أَقُولُ وَحَمْدُ اللهِ أَوَّلُ مَنْطِقِي

أَقُولُ وَحَمْدُ اللهِ أَوَّلُ مَنْطِقِي

فَفِي بَخْتِيَارٍ اِخِتْيِاَرُكَ فَانْتَقِ

فَفِي بَخْتِيَارٍ اِخِتْيِاَرُكَ فَانْتَقِ

I say—and praise of God is the beginning of my speech—

I speak, and praising Allah is my first utterance,

For in Bakhtiyar lies your choice, so choose.

For in 'Bakhtiyar' is your choice, so make your selection.

فَنِصْفُ اسْمِهِ بَخْتٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ لِي غَدَا

فَنِصْفُ اسْمِهِ بَخْتٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ لِي غَدَا

حَبِيبِي مُحِبّاً لِي عَظِيمَ التَّعَشُّقِ

حَبِيبِي مُحِبّاً لِي عَظِيمَ التَّعَشُّقِ

For half his name is 'bakht'—luck; and were it mine,

Half of his name is 'Bakht' (fortune), and had it been mine, he would become

My beloved would become loving toward me, deeply enamored.

My beloved, loving me with immense and passionate devotion.

وَلِوْ كَانَ لِي عَكْسٌ لِيَارِ الذِي بَقِي

وَلِوْ كَانَ لِي عَكْسٌ لِيَارِ الذِي بَقِي

وَذَلِكَ رَأْيٌ لَمْ أُحَرَّقْ بِأَخْرَقِ

وَذَلِكَ رَأْيٌ لَمْ أُحَرَّقْ بِأَخْرَقِ

And had I the reverse of the remaining 'yār' ('friend')

And if I had the reverse of 'Yar', the portion that remains,

—and that is 'ra’y' ('judgment')—I would not have been burned by a fool.

That forms 'Ray' (insight), leaving me unscorched by any fool.