خُذ بِيَدي وَاِسقِني إِذا ما

خُذ بِيَدي وَاِسقِني إِذا ما

شَرِبتَ مِن كَوثَرِ الخُلودِ

شَرِبتَ مِن كَوثَرِ الخُلودِ

Take my hand and give me drink when

Take my hand and give me drink whenever

Take my hand and quench my thirst when you drink from the spring of immortality

Take my hand and give me a drink when

you have drunk from the Kawthar of immortality.

you drink from the Kawthar of eternity.

Hear my prayer there and plead to your Lord, the Originator, the Restorer

You drink from the Kawthar of Eternity.

دُعائي اِسمَع هُناكَ وَاِضرَع

دُعائي اِسمَع هُناكَ وَاِضرَع

لِرَبِّكَ المُبدئِ المُعيدِ

لِرَبِّكَ المُبدئِ المُعيدِ

Hear my prayer there, and humbly beseech

Hear my prayer there, and humbly plead

How long will my weeping last and how can my tears flow

Hear my prayer there, and humbly implore

your Lord, the Originator, the Restorer.

with your Lord, the Originator, the Restorer.

My tears for the Wealthy One's servant are a gift

Your Lord, the Originator, the Restorer.

دامَ بُكائي وَكَيفَ يَرقا

دامَ بُكائي وَكَيفَ يَرقا

دَمعي وَعَبدُ الغَنِيِّ مودي

دَمعي وَعَبدُ الغَنِيِّ مودي

My weeping endures—and how could

My weeping endures; how could they cease—

You have done well, my tearduct, so continue

My weeping persists; how can my tears cease

my tears cease, when ʿAbd al-Ghani is lost?

my tears—when Abd al-Ghani has perished?

A string of pearls and more pouring down my cheeks

When Abd al-Ghani is the one I have lost?

دَمعي لِعَبدِ الغَنِيِّ نَهبٌ

دَمعي لِعَبدِ الغَنِيِّ نَهبٌ

أَحسَنت يا مُقلَتي فَزيدي

أَحسَنت يا مُقلَتي فَزيدي

My tears for ʿAbd al-Ghani are free for the taking;

My tears are spoils for Abd al-Ghani;

I came close to him in loyalty, only to abandon

My tears are a tribute plundered for Abd al-Ghani;

well done, my eye—shed still more.

well done, O my eye; so shed more!

My vows when I did not die for him

You have done well, O my eye, so shed even more.

دَرّ نَظيمٌ وَآخَر مِن

دَرّ نَظيمٌ وَآخَر مِن

دَمع نَثيرٍ عَلى الخُدودِ

دَمع نَثيرٍ عَلى الخُدودِ

Pearls strung in a strand, and others

Strung pearls, and others made of

My longing for the distant beloved

Pearls strung in order, and others of

of scattered tears upon the cheeks.

tears scattered upon the cheeks.

For the one far away until our reunion

Scattered tears upon the cheeks.

دنتُ لَهُ بِالوَفاءِ ثكلاً

دنتُ لَهُ بِالوَفاءِ ثكلاً

بَل خُنتُ إِذ لَم أَمُت عُهودي

بَل خُنتُ إِذ لَم أَمُت عُهودي

I vowed him faithful mourning;

Bereaved, I pledged him faithfulness;

I buried my heart and my excellent patience

I professed loyalty to him through my bereavement,

no—I betrayed my vows, since I did not die.

rather, I betrayed my vows, since I did not die.

Where in me now is the strength of fortitude?

Nay, I betrayed my vows, for I did not die.

دانٍ بَعيدٍ إلى التَلاقي

دانٍ بَعيدٍ إلى التَلاقي

لَهفي عَلى المُدَّني البَعيدِ

لَهفي عَلى المُدَّني البَعيدِ

Near, though distant, is our reunion;

Near, yet far until we meet—

My day grew dark, so how will my night be

Near, yet far from any reunion;

alas for the distant one who once was near.

my anguish for the one drawing near, yet far away!

Since I fell for the star of good fortune?

My sorrow lies with the distant one brought near.

