يا سادةً كنت أرجو

يا سادةً كنت أرجو

إسعادهم في المهالكْ

إسعادهم في المهالكْ

O masters, I had hoped

O masters, I had hoped

for their aid amid perils.

to make them happy in dire straits

ضيّقتمُ بالتجنّي

ضيّقتمُ بالتجنّي

عليَّ فجّ المسالك

عليَّ فجّ المسالك

Through unjust fault-finding, you have narrowed

You have burdened me with injustice

the broad passage of the paths for me.

making the paths difficult and narrow

حبست يا نفس شيئاً

حبست يا نفس شيئاً

فجاز عقد شمالك

فجاز عقد شمالك

You held something back, O soul,

I imprisoned something, O soul

so it exceeded your left hand’s finger-count:

so your left hand's knot came undone

هجرٌ وبينٌ مضافٌ

هجرٌ وبينٌ مضافٌ

منهم وذاك فدالك

منهم وذاك فدالك

estrangement and added separation

Estrangement and separation in addition

from them—and may that be a ransom for you.

to them, that is your undoing