يا نديمي إن غابت الناس عني

يا نديمي إن غابت الناس عني

فتبدت حقيقة الحق مني

فتبدت حقيقة الحق مني

O my companion, when people vanish from me,

O my boon companion, if people have vanished from me,

then the Reality of the Real reveals itself from me.

then the reality of the Real has become manifest from me.

غابت الناس أَبطَنوا بظهورٍ

غابت الناس أَبطَنوا بظهورٍ

منك لي حالةً تخالفُ ظني

منك لي حالةً تخالفُ ظني

The people vanished; through my manifestation they hid themselves within.

People vanished, becoming hidden through a manifestation

From You comes to me a state that confounds my expectation.

from You to me—a state at odds with my assumption.

أنت كلمتني بأحرف ذاتي

أنت كلمتني بأحرف ذاتي

وأجبت الكلام بي لك عني

وأجبت الكلام بي لك عني

You spoke to me in the letters of my own essence,

You spoke to me with the letters of my essence,

and through me You answered the speech—to Yourself, on my behalf.

and through me You answered the words to Yourself, on my behalf.

إنني في يديك تفعل بي ما

إنني في يديك تفعل بي ما

شئتَ قدماً من راحةٍ وتعني

شئتَ قدماً من راحةٍ وتعني

Indeed, I am in Your hands: You do with me whatever

Indeed, I am in Your hands; You do with me whatever

You willed from eternity, whether my ease or my toil.

You willed of old, whether ease or hardship.

وأنا الحادث الذي بالتجلي

وأنا الحادث الذي بالتجلي

منك أبدو وأختفي بالتجني

منك أبدو وأختفي بالتجني

And I am the temporal being who, through self-disclosure

And I am the created being who, through manifestation

from You, appears—and through harsh withdrawal disappears.

from You, appears, and disappears through unjust reproach.

قدرتني الأسماء منك قديماً

قدرتني الأسماء منك قديماً

بعد علمٍ أحاط بي قدَّرتني

بعد علمٍ أحاط بي قدَّرتني

The divine Names ordained me from You in pre-eternity;

The Names from You ordained me of old;

after Your knowledge encompassed me, You gave me my measure.

after knowledge had encompassed me, You ordained me.

تارة أنت معرض عن ودادي

تارة أنت معرض عن ودادي

ثم طوراً تمدني بالتمني

ثم طوراً تمدني بالتمني

At times You turn away from my love,

At one time You turn away from my love,

then at another time sustain me with longing.

then at another You sustain me with longing.

فتريني الإقبال منك اعتناءً

فتريني الإقبال منك اعتناءً

بي وفن لي منك طوراً وفني

بي وفن لي منك طوراً وفني

Thus You show me Your turning toward me as care

So You show me Your approach as solicitude

for me; and at times an art comes to me from You—and is my art.

for me—and at times an art for me from You, and my own art.

عدمٌ كلنا وأنت وجود

عدمٌ كلنا وأنت وجود

عنك بالحق لا نزال نُكنِّي

عنك بالحق لا نزال نُكنِّي

We are all nonbeing, while You are Being;

We are all nonexistence, and You are existence.

of You—by the Real—we never cease to speak in allusions.

We never cease alluding to You as the Real.

أنت حق وباطل نحن هذا

أنت حق وباطل نحن هذا

جاءنا في تصديق قولِ المغني

جاءنا في تصديق قولِ المغني

You are Reality, and we are falsehood: this

You are real, and we are unreal; this

has come to us in confirmation of the singer’s saying:

came to us in confirmation of the singer’s words:

كل شيء مما خلا الله ربي

كل شيء مما خلا الله ربي

باطلٌ والصحيح أنك أني

باطلٌ والصحيح أنك أني

Everything other than God, my Lord,

Everything other than God, my Lord,

is vain; and the truth is that You are I.

is unreal; and the truth is that You are I.

قلت بي كلما أقول وما قد

قلت بي كلما أقول وما قد

قلت في خمرة وفي وصف دن

قلت في خمرة وفي وصف دن

Through me You spoke whenever I speak; and all that I have

Through me You spoke all that I say, and what I have

said of wine and in describing a great wine jar,

said about wine and in describing a wine jar,

وغلام وروضة ورداح

وغلام وروضة ورداح

وانعطاف وميلة وتثني

وانعطاف وميلة وتثني

a youth, a garden, and a full-figured beauty,

and a youth, and a garden, and a full-hipped woman,

a graceful turn, a sway, and a sinuous bending—

and turning, and leaning, and swaying.

وهو قولي لأنه هو مثلي

وهو قولي لأنه هو مثلي

وهو فاني ونور وجهك يغني

وهو فاني ونور وجهك يغني

it is my utterance, for it is my likeness;

And it is my speech, because it is like me,

and it is passing, while the light of Your Face suffices.

and it is perishable, while the light of Your face suffices.