قل لساجي الطرف أحومه

قل لساجي الطرف أحومه

ما يرى في حال مغرمه

ما يرى في حال مغرمه

Ask the one with languid, dark eyes

Tell the one with languishing eyes,

what he thinks of his enamored lover's plight.

What does he see in the state of his lover?

ساهر قد عاف مرقده

ساهر قد عاف مرقده

وتمادى الهجر يتمه

وتمادى الهجر يتمه

Sleepless, he has shunned his resting place,

Sleepless, having abandoned his bed,

and estrangement drags on, leaving him bereft.

Prolonging estrangement completes him.

من غريب الذنب وأعجبه

من غريب الذنب وأعجبه

كيف يجفوني وأرحمه

كيف يجفوني وأرحمه

Among the strange sins, and the most astonishing,

With strange sin that amazed him -

is how he shuns me while I have mercy on him.

How can they spurn me when I pity him?

من له جار يضيعه

من له جار يضيعه

بل وحقّ اللَه يلزمه

بل وحقّ اللَه يلزمه

Who would forsake his own neighbor?

One who has a neighbor and loses him,

No—by God's truth, he must stand by him.

And by Allah's right he obliges him.

اني وان طال المدا

اني وان طال المدا

لا أنثني عن حبه

لا أنثني عن حبه

Indeed, though the span be long,

Though the distance grew long,

I shall not turn away from his love.

I do not turn away from loving him.

أجد ضلالي فيه هدى

أجد ضلالي فيه هدى

ولذّتي في عتبه

ولذّتي في عتبه

I find my straying in him to be guidance,

I find my misguidance in him guidance,

and my delight in his reproach.

And my pleasure in his reproach.

برغم آناف العدا

برغم آناف العدا

لو كان جاد بقربه

لو كان جاد بقربه

In defiance of the foes' noses,

Despite the hostility of enemies,

if only he had bestowed his nearness!

Had he been loyal in his nearness.

غير أن مطلوبه تلقى

غير أن مطلوبه تلقى

وإله الخلق حرمه

وإله الخلق حرمه

Yet what he seeks, you find,

But his sought one did not find,

the God of creation has forbidden it.

And the Lord of creation deprived him.

ان أشدّ الذنب وأشنعه

ان أشدّ الذنب وأشنعه

من سعى في قتل مسلمه

من سعى في قتل مسلمه

Indeed, the gravest and most heinous sin

The harshest sin and ugliest -

is that of one who seeks to kill his fellow Muslim.

Is one who strived to kill a Muslim.

كلّ عبد أنت سيده

كلّ عبد أنت سيده

قد رقا فوق الورى شرفا

قد رقا فوق الورى شرفا

Every slave whose master you are

Every servant, you are his master,

has risen above humankind in honor.

Nobility ascended over creation,

وتلالا نجم فرقده

وتلالا نجم فرقده

في سما فلك العلا وصفا

في سما فلك العلا وصفا

And his Farqad star has glittered

And hills of stars in their setting,

in the heaven of the sphere of eminence, shining clear.

In a sky, celestial sphere of highest description.

ان لم تكن في الحسن واحده

ان لم تكن في الحسن واحده

فأنا بك واحد الشغفا

فأنا بك واحد الشغفا

If you are not beauty's unrivaled one,

If you were not alone in beauty,

then I am unrivaled among your impassioned lovers.

Then I am alone in passion for you.

كلّ مخدوم رقى شرفا

كلّ مخدوم رقى شرفا

قد علا في الناس خادمه

قد علا في الناس خادمه

Every master who has risen in honor:

Every served one ascended in nobility,

his servant has risen among the people.

His servant became exalted among people.

اني وان طال الجفا

اني وان طال الجفا

مستسلم لقضائه

مستسلم لقضائه

Indeed, though estrangement lasts long,

Though estrangement grew long,

I submit to his decree.

I surrender to His ordainment,

ولم أجد لي منصفا

ولم أجد لي منصفا

الا الرّضا برضائه

الا الرّضا برضائه

And I have found none to do me justice,

And I found no sympathizer for me

save contentment with his contentment.

Except acceptance of His acceptance.

إذا المداوي متلفا

إذا المداوي متلفا

هلك المريض بدائه

هلك المريض بدائه

If the healer brings destruction,

When the healers are corrupt,

the patient perishes of his disease.

The patient perishes by his illness.

أيجوز الماء أنظره

أيجوز الماء أنظره

وأنا ظمآن أحرمه

وأنا ظمآن أحرمه

Is it right that I should look upon water

Is it proper that I see water,

while I, thirsty, am denied it?

Yet I, thirsty, am deprived of it?

مدمن القرع والجه

مدمن القرع والجه

هأنا للباب لازمه

هأنا للباب لازمه

Whoever keeps knocking will enter it;

Addicted am I to beating and love,

here I am, ever keeping to the door.