نَعيمي في الحُبِّ أَن تَشقى

نَعيمي في الحُبِّ أَن تَشقى

بِالوَجدِ نَفسي الفانِيَه

بِالوَجدِ نَفسي الفانِيَه

My bliss in love is that it should make suffer—

My bliss in love is the anguish

through separation—my mortal soul.

of my mortal soul through longing.

وَمَوتي مِن لَحظِكَ المُصبي

وَمَوتي مِن لَحظِكَ المُصبي

هُوَ الحَياةُ الباقِيَه

هُوَ الحَياةُ الباقِيَه

And my death from your enticing glance

And my death from your captivating glance

is everlasting life.

is life everlasting.

عَجِبتُ أَنَّ هَوى الغُزلان

عَجِبتُ أَنَّ هَوى الغُزلان

مُستَعذَبٌ فيهِ العَذاب

مُستَعذَبٌ فيهِ العَذاب

I marvel that passion for gazelles

I marveled that, in love for gazelles,

makes torment sweet within it.

torment is found sweet.

وَلَيلُ الهَوى عَلى الهَيمان

وَلَيلُ الهَوى عَلى الهَيمان

أَحسَنُ مِن لَيلِ الشَباب

أَحسَنُ مِن لَيلِ الشَباب

And love’s night, for one mad with passion,

And love's night, for the love-distraught,

is fairer than the night of youth.

is lovelier than the night of youth.

وَوَعدي فيهِ مَعَ السُلوان

وَوَعدي فيهِ مَعَ السُلوان

أَكذَبُ مِن وَعدِ السَراب

أَكذَبُ مِن وَعدِ السَراب

My pledge in love to seek forgetfulness

And my promise of solace in love

is falser than the mirage’s promise.

is falser than a mirage's promise.

وَنَفسي تَقطَعُها شَوقاً

وَنَفسي تَقطَعُها شَوقاً

ظُبى الهُمومِ الماضِيَه

ظُبى الهُمومِ الماضِيَه

My soul is torn apart by longing

And my soul is cut apart in yearning

in the wake of bygone sorrows.

by the keen blades of sorrow.

وَقَلبي مِن أَغصُنِ الكَربِ

وَقَلبي مِن أَغصُنِ الكَربِ

يَجني قُطوفاً دانِيَه

يَجني قُطوفاً دانِيَه

And from the branches of anguish my heart

And my heart, from the branches of anguish,

gathers low-hanging clusters.

plucks clusters of fruit hanging near.

فُؤادي رَهنٌ لَدى الوَجدِ

فُؤادي رَهنٌ لَدى الوَجدِ

هَذا عَلَيهِ قُدِّرا

هَذا عَلَيهِ قُدِّرا

My heart lies pledged to longing;

My heart is held in pledge by longing;

this has been decreed for it.

this has been decreed for it.

وَطَرفي وَقفٌ عَلى السُهدِ

وَطَرفي وَقفٌ عَلى السُهدِ

فَالنَجمُ مَعقودُ العُرى

فَالنَجمُ مَعقودُ العُرى

My eye is vowed to sleeplessness,

And my gaze is pledged to sleeplessness;

its bond fastened to the stars.

so the star's bonds are knotted tight.

فَلَيتَ البُعادَ في البُعدِ

فَلَيتَ البُعادَ في البُعدِ

بِحَيثُ قَد حَلَّ الكَرى

بِحَيثُ قَد حَلَّ الكَرى

Would that separation were far off, in the far distance—

If only separation were far away,

there where slumber has come to rest.

where slumber has already settled!

ياقَلبي إِنّي أَرى العِشقا

ياقَلبي إِنّي أَرى العِشقا

جَرَّ عَلَينا داهِيَه

جَرَّ عَلَينا داهِيَه

O my heart, I see that love

O my heart, I see that love

has brought calamity down upon us.

has brought calamity upon us.

وَهَبَّت ريحٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ

وَهَبَّت ريحٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ

عَفَّت رُسومَ العافِيَه

عَفَّت رُسومَ العافِيَه

A wind of love blew

And a wind of love blew,

and effaced the traces of well-being.

effacing the traces of well-being.

ما أَحرى مَن هامَ في هَمِّ

ما أَحرى مَن هامَ في هَمِّ

أَن يَسهَرَ اللَيلَ الطَويل

أَن يَسهَرَ اللَيلَ الطَويل

How fitting that one wandering in his anguish

How fitting for one wandering lost in grief

should stay awake through the long night,

to stay awake through the long night.

مُرَدّىً بِالحُسنِ مَعتَمِّ

مُرَدّىً بِالحُسنِ مَعتَمِّ

يُعِلُّ بِاللَحظِ العَليل

يُعِلُّ بِاللَحظِ العَليل

made homeless by a turbaned beauty,

Robed and turbaned in beauty,

finding solace in his languid glance.

he brings sickness with his languid glance.

