الحُبُّ دِينيَ لا أَبغِي بِهِ بَدَلا

الحُبُّ دِينيَ لا أَبغِي بِهِ بَدَلا

وَالحُسنُ مَلكٌ مُطاعٌ جارَ أَو عَدَلا

وَالحُسنُ مَلكٌ مُطاعٌ جارَ أَو عَدَلا

Love is my religion; I seek no substitute for it.

Love is my religion, I desire no substitute,

And beauty is an obeyed king, whether he is unjust or just.

Beauty reigns supreme, obeyed near and far.

يا مَن عَذابِيَ عَذبٌ في مَحَبّتِهِ

يا مَن عَذابِيَ عَذبٌ في مَحَبّتِهِ

لا أَشتَكي مِنكَ إِلّا الصَدَّ وَالمَلَلا

لا أَشتَكي مِنكَ إِلّا الصَدَّ وَالمَلَلا

O you, in loving whom my torment is sweet,

O you whose torment in love is sweet,

I complain of nothing from you but rejection and weariness.

I complain of naught but indifference and boredom.

النَفسُ عَزّت وَلَكِن فِيكَ أَبذُلَها

النَفسُ عَزّت وَلَكِن فِيكَ أَبذُلَها

وَالذُلُّ مُرٌّ وَلَكِن في رِضاكَ حَلا

وَالذُلُّ مُرٌّ وَلَكِن في رِضاكَ حَلا

The soul is precious, and yet I give it freely for you.

My soul is proud but for you I humbly lay it down,

And abasement is bitter, yet in your favor it grows sweet.

Lowliness is bitter yet for your pleasure endurable.

كَأَنَّما القَلبُ مِنّي مِجمَرٌ عَبِقٌ

كَأَنَّما القَلبُ مِنّي مِجمَرٌ عَبِقٌ

يَزِيدُ في حُبِّكُم طِيباً إِذا اِشتَعَلا

يَزِيدُ في حُبِّكُم طِيباً إِذا اِشتَعَلا

It is as though my heart were a fragrant censer,

My heart is like a censer perfumed with incense,

growing more fragrant in love for you whenever it blazes.

Ever more fragrant in love for you when lit aflame.

بَدرٌ عَلى الأَرضِ أَم رِضوانُ قَد غَفَلا

بَدرٌ عَلى الأَرضِ أَم رِضوانُ قَد غَفَلا

أَم فِتنَةٌ تَسحَرُ النُسّاكَ وَالعُقلا

أَم فِتنَةٌ تَسحَرُ النُسّاكَ وَالعُقلا

A full moon on earth—or has Ridwan been heedless?

A moon on earth or has Rida's light waned?

Or a temptation that enchants ascetics and the wise?

Or a temptation beguiling the pious and rational.

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ ماذا لِلعُقولِ جَنى

تَبارَكَ اللَهُ ماذا لِلعُقولِ جَنى

مِن الفُتونِ وَماذا لِلعُيون جَلا

مِن الفُتونِ وَماذا لِلعُيون جَلا

Blessed be God! What has he wrought upon minds

Blessed is God - what have minds reaped

of enchantment, and what has he unveiled to eyes!

Of temptations? And what have eyes gleaned?

يا مَنظَراً إِن بَدا كانَت مَحاسِنُهُ

يا مَنظَراً إِن بَدا كانَت مَحاسِنُهُ

لِلحِبّ عُذراً وَلِلاحِي لَهُ خَجَلا

لِلحِبّ عُذراً وَلِلاحِي لَهُ خَجَلا

O vision—when it appears, its beauties become

O vision, when your beauty appears excuses abound for love

the lover's excuse and his reproacher's shame.

And the lover, for you, feels only shame.

أَمِن فُؤادِي مِن تِلكَ الجُفونِ كَما

أَمِن فُؤادِي مِن تِلكَ الجُفونِ كَما

أَمّنتَنِي بِالجَمالِ اللومَ وَالعَذَلا

أَمّنتَنِي بِالجَمالِ اللومَ وَالعَذَلا

Keep my heart safe from those eyelids, just as

Are my glances safe from those lids

you have shielded me, through beauty, from blame and reproach.

As you’ve protected me with beauty from blame and spite?

إِن كُنتَ لِلخَلقِ فَتّاناً فَلا عَجَبٌ

إِن كُنتَ لِلخَلقِ فَتّاناً فَلا عَجَبٌ

لَكِن عَجِبتُ لِسالٍ عَنكَ كَيفَ سَلا

لَكِن عَجِبتُ لِسالٍ عَنكَ كَيفَ سَلا

If you bewitch mankind, that is no wonder;

If you’re an enchanter of creation no wonder,

but I marvel at one who has forgotten you—how could he forget?

