تضيقُ بنا الدنيا إذا غبتُمُ عنا

تضيقُ بنا الدنيا إذا غبتُمُ عنا

وتَذهَبُ بالأشواقِ أرواحُنا منّا

وتَذهَبُ بالأشواقِ أرواحُنا منّا

The world closes in upon us whenever you are absent from us,

The world grows narrow for us when you are absent from us.

and longing carries our souls away from us.

And through longing our souls depart from us.

فبُعدُكُمُ موتٌ وقُربكُم حيا

فبُعدُكُمُ موتٌ وقُربكُم حيا

فإن غبتموا عنّا ولو نفاً متنا

فإن غبتموا عنّا ولو نفاً متنا

Distance from you is death, and nearness to you is life;

For distance from you is death, and nearness to you is life.

if you were absent from us for even a breath, we would die.

For if you leave us, even for a breath, we die.

نموت ببعدِكم ونحيا بقُربكم

نموت ببعدِكم ونحيا بقُربكم

وإن جاءضنا عنكم بشيرُ اللقا عشنا

وإن جاءضنا عنكم بشيرُ اللقا عشنا

We die when far from you and live when near you;

We die through distance from you and live through your nearness.

and if a herald of reunion with you comes to us, we live.

And if a herald of reunion comes to us from you, we live.

ونحيا بذاكر كم إذا لم نراكمُ

ونحيا بذاكر كم إذا لم نراكمُ

ألا إنَّ تذكارَ الأحبَّة ينعشُنا

ألا إنَّ تذكارَ الأحبَّة ينعشُنا

We live by remembering you when we cannot see you.

And we live by remembering you when we do not see you.

Indeed, the remembrance of loved ones revives us.

Indeed, remembrance of loved ones revives us.

فلَولا معانيكمُ تراها قلوبُنا

فلَولا معانيكمُ تراها قلوبُنا

إذا نحنُ أيقاظٌ وفي النوم إن غبنا

إذا نحنُ أيقاظٌ وفي النوم إن غبنا

Were it not that our hearts behold your spiritual presence—

Were it not for your inner realities, which our hearts behold,

when we are awake, and in sleep when we are lost to ourselves—

When we are awake, and in sleep when we are absent,

لمتنا أسى من بعدكم وصبابةً

لمتنا أسى من بعدكم وصبابةً

ولكنَّ في المعنى معانيكُم معنا

ولكنَّ في المعنى معانيكُم معنا

we would die of grief and yearning from being far from you.

We would die of sorrow at your distance, and of yearning.

Yet in the realm of meaning, your spiritual realities are with us.

But inwardly, your inner realities are with us.

بحرُ كنا ذكر الأحاديث عنكمُ

بحرُ كنا ذكر الأحاديث عنكمُ

ولولا هواكُم في الحشا ما تحرَّكنا

ولولا هواكُم في الحشا ما تحرَّكنا

The telling of tales about you is what stirs us;

Recounting tales of you stirs us [conjectural reading of the corrupt opening].

were your love not in our innermost hearts, we would never be moved.

Without love for you in our hearts, we would not stir.

فقُل للذي ينهى عن الوجد أهلهُ

فقُل للذي ينهى عن الوجد أهلهُ

إذا لم تذُق معنى شرابِ الهوى دعنا

إذا لم تذُق معنى شرابِ الهوى دعنا

So tell the one who forbids love’s ecstasy to those who know it:

So tell the one who forbids ecstasy to its people:

If you have not tasted the wine of love’s true meaning, leave us be.

If you have not tasted the essence of love's wine, leave us be.

إذا اهتزَّت الأرواح شوقاً إلى اللقا

إذا اهتزَّت الأرواح شوقاً إلى اللقا

ترفصت الأشباح يا جاهلَ المعنى

ترفصت الأشباح يا جاهلَ المعنى

When spirits quiver with longing for reunion,

When souls tremble with longing for reunion,

bodies begin to dance, O you who know nothing of the inner meaning.

Bodies dance, O you who do not know the inner meaning.

أما تنظرُ الطير المقفَّصَ يا فتى

أما تنظرُ الطير المقفَّصَ يا فتى

إذا ذكر الأوطان حنَّ إلى المغنى

إذا ذكر الأوطان حنَّ إلى المغنى

Do you not see the caged bird, young man?

Do you not see the caged bird, young man?

When it remembers its homeland, it yearns for its dwelling.

When it remembers its homelands, it yearns for its dwelling.

يُفَرّجُ بالتغريد ما بِفُؤادهِ

يُفَرّجُ بالتغريد ما بِفُؤادهِ

فتضطرِبُ الأعضاءُ في الحسّ والمعنى

فتضطرِبُ الأعضاءُ في الحسّ والمعنى

Through song it releases what lies within its heart,

Through song it relieves what lies within its heart,

and its limbs tremble in both outward sensation and inward meaning.

