تبدت معاني الجمع حشو ردائها

تبدت معاني الجمع حشو ردائها

بدون أنا إذ صار كلي خمارها

بدون أنا إذ صار كلي خمارها

The meanings of union appeared within her mantle,

The meanings of the gathering were revealed in the folds of its robe

without an 'I,' for all of me had become her head-veil.

Without an ego as everything became its intoxication

فلست أنا إذ لم أكن غير أنني

فلست أنا إذ لم أكن غير أنني

أدور على ذاتي وذاتي دثارها

أدور على ذاتي وذاتي دثارها

So I am not I, since I did not exist, save that I

So I am not I, for I was nothing but myself

revolve around my essence, and my essence is her outer cloak.

Searching for my essence which was its cover

ولست أنا إذ لم أكن غيرها ولي

ولست أنا إذ لم أكن غيرها ولي

ذوائب ثوب الليل هي نهارها

ذوائب ثوب الليل هي نهارها

And I am not I, since I was none other than her; and mine are

And I am not I, for I was nothing but it, and for me

the trailing fringes of night's robe—they are her day.

The locks of night's dress were its daylight

وصرت بها مجلى النقيضين بعدما

وصرت بها مجلى النقيضين بعدما

تولهت في الأين أين ظهورها

تولهت في الأين أين ظهورها

And through her I became the locus where both opposites appear, after

And with it I became the unifier of opposites after

I grew love-bewildered in the 'where'—where was her manifestation?

It undertook where, where are its appearances

فهي أنا إذ لست غير نقابها

فهي أنا إذ لست غير نقابها

ولست أنا لما تبدت خدورها

ولست أنا لما تبدت خدورها

So she is I, since I am nothing but her face-veil.

So it is I when I am nothing but its veil

And I am not I, now that her curtained chambers have appeared.

And I am not I when its cheeks appeared

أسائل ظلي عنها إذ هو عينها

أسائل ظلي عنها إذ هو عينها

وأسلها عني لأني نورها

وأسلها عني لأني نورها

I question my shadow about her, since it is her very self,

I ask my shadow about it as it is its eye

and ask her about me, for I am her light.

And I ask it about me for I am its light

ولولا ظلالي ما بدت شمس عينها

ولولا ظلالي ما بدت شمس عينها

بمرأى رداء الكبر إذ هي طورها

بمرأى رداء الكبر إذ هي طورها

And but for my shadows, the sun of her essence would not have appeared

And without my shadows the sun of its eye would not appear

in view of pride's mantle, for she is her own mountain.

In sight of the dress of greatness as it is its unfoldment

فكنت لها الساقي وقد كشفت ساقي

فكنت لها الساقي وقد كشفت ساقي

ونضدت كأس الشرب إذ هي ثغرها

ونضدت كأس الشرب إذ هي ثغرها

So I was her cupbearer, and I had bared my shin,

So I was its cupbearer and it uncovered its cupbearer

and I set out the drinking-cup, since it is her mouth.

And I filled the cup of drinking as it is its mouth

متى يا زمان الوصل تجمع بيننا

متى يا زمان الوصل تجمع بيننا

وتنعكس الأضواء إذ هو دورها

وتنعكس الأضواء إذ هو دورها

When, O time of union, will you bring us together

When, o time of connection, will you unite us

and the lights be reflected, since it is her turn?

And the lights reflect as it is its cycle

أدور على الأكوان كيما أرها أو

أدور على الأكوان كيما أرها أو

أرى من يراها أو تماط خمورها

أرى من يراها أو تماط خمورها

I circle through the worlds so that I may see her, or

I roam the universes so that I may see it or

see one who sees her, or her veils be drawn aside.

See one who sees it or the twilight of its tipsiness

وألثم أحجار الفيافي لأنها

وألثم أحجار الفيافي لأنها

شبيهة من أهوى ووصلها جورها

شبيهة من أهوى ووصلها جورها

And I kiss the stones of the wastelands, because they

And I kiss the rocks of the desert because they

resemble the one I love; and union with her is her tyranny.

Resemble the one I love and its connection wronged them

فأترك في البيداء ميتا وقد غدا

فأترك في البيداء ميتا وقد غدا

يخاطبني يا ظالما ذا سرورها

يخاطبني يا ظالما ذا سرورها

So I am left dead in the wilderness, while he has begun

So I die in the wilderness having become

addressing me: 'O wrongdoer, this is her delight.'

One who says to me, o unjust one, of its joy

فقام مقام الدك لما تزلزلت

فقام مقام الدك لما تزلزلت

هياكلنا يوم الرهان نفورها

هياكلنا يوم الرهان نفورها

Then crushing was replaced, when they trembled—

So it took the place of closeness when

our frames on the day of the wager—by her aversion.

Our structures shook the day of its withdrawal

فدونك هجراني فإني مولة

فدونك هجراني فإني مولة

على حال في هواني سرورها

على حال في هواني سرورها

So take my abandonment, for I am lost in love,

So without you is my estrangement, for I am inclined

in a state where her delight lies in my humiliation.

To my state in my disgrace, its joy

وإني بما ترضاه راض لأنني

وإني بما ترضاه راض لأنني

أسير وشرع الحب يفني أسيرها

أسير وشرع الحب يفني أسيرها

And I am content with what she approves, because I am

And I am content with what satisfies you, for I am

a captive; and love's law annihilates her captive.

A captive and the law of love destroys its captive

وإياك هجراني فأنت أنا وأن

وإياك هجراني فأنت أنا وأن

ت أنت ذوات الكل منك صدورها

ت أنت ذوات الكل منك صدورها

And beware of forsaking me, for you are I, and you—

And without you estranging me, for you are I and you

you are the essences of all; from you they emanate.

Are the essences of all, from you their issuance

فما ثم مهجور ولا ثم واصل

فما ثم مهجور ولا ثم واصل

وما ثم مقطوع لديك عبورها

وما ثم مقطوع لديك عبورها

So there is no forsaken one, nor is there one who attains union,

So there is no estranged nor connected there

and there, before you, her passage is not cut off.

And no severed, with you, their crossing

وإياك وصلي فالجمال محجب

وإياك وصلي فالجمال محجب

أغار عليه لئلا أزورها

أغار عليه لئلا أزورها

And beware of union with me, for beauty is veiled;

And without connecting me, for beauty is veiled

I jealously guard it, lest I visit her.

I am jealous over it, lest I visit it

فيا حبذا هجري وطرحي على الثرى

فيا حبذا هجري وطرحي على الثرى

وسمع فؤادي لن وإني صدورها

وسمع فؤادي لن وإني صدورها

So how lovely are my abandonment and my being cast upon the dust,

So oh the estrangement is good, and cast me on the ground

and my heart's hearing 'will not,' while I am her emanation.

And my heart heard no, though I am its breast

تذكر أنت إذ أنت نقطة وقالت

تذكر أنت إذ أنت نقطة وقالت

فما كنت حتى ترتجى مني زورها

فما كنت حتى ترتجى مني زورها

Remember, you, when you were a point, and she said:

Remember you when you are a point and it said

'So what were you, that her visitation should be hoped for from me?'

So I was not that you should expect crookedness from me