دَفَنتُ قَلبي وَحُسن صَبري

دَفَنتُ قَلبي وَحُسن صَبري

فَأَينَ مِنّي قُوى الجَليدِ

فَأَينَ مِنّي قُوى الجَليدِ

I buried my heart and my noble patience—

I buried my heart and the beauty of my patience;

I gave you my heart as a pledge

I have buried my heart and my fair patience,

where now are my powers of endurance?

where, then, is the strength of the steadfast in me?

Entrusted it to you, never to reclaim it

So where now is the strength of the enduring?

دَجا نَهاري فَكَيفَ لَيلي

دَجا نَهاري فَكَيفَ لَيلي

مُنذُ هَوى كَوكَبُ السُعودِ

مُنذُ هَوى كَوكَبُ السُعودِ

My day grew dark—what, then, of my night,

My day grew dark; what, then, of my night,

Let it suffice you as a witness for me

My day has darkened, so how shall be my night,

since the star of good fortune fell?

since the star of good fortune fell?

On the day of fulfilling promises and threats

Ever since the star of good fortune went down?

دَفَعتُ قَلبي إِلَيكَ رَهناً

دَفَعتُ قَلبي إِلَيكَ رَهناً

أَودَعتُهُ غَيرَ مُستَعيدِ

أَودَعتُهُ غَيرَ مُستَعيدِ

I gave my heart to you as a pledge;

I handed you my heart as a pledge;

A sickness has infected you, the sickness of everyone

I surrendered my heart to you as a pledge;

I entrusted it, never seeking it back.

I entrusted it, not seeking it back.

So let not the envious gloat

I entrusted it, never to reclaim it again.

دَعهُ يُكَفّيكَ شاهِداً لي

دَعهُ يُكَفّيكَ شاهِداً لي

في مَوقِفِ الوَعدِ وَالوَعيدِ

في مَوقِفِ الوَعدِ وَالوَعيدِ

Leave it: it will suffice as a witness for me

Let it suffice you as a witness for me

A debt every living being must pay

Let it suffice you as a witness for me

at the Judgment, where promise and warning are fulfilled.

at the place of promise and threat.

His name subdued the might of lions

At the Station of the Promise and the Threat.

داءٌ عَثا فيكَ داءُ كُلٍّ

داءٌ عَثا فيكَ داءُ كُلٍّ

فَلا يَكُن مُشمت الحسودِ

فَلا يَكُن مُشمت الحسودِ

A sickness ravaged you—the sickness of everyone—

A sickness ravaged you—the sickness of all;

He who was honored and prided himself on soldiers

A sickness ravaged you—the sickness of all men;

so let it give the envious no cause to gloat.

so let it not make the envious gloat.

Grinds around his millstone

So let not the envious find cause to gloat.

دَينٌ يُقَضّيهِ كُلُّ حَيّ

دَينٌ يُقَضّيهِ كُلُّ حَيّ

هَدَّ اِسمُهُ قُوَّةَ الأُسودِ

هَدَّ اِسمُهُ قُوَّةَ الأُسودِ

It is a debt that every living soul must pay;

A debt that every living being repays—

I tried my best to bring you tragedies

It is a debt that every living soul settles,

its very name breaks the strength of lions.

its name shattered the strength of lions.

And found with money every generosity

Whose name alone shatters the might of lions.

دارَت رَحاهُ فَباتَ طَحناً

دارَت رَحاهُ فَباتَ طَحناً

مَن عَزَّ وَاِبتَزَّ بِالجُنودِ

مَن عَزَّ وَاِبتَزَّ بِالجُنودِ

Its millstone turned, and by nightfall had ground down

Its millstone turned, and crushed to meal was

Its millstone turned, and ground into dust

whoever grew mighty and seized power with armies.

he who was mighty and plundered with armies.

Even he who was mighty and conquered with armies.

دارَيتُ فيكَ الأُساةَ جهدي

دارَيتُ فيكَ الأُساةَ جهدي

وَجُدتُ بِالمالِ أَيَّ جودِ

وَجُدتُ بِالمالِ أَيَّ جودِ

For your sake I humored the physicians as best I could,

I placated the physicians for your sake as best I could,

I strove with the healers for your sake with all my might,

and lavished wealth with the utmost generosity.

and gave money—how generously!

And I gave of my wealth with boundless generosity.