سلاماً على الإخوان حلّوا بقريتي

سلاماً على الإخوان حلّوا بقريتي

وفوداً بأوفى ذمة ويمينِ

وفوداً بأوفى ذمة ويمينِ

Peace upon the brothers who came to my village,

Greetings to the brethren who visited my village

as delegations, with the truest pledge and oath.

In delegations with the most faithful promise and oath

وسقياً لساعات هي الدهر كله

وسقياً لساعات هي الدهر كله

وأحسن أحلامي وخير ديوني

وأحسن أحلامي وخير ديوني

And may rain bless those hours, which are all of time,

Quenching for hours that are my whole life

and the finest of my dreams and the best of my debts.

And the best of my dreams and finest of my debts

أيجمع حيّي كلَّ أهلي وجيرتي

أيجمع حيّي كلَّ أهلي وجيرتي

وسائر أحبابي ولم يجدوني

وسائر أحبابي ولم يجدوني

Can my neighborhood gather all my kin and neighbors,

Do all my family and neighbors gather

and the rest of my loved ones, without their finding me?

And all my loved ones, yet they cannot find me

وهل ذكروني عند شملٍ مؤلفٍ

وهل ذكروني عند شملٍ مؤلفٍ

وهل سألوا عن علتي وشجوني

وهل سألوا عن علتي وشجوني

And did they remember me at their reunion?

Did they mention me in their harmonious gathering

And did they ask about my illness and my sorrows?

And ask about my sickness and sorrows?

وإني موفِّي كلَّ خلٍّ نصيبَهُ

وإني موفِّي كلَّ خلٍّ نصيبَهُ

وإن يَسْلُ عَنّي من هوى وحنين

وإن يَسْلُ عَنّي من هوى وحنين

And I give every friend his full share—

I fulfill every friend his share

even if he forgets me—of love and longing.

If he who loves and yearns asks about me

وكان شفائي أن أراهم مسلماً

وكان شفائي أن أراهم مسلماً

سلام التلاقي والوادع لحين

سلام التلاقي والوادع لحين

And my cure would have been to see them, offering

And my cure is to see them as Muslims

the greeting of reunion and of parting for a while.

Peace of meeting and farewell for now

ولو أنني كنت السجين لكان لي

ولو أنني كنت السجين لكان لي

إليهم من الأيام عذر سجين

إليهم من الأيام عذر سجين

And had I been a prisoner, I would have had

If I were the prisoner, time would excuse me to them

a prisoner's excuse to offer them, furnished by fate.

And if their matter was trivial in their remoteness

ولو أنهم في نأيهم هان أمرهم

ولو أنهم في نأيهم هان أمرهم

ولكنهم كانوا أمام عيوني

ولكنهم كانوا أمام عيوني

And had they been far away, it would have mattered little,

But they were right before my eyes

but they were before my eyes.

The caller did not miss his neighbor at dawn

وما افتقد الداعي ضحى اليوم جاره

وما افتقد الداعي ضحى اليوم جاره

ولا سأل المدعوُّ أين قريني

ولا سأل المدعوُّ أين قريني

And the host did not miss his neighbor this forenoon,

Nor did the invited ask where is my companion?

nor did the guest ask, 'Where is my companion?'

Does he rejoice being honored in gatherings

وهل سره تكريمه في محافل

وهل سره تكريمه في محافل

خلت من رسالاتي وطيب فنوني

خلت من رسالاتي وطيب فنوني

And did it please him to be honored at gatherings

Devoid of my messages and fine arts?

devoid of my messages and the sweetness of my art?

If I lost my worth to my neighbor and friend

إذا ضاع قدري عند جاري وصاحبي

إذا ضاع قدري عند جاري وصاحبي

فهل أنا في هند أراه وصين

فهل أنا في هند أراه وصين

If my worth is lost on my neighbor and my friend,

Am I in India that he sees me in China?

then will I find it in India and China?