نلتُ المنى مّمن أحِبُّ فَلم أَجِدْ

نلتُ المنى مّمن أحِبُّ فَلم أَجِدْ

أحلىَ لديَّ ولا ألذَّ وأَكرَمَا

أحلىَ لديَّ ولا ألذَّ وأَكرَمَا

I attained my heart’s desires from the one I love, and found nothing

I found the wish from the one I love, but I did not find

Sweeter to me, nor more delightful or nobler,

Anything sweeter for me or more delightful and generous

من عاشقَين تواقَفَا كي يُطفِئَا

من عاشقَين تواقَفَا كي يُطفِئَا

نارَ الغرامِ ويَشْكُوانِ جَواهُما

نارَ الغرامِ ويَشْكُوانِ جَواهُما

Than two lovers who stood together to quench

Than two lovers who stopped to extinguish

The fire of passion and lament their burning anguish.

The fire of passion and complained of their burning,

حتى إذا اعْتَنقا وأَظهَر شجوَهُ

حتى إذا اعْتَنقا وأَظهَر شجوَهُ

هذا لهذا ساعةً وتكلَّما

هذا لهذا ساعةً وتكلَّما

Until, when they embraced and one revealed his sorrow

Until when they embraced and revealed their longing

To the other for a while, and they spoke,

For each other for a moment and spoke,

رَأَيَا الرقَّيب وفي النفوس بقيَةٌ

رَأَيَا الرقَّيب وفي النفوس بقيَةٌ

وقد استطارَا لذّةً وتَتَيُّما

وقد استطارَا لذّةً وتَتَيُّما

They saw the watcher, with something still lingering in their souls,

They saw the watcher, and there remained in the souls

And they had been swept away by delight and consuming love.

A craving, and they had reached the height of pleasure and became orphans,

فاستعمَلا الإطراقَ ثم تجلَّدَا

فاستعمَلا الإطراقَ ثم تجلَّدَا

واستَبكَما وتكلّمتْ عَيناهما

واستَبكَما وتكلّمتْ عَيناهما

So they lowered their heads, then steeled themselves,

So they pretended not to notice, then showed patience,

And fell silent, while their eyes spoke.

Grew sullen, and their eyes spoke,

وإذا العيون تكلَمتْ وتراسلتْ

وإذا العيون تكلَمتْ وتراسلتْ

فَهِمَ المحبُّ عن الحبيب وأَفهَما

فَهِمَ المحبُّ عن الحبيب وأَفهَما

And when eyes speak and exchange messages,

And when the eyes speak and correspond with each other

The lover understands the beloved and makes himself understood.

The lover understands the beloved and makes him understand.