أَلَحْظٌ ما تَكَحَّلَ أَم حُسامُ

أَلَحْظٌ ما تَكَحَّلَ أَم حُسامُ

وَغُصنٌ ما تَمايَلَ أَم قوامُ

وَغُصنٌ ما تَمايَلَ أَم قوامُ

Is it a glance adorned with kohl, or a sword?

Is it a glance that has been darkened with kohl, or a sword?

And is it a swaying branch, or a figure?

Is it a branch that has swayed, or a figure?

وَخدٌّ ما تَضَرَّجَ أَم وُرودٌ

وَخدٌّ ما تَضَرَّجَ أَم وُرودٌ

وَريقٌ ما تَحالَى أَم مُدامُ

وَريقٌ ما تَحالَى أَم مُدامُ

And is it a flushed cheek, or roses?

Is it a cheek that has blushed, or a rose?

And is it saliva grown sweet, or wine?

Is it saliva that has sweetened, or wine?

وَبَرقٌ ما تَلامَعَ في الدّياجي

وَبَرقٌ ما تَلامَعَ في الدّياجي

وَصالَ عَلى الظَّلامِ أَمِ اِبتسامُ

وَصالَ عَلى الظَّلامِ أَمِ اِبتسامُ

And is it lightning that flashes in the dark nights

Is it a lightning that has glittered in the darkness,

and charges against the darkness, or a smile?

Or a radiance that shone upon gloom - or a smile?

وَثَغرٌ ما رَأَينا أَم لآلٍ

وَثَغرٌ ما رَأَينا أَم لآلٍ

وَدرٌّ ما سَمِعنا أَم كَلامُ

وَدرٌّ ما سَمِعنا أَم كَلامُ

And is what we saw a mouth, or pearls?

Is it a mouth that we have seen, or rubies?

And is what we heard pearls, or speech?

Is it a pearl that we have heard, or speech?

وَصُبحٌ ما بَدا أَم نورُ جيدٍ

وَصُبحٌ ما بَدا أَم نورُ جيدٍ

وَوَجهٌ بانَ أَمْ بَدرٌ تَمامُ

وَوَجهٌ بانَ أَمْ بَدرٌ تَمامُ

And is what appeared dawn, or the radiance of a neck?

Is it a dawn that has appeared, or the light of a cheek?

And is it a face that appeared, or a full moon?

Is it a face that has shone, or a full moon?

وَلَم أَجهَلْهُ إِذ قَد بانَ لَكِنْ

وَلَم أَجهَلْهُ إِذ قَد بانَ لَكِنْ

لَهاني عَن تَحقّقهِ الهِيامُ

لَهاني عَن تَحقّقهِ الهِيامُ

And I was not ignorant of it when it appeared, but

I have not been ignorant as it was evident, but

love's frenzy distracted me from discerning its true nature.

Rapture distracted me from verifying it.

يَلوحُ وَسارَ ماءُ الحُسنِ فيهِ

يَلوحُ وَسارَ ماءُ الحُسنِ فيهِ

وَذا ماءٌ بِهِ تَشفى السَّقامُ

وَذا ماءٌ بِهِ تَشفى السَّقامُ

It gleams, and the water of beauty has flowed through it,

The light of beauty was waving in it,

and this is water by which sickness is cured.

And that is water with which ailments are healed.

فَكَم أَطفأتُ مِن قَلبي لَهيباً

فَكَم أَطفأتُ مِن قَلبي لَهيباً

بِهِ فَاِشتَدَّ في قَلبي الضِّرامُ

بِهِ فَاِشتَدَّ في قَلبي الضِّرامُ

So many a flame within my heart I quenched

How much fire have I extinguished from my heart,

with it—yet the blaze within my heart grew fiercer.

By which the embers flared up in my heart!

وَزِدتُ عَلى النَّوى فيهِ غَراماً

وَزِدتُ عَلى النَّوى فيهِ غَراماً

وَزادَ عَلى الوِصالِ بيَ الغَرامُ

وَزادَ عَلى الوِصالِ بيَ الغَرامُ

And my passion for it grew during separation,

I increased the passion for it, beyond vowing

and passion grew within me upon union.

And it increased upon union within me, passion.

وَأَيّامُ النَّوى لا شكَّ دَهرٌ

وَأَيّامُ النَّوى لا شكَّ دَهرٌ

وَأَيّامُ الوِصالِ هيَ اِحتِلامُ

وَأَيّامُ الوِصالِ هيَ اِحتِلامُ

And the days of separation are, without doubt, an eternity,

And the days of vowing are undoubtedly an epoch,

and the days of union are a dream.

And the days of union are delirium.

وَلَيسَ مِنَ الهَوَى يَوماً خَلاصٌ

وَلَيسَ مِنَ الهَوَى يَوماً خَلاصٌ

وَلَيسَ عَلى الهَوى يُجدي الملامُ

وَلَيسَ عَلى الهَوى يُجدي الملامُ

And there is never any escape from love,

And there is from love no day of deliverance,

and reproach is of no avail against love.

Nor upon love, does blame avail anything.

