أشَاقَتكَ وُرقُ اللِّوى هُتَّفَا

أشَاقَتكَ وُرقُ اللِّوى هُتَّفَا

وأَرَّقَكَ الطَّيفُ ثُمَّ اختفي

وأَرَّقَكَ الطَّيفُ ثُمَّ اختفي

Have the gray doves of al-Liwa, calling aloud, stirred your longing?

The leaves of the tamarisk pined for you,

And has the dream-vision kept you awake, then vanished?

And the phantom disturbed you, then vanished.

فَبِتَّ وعَينُكُ مَطرُوفَةٌ

فَبِتَّ وعَينُكُ مَطرُوفَةٌ

وَحُقَّ لِعَينِكَ أن تُطرَفَا

وَحُقَّ لِعَينِكَ أن تُطرَفَا

So you spent the night with your eye stricken,

So you spent the night with tearful eyes,

And your eye had every right to be stricken.

And it is the right of your eyes to be tearful.

ودَمعُكَ مُنهَمِلٌ وَاكِفٌ

ودَمعُكَ مُنهَمِلٌ وَاكِفٌ

يَسِحُّ عَلَى الخَدِّ إِن كُفكِفَا

يَسِحُّ عَلَى الخَدِّ إِن كُفكِفَا

And your tears stream down, pouring,

Your tears are dripping and sufficient,

Flowing over the cheek even when wiped away.

Sliding down the cheek if they are wiped.

يُثِيرُ صَبَاكَ نَسِيمُ الصَّبَا

يُثِيرُ صَبَاكَ نَسِيمُ الصَّبَا

وقَد كَانَ إِن هَبَّ مُستَلطَفَا

وقَد كَانَ إِن هَبَّ مُستَلطَفَا

The east wind's breeze rouses your longing,

The morning breeze stirs up your passion,

Though it used to be welcome whenever it blew.

Though it would have been gentler if it blew.

وبَرقٌ يَلُوحُ وروضٌ يَفُوحُ

وبَرقٌ يَلُوحُ وروضٌ يَفُوحُ

وَوُرقٌ تَنُوحُ وحِبٌّ جَفَا

وَوُرقٌ تَنُوحُ وحِبٌّ جَفَا

And lightning flashes, and a meadow breathes fragrance,

Lightning flashes and the meadow smells fragrant,

And gray doves lament, and a beloved has turned away,

Foliage laments and love is unfaithful.

وعِيسٌ تَزُمُّ وَوَاشٍ يَنُمُّ

وعِيسٌ تَزُمُّ وَوَاشٍ يَنُمُّ

وطَيفٌ يُلِمُّ ورَبعٌ عَفَا

وطَيفٌ يُلِمُّ ورَبعٌ عَفَا

And pale camels raise their heads, and a talebearer spreads slander,

A nightingale sings and a bulbul sleeps,

And a dream-vision visits, and a campsite has faded away.

A specter nods off and a courtyard is vacant.

ومَهمَا بَدَا شَادِنٌ أهيَفٌ

ومَهمَا بَدَا شَادِنٌ أهيَفٌ

تَذَّكَّرتَ شَادِنَكَ الأهيَفَا

تَذَّكَّرتَ شَادِنَكَ الأهيَفَا

And whenever a slender-waisted young gazelle appears,

And whatever lively partridge there was,

You remember your own slender-waisted gazelle.

You remembered your lively partridge.

وإِن ذُقتَ صَافِيَةً قَرقَفاً

وإِن ذُقتَ صَافِيَةً قَرقَفاً

تَذَكَّرتَ صَافِيَهُ القَرقَفَا

تَذَكَّرتَ صَافِيَهُ القَرقَفَا

And if you taste a clear, heady wine,

And if you tasted a cool draught,

You remember his clear, heady wine.

You remembered that cool draught.