But I'm amazed that any lips could query you.

بِاللَهِ هَل يُنعِمُ العِطفُ المنعَّم لِي

بِاللَهِ هَل يُنعِمُ العِطفُ المنعَّم لِي

بِالعَطفِ أَو يَعدِلُ القَدُّ الَّذي اِعتَدَلا

بِالعَطفِ أَو يَعدِلُ القَدُّ الَّذي اِعتَدَلا

By God, will that pampered flank favor me

By God, can affection grant favor to me?

with affection, or will that well-proportioned figure act justly?

Or match the composure you've equitably dealt?

مَن لِي بِهِ لَم يَدَع في مُهجَتي رَمَقاً

مَن لِي بِهِ لَم يَدَع في مُهجَتي رَمَقاً

مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلا في وَصلِهِ أَمَلا

مِنَ الحَياةِ وَلا في وَصلِهِ أَمَلا

Who will help me with him? He has left in my heart no breath

You who've left me no life in my being,

of life, nor any hope of union with him.

No hope of union, what can he do?

جَعَلتُ خَدّي لَهُ أَرضاً فَوَقَّعَ لا

جَعَلتُ خَدّي لَهُ أَرضاً فَوَقَّعَ لا

أَرضى وَأتحَفتُهُ نَفسِي فَما قَبِلا

أَرضى وَأتحَفتُهُ نَفسِي فَما قَبِلا

I made my cheek the ground for him, so he signed: 'I do not

I made my cheek a land for him but he demurred,

consent'; I offered him my soul, but he did not accept.

I offered my soul but he declined.

سَطا عَلى الخَلقِ سُلطانُ الجَمالِ فَمِن

سَطا عَلى الخَلقِ سُلطانُ الجَمالِ فَمِن

زَينِ السَلاطِينِ أَن صارُوا لَهُ خَوَلا

زَينِ السَلاطِينِ أَن صارُوا لَهُ خَوَلا

The sovereign of beauty has overpowered mankind; and among

Beauty reigns supreme over creation so kings

the adornments of kings is that they have become his servants.

Are honored to serve its command.

يا والِيَ الحُسنِ تَنقادُ النُفُوسُ لَهُ

يا والِيَ الحُسنِ تَنقادُ النُفُوسُ لَهُ

يا آمِرَ الحُبِّ كُلُّ العالَمِ اِمتَثَلا

يا آمِرَ الحُبِّ كُلُّ العالَمِ اِمتَثَلا

O governor of beauty, to whom souls submit,

O overseer of beauty souls obey,

O commander of love, all the world has obeyed you!

O commander of love the world complies.

مَولايَ وَلِّ فُؤادِي لِلرِضى خُطَطاً

مَولايَ وَلِّ فُؤادِي لِلرِضى خُطَطاً

كَما خَلَعتَ عَلَيهِ لِلضَنى حُلَلا

كَما خَلَعتَ عَلَيهِ لِلضَنى حُلَلا

My lord, appoint my heart to offices of favor,

My Master, direct my heart to contentment

just as you have bestowed on it robes of wasting sickness.

As you've adorned it in misery's robes.

وَهَب لِقَلبِي نَعِيمَ القُربِ مِنكَ كَما

وَهَب لِقَلبِي نَعِيمَ القُربِ مِنكَ كَما

حَمّلتَهُ أَلَمَ الأَشواقِ فَاِحتَمَلا

حَمّلتَهُ أَلَمَ الأَشواقِ فَاِحتَمَلا

And grant my heart the bliss of nearness to you, just as

Grant my heart the bliss of nearness to you

you burdened it with the pain of longing, and it endured.

As you’ve burdened it with yearning’s pain.

شَرِّف بِخِدمَةِ ذاكَ الحُسنِ عاشِقَهُ

شَرِّف بِخِدمَةِ ذاكَ الحُسنِ عاشِقَهُ

وَابذُل رِضاكَ لِرُوحٍ فيكَ قَد بُذِلا

وَابذُل رِضاكَ لِرُوحٍ فيكَ قَد بُذِلا

Honor that beauty's lover by letting him serve it,

Grace your lover’s service this beauty,

and give your favor freely to a soul already offered for you.

Bestow your pleasure on a soul spent in your quest.

يا مَن لَهُ دَولَةٌ في الحُسنِ باذِلَةٌ

يا مَن لَهُ دَولَةٌ في الحُسنِ باذِلَةٌ

مِثلِي وَمِثلُ فُؤادي يَخدِم الدوَلا

مِثلِي وَمِثلُ فُؤادي يَخدِم الدوَلا

O you whose reign in beauty is bountiful,

O you whose rule of beauty is served by the likes of me,

one like me, and a heart like mine, serve dynasties.

And my heart that serves the ruling class.