كتابك يا عليٌّ زار غبا

كتابك يا عليٌّ زار غبا

فزاد على تليد الحب حبا

فزاد على تليد الحب حبا

Your letter, O Ali, came after an interval,

Your book, O Ali, visited absence

and added love to the love of old.

So it increased love over accustomed love

وكنت إليه صبّاً أي صب

وكنت إليه صبّاً أي صب

ولولا حبكم ما كنت صبا

ولولا حبكم ما كنت صبا

And I was enamored of it—utterly enamored;

And I was pouring to it, O pourer

without love for you, I would not have been lovestruck.

And were it not for your love, I would not have been a pourer

أتاني بعد ما أنحلت جسما

أتاني بعد ما أنحلت جسما

وذبت حشاشة وعمدت قلبا

وذبت حشاشة وعمدت قلبا

It came to me after I had wasted away in body,

It came to me after my body had melted

and my vital spirit had melted and my heart had ached.

And my heart had melted and intended a heart

فككت ختامه فشذى عبيراً

فككت ختامه فشذى عبيراً

ولامح جوهراً وانساع ضربا

ولامح جوهراً وانساع ضربا

I broke its seal, and it breathed out fragrance,

So I undid its seal and it diffused a scent

and gleamed like a jewel and flowed like white honey.

And gleamed a essence and spread a pulse

وخاطبني به معنى لطيف

وخاطبني به معنى لطيف

وحيث سألته عنكم فلبى

وحيث سألته عنكم فلبى

And through it a subtle meaning spoke to me,

And addressed me with a gentle meaning

and when I asked it about you, it answered.

And when I asked it about you, it fulfilled

ولولا حيث حياني لعمري

ولولا حيث حياني لعمري

غدت روحي بأيدي البين نهبا

غدت روحي بأيدي البين نهبا

And had it not greeted me—by my life—

And were it not that it gave me life for my life

my soul would have fallen prey to separation's hands.

My soul would have been prey to separation

تقاضاني بقرب الوجد بعداً

تقاضاني بقرب الوجد بعداً

وعوضني ببعد الوصل قربا

وعوضني ببعد الوصل قربا

It exacted distance from me for longing's nearness,

Demanding me the nearness of passion after distance

and repaid me with nearness for union's distance.

And compensating me for the distance of union with nearness

أبا حسن فدتك من الرزايا

أبا حسن فدتك من الرزايا

عداة بعضهم بالغيب دبا

عداة بعضهم بالغيب دبا

Abu Hasan, may your ransom from calamities be

O Abu Hasan, I sacrifice you from afflictions

enemies, some of whom crept unseen.

Some enemies crept in absence

وينسى اللَه من ينسى صنيعا

وينسى اللَه من ينسى صنيعا

صنعت له فصنعك في أربى

صنعت له فصنعك في أربى

And may God forget whoever forgets a kindness

And forgets God whoever forgets a favor

you did for him; your kindness is ever greater.

You did to him, so your favor is more worthy

وتذكر أنني عن وصل ليلى

وتذكر أنني عن وصل ليلى

بدا لي لا ومن كشف المغبا

بدا لي لا ومن كشف المغبا

And you say that, concerning union with Layla, I

And remember that I, from the union of Layla

have changed my mind? No, by Him who reveals the hidden!

The no to me became yes, and who uncovered the unseen

سأرتكب الخطوب لوصول ليلى

سأرتكب الخطوب لوصول ليلى

فما يخشى أخو العزمات خطبا

فما يخشى أخو العزمات خطبا

I shall brave calamities to reach Layla;

I will commit mistakes to reach Layla

a man of firm resolve fears no calamity.

So the brother of resolves does not fear mistakes

وحسبي اللَه في قرب وبعد

وحسبي اللَه في قرب وبعد

كفى باللَه ذي الآلاء حسبا

كفى باللَه ذي الآلاء حسبا

And God suffices me in nearness and distance;

God suffices me in nearness and distance

God, possessor of blessings, is sufficient support.

Sufficient is God, the Bestower, as Reckoner

مقيلي فوق أكوار المطايا

مقيلي فوق أكوار المطايا

وليلي السرى خفضاً ونصبا

وليلي السرى خفضاً ونصبا

My midday rest is atop the riding-beasts' saddles,

My night camp is atop the curves of the mounts

and my nights are spent traveling, in ease and toil.

And my night of travel bowed down and erect

وقد أرد المياه مطحلبات

وقد أرد المياه مطحلبات

وإن عدمت جعلت الليل شربا

وإن عدمت جعلت الليل شربا

And sometimes I reach algae-covered waters,

And though the water is green with moss

and if I find none, I make the night my drink.

