوسُفاً مَوْلَى الوَرى

شِيَمَ النّدى والبأس واستَجْدَيْتهُ

شِيَمَ النّدى والبأس واستَجْدَيْتهُ

Have you ever asked Yusuf, lord of humankind,

You asked Joseph one day, the master of people,

For the virtues of generosity and valor, and sought his bounty?

The traits of dew, power, and sought them.

مَلكٌ إذا بَذَلَ الحُبا قالَ الحَيا

مَلكٌ إذا بَذَلَ الحُبا قالَ الحَيا

أخْشى الفَضيحَةَ إنْ أنا جارَيْتُهُ

أخْشى الفَضيحَةَ إنْ أنا جارَيْتُهُ

A king: when he bestows gifts, the rain says:

A king, when he bestows love, says: "I fear disgrace

“I fear disgrace if I rival him.”

If I indulge him."

أمَرَ العُلى ونَهَي فقالَتْ طاعَةً

أمَرَ العُلى ونَهَي فقالَتْ طاعَةً

ما شاءَ شِئْتُ وما أباهُ أبَيْتُهُ

ما شاءَ شِئْتُ وما أباهُ أبَيْتُهُ

He gave commands and prohibitions to Glory; it said: “I obey:

He commanded and forbade so she said obediently:

Whatever he wished, I wished; whatever he refused, I refused.”

"I do what he desires and I refuse what he dislikes."

وسَما انْتِماءً في ذُؤابَةِ خَزْرَجٍ

وسَما انْتِماءً في ذُؤابَةِ خَزْرَجٍ

فزَكَتْ أرُومَتُهُ وقُدِّسَ بَيْتُهُ

فزَكَتْ أرُومَتُهُ وقُدِّسَ بَيْتُهُ

And by lineage he rose to the crest of Khazraj;

And it was affiliated in the clan of Khazraj

Thus his stock was pure, and his house was hallowed.

So its pillars were sanctified and its home purified.

بَيْتٌ عِمادُ عُلاهُ سَعْدُ عُبادَةٍ

بَيْتٌ عِمادُ عُلاهُ سَعْدُ عُبادَةٍ

وطِنابُهُ الأنْصارُ نِعْمَ البَيْتُ بَيْتُهُ

وطِنابُهُ الأنْصارُ نِعْمَ البَيْتُ بَيْتُهُ

A house whose pillar of glory is Saʿd ibn ʿUbādah,

A home whose pillars of elevation are Sa'd of worship

And whose tent-ropes are the Ansar—how fine a house is his!

And its walls are the Helpers - what an excellent home his home!

موْلايَ قابِلْ بالقَبولِ وبالرِّضى

موْلايَ قابِلْ بالقَبولِ وبالرِّضى

نَظْماً بدُرِّ ثَناكَ قدْ حَلّيْتُهُ

نَظْماً بدُرِّ ثَناكَ قدْ حَلّيْتُهُ

My lord, receive with acceptance and favor

My master, meet with acceptance and pleasure

A poem I have adorned with pearls of praise for you.

A poem with your full moon that I have adorned.

رَقّتْ مَعانِيهِ لدَيّ فلَوْ جَرَى

رَقّتْ مَعانِيهِ لدَيّ فلَوْ جَرَى

سَحَراً نَسيمُ الرّوضِ لاسْتَجْفَيْتُهُ

سَحَراً نَسيمُ الرّوضِ لاسْتَجْفَيْتُهُ

Its meanings grew so delicate to me that, if there blew

Its meanings were gentle to me so if the morning breeze of the garden

Before dawn the garden's breeze, I would deem it coarse.

Flowed as sorcery I would absorb it.

وعَلى احتِكامي في القَريضِ وإنّي

وعَلى احتِكامي في القَريضِ وإنّي

يَرْويهِ عنّي الدّهْرُ إنْ رَوّيْتُهُ

يَرْويهِ عنّي الدّهْرُ إنْ رَوّيْتُهُ

And for all my mastery of verse, and despite the fact

And about my compositions in poetry, I am one whose poetry

That Time transmits it from me if I teach it to recite,

Time narrates from me if I narrated it.

فلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ بأن أقومَ بواجِبي

فلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ بأن أقومَ بواجِبي

منْ حَقِّ مَدْحِكَ ثمّ ما وَفّيتُهُ

منْ حَقِّ مَدْحِكَ ثمّ ما وَفّيتُهُ

I did intend to fulfill my duty

For I have resolved to do my duty

In giving you your due in praise; yet I have not fulfilled it.

Of praising you then did not complete it.