والنَّجمِ فِي خَدّ الحَبِيبِ إذا هَوى

والنَّجمِ فِي خَدّ الحَبِيبِ إذا هَوى

مَا ضلَّ قَلبِي عَن هَواهُ ومَا غَوى

مَا ضلَّ قَلبِي عَن هَواهُ ومَا غَوى

By the star on the beloved's cheek when it falls,

By the stars on the cheek of the beloved when he fell

My heart has not strayed from love for him, nor gone astray.

My heart has not strayed from its passion, nor has it gone astray

قَسَماً بِهِ وبِسَالِفَيهِ وخَالِهِ

قَسَماً بِهِ وبِسَالِفَيهِ وخَالِهِ

لَم أثنِ عَن ذاك العَقِيقِ ولَو لَوى

لَم أثنِ عَن ذاك العَقِيقِ ولَو لَوى

I swear by him, by both his cheeks, and by his mole:

I swear by him, by his past, and by his beauty

I have not turned from that carnelian, even if he turned away.

I have not turned away from that red ruby, even if it twisted

يَا دُرَّةً نَشَأت بِفَيضِ مَدامِعِي

يَا دُرَّةً نَشَأت بِفَيضِ مَدامِعِي

البَحرُ يَعجِزُ عَن صِيَانَةٍ مَا حَوى

البَحرُ يَعجِزُ عَن صِيَانَةٍ مَا حَوى

O pearl that grew in the flood of my tears,

O pearl that grew with the outpouring of my tears

The sea cannot safeguard what it holds.

The sea falls short of protecting what it contained

قَالُوا الزُّمُرُّدُ قَلتُ ذاك عِذارُهُ

قَالُوا الزُّمُرُّدُ قَلتُ ذاك عِذارُهُ

قَالُوا غَرِيقٌ قُلتُ في بَحرِ الهَوى

قَالُوا غَرِيقٌ قُلتُ في بَحرِ الهَوى

They said, 'The emerald'; I said, 'That is his cheek-down.'

They said emerald, I said that is his excuse

They said, 'Drowning'; I said, 'In the sea of love.'

They said it drowned, I said in the sea of passion

غَيرِي جَنَى ثَمَر المَحَبَّةِ يَانِعاً

غَيرِي جَنَى ثَمَر المَحَبَّةِ يَانِعاً

وأنَا الَّذِي فِي مُهجَتِي غرس النَّوى

وأنَا الَّذِي فِي مُهجَتِي غرس النَّوى

Another gathered the ripe fruit of love,

Others have plucked the ripe fruit of love

And I am the one in whose heart separation was planted.

While I who planted the growth of passion in my heart

أيقَنتُ أنَّك قَاتِلِي ومُعَذّبِي

أيقَنتُ أنَّك قَاتِلِي ومُعَذّبِي

ولِكُلّ نَاوٍ فِي الحَقِيقَة مَا نوَآ

ولِكُلّ نَاوٍ فِي الحَقِيقَة مَا نوَآ

I became certain that you are my slayer and tormentor;

I'm certain you're my killer and tormentor

And, in truth, to each who intends belongs what he intended.

And for every bender, reality holds what it foretold