فَمَا أنتَ إِلاَّ حَلِيف الغَرَامِ

فَمَا أنتَ إِلاَّ حَلِيف الغَرَامِ

ومَالَك مِن دَائِهِ مُشنفي

ومَالَك مِن دَائِهِ مُشنفي

For you are nothing but a companion of passionate love,

So you are nothing but a confidante of love,

And you have no remedy for its sickness.

And you have no remedy for its pain.

كَأنَّكَ أحمَدُ في شَأنِهِ

كَأنَّكَ أحمَدُ في شَأنِهِ

أَأَنتَ قَفَوتَ الذي قَد قَفَا

أَأَنتَ قَفَوتَ الذي قَد قَفَا

As though you were Ahmad in his condition—

As if you were Ahmad in his ordeal -

Have you followed what he has followed?

"Are you the leader who has led?"

فَقَالَ أَذَاكَ على شِرعَةٍ

فَقَالَ أَذَاكَ على شِرعَةٍ

تُعَدُّ مِن الشَّرعِ أو تُقتفي

تُعَدُّ مِن الشَّرعِ أو تُقتفي

He said: Is that founded on a religious way

So he said, "Is that by a way

Counted among sacred law, or followed?

That is considered proper conduct and followed?"

فَقُلتُ عَلَى السِّحر يَجني بهِ

فَقُلتُ عَلَى السِّحر يَجني بهِ

مِنَ الإِثم مَا شَاءَ أن يَقطُفَا

مِنَ الإِثم مَا شَاءَ أن يَقطُفَا

I said: On sorcery—through it he harvests

I said, "By sorcery he reaps from sin

Whatever sin he wishes to pluck.

Whatever he wished to pluck.

وقد مزج السحرَ من بدعهَ

وقد مزج السحرَ من بدعهَ

شَفا الغى داء بها واشتفي

شَفا الغى داء بها واشتفي

And he has blended sorcery with some of his innovations;

And he has mixed sorcery with his heresy,

With them he cured the sickness of error and found a cure.

A cure which removed an illness and was sought."

وقد قيض الله حَبرَا لَهُ

وقد قيض الله حَبرَا لَهُ

يُدَافِع عن هَفوِه إِن هَفَا

يُدَافِع عن هَفوِه إِن هَفَا

And God appointed a scholar for him,

And God has appointed scholars to defend

Who defends his lapse whenever he slips.

His confused utterances if they are confused.

تَصَرَّفَ بِالسَّحرِ في قَلبِهِ

تَصَرَّفَ بِالسَّحرِ في قَلبِهِ

فَأَمسَى بِهِ مُغرَماً مُدنَفَا

فَأَمسَى بِهِ مُغرَماً مُدنَفَا

He wielded sorcery over his heart,

He manipulated their hearts with sorcery

So he became infatuated with him, wasted with love.

Until they became enamored and submissive.

فَألَّفَ في شَأنِهِ دَفتَراً

فَألَّفَ في شَأنِهِ دَفتَراً

وزَحرَفَ في نَعتِهِ زُخرُفَا

وزَحرَفَ في نَعتِهِ زُخرُفَا

So he compiled a volume about him,

So he compiled a book about it

And ornamented his description with embellishments,

And decorated it with ornamentations.

إِلَى أن دَعَاهُ بِبَحرِ العُلُومِ

إِلَى أن دَعَاهُ بِبَحرِ العُلُومِ

وكَانَ ولاَ يَعلَمُ الأحرُفَا

وكَانَ ولاَ يَعلَمُ الأحرُفَا

Until he called him an Ocean of Learning,

Until he called them to the sea of knowledge

Though he did not know even the letters.

While he did not even know the alphabet.

ولَم يَتَّبِعِ الحَقَّ تألِيفُهُ

ولَم يَتَّبِعِ الحَقَّ تألِيفُهُ

فَقِيلَ ويُحكَى الذي أَلَّفَا

فَقِيلَ ويُحكَى الذي أَلَّفَا

His composition did not follow the truth,

His compilation did not follow the truth,

So what he composed was repeated and recounted.

