لَكَ الخَيْرُ دَاعِي الخَيْرِ أَسْعِدِ يَا سَعْدُ

لَكَ الخَيْرُ دَاعِي الخَيْرِ أَسْعِدِ يَا سَعْدُ

إِذَا ما نَهَى عَنْه النُّهَى وَدَعَا الوَجْدُ

إِذَا ما نَهَى عَنْه النُّهَى وَدَعَا الوَجْدُ

May good be yours! Aid the caller to good, O Sa'd,

All goodness comes from you, caller to goodness, be glad O Saad!

when reason forbids it and ecstasy calls.

When prohibitions deter and longing calls,

فَإِنَّ عِقَالَ العَقْلِ يَدْعُو إِلى السِّوَى

فَإِنَّ عِقَالَ العَقْلِ يَدْعُو إِلى السِّوَى

وَوَصْلُ السِّوى قَصْلٌ وَوِجْدَانُهُ فَقْدُ

وَوَصْلُ السِّوى قَصْلٌ وَوِجْدَانُهُ فَقْدُ

For reason's fetter calls toward the other,

Surely reason's reins call one to moderation,

and union with the other is severance, and finding it is loss.

And to reach moderation is estrangement, and to know it is loss.

إِلى الذِّكْرِ فارْجِعْ وَاْتُركِ الفِكُرَ في السِّوى

إِلى الذِّكْرِ فارْجِعْ وَاْتُركِ الفِكُرَ في السِّوى

إِذَا كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ قَصْدُهُ العَلَمُ الفَرْدُ

إِذَا كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ قَصْدُهُ العَلَمُ الفَرْدُ

Return, then, to remembrance, and abandon thought of the other,

Return to remembrance and leave thought of moderation,

if you are among those whose aim is the peerless beacon.

If you are of those whose purpose is transcendent knowledge.

وَلاَ تكُ غَيْرَاناً إِذَا ذُكِرَ أُسْمُهَا

وَلاَ تكُ غَيْرَاناً إِذَا ذُكِرَ أُسْمُهَا

فَذَاكِرُها حَادٍ إِلى حُبِّهَا يَحْدُو

فَذَاكِرُها حَادٍ إِلى حُبِّهَا يَحْدُو

And do not be jealous when her name is mentioned,

And do not become jealous when she is mentioned,

for whoever names her is a camel-driver whose song leads toward love of her.

For the one remembering her is ardently in love with her.

تَجَلَّى مُحَيَّاهَا لِغَيْرِ بَنِي الهَوَى

تَجَلَّى مُحَيَّاهَا لِغَيْرِ بَنِي الهَوَى

فَصُدُّوا كَذَاكَ الشَّمْسُ والأَعْينُ الرُّمْدُ

فَصُدُّوا كَذَاكَ الشَّمْسُ والأَعْينُ الرُّمْدُ

Her countenance was revealed to those who were not love's children,

Her beauty was unveiled for others than the passionate,

so they were turned away, as sore eyes are by the sun.

So they turned away just as the sun does from bleary eyes.

ولاَ حَظهَا لَحْظُ المُحِبِّ فإِنْ بَكَى

ولاَ حَظهَا لَحْظُ المُحِبِّ فإِنْ بَكَى

سِرُوراً فَرَائِي الشَّمْسِ أَدْمُعُه تَبْدُو

سِرُوراً فَرَائِي الشَّمْسِ أَدْمُعُه تَبْدُو

And the lover's gaze beheld her; if he wept

Yet the lover's perception is not like theirs, so if he weeps

for joy, tears also well up in one who beholds the sun.

In joy, my tears at seeing the sun are obvious.

فَدَعْ ثَمَنَ النَّفْسِ النفيسةِ عِنْدَهَا

فَدَعْ ثَمَنَ النَّفْسِ النفيسةِ عِنْدَهَا

فَلَيْسَ لَهَا إِلاَّ بِلاَ ثَمَنٍ عَبْدُ

فَلَيْسَ لَهَا إِلاَّ بِلاَ ثَمَنٍ عَبْدُ

So forgo the price of your precious soul before her,

Leave off valuing the precious soul in her eyes,

for none is her slave save one without a price.

