أَأُمُّ عَبيدَةٍ أَقلَقْتِ رَكبي

أَأُمُّ عَبيدَةٍ أَقلَقْتِ رَكبي

وقَلْقَلْتِ العِواجَ إلى حِمَاكِ

وقَلْقَلْتِ العِواجَ إلى حِمَاكِ

O Umm Abida, you have unsettled my caravan,

O mother of Ubaydah, you have wearied my knees

And stirred the lean camels toward your sanctuary.

And jarred the camel's saddle to your tent

فأَفناها المَسيرُ فقُمْتُ أَسعى

فأَفناها المَسيرُ فقُمْتُ أَسعى

على القَدَمَيْنِ مُنْبَتَّ الشِّرَاكِ

على القَدَمَيْنِ مُنْبَتَّ الشِّرَاكِ

The journey wore them out, so I rose to hasten

The journey exhausted it, so I began to run

On both feet, with my sandal strap snapped.

On feet shod with interlaced straps

وأَعملْتُ العَزيمَةَ جهدَ طَوْقي

وأَعملْتُ العَزيمَةَ جهدَ طَوْقي

عَسى عَيْني بناظِرِها ترَاكِ

عَسى عَيْني بناظِرِها ترَاكِ

And I exerted my resolve to the utmost of my strength,

And I summoned my will with all my strength

Hoping my eye might see you through its pupil.

That my eyes might see you again

وقلتُ لهِمَّتي جدِّي وسيري

وقلتُ لهِمَّتي جدِّي وسيري

لأُمِّ عُبادَ بورِكَ في سُرَاكِ

لأُمِّ عُبادَ بورِكَ في سُرَاكِ

And I said to my resolve, “Strive, and journey

And I said to my resolve: "Be serious and walk

To Umm Ubad—may your night journey be blessed!”

To Umm Ubada, blessings in your abode"

فطُفْتُ الأَرضَ شبراً بعدَ شبرٍ

فطُفْتُ الأَرضَ شبراً بعدَ شبرٍ

فما التَفَتَ العِيانُ إلى سِوَاكِ

فما التَفَتَ العِيانُ إلى سِوَاكِ

So I traversed the earth, handspan after handspan,

So I roamed the land inch by inch

Yet sight turned toward none but you.

But my eyes saw none but you

ولا قيَّدْتُ ذاتي في نِطاقٍ

ولا قيَّدْتُ ذاتي في نِطاقٍ

يُميلُ بها شُهودي عن رُبَاكِ

يُميلُ بها شُهودي عن رُبَاكِ

Nor did I bind myself within a sphere

And I did not confine myself within bounds

Where my witnessing would turn my self away from your hills.

That would divert my witnesses from your love

ضحِكْتُ مسرَّةً مذْ ضِئْتِ صُبحاً

ضحِكْتُ مسرَّةً مذْ ضِئْتِ صُبحاً

لعَيْني لا عَدا عَيْني هُدَاكِ

لعَيْني لا عَدا عَيْني هُدَاكِ

I laughed for joy since you shone as dawn

I laughed with joy when dawn shone

To my eye—may your guidance never pass my eye by.

For my eye, none but you is its guide

مَقامُ القُربِ أَضحَكَني كبُعْدٍ

مَقامُ القُربِ أَضحَكَني كبُعْدٍ

أَسالَ سَحابَ أَجفاني البَواكي

أَسالَ سَحابَ أَجفاني البَواكي

The station of nearness made me laugh, just as distance

The nearness of station made me laugh like distance

Made the clouds of my weeping eyelids pour.

My eyelids rained clouds that poured out laments

أطيرُ إلى حِماكِ بلا جَناحٍ

أطيرُ إلى حِماكِ بلا جَناحٍ

لأَغنَمَ فيضَ هِمَّةِ من حَمَاكِ

لأَغنَمَ فيضَ هِمَّةِ من حَمَاكِ

I fly to your sanctuary without a wing,

I fly to your tent without wings

To gain the outpouring of spiritual resolve from the one who guarded you.

