مَتى مِنّا مُحِبٌّ مُدَّعينا

مَتى مِنّا مُحِبٌّ مُدَّعينا

إِلى السُلوانِ أَنكِرُ ما اِدَّعَينا

إِلى السُلوانِ أَنكِرُ ما اِدَّعَينا

Whenever a lover is claimed as one of us,

Whenever a lover among us casts an eye

he is the most estranged from consolation of all we claim.

Toward forgetting, I deny what we have claimed.

وَعَنّى نَفسَهُ مَن رامَ عَنّا

وَعَنّى نَفسَهُ مَن رامَ عَنّا

لِبَينِ مَرامِهِ في الحُبِّ بَينا

لِبَينِ مَرامِهِ في الحُبِّ بَينا

Whoever tried to speak for us only wearied himself,

He wearied himself who sought from us

for between his aim in love and ours lies a manifest gulf.

A parting, so distant was his aim in love.

وَأَينَ مِنَ الغَرامِ وَإِن عاهَ ال

وَأَينَ مِنَ الغَرامِ وَإِن عاهَ ال

غَرامُ جَوٍ تَشَكّى مِنهُ أَينا

غَرامُ جَوٍ تَشَكّى مِنهُ أَينا

How far from passion is one—even should

How far from passion—even if stricken by

passion wound him inwardly—who complains of weariness from it?

Passion—is a lovesick man who complains of weariness from it!

فَلا وَالحُبِّ لَيسَ هُناكَ مِنهُ

فَلا وَالحُبِّ لَيسَ هُناكَ مِنهُ

فَتىً لَم يَقضِ فيهِ ما قَضَينا

فَتىً لَم يَقضِ فيهِ ما قَضَينا

No—by love! There is no true lover there

No, by love! Among its own there is no

who has not suffered in it what we have suffered.

Youth who has not endured in it what we endured.

تَدَرَّعنا الغَرامَ وَما اِدَّرَعنا

تَدَرَّعنا الغَرامَ وَما اِدَّرَعنا

وَرَوَّعنا المَلامُ وَما اِرعَوَينا

وَرَوَّعنا المَلامُ وَما اِرعَوَينا

We donned passion as armor, though we took no shield,

We donned passion as armor, yet were not shielded.

and blame terrified us, yet we never desisted.

Reproach frightened us, yet we did not desist.

وَبَدَّلنا الهَوى بِالعِزِّ ذُلّاً

وَبَدَّلنا الهَوى بِالعِزِّ ذُلّاً

وَغَيرَ البَينِ عِنهُ ما أَبَينا

وَغَيرَ البَينِ عِنهُ ما أَبَينا

For love we traded honor for humiliation,

And love exchanged our honor for abasement;

and refused nothing from him except separation.

We refused nothing but separation from it.

وَمِن دَرَجِ الصُعودِ إِلى المَعالي

وَمِن دَرَجِ الصُعودِ إِلى المَعالي

إِلى دَرِ الهَوانَ بِهِ هَوَينا

إِلى دَرِ الهَوانَ بِهِ هَوَينا

From the steps of ascent toward the heights,

From the steps of ascent toward lofty heights,

to humiliation’s lowest depth, through them we fell.

Through it we fell to the depths of humiliation.

وَأَمَرَ الآمِرينَ بِهِ أَطَعنا

وَأَمَرَ الآمِرينَ بِهِ أَطَعنا

وَنَهيَ ذَوي النُهى عَنهُ عَصَينا

وَنَهيَ ذَوي النُهى عَنهُ عَصَينا

We obeyed the commander who commanded us concerning him,

We obeyed the command of those who urged it,

and disobeyed the wise when they forbade us from him.

And defied the prohibition of the wise against it.

وَلِأَحبابِ إِن غَدَروا وَأَبدوا

وَلِأَحبابِ إِن غَدَروا وَأَبدوا

مُذ مِتنا بِذِمَّتِنا وَفينا

مُذ مِتنا بِذِمَّتِنا وَفينا

For our beloveds—even if they betray us and make it plain—

And to beloveds, though they betrayed and made it plain,

since we died, we have remained faithful to our pledge.

Since we died, we have kept our covenant.