And its limbs tremble, outwardly and inwardly.

ويرقصُ في الأقفاصِ شوقاً إلى اللقا

ويرقصُ في الأقفاصِ شوقاً إلى اللقا

فتهتزُّ أربابُ العقولِ إذا غنى

فتهتزُّ أربابُ العقولِ إذا غنى

It dances in its cage from longing for reunion,

And it dances in cages, longing for reunion,

and even men of reason are stirred when it sings.

So people of understanding are stirred when it sings.

كذلكَ أرواحُ المحبّينَ يا فتى

كذلكَ أرواحُ المحبّينَ يا فتى

تهزِّزها الأشواقُ للعالمِ الأسنى

تهزِّزها الأشواقُ للعالمِ الأسنى

So too are the spirits of lovers, young man:

So too are the souls of lovers, young man:

longings make them tremble for the most exalted realm.

Longings for the most radiant realm set them trembling.

أنلزمُها بالصبرِ وهي مشوقةٌ

أنلزمُها بالصبرِ وهي مشوقةٌ

وهل يستطيع الصبر من شاهد المعنى

وهل يستطيع الصبر من شاهد المعنى

Shall we compel them to be patient when they are filled with longing?

Shall we compel them to patience when they are filled with longing?

How can one who has witnessed the inner reality possibly endure patiently?

Can one who has beheld the inner reality endure patiently?

إذا لم تذُق ما ذاقتِ الناسُ في الهوى

إذا لم تذُق ما ذاقتِ الناسُ في الهوى

فباللَهِ يا خالي الحشا لا تعنّفنا

فباللَهِ يا خالي الحشا لا تعنّفنا

If you have not tasted what people have tasted in love,

If you have not tasted what others have tasted in love,

then, by God, O empty-hearted one, do not reproach us.

Then, by God, you whose heart is empty, do not rebuke us.

وسلّم لنا فيما ادعينا لأننا

وسلّم لنا فيما ادعينا لأننا

إذا غلبت أشواقُنا ربَّما صحنا

إذا غلبت أشواقُنا ربَّما صحنا

Accept from us what we profess, for

And accept what we profess, for

when our longings overwhelm us, we sometimes cry aloud.

When our longings overwhelm us, we sometimes cry aloud.

وتهتزُّ عند الإستماع قلوبُنا

وتهتزُّ عند الإستماع قلوبُنا

إذا لم نجد كتم المواجيد صرّحنا

إذا لم نجد كتم المواجيد صرّحنا

Our hearts tremble when we listen to the chant;

And our hearts tremble as we listen;

when we cannot conceal our ecstatic feelings, we declare them openly.

When we cannot conceal our ecstasies, we speak openly.

وفي السرِّ أسرارٌ دقاقٌ لطيفة

وفي السرِّ أسرارٌ دقاقٌ لطيفة

تراقُ دمانا جهرةً إن بها مجنا

تراقُ دمانا جهرةً إن بها مجنا

Within the secret are mysteries subtle and delicate;

And in the secret lie secrets, fine and subtle;

our blood would be shed openly if we disclosed them.

Our blood is openly shed if we are reckless with them.

فيا حاديَ العشّاقِ قم واحد قائماً

فيا حاديَ العشّاقِ قم واحد قائماً

وزمزم لنا باسم الحبيب وروحنا

وزمزم لنا باسم الحبيب وروحنا

O cameleer of the lovers, rise and chant, standing;

So, camel-driver of lovers, rise and chant as you stand,

intoning the Beloved’s name for us, and revive our spirits.

And hum the beloved's name for us, and refresh us.

وصن سرَّنا في سكرنا عن حودنا

وصن سرَّنا في سكرنا عن حودنا

وإن أنكرَت عيناك شيئاً فسامحنا

وإن أنكرَت عيناك شيئاً فسامحنا

Guard our secret in our intoxication from those who envy us;

And guard our secret in our drunkenness from our envier [uncertain reading].

and if your eyes find anything objectionable, forgive us.

And if your eyes disapprove of anything, forgive us.

فإنّا إذا طبنا وطنب عقولُنا

فإنّا إذا طبنا وطنب عقولُنا

وخامَرنا خمرُ الغرام تهتَّكنا

وخامَرنا خمرُ الغرام تهتَّكنا

For when rapture comes upon us and our reason is overwhelmed,

For when we are joyful and our minds [verb unclear in the text],

and the wine of passion permeates us, we cast off restraint.

And love's wine suffuses us, we cast restraint aside.

فلا تلم السكران في حالِ سُكرهِ

فلا تلم السكران في حالِ سُكرهِ

فقد رقع التكليف في سُكرِنا عنّا

فقد رقع التكليف في سُكرِنا عنّا

Do not blame the drunken one while he is drunk:

So do not blame the drunkard in his drunken state:

for in our intoxication, obligation has been lifted from us.

For religious obligation is lifted from us in our drunkenness.