If it lacks, I make the night a drink

إذا ما حقق الحر اعتزاماً

إذا ما حقق الحر اعتزاماً

فلا يخشى أذى بر وحبا

فلا يخشى أذى بر وحبا

When a free man makes his resolve firm,

When the free person accomplishes a resolve

he fears no harm from land or clouds.

He does not fear harm of justification or love

أظل على مطا كور المطايا

أظل على مطا كور المطايا

أخب بها إذا ما الآل خبا

أخب بها إذا ما الآل خبا

I spend the day atop the riding-beasts' saddle-backs,

I remain atop the curves of the mounts

trotting on them when the mirage fades.

Speaking of them when the family spoke

عوي السيد في الفلوات أنسي

عوي السيد في الفلوات أنسي

وأقنص بالضحى صعواً وضبا

وأقنص بالضحى صعواً وضبا

The wolf's howl in the wilderness is my company,

Passing the master in the expanses, I busy myself

and at midmorning I hunt a sparrow and a spiny-tailed lizard.

And hunt with the morning a deer and mountain goat

وأحدو بالروي مكلفات

وأحدو بالروي مكلفات

وأزجر في ضمير الليل ركبا

وأزجر في ضمير الليل ركبا

And I urge burdened camels onward with rhyming song,

And I stir in the conscience of the night riding camels

and drive the caravan through the heart of night.

And I remember from the love of Layla, arts

وأذكر من هوى ليلى فنوناً

وأذكر من هوى ليلى فنوناً

إذا ما ساخها ذو الشيب شبا

إذا ما ساخها ذو الشيب شبا

And I recount varied strains of love for Layla;

When the gray-haired stoked them as a youth

if a gray-haired man heard them, he would grow young.

And my companions above their saddlebags asleep

وصحبي فوق أرحلهم رقود

وصحبي فوق أرحلهم رقود

تهب إذا النسيم الرطب هبا

تهب إذا النسيم الرطب هبا

And my companions lie asleep upon their saddles,

The moist breeze blows so they awake

awakening when the moist breeze blows.

The beauties danced to us toward Layla

رقصن بنا الأيانق نحو ليلى

رقصن بنا الأيانق نحو ليلى

وقد نظرت نواظرهن حبجبا

وقد نظرت نواظرهن حبجبا

The she-camels danced with us toward Layla,

And their glances looked from behind the veils

and their eyes had seen a great mass.

So they made us forbidden and permitted and we circled

فأحرمنا وأحللنا وطفنا

فأحرمنا وأحللنا وطفنا

وعرفنا ولبينا الملبى

وعرفنا ولبينا الملبى

Then we entered consecration, left it, and circumambulated,

And we knew and faced the direction of prayer

and stood at Arafat, answering the One whose call we heed.

And we rushed toward Tayba so we may revive

وعجنا نحو طيبة كي نحيي

وعجنا نحو طيبة كي نحيي

رسول اللَه إخلاصا وحبا

رسول اللَه إخلاصا وحبا

And we turned toward Taybah to greet

The Messenger of God in sincerity and love

God's Messenger with sincerity and love.

We stopped at his planet and said

وقفنا عند كوكبه وقلنا

وقفنا عند كوكبه وقلنا

حبيب اللَه فاجعلنا أحبا

حبيب اللَه فاجعلنا أحبا

We stood beside his star and said,

Beloved of God, so make us the most loving

'Beloved of God, make us beloved.'

We glorified the earth to our faces

سبحنا بالتراب لنا وجوهاً

سبحنا بالتراب لنا وجوهاً

وعدناها لنمسح منه تربا

وعدناها لنمسح منه تربا

We bathed our faces in the dust,

And we returned them to wipe from it dust

and promised them a touch of its dust.

And we said, and God is Knowing of us

وقلنا والإله بنا عليم

وقلنا والإله بنا عليم

إليك إليك فارقنا ذنبا

إليك إليك فارقنا ذنبا

And we said—God knows us well—

To You, to You, we left sin

'To you, to you—we have forsaken sin.'

And we hope through your intercession we are saved

ونرجو بالشفاعة منك ننجو

ونرجو بالشفاعة منك ننجو

ونرجع بالرضى منكم ونحبى

ونرجع بالرضى منكم ونحبى

And we hope to be saved through your intercession,

And we return with acceptance from you and are rewarded

and to return with your approval, endowed with gifts.