يا غايَةَ في الحُسنِ هَل

يا غايَةَ في الحُسنِ هَل

لِجَفاك حَدّ يَعلم

لِجَفاك حَدّ يَعلم

O pinnacle of beauty, is there

O you who are supreme in beauty, does

a known limit to your cruelty?

Your cruelty know any bounds that I know?

أَنا في هَواكِ مُعذب

أَنا في هَواكِ مُعذب

وَالقَلبُ فيك متيم

وَالقَلبُ فيك متيم

I am tormented by love for you,

I am tormented by my love for you,

and my heart is enthralled by you.

While my heart is infatuated with you.

حتام تهجُرني وَما

حتام تهجُرني وَما

أَدري لِمَن أَنظلم

أَدري لِمَن أَنظلم

How long will you forsake me? And I do not

Surely you will abandon me, but I

know for whose sake I suffer injustice.

Do not know for whom I am being unjust.

أَبدا تَهددني وَتق

أَبدا تَهددني وَتق

ضي بِالصدود وَتحكُم

ضي بِالصدود وَتحكُم

Forever you threaten me, and decree

You always threaten me and decree

estrangement, and pass judgment.

Estrangement and control.

وَأَبَحتَ قَتلي يا مَلي

وَأَبَحتَ قَتلي يا مَلي

كَ الحُسنِ وَهو مُحَرّم

كَ الحُسنِ وَهو مُحَرّم

And you have sanctioned my killing, O king

You made lawful shedding my blood, O you

of beauty, though it is forbidden.

Who possess beauty - and that is forbidden.

أَو ما عَلِمت بِأَنَّني

أَو ما عَلِمت بِأَنَّني

في دين حبِّكَ مُسلِم

في دين حبِّكَ مُسلِم

Or did you not know that I

Or did you not know that I

am a Muslim in the religion of loving you?

Am a Muslim in the religion of your love?

ما كانَ ضرّك لَو عَفَو

ما كانَ ضرّك لَو عَفَو

تَ وَكنت مِمَّن يرحَم

تَ وَكنت مِمَّن يرحَم

What harm would it have done you to forgive

It would not have harmed you had you forgiven

and be among those who show mercy?

And been one who pardons.

يا بَدر تَمَّ بَل وَحقك

يا بَدر تَمَّ بَل وَحقك

أَنتَ عِندي أَعظَم

أَنتَ عِندي أَعظَم

O moon grown full—nay, by your worth,

O full moon - indeed, it is your right -

you are greater in my eyes.

To me you are the greatest.

رِفقا فَفي أَحشايَ مِن

رِفقا فَفي أَحشايَ مِن

كَسرات جِفنِكَ أَسهم

كَسرات جِفنِكَ أَسهم

Be gentle: in my innermost being, from

So have mercy, for your glances’

your eyelid’s languid droops, lie arrows.

Arrows have pierced my eyelids.

أَنا من علمت عفافه

أَنا من علمت عفافه

وَكَفاكَ أَنَّكَ تَعلَم

وَكَفاكَ أَنَّكَ تَعلَم

I am the one whose chastity you have known;

I know your chastity and

and it is enough for you that you know.

It is enough that you know.

عَلمتني ما لَم أَكُن

عَلمتني ما لَم أَكُن

من قَبلُ حُبِّكَ أَعلَم

من قَبلُ حُبِّكَ أَعلَم

You taught me what I had not

You taught me what I did not

known before loving you.

Know before loving you.

لي فيكَ دَمع كلما

لي فيكَ دَمع كلما

أَخفى هَواك يترجم

أَخفى هَواك يترجم

I have tears for you; whenever

I have a tear for you each time

I hide my love for you, they reveal it.

I conceal my love for you, it translates.

وَلَقَد كَتَمت صَبابَتي

وَلَقَد كَتَمت صَبابَتي

وَأَظُّنُها لا تَكتُم

وَأَظُّنُها لا تَكتُم

And indeed, I have concealed my ardent longing,

And I have hidden my youth,

and I think it cannot be concealed.

And I think it will not be hidden.

كَيفَ الخَلاصُ وَلي حشى

كَيفَ الخَلاصُ وَلي حشى

بِهَواكَ مُغرى مُغرَم

بِهَواكَ مُغرى مُغرَم

How can I escape, when my heart

How can I be saved when I am

is captivated and besotted with love for you?

Filled with passionate love for you?

لِلَّهِ ما أَحلى وَأَن

لِلَّهِ ما أَحلى وَأَن

تَ مَشَربَش وَمُعَمم

تَ مَشَربَش وَمُعَمم

By God, how lovely you are,

By God, how sweet you are when

wearing a sharbush cap and a turban!

You wear your striped cloak and turban.

بِاللَهِ يا بَدر الدُجى

بِاللَهِ يا بَدر الدُجى

واصِل فَوصلك مُغنَم

واصِل فَوصلك مُغنَم

By God, O full moon of the darkness,

By God, O light of darkness,

grant me union, for union with you is a prize.

Reconcile, for your reconciliation brings prosperity.

وَاِترُك كَلام العاذِلي

وَاِترُك كَلام العاذِلي

نَ فاصِل دائي مِنهُم

نَ فاصِل دائي مِنهُم

And leave aside the reproachers’ words:

And leave off the words of blame,

for my malady has its source in them.

For parting from them cures my illness.

قسما بِطَلعَتِكَ الَّتي

قسما بِطَلعَتِكَ الَّتي

بِخِلافِها لا أقسم

بِخِلافِها لا أقسم

I swear by your countenance,

I swear by your appearance, by which

besides which I swear by nothing;

I swear unlike any other.

وَبِقامَة سمر القَنا

وَبِقامَة سمر القَنا

مِنها أَخف وَأَسلَم

مِنها أَخف وَأَسلَم

and by a stature—the tawny lances

By the stature of your tanned neck

are lighter and safer than it;

From which I am humbled and submissive.

وَبِمُقلَة هاروت من

وَبِمُقلَة هاروت من

لَحظاتِها نَتَعَلَّم

لَحظاتِها نَتَعَلَّم

and by Harut’s eye, from

By the eyelash of Harut, from whose

whose glances we learn:

Glances we learn.

ما بَعد مَبسَمِكَ الَّذي

ما بَعد مَبسَمِكَ الَّذي

قَد همت فيهِ مَبسَم

قَد همت فيهِ مَبسَم

beyond your smiling mouth, in which

There is nothing after your smile, which

I am enraptured, there is no other smiling mouth.

I almost imagined as a smile.