ما بالُ قوَّادي وعلقي

ما بالُ قوَّادي وعلقي

قد علقا أبوابَ رزقي

قد علقا أبوابَ رزقي

What ails my pimp and my lover?

What is with my pimps and chains?

They have fastened shut the doors of my livelihood,

They have chained the doors of my sustenance,

وتعاهدا وتعاقد

وتعاهدا وتعاقد

وتحالفا أيمان صدقَ

وتحالفا أيمان صدقَ

and pledged to each other and made a pact,

And conspired, contracted,

and sworn sincere oaths.

And swore oaths of sincerity,

إن تتركاني تائباً

إن تتركاني تائباً

من فاتحتي عن كل فسقِ

من فاتحتي عن كل فسقِ

If you two leave me repentant,

That if they leave me repentant,

from my very outset, of every vice,

From my lustfulness of all immorality,

وتخلياني مُثُلَةَ

وتخلياني مُثُلَةَ

للناسِ في غربٍ وشرقِ

للناسِ في غربٍ وشرقِ

and leave me a cautionary example

And leave me exposed,

to people in the West and East—

To people in east and west,

قد صرتُ صوفيا لِفَق

قد صرتُ صوفيا لِفَق

ري منهما والجلدُ دلقي

ري منهما والجلدُ دلقي

I have become a Sufi through my poverty

I have become a Sufi in poverty,

because of those two; my skin is my patched cloak.

Pleasing them while my skin is torn.

وعمامتي رأسي وجمجم

وعمامتي رأسي وجمجم

تي الثرى والكبرُ خُلقي

تي الثرى والكبرُ خُلقي

And my turban is my head, and my bowl

My turban is my head and my skull,

is the earth, and pride is my nature.

Rubbing the ground while old age is my nature.

فأنا النذير لمن غدا

فأنا النذير لمن غدا

متعرضاً يوماً لعشقِ

متعرضاً يوماً لعشقِ

So I am a warning to anyone who would

So I am the warner for whoever tomorrow,

one day expose himself to love.

Comes exposed to love someday,

كم ليلةٍ ضَيَّعتُ فيه

كم ليلةٍ ضَيَّعتُ فيه

ا حُرمتي وأضعت ورقي

ا حُرمتي وأضعت ورقي

How many a night I squandered

How many nights have I wasted,

my honor and wasted my silver!

In which I lost my dignity and wasted my paper,

وُصفعت حين سكرتُ من

وُصفعت حين سكرتُ من

كأسٍ بها المحبُوبُ يَسقى

كأسٍ بها المحبُوبُ يَسقى

And I was slapped when I grew drunk from

And got slapped when I got drunk

a cup with which the beloved serves drink.

From a cup in which the beloved is served,

وإذا سكرت فإنني

وإذا سكرت فإنني

مُستَهلِكٌ مالي وعتقي

مُستَهلِكٌ مالي وعتقي

And when I grow drunk, I am indeed

And when I get drunk, I

a squanderer of my wealth and my freedom.

Am squandering my money and emancipation.