If you do not know love, ask the nights

Ask the pale face and the dryness of the lips

Just as water tells stories of the stars and the moon

So do bodies tell stories of the intellect and the soul

The soul learns a thousand kinds of courtesy from love

Which courtesy cannot be found in schools

Among a hundred people, a lover is seen in such a way

As the shining moon in the sky among the stars

Reason does not know and becomes bewildered by the religion of love

Even if it is aware of all religions

The Khidr-hearted one who tasted the water of the life of love

The pure springs became dull for that person

Do not trouble yourself to go to the garden, look within the lover

(You will find) Damascus, Ghouta, rose gardens, and reed beds

What is Damascus? (It is) a paradise full of angels and houris

Reason is astonished by those faces and double chins

Not from its delicious wine (comes) blossoming and intoxication

Nor from the sweetness of its sweetmeat (come) boils and fevers

From the king to the beggar, (all) are in the struggle of greed

With love, the soul is freed from greed and desires

What pride is there for love from its customers?

What support is there for a lion from foxes?

Upon the palm tree of the world, I find no ripe (fruit)

For all my teeth have become dull from the sinners

Fly with the wings of love in the air and upon the heavens

Like the sun, pure from all compositions

There is no terror for the hearts of lovers like the isolated ones

Nor is there fear of separation and parting like the composite ones

His grace has chosen (them) for the sake of souls

He has bought their cause from the causers

The agent of love has entered the seat of the judge's office

So that his heart may be freed from fate and from lies

What a world, and what a rare order and arrangement!

(It) casts a thousand excitements into the ranks

Consider the beggar of love whatever joy there is in the world

For love is like the gold of the mine, and those are the religions

You have stolen my heart, O love, (with) trickery and cunning

You have lied? Never! But (it was with) loveliness and worth

I desire to mention you, O love, gratefully, but

I am bewildered in you, and you have confused my thought and its end

Even if I make a eulogy of love in a hundred thousand languages

Its beauty is greater than all writings