So it was said, which compiled it?

وَيمدَحُهُ لِضَعَافِ العُقُولِ

وَيمدَحُهُ لِضَعَافِ العُقُولِ

فَأَتلَفَ بالمَينِ مَا أتلَفَا

فَأَتلَفَ بالمَينِ مَا أتلَفَا

And he praises him to those of weak intellect,

And he praises it to the feeble-minded,

Thus he ruined through lies whatever he ruined.

So he destroyed with disgrace what he destroyed.

ولَو صَدَقَ النَّاسَ في شَانِهِ

ولَو صَدَقَ النَّاسَ في شَانِهِ

لَحَذَّرَهُم قَاعَهُ الصَّفصَفَا

لَحَذَّرَهُم قَاعَهُ الصَّفصَفَا

Had he spoken truthfully to people about him,

And if he had been honest with the people about it,

He would have warned them of his bare, level plain.

Its bottomlessness would have warned them.

وإِنَّ عَلَيهِ حُقُوقَ الذين

وإِنَّ عَلَيهِ حُقُوقَ الذين

دَعَاهُم لِذَا الأمرِ لَو أنصَفَا

دَعَاهُم لِذَا الأمرِ لَو أنصَفَا

And he bears obligations toward those

And he owes a debt to those whom

He called to this affair—if he were fair.

He called to this matter, if he were fair.

فَقُلتُ دَعُوا الخَوضَ في دِينِهِ

فَقُلتُ دَعُوا الخَوضَ في دِينِهِ

فَقَد كُنتُ مِنكُم بِهِ أعرَفَا

فَقَد كُنتُ مِنكُم بِهِ أعرَفَا

So I said: Stop probing into his religion;

So I said, “Leave off wading into his religion,

For I knew him better than you did.

For I was more knowing of it than you.”

فَإني صَاحبتُهُ أزَمُناً

فَإني صَاحبتُهُ أزَمُناً

رَقِيباً عَلَيهِ ولَن يَعرِفَا

رَقِيباً عَلَيهِ ولَن يَعرِفَا

For I spent stretches of time in his company,

“For I accompanied him for a period,

Keeping watch over him; he will never know.

A watcher over him, though he will not know.

وقَد كَانَ عِندِى مِن سِرِّهِ

وقَد كَانَ عِندِى مِن سِرِّهِ

مَنَاكِرُ جَرَّت لِقَلبي السَّفَا

مَنَاكِرُ جَرَّت لِقَلبي السَّفَا

And among his secrets known to me were

And I had some of his secret with me,

Abominations that brought thorns into my heart.

Repugnant things that drew bitterness to my heart.

وإني قَد جِئتُهُ لَيلَةً

وإني قَد جِئتُهُ لَيلَةً

وَعايَنتُ مِن أمرِهِ مَا اختفي

وَعايَنتُ مِن أمرِهِ مَا اختفي

And one night I came to him,

And I came to him one night,

And witnessed what was hidden in his affairs.

And witnessed of his matter what was hidden.

وَعايَنتُ أسَاسَ مِنهَاجِهِ

وَعايَنتُ أسَاسَ مِنهَاجِهِ

ومِنهَاجَ أتبَاعِهِ المُقتفي

ومِنهَاجَ أتبَاعِهِ المُقتفي

And I witnessed the foundation of his way,

And I witnessed the foundation of his approach,

And the path followed by his adherents:

And the approach of his emulating followers.

وُهوَّ الأبَاطِيلُ والتُّرُهَاتُ

وُهوَّ الأبَاطِيلُ والتُّرُهَاتُ

وهَدمُ بِنَا شِرعَةِ المُصطفي

وهَدمُ بِنَا شِرعَةِ المُصطفي

It is falsehoods and absurdities,

It is falsehoods and nonsense,

And the demolition of the edifice of the Chosen One's law.

And destruction of the Law of the Chosen One.

