إِلى حَضرَةِ الرُوحِ الأَمينِ تَحيَّةٌ

إِلى حَضرَةِ الرُوحِ الأَمينِ تَحيَّةٌ

مُعَطَّرَةُ الأَنفاسِ طَيّبةُ الوردِ

مُعَطَّرَةُ الأَنفاسِ طَيّبةُ الوردِ

To the august presence of the Trustworthy Spirit, a greeting,

Greetings to the trustworthy soul,

Perfumed in breath and sweet with roses.

Whose breaths are fragrant with the scent of roses.

تَضاعف مِنها الشَوقُ وَالوَجدُ سالمٌ

تَضاعف مِنها الشَوقُ وَالوَجدُ سالمٌ

وَما اِعتَلَّ فيها الودُّ مِن ذَلِكَ العَهدِ

وَما اِعتَلَّ فيها الودُّ مِن ذَلِكَ العَهدِ

Longing redoubles through it, and passion remains sound;

Yearning and passion are doubled for it.

Nor has love within it sickened since that time.

Love for it remains unchanged since that time.

يُعَطّر قطرَ الشّامِ وَالرومِ قَطرها

يُعَطّر قطرَ الشّامِ وَالرومِ قَطرها

وَيَخجَلُ عَرفَ المسكِ وَالبانِ وَالرَندِ

وَيَخجَلُ عَرفَ المسكِ وَالبانِ وَالرَندِ

Its rain perfumes the lands of al-Sham and Rum,

Its drops perfume the lands of Damascus and Rome,

And puts to shame the scent of musk, ben, and laurel.

Putting to shame the scent of musk, amber, and sandalwood.

وَتَحمِلُ مِن عليا دِمَشقَ رِسالَةً

وَتَحمِلُ مِن عليا دِمَشقَ رِسالَةً

تَضُوع بِأَرض الرُوم كَالعَنبر الوردِ

تَضُوع بِأَرض الرُوم كَالعَنبر الوردِ

And it bears from the heights of Damascus a message,

It carries from on high in Damascus a message

That wafts through the land of Rum like rosy ambergris.

That spreads through the land of Rome like fragrant roses.

وَتَشرَحُ مِن حالي لِعالي جَنابِهِ

وَتَشرَحُ مِن حالي لِعالي جَنابِهِ

لِيَعلَم حَقّاً ما أُلاقي مِنَ الوَجدِ

لِيَعلَم حَقّاً ما أُلاقي مِنَ الوَجدِ

And explains something of my state to his exalted presence,

It discloses my state openly to that exalted one,

So he may truly know the passion I endure.

So he may truly know what passion I endure.

وَتُخبِرُهُ أَنّي عَلى القُربِ وَالنَوى

وَتُخبِرُهُ أَنّي عَلى القُربِ وَالنَوى

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ وَاقِفٌ مَوقِفَ العَبدِ

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ وَاقِفٌ مَوقِفَ العَبدِ

And tells him that I, whether near or far,

It tells him that in intimacy and resolve,

In every circumstance, stand in the station of a servant,

I stand steadfast in every state as a servant.

وَكَثرَة أَشواقٍ إِذا رُمت حَصرَها

وَكَثرَة أَشواقٍ إِذا رُمت حَصرَها

أَرى بَعضَها يَربُو عَلى الحَدِّ وَالعَدِّ

أَرى بَعضَها يَربُو عَلى الحَدِّ وَالعَدِّ

And of my many longings: whenever I try to count them,

When the multitude of my longings is counted,

I find some of them surpass all bounds and reckoning.

I see some surpass all limits and counts.

فَوَاللَهِ وَالمَجدِ الَّذي لا يُغيرُه

فَوَاللَهِ وَالمَجدِ الَّذي لا يُغيرُه

تفاخُرُ أَهلِ العَصرِ في القُربِ وَالبُعدِ

تفاخُرُ أَهلِ العَصرِ في القُربِ وَالبُعدِ

So, by God and by the glory that is not altered

By God and the glory that none can change,

By the boasting of this age's people, near and far:

Boasting among the people of all eras over nearness and distance,

لِشَمِّ ثَرى تِلكَ الدِيارِ وَطيبِها

لِشَمِّ ثَرى تِلكَ الدِيارِ وَطيبِها

أَحبُّ إِلى المُشتاقِ مِن جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

أَحبُّ إِلى المُشتاقِ مِن جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

To smell the moist earth of those abodes and their fragrance

Just to smell the earth of that land and its fragrance

Is dearer to one who longs than the Garden of Eternity.

Is dearer to the longing one than the garden of eternity.

سَقاها وَحَيّاها الإِلَهُ معاهِداً

سَقاها وَحَيّاها الإِلَهُ معاهِداً

تَدورُ بِأَفلاك السَعادَةِ وَالسَعدِ

تَدورُ بِأَفلاك السَعادَةِ وَالسَعدِ

May God water and bless them, those familiar abodes,

God has watered it and given it life, promising

That revolve in the spheres of happiness and good fortune.

It will revolve in the orbit of good fortune and auspiciousness.

وَلا زالَتِ الأَقدارُ طَوعَ مراده

وَلا زالَتِ الأَقدارُ طَوعَ مراده

سَحابَ دُنُوِّ العَهدِ مُوصلة العَهدِ

سَحابَ دُنُوِّ العَهدِ مُوصلة العَهدِ

And may the fates remain obedient to his will,

Destinies continue to obey his desire.

Clouds of renewed closeness, keeping the bond unbroken.

The clouds of nearness in allegiance convey allegiance.