أَنت الأَخيرُ هوىً وأَنت الأَولُ

أَنت الأَخيرُ هوىً وأَنت الأَولُ

فلذاكَ أَنت عَلى الملاحِ مفَضَّلُ

فلذاكَ أَنت عَلى الملاحِ مفَضَّلُ

You are my last love, and you are my first.

You are the last love and the first

Thus you are preferred above all beauties.

Thus you are preferred over all

أَنت الحبيبُ محبَّةً لا تَنْتهي

أَنت الحبيبُ محبَّةً لا تَنْتهي

ولها عليكَ ولايةٌ لا تُعزَل

ولها عليكَ ولايةٌ لا تُعزَل

You are the beloved, with a love that never ends;

You are the beloved, a love that has no end

and its rule over you can never be revoked.

With authority over you that cannot be removed

ما الشمسُ حُمْرةُ خَدّها من حُسْنِهَا

ما الشمسُ حُمْرةُ خَدّها من حُسْنِهَا

لكم تَرَاكَ كما أَرَاكَ فَتَخْجَلُ

لكم تَرَاكَ كما أَرَاكَ فَتَخْجَلُ

The redness of the sun's cheek is not from her beauty;

The redness of the sun's cheek is not from its beauty

how often she sees you as I do, and so blushes!

As much as seeing you it becomes shy

لَوْ جُدْت لي بالنَّفْس منك لقلتُ من

لَوْ جُدْت لي بالنَّفْس منك لقلتُ من

شَرَهِ المحبَّة إِنَّهُ لمُبَخلُ

شَرَهِ المحبَّة إِنَّهُ لمُبَخلُ

If you gave me your very self, I would say, out of

If I possessed a soul for you I would say who

love's greed, 'He is surely a miser.'

Dislikes intense love he is certainly stingy

وَجْدِي وَوَجْدُ سِوايَ فيكَ تفاوَتَا

وَجْدِي وَوَجْدُ سِوايَ فيكَ تفاوَتَا

إِنِّي أَجِدُّ وإِنَّ غَيْرِيَ يَهْزلُ

إِنِّي أَجِدُّ وإِنَّ غَيْرِيَ يَهْزلُ

My passion and others' passion for you are unequal;

My passion and another's passion for you differ

I am in earnest, while others jest.

I passionately love while another jest

كلُّ الخُدودِ مِنَ العيونِ صبابةً

كلُّ الخُدودِ مِنَ العيونِ صبابةً

تُسْقَى بماءٍ واحدٍ وتفَضَّلُ

تُسْقَى بماءٍ واحدٍ وتفَضَّلُ

All cheeks, out of longing, from the eyes

All cheeks are watered by the eyes

are watered with the same water, yet some are favored.

With one water yet they differ

يا راقدَ الأَجْفَانِ جَفْني ساهرٌ

يا راقدَ الأَجْفَانِ جَفْني ساهرٌ

بل يا قصيرَ الوَصْلِ لَيْليَ أَطول

بل يا قصيرَ الوَصْلِ لَيْليَ أَطول

O you with sleeping eyelids, my eyelid keeps vigil.

O you with closed eyelids while my eyelids are awake

Rather, O you so brief in union, my night is longer.

Or rather O brief union my night is longer

ومُهدِّدِي بالقَتْلِ حَيْثُ جُنُودُهُ

ومُهدِّدِي بالقَتْلِ حَيْثُ جُنُودُهُ

لفْظٌ يَقُولُ ولحظُ طَرْفٍ يَفْعَلُ

لفْظٌ يَقُولُ ولحظُ طَرْفٍ يَفْعَلُ

And you who threaten me with death, whose troops are

And threatening me with death though his soldiers

a word that speaks, and an eye's glance that acts.

Are but words that speak and a glance that acts

ما لحظُهُ سَهْمٌ وَقَلْبي مَقْتَلٌ

ما لحظُهُ سَهْمٌ وَقَلْبي مَقْتَلٌ

بَلْ كُلُّهُ سَهْمٌ وَكُلِّيَ مَقْتَلُ

بَلْ كُلُّهُ سَهْمٌ وَكُلِّيَ مَقْتَلُ

It is not just his glance that is an arrow, nor just my heart a mortal target;

His glance is an arrow and my heart a slaughter

rather, all of him is an arrow, and all of me a mortal target.

No, all is arrows and all mine is slaughter

لأَبَحْتَ سَفْكَ دَمي وذَاك محرّمٌ

لأَبَحْتَ سَفْكَ دَمي وذَاك محرّمٌ

وَمَنَعْتَ عَذْبَ لَمَاكَ وَهْو مُحَلَّلُ

وَمَنَعْتَ عَذْبَ لَمَاكَ وَهْو مُحَلَّلُ

You have indeed allowed my blood to be shed, though that is forbidden;

You forbid shedding my blood though forbidden

and withheld the sweetness of your dark lips, though it is lawful.

And prevent tasting your sweetness though permissible

وَوَحَقِّ عِقْدِكَ عِقْدِ ثَغْرِكِ إِنَّني

وَوَحَقِّ عِقْدِكَ عِقْدِ ثَغْرِكِ إِنَّني

سأُعِيدُهُ باللَّثْمِ وهْوَ مُفَصّلُ

سأُعِيدُهُ باللَّثْمِ وهْوَ مُفَصّلُ

And by your necklace—the necklace of your mouth—I

By the pact of your mouth's pact if I

shall restore it with kisses, though its beads are set apart.

Return it with a kiss it is dissolved

لَيَقِلُّ فِكْري إِنَّهُ لَكَ مَعْبَرٌ

لَيَقِلُّ فِكْري إِنَّهُ لَكَ مَعْبَرٌ

وَيَقِلُّ قلْبي إِنه لَكَ مَنْزِلُ

وَيَقِلُّ قلْبي إِنه لَكَ مَنْزِلُ

My mind is indeed too small, for it is a passage for you;

My thoughts of you are a crossing

and my heart too small, for it is a dwelling for you.

And my heart for you is a dwelling