وما رأتْ عيْنايَ فيما مَضى

وما رأتْ عيْنايَ فيما مَضى

ولا رأتْ عيْنُ امرئٍ قَبلَهْ

ولا رأتْ عيْنُ امرئٍ قَبلَهْ

Never, in all the years gone by, have my own two eyes seen,

And my eyes have never seen in days gone by,

nor had any man’s eye before him seen,

nor has any man's eye seen before it,

كشارِبٍ أشْرَب قلبِي الردَى

كشارِبٍ أشْرَب قلبِي الردَى

وبرْؤُهُ لوْ بُدِلَتْ قُبلهْ

وبرْؤُهُ لوْ بُدِلَتْ قُبلهْ

the like of a moustache that made my heart drink death—

anything like a moustache that made my heart drink death.

and its cure would be a kiss, were one given in exchange.

And its cure would come if a kiss were exchanged.

إنْ لمْ تُنِلْنِيها ولوْ خلسَةً

إنْ لمْ تُنِلْنِيها ولوْ خلسَةً

ما لِيَ في دينِ الهوى قِبْلهْ

ما لِيَ في دينِ الهوى قِبْلهْ

If you do not grant it to me, even by stealth,

If you do not grant it to me, even furtively,

I have no qibla in the religion of love.

I have no direction of prayer in the religion of love.