بينَ الكَتائِبِ والكُثْبانِ جَلْجَلَةٌ

بينَ الكَتائِبِ والكُثْبانِ جَلْجَلَةٌ

تَهُزُّ قلباً مَتيناً كلُّهُ شِيَمُ

تَهُزُّ قلباً مَتيناً كلُّهُ شِيَمُ

Between the battalions and the dunes, a resounding clamor

Between the battalions and the dunes a tumult

Shakes a steadfast heart made wholly of noble virtues.

That shakes a steadfast heart filled with worries

رَنَّاتُ أَسرارِ أَحوالٍ يرَنِّحُها

رَنَّاتُ أَسرارِ أَحوالٍ يرَنِّحُها

من طِينِها بأَساليبِ الهوَى نَغَمُ

من طِينِها بأَساليبِ الهوَى نَغَمُ

Chimes of the secrets of spiritual states, set swaying

The melodies of the secrets of states moan in it

Out of their clay by a melody in the modes of love.

With the styles of passion from their clay a tune

فالأَنُّ مرتفِعٌ والحَنُّ منحدِرٌ

فالأَنُّ مرتفِعٌ والحَنُّ منحدِرٌ

والجمرُ ملتَهِبٌ والبحرُ ملْتَطِمُ

والجمرُ ملتَهِبٌ والبحرُ ملْتَطِمُ

So the groan rises, and the yearning cry descends;

Thus the joy is high and the sadness descends

And the embers blaze, and the sea surges.

And the embers are flaming and the sea pounding

أَقولُ واللَّيلُ في غَلغالِ عتمَتِهِ

أَقولُ واللَّيلُ في غَلغالِ عتمَتِهِ

يا ليلُ طُلْ ففُؤادي حَشْوُهُ همَمُ

يا ليلُ طُلْ ففُؤادي حَشْوُهُ همَمُ

I say, while night lies in the depths of its darkness:

I say and the night in the darkness of its shroud

O night, lengthen, for my heart is filled with lofty resolves.

O night, be long, for my heart is filled with concerns

صَبري جَليلٌ جميلٌ ثابِتٌ رَصِنٌ

صَبري جَليلٌ جميلٌ ثابِتٌ رَصِنٌ

وفي المحبَّةِ ما زلَّتْ به القَدَمُ

وفي المحبَّةِ ما زلَّتْ به القَدَمُ

My patience is majestic, beautiful, steadfast, and firm;

My patience is great, beautiful, steadfast, sturdy

And in love, sustained by it, my foot has never slipped.

And in love what my feet have slipped in

يا ليلُ تزعُمُ أَنِّي الآنَ نلتُ هوًى

يا ليلُ تزعُمُ أَنِّي الآنَ نلتُ هوًى

في كلِّ آوِنَةٍ أَحيى وأَنعَدِمُ

في كلِّ آوِنَةٍ أَحيى وأَنعَدِمُ

O night, you claim that I have now attained love;

O night, you claim that I have now attained a passion

At every moment I live and cease to be.

That I revive and perish in every instant

سَلِ الفَريقَ الذي أَبكي لفرقَتِهِ

سَلِ الفَريقَ الذي أَبكي لفرقَتِهِ

كم طاف منِّي بأَطْرافِ الفريقِ دَمُ

كم طاف منِّي بأَطْرافِ الفريقِ دَمُ

Ask the company whose parting makes me weep:

Ask the beloved whose separation I cry for

How much blood of mine has circled the company's outskirts?

How much of my blood circulated in the beloved's parts

بعَثْتُ روحي إلى أَركانِ ساحتَهِمْ

بعَثْتُ روحي إلى أَركانِ ساحتَهِمْ

تُمسي وتُصبحُ والأَركانَ تستَلِمُ

تُمسي وتُصبحُ والأَركانَ تستَلِمُ

I sent my soul to the corners of their courtyard;

I sent my soul to the corners of their abode

Evening and morning, it touches those corners in homage.

It comes in the evening and leaves in the morning and the corners receive it

هوِّنْ عليكَ وطُلْ ما شِئتَ شِمْتَ فتًى

هوِّنْ عليكَ وطُلْ ما شِئتَ شِمْتَ فتًى

نارُ الخَليلِ به يا ليلُ تضْطَرِمُ

نارُ الخَليلِ به يا ليلُ تضْطَرِمُ

Be at ease, and lengthen as you wish; you have beheld a youth

Be gentle with yourself and stay as long as you wish, enjoy yourself o night

In whom al-Khalil's fire blazes, O night.

The fire of the friend in it, o night, rages

تُؤمِّلُ النَّومَ منِّي منكَ واعَجَبي

تُؤمِّلُ النَّومَ منِّي منكَ واعَجَبي

أَنَّى تَنامُ عُيونٌ دمعُها دِيَمُ

أَنَّى تَنامُ عُيونٌ دمعُها دِيَمُ

You hope that I will sleep—how I marvel at you!

You wish for sleep from me, from you, how strange

How can eyes sleep whose tears are unbroken rains?

That eyes with endless tears would sleep

أَنا امرؤٌ تُرهِبُ الأَيَّام زفْرَتُهُ

أَنا امرؤٌ تُرهِبُ الأَيَّام زفْرَتُهُ

واللَّيلُ منه لبَرِّ الفجرِ ينهزِمُ

واللَّيلُ منه لبَرِّ الفجرِ ينهزِمُ

I am a man whose sigh terrifies the days;

I am a man whose snarls frighten the days

And night flees from him to the shore of dawn.