وشَاهَدتُ مِنهُ عَلَى أنَّه

وشَاهَدتُ مِنهُ عَلَى أنَّه

تَصَنَّعَ في الدِّينِ فِعلاً كفي

تَصَنَّعَ في الدِّينِ فِعلاً كفي

And I witnessed in him—although he

And I witnessed of him that he

Affected piety—an act that was enough.

Feigned religiosity, a sufficient act.

أتَاهُ امرُؤٌ مُستَضِيفاُ لَهُ

أتَاهُ امرُؤٌ مُستَضِيفاُ لَهُ

وحَيَّا وبَيَّاهُ وَاستَعطَفَا

وحَيَّا وبَيَّاهُ وَاستَعطَفَا

A man came to him seeking his hospitality,

A man came to him seeking hospitality,

And greeted him, wished him well, and begged his kindness.

Greeted and complimented him, and implored.

فَتًى حَافِظٌ قَد طَوَاهُ الطَّوَى

فَتًى حَافِظٌ قَد طَوَاهُ الطَّوَى

وقَوَّسَهُ السَّيرُ فَأحقَوقَفَا

وقَوَّسَهُ السَّيرُ فَأحقَوقَفَا

A young Qur'an memorizer whom hunger had folded double,

A young man well-versed whom the course of time

And travel had bowed him until he was hunched.

Had bent, so he limped.

فََقَالَ لَه إذهَب وَلاَ تَلبِثَن

فََقَالَ لَه إذهَب وَلاَ تَلبِثَن

فَلَستَ لِبَابِ القِرَى مَصرِفَا

فَلَستَ لِبَابِ القِرَى مَصرِفَا

He said to him: Go, and do not linger;

So he said to him, “Go, and do not stay,

For you are no recipient at hospitality's door.

For you are not suited for the door of towns.”

فليس القُرأنُ بِمُجدٍ هُنَا

فليس القُرأنُ بِمُجدٍ هُنَا

فَنُورُ رِجَالِ العُلُومِ أنطَفَا

فَنُورُ رِجَالِ العُلُومِ أنطَفَا

The Qur'an is of no use here,

“For the Qur’an is not honorable here,

For the light of learned men has gone out.

The light of the scholars has outshone it.”

فَطَرَّدَهُ وأنثنَى فَانزَوَى

فَطَرَّدَهُ وأنثنَى فَانزَوَى

وَباتَ يُعَالِج وَخزَ السفي

وَباتَ يُعَالِج وَخزَ السفي

So he expelled him; he turned away and withdrew,

So he dismissed him, and the youth turned away,

And spent the night suffering the sting of thorns.

And spent the night addressing and scratching the wall.

وقَالَ قَفَوتُ الطَّرِيقَ الذي

وقَالَ قَفَوتُ الطَّرِيقَ الذي

به أمَرَ اللهُ أهلَ الصَّفَا

به أمَرَ اللهُ أهلَ الصَّفَا

And he said: I have followed the path

And he said, “I will take the path

That God prescribed to the people of purity.

That God ordered the people of spiritual excellence.”

فَإِنَّ أُولِى العِلمِ في سَبِّهِم

فَإِنَّ أُولِى العِلمِ في سَبِّهِم

مِنَ القُرُبِ لِلَّهِ مَا يُصطفي

مِنَ القُرُبِ لِلَّهِ مَا يُصطفي

For, as for the learned, reviling them

“For the people of knowledge, in their disdain,

Is among the choicest means of drawing near to God.

Are closest to God in what He chooses.”

وَبَاتَ مُصَلاَّهُ لَم يَأتِهِ

وَبَاتَ مُصَلاَّهُ لَم يَأتِهِ

وَبَاتَ عَلَى نَفسِهِ مُسرِفَا

وَبَاتَ عَلَى نَفسِهِ مُسرِفَا

And his place of prayer lay unvisited all night,

He spent the night without his prayer carpet,

While he spent the night transgressing against himself.

Not performing the prayer, to his own detriment.