To gain in full the bounty of your shelter

فأنتِ مَنارُ قبلَةِ كلِّ قلبٍ

فأنتِ مَنارُ قبلَةِ كلِّ قلبٍ

تسلَّقَ بالهُدى دَرَجَ السَّمَاكِ

تسلَّقَ بالهُدى دَرَجَ السَّمَاكِ

For you are the beacon marking every heart’s prayer-direction,

For you are the beacon of every heart's desire

That has climbed, through guidance, the steps to al-Samak.

That climbed the heights of sublimity by guidance

عَرَفْتُكِ في مَناطِ الرُّوحِ حتَّى

عَرَفْتُكِ في مَناطِ الرُّوحِ حتَّى

غَدَوْتُ بكلِّ بارِزَةٍ أَرَاكِ

غَدَوْتُ بكلِّ بارِزَةٍ أَرَاكِ

I knew you in the seat of the spirit, until

I knew you in the realm of the soul until

I came to see you in every manifest thing.

I saw you in every revealed thing

رَعاكِ اللهُ من طَوْرِ روحي

رَعاكِ اللهُ من طَوْرِ روحي

يدٌ عَلِقَتْ بهِمَّتِها عُرَاكِ

يدٌ عَلِقَتْ بهِمَّتِها عُرَاكِ

May God guard you! From the Sinai of my spirit,

May God protect your spirit from my soul

A hand has clung, with its resolve, to your handholds.

A hand attached to its resolve by your necklace

جَذبْتِ الرُّوحَ من دَرَكاتِ كَوْني

جَذبْتِ الرُّوحَ من دَرَكاتِ كَوْني

وها أَنا جِئْتُ مَجْذوباً فَهَاكِ

وها أَنا جِئْتُ مَجْذوباً فَهَاكِ

You drew the spirit from the depths of my being,

You pulled the soul from the pits of my being

And here I have come, drawn to you—so take me!

And here I come, drawn, so receive me

فأنتِ أَقامَكِ الرَّحمنُ طُوراً

فأنتِ أَقامَكِ الرَّحمنُ طُوراً

وقدَّسَكِ المُهَيْمِنُ وانْتَقَاكِ

وقدَّسَكِ المُهَيْمِنُ وانْتَقَاكِ

For you are a Sinai, raised by the All-Merciful,

For God established you as a Mount Sinai

And the Guardian has sanctified you and chosen you.

And the All-Powerful sanctified you and selected you

وشادَكِ في مَطافِ الغَيْبِ داراً

وشادَكِ في مَطافِ الغَيْبِ داراً

وللغَوْثِ الرِّفاعِيِّ اصْطَفَاكِ

وللغَوْثِ الرِّفاعِيِّ اصْطَفَاكِ

And built you as a dwelling in the unseen’s place of circumambulation,

And erected for you in the sphere of Mystery a house

And chose you for the Succorer, al-Rifa‘i.

And for the Most Lofty Aid, He chose you

ومدَّ عليكِ أَسجِفَةَ التَّدَلِّي

ومدَّ عليكِ أَسجِفَةَ التَّدَلِّي

وقد طَبَعَ القُلُوبَ على هَوَاكِ

وقد طَبَعَ القُلُوبَ على هَوَاكِ

And spread over you the veils of descent,

And extended over you the canopy of subtlety

And has imprinted hearts with love for you.

And stamped hearts with passion for your love

فلا بَرِحَتْ ترِقُّ بكِ المَعاني

فلا بَرِحَتْ ترِقُّ بكِ المَعاني

وتنْفَتِقُ الفُهومُ لمن أَتَاكِ

وتنْفَتِقُ الفُهومُ لمن أَتَاكِ

So may meanings never cease to grow subtle through you,

So meanings continue to rise in you

And understandings unfold for whoever comes to you.

And insights burst forth in those who came to you