بَدا لي في فِعلِهِ ظَلَم

بَدا لي في فِعلِهِ ظَلَم

الخَصرِ بِالرِدفِ الثَقيل

الخَصرِ بِالرِدفِ الثَقيل

In what he did, I perceived an injustice:

I saw in his conduct the wrong done

the waist oppressed by ponderous haunches.

to the waist by the heavy hips—

كَحَملي في الحُبِّ ما أَلقى

كَحَملي في الحُبِّ ما أَلقى

تُضعِفُ نَفسٌ واهِيَه

تُضعِفُ نَفسٌ واهِيَه

Like the burden I bear in love,

like my bearing all I suffer in love,

it weakens a soul already frail.

which weakens a frail soul.

ما أَشقى مِثلي بِلا ذَنبِ

ما أَشقى مِثلي بِلا ذَنبِ

يَصلى بِنارٍ حامِيَه

يَصلى بِنارٍ حامِيَه

How wretched is one like me—though guiltless—

How wretched is one like me, guiltless,

made to burn in a blazing fire.

who burns in a scorching fire!

كَفاني أَنّي بِأَكفاني

كَفاني أَنّي بِأَكفاني

حَيُّ عَلى حُكمِ الغَرام

حَيُّ عَلى حُكمِ الغَرام

It is enough for me that, wrapped in my shrouds,

It is enough that I, in my shrouds,

I live under love’s decree.

am alive by passion's decree.

أَفناني مِعطَفُ فينانِ

أَفناني مِعطَفُ فينانِ

يَميلُ مَيلاً بِالأَنام

يَميلُ مَيلاً بِالأَنام

A charmer’s supple figure has annihilated me,

A luxuriant, curving form has undone me,

swaying among humankind.

swaying and drawing all people into its sway.

جَفاني بِغُنجِ أَجفانِ

جَفاني بِغُنجِ أَجفانِ

مُسَدِّدٌ سَهمَ الحِمام

مُسَدِّدٌ سَهمَ الحِمام

He shunned me with a dagger of eyelids,

He spurned me with the coquetry of eyelids,

while death’s arrow was aimed unerringly.

aiming the arrow of death.

ظَلومٌ يُخَيِّلُ الحَقّا

ظَلومٌ يُخَيِّلُ الحَقّا

أَحكامَ جَورٍ جارِيَه

أَحكامَ جَورٍ جارِيَه

A tyrant, he passes off as truth

A tyrant, he passes off as justice

unjust decrees now in force.

the unjust decrees in force.

يَستَهدي المَلامَ في الصَبِّ

يَستَهدي المَلامَ في الصَبِّ

بِسَمعِ أُذنٍ واعِيَه

بِسَمعِ أُذنٍ واعِيَه

He summons reproach to testify against the lover,

He takes guidance from reproach of the lover,

and hears it with an attentive ear.

listening with an attentive ear.

حَبيبي أَنوارُ أَشواقِك

حَبيبي أَنوارُ أَشواقِك

لَيسَت عَلى قَلبي سَلام

لَيسَت عَلى قَلبي سَلام

My beloved, the radiance of your longings

My beloved, the lights of your longings

brings no peace to my heart.

bring no peace to my heart.

أَلحاظٌ صاحَت بِعُشّاقِك

أَلحاظٌ صاحَت بِعُشّاقِك

حَيَّ عَلى طولِ الهَيام

حَيَّ عَلى طولِ الهَيام

Glances cried out to your lovers:

Glances called out to your lovers:

“Come to love’s long bewilderment!”

"Come to long-lasting love-madness!"

أُنادي مِن جَورِ أَحداقِك

أُنادي مِن جَورِ أَحداقِك

نِداءَ مَسلوبِ المَنام

نِداءَ مَسلوبِ المَنام

Under the tyranny of your eyes I cry out

I cry out because of your eyes' tyranny,

with the cry of one robbed of sleep:

with the cry of one robbed of sleep.

وَاَلهَفَ قَلبي لَقَد شُقّا

وَاَلهَفَ قَلبي لَقَد شُقّا

شَقَّ البُرودِ البالِيَه

شَقَّ البُرودِ البالِيَه

“Alas for my heart—it has been rent

Alas for my heart! It has been torn

as worn-out robes are rent.”

as worn-out cloaks are torn.

جُفونُكَ بِالسِحرِ ياحِبّي

جُفونُكَ بِالسِحرِ ياحِبّي

قَد أَهلَكَت سُلطانِيَه

قَد أَهلَكَت سُلطانِيَه

Your eyelids, with their sorcery, my love,

Your eyelids, by their magic, my love,

have destroyed my sovereignty.

have destroyed my power.