وقَد بَاتَ عَيراً لِجَارَاتِهِ

وقَد بَاتَ عَيراً لِجَارَاتِهِ

إِذَا مَا اَبتَغَى مَأثَماً أسجَفَا

إِذَا مَا اَبتَغَى مَأثَماً أسجَفَا

And he spent the night a he-ass to his neighboring women,

And he had become a disgrace to his neighbors

Whenever he sought a sin, he drew the curtains.

When he sought disgraceful sins and overstepped.

يُجَرِّرُ مُمتَلِئًا قُصبَهُ

يُجَرِّرُ مُمتَلِئًا قُصبَهُ

فَتَحسَبَه المُقرَمَ الأكلَفَا

فَتَحسَبَه المُقرَمَ الأكلَفَا

He drags along his guts, stuffed full,

Dragging his staff, appearing full,

So you would take him for a dark-marked breeding camel.

So that you would think him the well-dressed dandy.

فَمَا كَانَ عَن رِيبَةٍ عَازِفاً

فَمَا كَانَ عَن رِيبَةٍ عَازِفاً

ومَا كُنَّ عَن رِيبَةٍ عُزَّفَا

ومَا كُنَّ عَن رِيبَةٍ عُزَّفَا

For he never shunned a suspect act,

He was not refraining from suspicion,

Nor did they shun a suspect act.

Nor were they refraining from suspicions about him.

فَلَمَّا تَمَكَّنَ وَقتُ الضُّحَى

فَلَمَّا تَمَكَّنَ وَقتُ الضُّحَى

وعَبَّ مِنَ الرِّسلِ حتى اكتفي

وعَبَّ مِنَ الرِّسلِ حتى اكتفي

Then, when the forenoon had fully set in,

So when it was time for mid-morning,

And he had gulped milk until he had enough,

And he was done with his messages to satiation,

ومَرَّ بِإِحدَى عَشِيقَاتِهِ

ومَرَّ بِإِحدَى عَشِيقَاتِهِ

ودَأبُ عَشِيقَاتِهِ في الرِّفَا

ودَأبُ عَشِيقَاتِهِ في الرِّفَا

And passed by one of his mistresses,

And he passed by one of his lovers—

And his mistresses' habit was concord,

And his way with his lovers was familiarity—

وقَهقَهَ جَهراً مَدَى صَوتِهِ

وقَهقَهَ جَهراً مَدَى صَوتِهِ

إِلَى أن تَتَابَعَ نَحوَ القَفَا

إِلَى أن تَتَابَعَ نَحوَ القَفَا

And laughed aloud at the top of his voice,

He laughed raucously, his voice reaching

Until he lurched backward, toward his nape,

Until it resonated towards the caves.

أتَى فَدَعَا أن تُقَامَ الصَّلاةُ

أتَى فَدَعَا أن تُقَامَ الصَّلاةُ

وقَدَّمَ مَأبُونَه الأغلَفَا

وقَدَّمَ مَأبُونَه الأغلَفَا

He came and called for the prayer to be begun,

He came and called for the prayer to be established,

And put forward his uncircumcised passive male partner.

And presented his prayer carpet, the most ornate.

وحَكَّ مِنَ الأرِض في وَجهِهِ

وحَكَّ مِنَ الأرِض في وَجهِهِ

كَمَا حُكَّ لِلهَرشِ جَنبَ الصَّفَا

كَمَا حُكَّ لِلهَرشِ جَنبَ الصَّفَا

And rubbed dirt from the ground onto his face,

And he slapped the ground with his face,

As an old camel rubs against a smooth rock's side.

As the cheek of the mountain is slapped.

وكَبَّرَ سِراًّ بِلاَ نِيَّةٍ

وكَبَّرَ سِراًّ بِلاَ نِيَّةٍ

يَظُنُّ المَقَامَ مَقَامَ الخَفَا

يَظُنُّ المَقَامَ مَقَامَ الخَفَا

And quietly said, 'God is greatest,' without intention,

And he exclaimed the Takbir secretly without intention,

Thinking the place a place of concealment.

