أَثَمَّةُ أَربابِ الصَبابَةِ يَمَّموا

أَثَمَّةُ أَربابِ الصَبابَةِ يَمَّموا

هَوىيَ وَبِالتَسليمِ لي فيهِ سَلَّموا

هَوىيَ وَبِالتَسليمِ لي فيهِ سَلَّموا

Are there masters of ardent longing who have sought

The young lovers have surrendered

my love, and in submission yielded to me in it?

To my love and bowed to me in submission

وَوَجهي تَوَلّوا قِبلَةً في صَلاتِهِم

وَوَجهي تَوَلّوا قِبلَةً في صَلاتِهِم

وَنَحوَ مَقامي سَلَّموا حينَ أَسلَموا

وَنَحوَ مَقامي سَلَّموا حينَ أَسلَموا

And they took my face as their qibla in prayer,

They turned their faces to me in prayer

and offered salutations toward my station when they submitted.

And bowed to my station when they became Muslims

وَبَينَ يَدي نَجواهُمُ لي تَصَدَّقوا

وَبَينَ يَدي نَجواهُمُ لي تَصَدَّقوا

بِبِرِّهِمُ في أُسرَتي وَتَكَلَّموا

بِبِرِّهِمُ في أُسرَتي وَتَكَلَّموا

And before their private communion with me, they gave charity

They whispered their secrets before me in alms

through their kindness to my family, and spoke.

Speaking gently in my ear

وَلَو بَلَغوا في الهَديِ بِالحُبِّ كَعبَةً

وَلَو بَلَغوا في الهَديِ بِالحُبِّ كَعبَةً

سِوى كَعبَتي لَم يَقبَلِ اللَهُ مِنهُمُ

سِوى كَعبَتي لَم يَقبَلِ اللَهُ مِنهُمُ

And even if, in offering sacrifice, they reached through love a Kaaba

Had they reached the Kaaba in their love

other than my Kaaba, God would not accept it from them.

Besides my Kaaba God would not accept them

فَمُؤمِنُهُم بي مُؤمِنٌ وَمُصَدِّقٌ

فَمُؤمِنُهُم بي مُؤمِنٌ وَمُصَدِّقٌ

وَمُسلِمُهُم فيما قَضَيتُ مُسَلِّمُ

وَمُسلِمُهُم فيما قَضَيتُ مُسَلِّمُ

So whoever among them believes in me is a believer and affirms the truth,

Their believer believes in me

and their Muslim submits to what I have decreed.

And the one who affirms me affirms

وَكُلُّهُم هاموا بِحُبّي وَمَوَّهوا

وَكُلُّهُم هاموا بِحُبّي وَمَوَّهوا

بِغَيري لِأَغيارِ الغَرامِ وَأَوهَموا

بِغَيري لِأَغيارِ الغَرامِ وَأَوهَموا

And all of them were mad with love for me, and disguised it

They were enraptured with love of me and raved

with someone other than me, misleading those alien to passion.

With others for the sake of strangers' love and fancied

وَبي في سَبيلِ العاشِقينَ تَبَصَّروا

وَبي في سَبيلِ العاشِقينَ تَبَصَّروا

وَسائِرُ أَهلِ الزيغِ عَن مَذهَبي عَمّوا

وَسائِرُ أَهلِ الزيغِ عَن مَذهَبي عَمّوا

And through me they gained insight into the lovers' path,

And through me they saw the way of lovers

while the rest, who strayed from my way, were blind.

While the people of deviance were blind to my creed

فَباطِنُ قَولي في المُحِبّينَ ظاهِرٌ

فَباطِنُ قَولي في المُحِبّينَ ظاهِرٌ

وَلِكِنَّهُ عِندَ البَهائِمِ مَبهِمُ

وَلِكِنَّهُ عِندَ البَهائِمِ مَبهِمُ

Thus the inner meaning of my words is clear to lovers,

So the inner meaning of my words is clear to lovers

but to beasts it is obscure.

But to beasts it is ambiguous

وَلَستُ عَلى أَهلِ الغَرامِ بِمُدَّعٍ

وَلَستُ عَلى أَهلِ الغَرامِ بِمُدَّعٍ

وَلَكِن لِساني عَن هَواهُم يُتَرجَمُ

وَلَكِن لِساني عَن هَواهُم يُتَرجَمُ

And I make no claim against the people of passion,

I make no claims upon lovers

but my tongue gives voice to their love.

But my tongue translates their passions

وَأَتباعُهُم لي في الهَوى أَنا تابِعٌ

وَأَتباعُهُم لي في الهَوى أَنا تابِعٌ

لَهُم وَهُمُ فيهِ أَنا وَأَنا هُمُ

لَهُم وَهُمُ فيهِ أَنا وَأَنا هُمُ

And their followers are mine in love; I am a follower

And their followers in love are my followers

of them; in it they are I, and I am they.

They are me in it, and I am them