يا مُغْرماً بنفيسِ الدرِّ يجمعُهُ

يا مُغْرماً بنفيسِ الدرِّ يجمعُهُ

ومولعاً بجميلِ البرِّ يصنعُهُ

ومولعاً بجميلِ البرِّ يصنعُهُ

O you enamored of precious pearls, gathering them,

O you who is passionate for the precious pearl he collects

And devoted to beautiful acts of kindness, performing them,

And fond of the beautiful righteousness he does

أضحى ينافسُني في قُربِه زمَني

أضحى ينافسُني في قُربِه زمَني

فما يجودُ به إلا ويمنعُهُ

فما يجودُ به إلا ويمنعُهُ

My time has come to rival me for nearness to him;

He has come to rival me in his closeness throughout time

So it never grants that nearness without withholding it.

So whatever he generously gives, he denies me of it

ولا أقولُ دنتْ مني منازلُهُ

ولا أقولُ دنتْ مني منازلُهُ

إلا غَدا وكبُعْدِ النجمِ موضعُهُ

إلا غَدا وكبُعْدِ النجمِ موضعُهُ

And never do I say, "His dwellings have drawn near to me,"

And whenever I say his dwellings have come near me

Without his abode becoming as distant as a star.

At dawn, his place is as far as a star

كذلك الدرّ في الأصدافِ مُحتجِبٌ

كذلك الدرّ في الأصدافِ مُحتجِبٌ

حيناً وحيناً على تاجٍ يرصّعُهُ

حيناً وحيناً على تاجٍ يرصّعُهُ

Likewise, pearls lie hidden in shells

Likewise, the pearl in shells lies hidden

At times, and at others upon a crown they adorn.

At times, and at times on a crown adorning it

إن غابَ بدرُ سماءِ الفضلِ عن بصَري

إن غابَ بدرُ سماءِ الفضلِ عن بصَري

ففي فؤاديَ أفقٌ منك مطلعُه

ففي فؤاديَ أفقٌ منك مطلعُه

If the full moon of excellence's sky vanishes from my sight,

If the full moon of excellence is absent from my vision

Then my heart holds a horizon where you rise.

In my heart there is a horizon rising from you

وإنّ فيما أرى من أمرِه عجَباً

وإنّ فيما أرى من أمرِه عجَباً

يكادُ يُنكِرُهُ مَنْ ظلّ يسمعُهُ

يكادُ يُنكِرُهُ مَنْ ظلّ يسمعُهُ

And in what I see of its state there is indeed a wonder

And in what I see of his affair there is wonder

That whoever keeps hearing it can scarcely believe.

That one living in shadows hearing of it would deny

يذوبُ قلبيَ من وجدٍ ومن أسفٍ

يذوبُ قلبيَ من وجدٍ ومن أسفٍ

شوقاً إليه وقد حازَتْهُ أضلُعُه

شوقاً إليه وقد حازَتْهُ أضلُعُه

My heart melts with passion and sorrow,

My heart melts from ecstasy and from sorrow

Longing for him, though its ribs already enclose him.

Longing for him while ribs have seized him