Thinking the situation like that of concealment.

وقَد صَارَ عِندَ يَمِينِ الإِمَامِ

وقَد صَارَ عِندَ يَمِينِ الإِمَامِ

وذَلِكَ أمرٌ لَو استُخلِفَا

وذَلِكَ أمرٌ لَو استُخلِفَا

And he had taken his place at the imam's right,

And he came to stand at the right of the imam,

And that would be fitting if he were appointed deputy.

Though that is a matter which, if witnessed, would be scandalous.

وقَلَّبَ عَينَيهِ نَحوَ الهَوَا

وقَلَّبَ عَينَيهِ نَحوَ الهَوَا

وقَالَ لَهُ خَفِّفَن خَفِّفَا

وقَالَ لَهُ خَفِّفَن خَفِّفَا

And rolled his eyes toward the air,

And he glanced with his eyes towards passion,

And said to him: Shorten it, shorten it!

And said to it, “Lighten up, lighten up!”

فَأسرَع حتى تَظَنَّيتُهُ

فَأسرَع حتى تَظَنَّيتُهُ

بِكَفِّ وَلِيدٍ بِهِ خَذرَفَا

بِكَفِّ وَلِيدٍ بِهِ خَذرَفَا

So he hurried until I imagined him

So he hurried until I thought him

Being twirled like a top in a child's palm.

To be, with his lightness, Waleed who was abandoned.

فَلَمَّا وَنَوا سَلَّمُوا وأنثَنَوا

فَلَمَّا وَنَوا سَلَّمُوا وأنثَنَوا

وظَلَّوا بِحَافَاتِهِ عُكَّفَا

وظَلَّوا بِحَافَاتِهِ عُكَّفَا

Then, when they tired, they gave the closing greeting and turned away,

So when they turned for the greetings and turned away,

And remained devotedly gathered around his sides.

And remained clinging to its edges, bent over,

فَقَالَ عَلَيكُم بِقَفوِ الضَّلاَلِ

فَقَالَ عَلَيكُم بِقَفوِ الضَّلاَلِ

وحِرمَانِ عَافٍ إذَا مَا أعتفي

وحِرمَانِ عَافٍ إذَا مَا أعتفي

Then he said: You must follow error,

He said, upon you be straying misguidance

And deny a petitioner whenever he asks,

And deprivation of wellbeing, if fully realized.

ونَصرِ النَّمُومِ وطَيشِ الحُلُومِ

ونَصرِ النَّمُومِ وطَيشِ الحُلُومِ

وجَهلِ العُلُومِ وعِلمِ الجَفَا

وجَهلِ العُلُومِ وعِلمِ الجَفَا

Support the talebearer, and be reckless in judgment,

And help for slanderers and foolish minds,

Be ignorant of learning, but versed in harshness,

And ignorance of knowledge and knowledge of betrayal.

وَمنعِ الصِّلاَتِ وَتركِ الصَّلاَةِ

وَمنعِ الصِّلاَتِ وَتركِ الصَّلاَةِ

وصَرمِ الزَّكَاةِ وهَجرِ الوَفَا

وصَرمِ الزَّكَاةِ وهَجرِ الوَفَا

Withhold gifts, and abandon prayer,

And prevention of prayers and abandonment of prayer,

Cut off almsgiving, and forsake fidelity.

And withholding of charity and neglect of loyalty.

فَقَالُوا وصَاتُكَ مَسمُوعَةٌ

فَقَالُوا وصَاتُكَ مَسمُوعَةٌ

وأَنتَ المُعَدُّ لِيَومِ الوَفَا

وأَنتَ المُعَدُّ لِيَومِ الوَفَا

They said: Your counsel is heeded,

So they said, “Your bequest is heard,

And you are the one held ready for the day of fulfillment.

And you are prepared for the Day of the Rendezvous.”