1. My blamers blame me for excessive weeping,
Tears streaming down from excessive weeping,

2. No blame on one who weeps when parted
After being clad in the garb of separation.

3. How can I yearn for a girl named Salma
Who mixed the malady of her love into my remedy?

4. Whenever I forget her name and stop
It flows again, my tears mingled with my blood.

5. Ask her to let me be and forget her
I cannot let go, no matter how long my hope.

6. How can I let go when, whenever lightning flashes,
I imagine it is the flash of her sleeve.

7. Whenever a sandy mound appears,
I imagine it is her mount appearing.

8. Were it not pleasing to my eyes, she's a sun
Whose sun appears at times and disappears at times.

9. When you smile, O graceful gazelle,
Or inhale, O water of my spring,

10. You give life to a soul when the lightning of your dimples flashes
My intimates, and the fragrance of the morning blows.

11. Musk diffuses whenever your name is remembered
Since you called me at dawn in the sky.

12. And whenever I call out to someone,
My intention is Salma with that call.

13. Other lovers hope for my separation from Salma
Though they have no passion like mine.

14. For all the sailors are under her banner
And all the lovers are under my banner.

15. No harshness diverts me from you, so why
Does harshness not divert you from my harshness?

16. For my harshness and sorrow after praise
Are like copious, gushing waters.

17. With bounty and generosity my tears
Flow to all people with bounty and generosity,

18. Not differentiating between one and the other in giving,
Blessed, blessed is giving from the Giver of bounty.

19. If you seek virtues, you’ll find them in Him,
In Him are the fathers of prophets.

20. If bounty were given to the virtuous,
I would deserve it over the virtuous.

21. If knowledge were given to the learned,
I would deserve it over the learned.

22. If forbearance were given to the forbearing,
I would deserve it over the forbearing.

23. If generosity were given to any generous one,
I would deserve it over the generous.

24. If piety were given to the pious,
I would deserve it over the pious.

25. If intellect were given to any wise one,
I would deserve it over the wise.

26. How can one lacking at the start obtain virtue
That the virtuous did not obtain in full?

27. He attained knowledge though difficult and abstruse,
So its difficulty disappeared from obscurity,

28. And he progressed in forbearance after girding himself
With the piety of God—blessed is piety!

29. So he ascended to the station of revelation,
The station of subsistence after annihilation.

30. He stretched out a palm over people equally,
In despair and hardship and comfort.

31. And acumen of intellect—needless to mention an intellect—
That perplexed the ablest of the intelligent.

32. Who intends good obtains good,
While evil is served to those intending evil.

33. So he gives happiness when called upon,
While the defiant of supplication is miserable.

34. He serves the happy the sweetest cup
And the miserable are served a cup of misery.

35. The houses of glory were sick before him,
So he rebuilt them and they drew near to healing.

36. I said to glory, elevation, and freshness: What
Are the copious, gushing, ample waters and rain?

37. Glory said to me: I am not in the wild
Before sight of the Prince of Princes.

38. Then it has not ceased ascending through him
Rebuilding all that collapsed of buildings.

39. And elevation replied loudly:
My brilliance is but illusion in emptiness,

40. Before his eyes, and it has not ceased ascending,
Raising me until my elevation was upright.

41. And freshness replied: Leave me be
Before the water of eyes overflows with weeping,

42. For when the solution to my state comes
With firmness over slaves and bondmaids too,

43. With steeds and she-camels and wealth
I shall be relieved, as my praise is straitened,

44. Adornment of the noble everywhere, its crown and necklace,
The place of raising banners.

45. Would that in the descent of pouring rain it were protected
By lightning bolts burning hot winds in the atmosphere,

46. Its reputation and light hosts the guest from it,
You go forward from it, the place of praise!

47. Its harm and benefit, its protector protects it,
Repelling harm, bringing blessings.

48. Haydari, when the noble count
You are among them the lofty straight path!

49. Its birds of prey are accustomed to his sword,
Severing without transgression.

50. Commander in God’s commands, prohibiting
From His prohibitions, the most just of rulers,

51. How many thirsty devotees has it quenched
That exhausted saints before him?

52. Rather oceans it quenched devotees from
That were inaccessible to saints through satiation.

53. How many perplexities it solved, problems
That confounded eloquent orators before him!

54. How many poor and orphans befriended
Whose barren poverty it relieved!

55. How much ignorant darkness it illuminated with knowledge
Whose illumination brought good fortune!

56. How many hearts it encompassed and encompassed, lost,
So it guided them to the path of rectitude!

57. How much glory it has in praise composed
That fell short of the poets’ hands!

58. And when people strayed in opinions,
It guided people quickly in opinions.

59. And it poured bounty during dry spell of stinginess
Like a long pouring rain.

60. A full moon of insight rose from it
Outshining the sun in brilliance.

61. Seas of knowledge surged from it
Never muddied by turbidity.

62. Then floods of generosity poured from it
Reviving the parched after winter.

63. That guidance is for the blind, and from it
Is drink, and it enriches the poor.

64. My desire is none but virtues,
O Abu Al-Fadl, elevation, and loyalty!

65. I have made its verb and meaning for you
And the meaning is intended from things.

66. O scion of revelation and prophecy! O you
Whose name the Greatest called out in the heavenly realm!

67. O ally of glory—yes, and its father—
Bounty riding over the bountiful!

68. O long in pillar, O pole! O you whose
Anger to God is like pleasure!

69. O abundant in ashes! O you who are covered
In piety—so it disappeared, abundant in covering!

70. My hope does not cease in life as a pillar
For glories, in power and ease.

71. The envious of you are thwarted by my pride
And elation grows with your longevity.

72. O my helper against afflictions, and my rescue
From my sins, so I hope for a cure!

73. I have imposed with praise—yet my desire
Is that my hope in you not be dashed.

74. Then prayer from me follows greetings
Starting with the Prophet and ending with you.