And the night from him to the dawn of morning is defeated

إِن كانَ مسَّ جُفوني في الهَوى وَسَنٌ

إِن كانَ مسَّ جُفوني في الهَوى وَسَنٌ

كما زعمْتَ فلا شُدَّتْ بيَ الحُزُمُ

كما زعمْتَ فلا شُدَّتْ بيَ الحُزُمُ

If drowsiness has touched my eyelids in love,

If old age has touched my eyelids in passion

As you claim, then may no girdles be fastened through me,

As you claimed, my determination has not been weakened

ولا تبِعْتُ جُدودي في مَفاخِرِهِمْ

ولا تبِعْتُ جُدودي في مَفاخِرِهِمْ

ولا تَباهى بإِرْثي الحِجْرُ والحَرَمُ

ولا تَباهى بإِرْثي الحِجْرُ والحَرَمُ

Nor may I follow my forebears in their glorious deeds,

Nor have I followed my ancestors in their glories

Nor may al-Hijr and the Sanctuary boast of my legacy,

Neither does stone or sanctuary boast of my inheritance

ولا أَفاضَتْ لأَصحابِ القُلُوبِ يَدي

ولا أَفاضَتْ لأَصحابِ القُلُوبِ يَدي

ولا سعتْ بي إلى صدرِ العُلى القَدَمُ

ولا سعتْ بي إلى صدرِ العُلى القَدَمُ

Nor may my hand pour forth for the people of the heart,

Nor have my hands been generous to the owners of hearts

Nor may my foot bear me to the forefront of glory.

Nor have my feet been far-reaching to the most high chest

أَنا ابنُ قومٍ إذا قالتْ مُعَرِّجَةٌ

أَنا ابنُ قومٍ إذا قالتْ مُعَرِّجَةٌ

في الأَرضِ من خيرُ أهلِ الأَرضِ قيلَ هُمُ

في الأَرضِ من خيرُ أهلِ الأَرضِ قيلَ هُمُ

I am the son of a people: when a passing traveler asks,

I am the son of a people who when a daring woman says

On earth, 'Who are earth's best people?' the answer is, 'They are.'

Who are the best people of earth, it is said they are

أَنا المُسَلْسَلُ من أَفلاذِ فاطمةٍ

أَنا المُسَلْسَلُ من أَفلاذِ فاطمةٍ

بنت النَّبيِّ الذي يُعْزى له الكَرَمُ

بنت النَّبيِّ الذي يُعْزى له الكَرَمُ

I descend in an unbroken chain from Fatimah's offspring,

I am the chained one from Fatima's offspring

Daughter of the Prophet to whom generosity is ascribed.

The daughter of the Prophet to whom all generosity is attributed

نِيابَتي عن رسولِ اللهِ ثابتَةٌ

نِيابَتي عن رسولِ اللهِ ثابتَةٌ

بها أَساطينُ علمِ الله قد عَلِموا

بها أَساطينُ علمِ الله قد عَلِموا

My role as deputy for the Messenger of God is established;

My representation of the Messenger of God is established

The pillars of divine knowledge have indeed known of it.

By it the pillars of the knowledge of God knew

ورِثْتُ شيخاً ببطْحاءِ العِراقِ له

ورِثْتُ شيخاً ببطْحاءِ العِراقِ له

مَنابِرُ الحالِ والبُرْهانِ والعَلَمُ

مَنابِرُ الحالِ والبُرْهانِ والعَلَمُ

I am heir to a shaykh on Iraq's broad plain; his are

I inherited a Shaykh in Iraq's Baṭḥāʾ[^1] for him

The pulpits of spiritual state and proof, and the banner.

The pulpits of state, proof and knowledge

حوِّلْ لسانَكَ يا ليلَ الدُّجى وأَمِطْ

حوِّلْ لسانَكَ يا ليلَ الدُّجى وأَمِطْ

عنكَ النِّقابَ فعَزْمي الأَوفَرُ العَزِمُ

عنكَ النِّقابَ فعَزْمي الأَوفَرُ العَزِمُ

Change your tongue, O night of darkness, and remove

Turn your dark night tongue and take off

Your veil, for my resolve is most abundant and steadfast.

From yourself the mask, for my resolve is most determined

أَنا وأَنتَ لأشواقٍ وزمزَمَةٍ

أَنا وأَنتَ لأشواقٍ وزمزَمَةٍ

على طَريقَيْنِ في الأَمرَيْنِ ننقَسِمُ

على طَريقَيْنِ في الأَمرَيْنِ ننقَسِمُ

You and I, in yearnings and murmuring,

I and you are for longing and murmuring

Are divided between two paths in these two matters.

On two paths in the two matters we differ

ولهفَةِ الحُبِّ في قلبي ومَوْطِنِها

ولهفَةِ الحُبِّ في قلبي ومَوْطِنِها

وإِنَّه قَسَمٌ أَنعِمْ به قَسَمُ

وإِنَّه قَسَمٌ أَنعِمْ به قَسَمُ

By love's yearning in my heart, and by its dwelling place—

And the fervor of love in my heart and its abode

And indeed it is an oath—what an excellent oath!

And it is a division I am content with as my division

لي قِسمَةٌ في طِيني مُخَمَّرَةٌ

لي قِسمَةٌ في طِيني مُخَمَّرَةٌ

والحاصِلاتُ لَعَمْري كلُّها قِسَمُ

والحاصِلاتُ لَعَمْري كلُّها قِسَمُ

Mine is a portion fermented within my clay,

I have a share in my being fermented

And all outcomes, by my life, are allotted portions.

And all the yields, by my life, are a division