For she belongs to no one but a slave without price,

قَرِيبَةُ وَصْلٍ لِلْمُحِبِّ وَإِنَّمَا

قَرِيبَةُ وَصْلٍ لِلْمُحِبِّ وَإِنَّمَا

إِذَا وَصَلَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ قُرْبُ وَلاَ بُعْدُ

إِذَا وَصَلَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ قُرْبُ وَلاَ بُعْدُ

Union with her is close at hand for the lover; yet

Close in access for the lover, and when he attains union,

when she unites, neither nearness nor distance remains.

Neither nearness nor distance remains.

تَثَنَّتْ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّها ثَنَوِيَّةٌ

تَثَنَّتْ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّها ثَنَوِيَّةٌ

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى قَدُّها وَهُوَ الفْردُ

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى قَدُّها وَهُوَ الفْردُ

She swayed, and they thought her a dualist;

They supposed she was dual, for she bent double,

and her figure may indeed sway, yet it is the One.

Though her essence bends, and it is single.

وَقَدْ نَطَقتْ حُسْناً مَنَاطقُ خَصْرِهَا

وَقَدْ نَطَقتْ حُسْناً مَنَاطقُ خَصْرِهَا

فَظَنُّوا حَمَاماً فَوْقَ بَانَتِهِ يَشْدُو

فَظَنُّوا حَمَاماً فَوْقَ بَانَتِهِ يَشْدُو

And the girdles at her waist spoke beautifully,

And the curves of her waist spoke beautifully,

so they imagined a dove singing above its bān tree.

So they thought a dove cooing above her breasts.

وَقَالوُا لها خَالٌ مِنَ النَّدِّ فَاتِنٌ

وَقَالوُا لها خَالٌ مِنَ النَّدِّ فَاتِنٌ

صَدَقْتُمْ لَهَا خَالٌ بَلى مَالَهَا نِدُّ

صَدَقْتُمْ لَهَا خَالٌ بَلى مَالَهَا نِدُّ

They said, 'She has a bewitching mole of perfume.'

They said she has a beauty spot of softness, alluring;

You spoke truly: she has a mole—yes, but she has no equal.

You speak truly - she has a beauty spot, indeed she has no equal.

فَإِنْ كُنْتَ ذَا وَعْدٍ بوَصْلِ جَمَالِهَا

فَإِنْ كُنْتَ ذَا وَعْدٍ بوَصْلِ جَمَالِهَا

فَبَعْضُ مُحِبيِّهَا لَدَيْكَ لَهُ عَدُّ

فَبَعْضُ مُحِبيِّهَا لَدَيْكَ لَهُ عَدُّ

So if you have a promise of union with her beauty,

If you've promised to join her beauty,

then one of her lovers counts for something with you.

Some of her lovers can help you keep your word.

فَلاَ تَقُلِ الدُّنْيَا اسْتَمَالتْهُ إِنَّمَا

فَلاَ تَقُلِ الدُّنْيَا اسْتَمَالتْهُ إِنَّمَا

تَجَلَّتْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لِمُقَلَتِهِ هِنْدُ

تَجَلَّتْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لِمُقَلَتِهِ هِنْدُ

So do not say, 'The world has beguiled him'; it is only

Do not say the world has corrupted him; but rather

Hind who has revealed herself to his gaze from within the world.

The world is eclipsed for him by his beloved.

يُذَادُ عَنِ الوِرْدِ العَذِيبِ سِوَى امْرُءٍ

يُذَادُ عَنِ الوِرْدِ العَذِيبِ سِوَى امْرُءٍ

غَرِيبٍ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ مَنْهَلَةٍ وِرْدُ

غَرِيبٍ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ مَنْهَلَةٍ وِرْدُ

All are driven from the sweet watering-place except a man,

None protects the sweet roses but a stranger

a stranger who has his draught at every watering-place.

Who has free access to every garden and meadow.