اذا تغنى الحمام

اذا تغنى الحمام

أبكى المشوق الغرام

أبكى المشوق الغرام

When the doves sing,

When the dove coos,

passion makes the yearning lover weep.

The lover weeps for love's ache,

وحنَّ والشوق أنىّ

وحنَّ والشوق أنىّ

غنى الحمام حِمام

غنى الحمام حِمام

And he sighs; longing, whenever

Yearning, oh how yearning!

the doves sing, is death.

The dove coos, a dove.

يا نازحَ الدَّار لكن

يا نازحَ الدَّار لكن

له الفؤادُ مُقامُ

له الفؤادُ مُقامُ

O you whose dwelling is distant, yet

O you who left home, but

whose abode is the heart!

My heart remains in place.

حَلَلْتَ هَجري فوصلي

حَلَلْتَ هَجري فوصلي

لأيِّ شيء حرامُ

لأيِّ شيء حرامُ

You made forsaking me lawful; then union with me—

You deemed my love forbidden, so make it permitted,

why is it forbidden?

For what reason is it banned?

إنْ كنتَ جَنةَ طرفي

إنْ كنتَ جَنةَ طرفي

فالقلبُ فيه ضرامُ

فالقلبُ فيه ضرامُ

If you are a paradise for my gaze,

If my eyes were your paradise,

then the heart holds a blaze.

Then in them lies agony.

أَو كانَ ثغرُك برقاً

أَو كانَ ثغرُك برقاً

فإن جَفني غَمامُ

فإن جَفني غَمامُ

Or if your mouth is lightning,

Or if your lips were lightning,

then my eyelid is a cloud.

Then my eyelids are clouds.

ما لي أَبيتُ مُسجّى

ما لي أَبيتُ مُسجّى

إذا تبدى الظلامُ

إذا تبدى الظلامُ

Why do I pass the night shrouded

Why do I sleepless lie

when darkness appears?

When darkness falls?

لا يدخلُ النّومُ جفني

لا يدخلُ النّومُ جفني

ولا بسمعي الملام

ولا بسمعي الملام

Sleep does not enter my eyelid,

Sleep evades my eyes

nor does reproach reach my ears.

Or reproach my ears.

زرني ولو زرتُ طيفاً

زرني ولو زرتُ طيفاً

وأينَ مني المنامُ

وأينَ مني المنامُ

Visit me, even if I were to visit as a phantom;

Visit me, even if but a specter,

yet where is sleep to be found for me?

For where is slumber from me?

لولا لماكَ لما كانَ

لولا لماكَ لما كانَ

تَطّبيني المدامُ

تَطّبيني المدامُ

But for your lips' dusky hue, never would

If not for your beauty

wine have enticed me,

Wine would not tempt me.

ولا كِلفتُ غراماً

ولا كِلفتُ غراماً

بما حواه اللثامُ

بما حواه اللثامُ

nor would I have fallen passionately in love

Nor would I have harbored

with what the veil encloses.

A love hidden by the veil.

اللهَ فِيَّ فقد قي

اللهَ فِيَّ فقد قي

لَ لِلْمُحِبِّ ذمامُ

لَ لِلْمُحِبِّ ذمامُ

For God's sake, have care for me, for it has been said:

God in me, for I have been truthful

a lover is owed protection.

To the lover, though blamed.

هَزَزْتَ قَدَّكَ رُمحاً

هَزَزْتَ قَدَّكَ رُمحاً

والجفنُ منه حسامُ

والجفنُ منه حسامُ

You brandished your figure like a spear,

You shook your neck like a spear

and its eyelid is a keen sword.

And my eyelids bled from it.

وفوقَ طرفك قوس

وفوقَ طرفك قوس

له الجفونُ سهامُ

له الجفونُ سهامُ

And above your eye is a bow,

Over your eyes an arch

for which the eyelids are arrows.

With lids as arrows.

وَليس قصدُكَ إلا

وَليس قصدُكَ إلا

قتلي أسىً والسّلام

قتلي أسىً والسّلام

And your intent is nothing but

Your only aim is

to kill me with grief—and farewell.

To kill me, with farewell.

تالله لا نِلتَ مني

تالله لا نِلتَ مني

ولي المليك الهمامُ

ولي المليك الهمامُ

By God, you shall not get at me,

By God, you'll get naught from me,

and the valiant king is on my side.

Though the King helps you.

سَر الرعّية منهُ

سَر الرعّية منهُ

نون وجيم ولامُ

نون وجيم ولامُ

The subjects were gladdened by his

The secret of his people is

nūn, jīm, and lām—his son.

The letters Noon, Jeem and Laam.

بدا هِلالاً ولكن

بدا هِلالاً ولكن

أَبوهُ بدر تمامُ

أَبوهُ بدر تمامُ

He appeared as a crescent, yet

He appeared a new crescent, though

his father is a moon at its fullness.

His father was a full moon.

بُشرى لملوك بمَلكٍ

بُشرى لملوك بمَلكٍ

لهُ الزَّمانُ غُلام

لهُ الزَّمانُ غُلام

Glad tidings to kings of a king

Good tidings to kings of a king

for whom Time is a servant-boy.

Whose time is a young lad.

إلى كمال المعالي

إلى كمال المعالي

فصالُه والفطام

فصالُه والفطام

Toward the perfection of lofty honors

To the peak of glories,

his weaning and severance from the breast lead.

His independence and weaning.

غصن لدوحة مُلكٍ

غصن لدوحة مُلكٍ

بها تَفَيّا الأنامُ

بها تَفَيّا الأنامُ

A branch of a great tree of kingship,

A branch to Dhawha's kingdom,

beneath whose shade humankind has sheltered;

At which people rejoice.

بَلْ جدولٌ من عُبابٍ

بَلْ جدولٌ من عُبابٍ

بهِ يداوي الأوام

بهِ يداوي الأوام

rather, a stream from a surging sea,

Nay, a stream from springs

with which he eases burning thirst.

With which all pains are cured.