قلوب متى منه خلت فنفوسُ

قلوب متى منه خلت فنفوسُ

لأحرف وسواس اللعين طروسُ

لأحرف وسواس اللعين طروسُ

Hearts, whenever empty of Him, are souls—

When hearts are devoid of Him, souls

parchments for the letters of the accursed one's whispering.

Are spellbound by the accursed whisperer.

وإن مُلئت منه ومن نور ذكره

وإن مُلئت منه ومن نور ذكره

فتلك بدورٌ أشرقت وشموس

فتلك بدورٌ أشرقت وشموس

And if filled with Him and the light of remembering Him,

And if filled with His light and remembrance,

then they are full moons shining forth, and suns.

They become shining suns in their cycles.

رأيناه محبوباً مليحاً مهفهفاً

رأيناه محبوباً مليحاً مهفهفاً

لأنواع خُطّاب الجمال عروس

لأنواع خُطّاب الجمال عروس

We saw Him beloved, lovely, slender-waisted,

We saw Him as a beloved, beautiful, fluttering

a bride for every kind of suitor to beauty.

Lover of all kinds of beauty's discourse.

وإن ظهرت نار الحيا فوق خده

وإن ظهرت نار الحيا فوق خده

له سجدت من عاشقيه مجوس

له سجدت من عاشقيه مجوس

And if modesty's fire appears upon His cheek,

And if the fire of life appears on His cheek,

Magians among His lovers prostrate themselves before Him.

His worshippers prostrate before Him like Magi.

وجبريل إن ينفخ بروح مسيحه

وجبريل إن ينفخ بروح مسيحه

تبدت رهابين به وقسوس

تبدت رهابين به وقسوس

And if Gabriel breathes with the spirit of His Messiah,

If Gabriel blows in His Messiah's soul,

monks and priests become manifest through Him.

Monks and priests are awed by Him.

وهمنا به حسناً كما البدر طلعة

وهمنا به حسناً كما البدر طلعة

وفي يده مما يدير كؤوس

وفي يده مما يدير كؤوس

And we were enamored of His beauty, His face like the full moon,

We imagined His beauty like the rising moon

and in His hand are some of the cups He passes round.

With in His hand cups He passes around.

له مقلة ترمي علينا إذا رنت

له مقلة ترمي علينا إذا رنت

سهاماً وما للعاشقين تروس

سهاماً وما للعاشقين تروس

He has an eye that shoots at us when it gazes:

He has a bow that shoots arrows at us when twanged,

arrows—and lovers have no shields.

And lovers have no shields.

وقمنا به يوماً ونمنا به دجىً

وقمنا به يوماً ونمنا به دجىً

وشامٌ حوت منه الرجالَ وطوس

وشامٌ حوت منه الرجالَ وطوس

And through Him we rose by day, and through Him slept in night's darkness;

One day we stood by Him, by night we slept near Him,

and Sham and Tus held men from Him.

A candle that contained men and cloth.

وبعنا به وهو الدراهم وهو ما

وبعنا به وهو الدراهم وهو ما

نبيع وما نشريه وهو فلوس

نبيع وما نشريه وهو فلوس

And with Him we sold; He is the dirhams, and He is what

We sold Him as coins; He is what

we sell and what we buy; He is copper coins.

We buy and sell, and He is dirhams.

وماءً شربناه ولحماً وخبزةً

وماءً شربناه ولحماً وخبزةً

أكلناه واندارت بذاك ضروس

أكلناه واندارت بذاك ضروس

And we drank Him as water, and as meat and a loaf of bread

Water we drank, meat and bread

we ate Him, and with that the molars turned.

We ate, and by that meals were served.

ويا طالما ثوباً لبسناه زينة

ويا طالما ثوباً لبسناه زينة

وداراً سكناه وفيه ندوس

وداراً سكناه وفيه ندوس

And oh, how often we wore Him as a garment for adornment,

Many clothes we wore as adornment,

and dwelt in Him as a house, and within Him we tread.

Houses we inhabited and walked in.

وعفناه دوداً في شراب ومأكل

وعفناه دوداً في شراب ومأكل

ونفليه قمل في الثياب وسوس

ونفليه قمل في الثياب وسوس

And we loathed Him as worms in drink and food,

We preserved Him as worms in drink and food,

and we pick Him out as lice in clothes and as weevils.

And bequeathed Him as lice in clothes and wood.

وتبغضه أعداؤنا وتحبه

وتبغضه أعداؤنا وتحبه

أخلاؤنا إذ ضاحك وعبوس

أخلاؤنا إذ ضاحك وعبوس

And our enemies hate Him, and He is loved by

Enemies hate Him and friends

our close friends, for He is smiling and frowning.

Love Him, whether laughing or frowning,

وتحذره أمراً مهولاً ونرتجي

وتحذره أمراً مهولاً ونرتجي

له أملاً تسمو إليه رؤوس

له أملاً تسمو إليه رؤوس

And you dread Him as a fearsome thing, while we hope

Fearing Him awfully, we hope

for Him with a hope toward which heads rise.

For Him, heads raised to the hopes.