سَلاَمٌ مُخْجِلٌ عَرَفَ الْغَوَالِي

سَلاَمٌ مُخْجِلٌ عَرَفَ الْغَوَالِي

عَلَى حَسَنِ الْمَنَاقِبِ وَالْخِلاَلِ

عَلَى حَسَنِ الْمَنَاقِبِ وَالْخِلاَلِ

A greeting that puts the fragrance of precious perfumes to shame,

A shameful greeting knew the deep nights,

A humble greeting bearing the scent of precious perfumes,

Upon him of noble virtues and qualities,

Of the virtues and faults of the Prince of the Knowers,

Upon the one of beautiful virtues and noble traits,

أَمِيرِ الْعَارِفِينَ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ

أَمِيرِ الْعَارِفِينَ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ

مَنَارِ الرُّشْدِ نِبْرَاسِ الْجَلاَلِ

مَنَارِ الرُّشْدِ نِبْرَاسِ الْجَلاَلِ

Prince of the gnostics, Abu Ali,

My master Abu Ali,

The prince of the gnostics, Abu Ali,

Beacon of right guidance, lamp of majesty.

The minaret of righteousness, the torch of glory.

The beacon of true guidance, the lantern of majesty.

رِجَالُ الْوَقْتِ يَا مَوْلاَيَ مِنْكُمْ

رِجَالُ الْوَقْتِ يَا مَوْلاَيَ مِنْكُمْ

بِمَنْزِلَةِ العِيالِ منَ الرِّجالِ

بِمَنْزِلَةِ العِيالِ منَ الرِّجالِ

The men of this age, my master, are to you

O my Master, the people of this age are to you,

The men of this era, O my master, in relation to you,

As dependents are to grown men.

Like children to men.

Are but mere dependents compared to true men.

أَلا إِنَّ ابْنَ زَاكورٍ دَهاهُ

أَلا إِنَّ ابْنَ زَاكورٍ دَهاهُ

فِراقُ ذُراكُمْ مَغْنَى الْمَعالِي

فِراقُ ذُراكُمْ مَغْنَى الْمَعالِي

Behold, Ibn Zakur has been stricken

Indeed the son of Zakour, his separation from you,

Truly, Ibn Zakour has been stricken by

By parting from your heights, the abode of lofty virtues.

Deprived splendor of its loftiness.

Parting from your summits, the abode of high virtues.

وَبُعْدٌ إِثْرَ قُرْبٍ هَاجَ وَجْدِي

وَبُعْدٌ إِثْرَ قُرْبٍ هَاجَ وَجْدِي

فَما أَشْجَى النَّوَى عَقِبَ الوِصَالِ

فَما أَشْجَى النَّوَى عَقِبَ الوِصَالِ

And distance after closeness has stirred my longing;

And distance after nearness perturbed my passion,

And distance after closeness has stirred my passionate longing,

How grievous, then, is separation after union!

So how agonizing is the farewell after union!

For how sorrowful is separation following union!

تَعَفَّنَ مِنْ وَدَاعِكَ خِلْطُ صَبْرِي

تَعَفَّنَ مِنْ وَدَاعِكَ خِلْطُ صَبْرِي

فَحُمَّ الْبَالُ مِنْ فَرْطِ الْخَبَالِ

فَحُمَّ الْبَالُ مِنْ فَرْطِ الْخَبَالِ

The humor of my patience putrefied at your farewell,

My patience was corrupted from bidding you farewell,

The humor of my patience has festered from your farewell,

So my mind grew feverish from excessive derangement.

So calamity broke out from excessive confusion.

And my mind grew feverish from excessive affliction.

فَأَعْوَزَنِي الْمَسيرُ غَدَاةَ يَوْمِي

فَأَعْوَزَنِي الْمَسيرُ غَدَاةَ يَوْمِي

رَجَاءَ الْبُرْءِ مِنْكَ مِنَ اعْتِلالِ

رَجَاءَ الْبُرْءِ مِنْكَ مِنَ اعْتِلالِ

So setting out this morning proved beyond me,

My journey the next morning incapacitated me,

Thus the journey eluded me this morning,

In hope of a cure from you for my illness.

With hope of recovering from illness through you.

Hoping for a cure from you for my illness.

وَفِي غَدِنَا أَسِيرُ بِلاَ وَادَاعٍ

وَفِي غَدِنَا أَسِيرُ بِلاَ وَادَاعٍ

فِرَاراً مِنْ ثُمَالِهِ يَا ثِمَالِي

فِرَاراً مِنْ ثُمَالِهِ يَا ثِمَالِي

And on our morrow I shall travel without a farewell,

And tomorrow I will depart without a farewell,

And tomorrow I shall depart without saying farewell,

Fleeing its dregs, O my refuge.

Fleeing from its agony, O my agony!

Fleeing from the bitter dregs of parting, O my sanctuary.

وَلَوْ نُعْطَى الْخِيَارَ لَمَا افْتَرَقْنَا

وَلَوْ نُعْطَى الْخِيَارَ لَمَا افْتَرَقْنَا

وَلَكِنْ لاَ خِيَارَ مَعَ اللَّيَالِي

وَلَكِنْ لاَ خِيَارَ مَعَ اللَّيَالِي

And had we been given the choice, we would not have parted,

If we were given the choice, we would not have parted,

Had we been given the choice, we would never have parted,

But there is no choice with the nights.

But there is no choice with the nights.

But there is no choice to be had against the passing nights.

عَلَيْكَ قَضِيَّةُ الإِحْسَانِ تُتْلَى

عَلَيْكَ قَضِيَّةُ الإِحْسَانِ تُتْلَى

إِلَى يَوْمِ انْفِصَالٍ بِاتِّصَالِ

إِلَى يَوْمِ انْفِصَالٍ بِاتِّصَالِ

To you the decree of beneficence is recited,

Upon you is recounted the case of benevolence,

Upon you, the narrative of benevolence shall be recited,

Until the day of separation, unceasingly.

Until the day of everlasting connection and separation.

Until the day our separation is joined by reunion.