قَدْ كَساني لباسَ سُقْمِ وذله

قَدْ كَساني لباسَ سُقْمِ وذله

حبُ غَيْدَاءَ بالجْمال مُدله

حبُ غَيْدَاءَ بالجْمال مُدله

Indeed, it has clothed me in a robe of sickness and abasement—

Disease and hardship have clothed me,

Love of a graceful maiden, proud of her beauty.

Love of the beauty of Ghayda enslaved me,

سَلَبتني وغَيبتْني عَنيِّ

سَلَبتني وغَيبتْني عَنيِّ

وَغدا العَقْلُ منْ هواها مُولهْ

وَغدا العَقْلُ منْ هواها مُولهْ

She robbed me of myself and made me absent from myself,

She took me from myself and hid me,

And reason grew bewildered through love of her.

Reason became subservient to her love.

سَفكَتْ في الهَوى دَمِي ثم قَالَتْ

سَفكَتْ في الهَوى دَمِي ثم قَالَتْ

يا طفيلي عَشقْتني أنْتَ أبْلهْ

يا طفيلي عَشقْتني أنْتَ أبْلهْ

She shed my blood in love, then said:

She shed my blood for love, then said:

O interloper, you fell in love with me—you are a fool.

"My dear, you loved me foolishly."

إِنْ تُردْ وصْلَنا فموتك شَرْطٌ

إِنْ تُردْ وصْلَنا فموتك شَرْطٌ

لا يَنالُ الوصَالْ من فيه فَضْلهْ

لا يَنالُ الوصَالْ من فيه فَضْلهْ

If you desire union with us, then your death is a condition;

If you want our union, your death's the price;

No one retaining a remnant of self attains union.

None attains union who excellence lacks.

طَهّرْ العين بالمدَامِع سَكْبَا

طَهّرْ العين بالمدَامِع سَكْبَا

من شُهود السّوى يزل كلَّ علهْ

من شُهود السّوى يزل كلَّ علهْ

Cleanse the eye with tears poured forth,

Purify your eye with flowing tears,

Of beholding all else; every ailment will vanish.

To cleanse it of all but the only Beloved.

وانْخَلعْ عَنْكَ يا خَليع غَرَامي

وانْخَلعْ عَنْكَ يا خَليع غَرَامي

لا تَكُنْ غيرُ وجْهنَا لك قبْله

لا تَكُنْ غيرُ وجْهنَا لك قبْله

And cast off your self, O unrestrained lover of me;

Cast off from yourself, oh loose one, my passion!

Let nothing but our face be your direction of prayer.

Let none but our face be before you.

وابْذُل الرُّوحَ فهْي فينَا قليلٌ

وابْذُل الرُّوحَ فهْي فينَا قليلٌ

راضيَا لا تقل دمي مَنْ احَلَّهْ

راضيَا لا تقل دمي مَنْ احَلَّهْ

And offer your soul—for our sake it is but little—

Give your soul, it's little with us,

Contentedly; do not say, 'Who made my blood lawful to shed?'

Content, say not "Who shed my blood?"

نُقْطةَ الْباء كَنْ إِذا شِئت تسمو

نُقْطةَ الْباء كَنْ إِذا شِئت تسمو

أو فَدَعْ ذكْرَ قُرْبنا يا مُولَّهْ

أو فَدَعْ ذكْرَ قُرْبنا يا مُولَّهْ

Be the dot of the letter bāʾ if you wish to rise,

A drop raises you, if you desire;

Or leave off speaking of nearness to us, O love-bewildered one.

Or leave mentioning our nearness, oh owned one.

وأردْنَا لنا لغَير مُرادِ

وأردْنَا لنا لغَير مُرادِ

والزم البَابَ في حَيَاءِ وخَجْلهْ

والزم البَابَ في حَيَاءِ وخَجْلهْ

And desire us for our own sake, with no ulterior aim,

Turn us to another intention,

And remain at the door in modesty and bashfulness.

And keep to the door of shyness and shame.

من أتَى بَابنَا انَلنَاه فَضْلاَ

من أتَى بَابنَا انَلنَاه فَضْلاَ

تلك عاداتُنا لِمَن شَاء قبْلَهْ

تلك عاداتُنا لِمَن شَاء قبْلَهْ

Whoever comes to our door, we grant him grace;

Whoever comes to our door, we draw near;

Such are our ways with whoever wishes for a kiss.

Those are our customs, whoever came before.

واجْعَل الفَقرَ شفيعَا لك تُغنى

واجْعَل الفَقرَ شفيعَا لك تُغنى

حَبذَا الافتقارُ دينَا وملَّهْ

حَبذَا الافتقارُ دينَا وملَّهْ

And make poverty your intercessor; you will be enriched.

Make poverty an intercessor for you; you'll be enriched.

How excellent is neediness as a religion and a creed!

Blessed is neediness, our religion and twisting.

كم مُحِب بعجْزِه قد تَجَلَّى

كم مُحِب بعجْزِه قد تَجَلَّى

نالَ منَّا الذي يَرُومُ ومثله

نالَ منَّا الذي يَرُومُ ومثله

How many a lover has shone forth through his helplessness,

How many helpless lovers manifested!

And gained from us what he seeks, and the like of it!

They got from us what they intended, and the like.

هذه سُنَّةُ المحبين فاسْلُكْ

هذه سُنَّةُ المحبين فاسْلُكْ

واترُك الجاهِلَ العذُول وعَذْله

واترُك الجاهِلَ العذُول وعَذْله

This is the way of lovers, so tread it,

Such is the way of lovers, so follow it,

And leave the ignorant reproacher and his reproach.

And leave the ignorant, withdrawn blamer.