أَيُجدي اللَّومُ وَالعُشّاقُ صُمٌّ

أَيُجدي اللَّومُ وَالعُشّاقُ صُمٌّ

وَبُكمٌ ثمَّ عُميٌ حَيثُ هاموا

وَبُكمٌ ثمَّ عُميٌ حَيثُ هاموا

Can blame avail, when lovers are deaf

Does blame avail, while lovers are deaf,

and mute, then blind, when they fall madly in love?

Then mute, then blind, wherever they became impassioned?

وَإِنّي لَيسَ مَعشوقي غُلاماً

وَإِنّي لَيسَ مَعشوقي غُلاماً

وَلَستُ بِمَن تَمَلَّكه غلامُ

وَلَستُ بِمَن تَمَلَّكه غلامُ

And indeed, my beloved is not a youth,

And my beloved is not a youth,

nor am I one whom a youth has enthralled.

Nor am I one whom a youth has possessed.

وَلَستُ بِمَن تملَّكُه الغَواني

وَلَستُ بِمَن تملَّكُه الغَواني

وَلا قَدٌّ يَميد ولا قوامُ

وَلا قَدٌّ يَميد ولا قوامُ

Nor am I one whom beautiful women enthrall,

Nor am I one whom passions have possessed,

nor a figure that sways, nor a bodily form,

Nor a frame that wavers, nor a figure.

ولا وَجهٌ يُضيء بِهِ ظَلام

ولا وَجهٌ يُضيء بِهِ ظَلام

وَلَو لَم يَنكَشِف عَنهُ اللّثامُ

وَلَو لَم يَنكَشِف عَنهُ اللّثامُ

nor a face that lights up the darkness,

Nor a face that illuminates thereby darkness,

even if its veil has not been lifted.

Even if the covering were not drawn from it.

وَمَعشوقي مِنَ الدّنيا كَمالٌ

وَمَعشوقي مِنَ الدّنيا كَمالٌ

وَغَيرُ هَواهُ في ظنِّي حَرامُ

وَغَيرُ هَواهُ في ظنِّي حَرامُ

And my beloved in this world is perfection,

And my beloved is the perfection of the world,

and love of anything else is, to my mind, forbidden.

And other than his love is, to me, forbidden.

وَلي نَفسٌ عَلى الإِذلالِ تَأبى

وَلي نَفسٌ عَلى الإِذلالِ تَأبى

وَدونَ تَذلُّلي المَوتُ الزؤامُ

وَدونَ تَذلُّلي المَوتُ الزؤامُ

And I have a soul that refuses humiliation,

And I have a soul that refuses humiliation,

and I would sooner die a swift, dreadful death than abase myself.

And without my humbling myself, death is miserable.

تَميلُ إِلى المَكارِمِ وَالمَعالي

تَميلُ إِلى المَكارِمِ وَالمَعالي

وَما مالَت لِذا إِلّا الكرامُ

وَما مالَت لِذا إِلّا الكرامُ

It inclines toward noble virtues and lofty attainments,

It inclines toward noble deeds and lofty goals,

and none but the noble have inclined toward this.

And none but the generous have inclined to this.

وَلا يَرضى الهَوانَ شَريفُ نَفسٍ

وَلا يَرضى الهَوانَ شَريفُ نَفسٍ

وَلا يَرضى بِهِ إِلّا اللئامُ

وَلا يَرضى بِهِ إِلّا اللئامُ

And no one noble of soul accepts humiliation,

Nor does the soul of a noble one accept disgrace,

and none but the ignoble are content with it.

Nor accept it, except the ignoble.

تَودُّ بِأَنّها تَطأُ الثّريّا

تَودُّ بِأَنّها تَطأُ الثّريّا

وَيَخدِمُها السّلاطينُ العظامُ

وَيَخدِمُها السّلاطينُ العظامُ

It longs to tread upon the Pleiades,

It desires that it tread upon the Pleiades,

and to have mighty sultans serve it,

And that it be served by the greatest sultans.

وَتَأخذُ فَوقَ هامِ الشَّمسِ داراً

وَتَأخذُ فَوقَ هامِ الشَّمسِ داراً

وَفَوقَ دَعائِمِ العليا تقامُ

وَفَوقَ دَعائِمِ العليا تقامُ

and to take a dwelling above the sun's head,

And that it take, above the orbit of the sun, a house,

and have it erected above the pillars of the heights,

And be erected above the highest pillars.

وَتَفرِشُ بِالسّعود وَكلّ مَجدٍ

وَتَفرِشُ بِالسّعود وَكلّ مَجدٍ

وتُكسى بِالكمالِ ولا تُضامُ

وتُكسى بِالكمالِ ولا تُضامُ

and to carpet it with good fortune and every glory,

And that it be furnished with good fortune and glory,

and to be clothed in perfection, never wronged,

And clothed with perfection, and not deprived.

وَتسكنُ بِالسّرورِ عَلى صَفاءٍ

وَتسكنُ بِالسّرورِ عَلى صَفاءٍ

وَيَبقى بِالهَناءِ لَها الدّوامُ

وَيَبقى بِالهَناءِ لَها الدّوامُ

and to dwell in joy and serenity,

And that it reside in bliss, in clarity,

and to endure forever in bliss.

While happiness remains with it, everlasting.