وَغَيرَ السُخطِ مِنهُم ما سَخَطنا

وَغَيرَ السُخطِ مِنهُم ما سَخَطنا

وَلا دونَ الرِضى لَمُ اِرتَضَينا

وَلا دونَ الرِضى لَمُ اِرتَضَينا

Nothing from them angered us except their displeasure,

We resented nothing but their displeasure,

nor were we content with anything short of their favor.

Nor accepted anything less than their contentment.

وَأَلفَينا الجَوى صَحباً وَلَمّا

وَأَلفَينا الجَوى صَحباً وَلَمّا

أَلِفناهُ عَلَينا صارَ هَينا

أَلِفناهُ عَلَينا صارَ هَينا

We found heartache a companion, and when

We found burning grief a companion, and when

we grew accustomed to it, it became easy for us.

We grew used to it, it became easy for us.

وَكَم رامَ الوُشاةُ بِنا اِنثَناءً

وَكَم رامَ الوُشاةُ بِنا اِنثَناءً

عَنِ الظَبيِ الأَغَنِّ فَما اِنثَنَينا

عَنِ الظَبيِ الأَغَنِّ فَما اِنثَنَينا

How often the slanderers tried to turn us

How often the slanderers sought to make us turn

from the sweet-voiced gazelle, but we never turned.

From the sweet-voiced gazelle, yet we did not turn.

بِروحي مَن لَهُ وَلَهي وَروحي

بِروحي مَن لَهُ وَلَهي وَروحي

بِهِ صَرفُ اللُبانَةِ عَن لُبَينى

بِهِ صَرفُ اللُبانَةِ عَن لُبَينى

My soul be ransom for him who owns my rapture and my soul;

My soul be ransom for him who owns my yearning and my soul;

through him my longing was diverted from Lubaynā.

Through him desire is turned away from Lubayna.

إِذا ما غابَ في الظَلماءِ رُحنا

إِذا ما غابَ في الظَلماءِ رُحنا

بِلا ضَوءٍ وَإِن آبَ اِغَتَدَينا

بِلا ضَوءٍ وَإِن آبَ اِغَتَدَينا

When he vanishes into darkness, we journey by night

When he vanishes in the darkness, we set out at evening

without a light; when he returns, we set out at dawn.

Without light; if he returns, we set out at dawn.

بِذابِلِ قَدِّهِ وَردٌ جِنِّيٌّ

بِذابِلِ قَدِّهِ وَردٌ جِنِّيٌّ

يُضاعَفُ كُلَّما مِنهُ اِجتَنَينا

يُضاعَفُ كُلَّما مِنهُ اِجتَنَينا

Upon the slender lance of his form is a freshly plucked rose

On the slender spear of his stature is a rose of the jinn,

that multiplies whenever we pluck from him.

Which doubles whenever we pluck from it.

لِتَفرِقَةِ المِلاحَةِ فيهِ جَمعٌ

لِتَفرِقَةِ المِلاحَةِ فيهِ جَمعٌ

إِذا طَلَبَ الجَمالَ بِهِ أَتَينا

إِذا طَلَبَ الجَمالَ بِهِ أَتَينا

In him are gathered beauty’s scattered graces;

In him the scattered charms are gathered;

whenever beauty is sought, we bring him forth.

Whenever beauty is sought, we bring him forth.

يُسقينا المُدامَ إِذا صَحَونا

يُسقينا المُدامَ إِذا صَحَونا

وَيَطوينا إِذا نَحنُ اِنتَشَينا

وَيَطوينا إِذا نَحنُ اِنتَشَينا

He gives us wine whenever we are sober,

He gives us wine whenever we grow sober,

and folds us away whenever we are drunk.

And enfolds us when we become intoxicated.

فَعَنهُ الصَبرُ أَصعَبُ ما فَقَدنا

فَعَنهُ الصَبرُ أَصعَبُ ما فَقَدنا

وَفيهِ المَوتُ أَهوَنُ ما التَقَينا

وَفيهِ المَوتُ أَهوَنُ ما التَقَينا

In separation from him, patience is the hardest thing we have lost,

So patience apart from him is our hardest loss;

and in him, death is the easiest thing we have met.

And death for him is the easiest thing we have faced.