أَخرِقُ الدُفَّ لَو رَأَيتُ شَكيبا

أَخرِقُ الدُفَّ لَو رَأَيتُ شَكيبا

وَأَفُضُّ الأَذكارَ حَتّى يَغيبا

وَأَفُضُّ الأَذكارَ حَتّى يَغيبا

I would tear the tambourine if I saw Shakib,

I would beat the drums if I saw Shakib

and break off the invocations until he went away.

And utter prayers until he is gone

هُوَ ذِكري وَقِبلَتي وَإِمامي

هُوَ ذِكري وَقِبلَتي وَإِمامي

وَطَبيبي إِذا دَعَوتُ الطَبيبا

وَطَبيبي إِذا دَعَوتُ الطَبيبا

He is my invocation, my qibla, and my imam,

He is my remembrance, my qibla, my imam

and my physician when I call for a physician.

And my doctor when I call upon a doctor

لَو تَراني وَقَد تَعَمَّدتَ قَتلي

لَو تَراني وَقَد تَعَمَّدتَ قَتلي

بِالتَنائي رَأَيتَ شَيخاً حَريبا

بِالتَنائي رَأَيتَ شَيخاً حَريبا

If you saw me, having deliberately sought my death

If you could see me, I who yearned to kill myself

by keeping far away, you would see a bereft old man,

Out of separation, you would see a fierce old man

كانَ لا يَنحَني لِغَيرِكَ إِجلا

كانَ لا يَنحَني لِغَيرِكَ إِجلا

لاً وَلا يَشتَهي سِواكَ حَبيبا

لاً وَلا يَشتَهي سِواكَ حَبيبا

who bowed to none but you in reverence,

Who would not bow to any but you out of reverence

and desired no beloved but you.

Nor desire anyone but you, O beloved

لا تَعيبَنَّ يا شَكيبُ دَبيبي

لا تَعيبَنَّ يا شَكيبُ دَبيبي

إِنَّما الشَيخُ مَن يَدِبُّ دَبيبا

إِنَّما الشَيخُ مَن يَدِبُّ دَبيبا

Do not fault my shuffling, O Shakib;

Do not blame, O Shakib, my infatuation

an old man is but one who shuffles along.

For it is the old man who is infatuated

كَم شَرِبتَ المُدامَ في حَضرَةِ الشَي

كَم شَرِبتَ المُدامَ في حَضرَةِ الشَي

خِ جِهاراً وَكَم سُقيتَ الحَليبا

خِ جِهاراً وَكَم سُقيتَ الحَليبا

How often you drank wine in the old man's presence,

How much wine have you drunk in the Shaykh's presence

openly, and how often you were given milk!

And how much milk were you given to drink

فَسَلوا سُبحَتي فَهَل كانَ تَسبي

فَسَلوا سُبحَتي فَهَل كانَ تَسبي

حِيَ فيها إِلّا شَكيباً شَكيبا

حِيَ فيها إِلّا شَكيباً شَكيبا

So ask my prayer beads: was my chant of praise

Ask my prayer beads - did I glorify

with them anything but 'Shakib, Shakib'?

Anyone in them but Shakib, Shakib?

وَإِذا أَدنَفَ الشُيوخَ غَرامٌ

وَإِذا أَدنَفَ الشُيوخَ غَرامٌ

كُنتُ في حَلبَةِ الشُيوخِ نَقيبا

كُنتُ في حَلبَةِ الشُيوخِ نَقيبا

And when passion laid the old men low,

And when love overwhelms the Shaykhs

I was a leader in the old men's arena.

I was the chief of the circle of Shaykhs

عُد إِلَينا فَقَد أَطَلتَ التَجافي

عُد إِلَينا فَقَد أَطَلتَ التَجافي

وَاِركَبِ البَرقَ إِن أَطَقتَ الرُكوبا

وَاِركَبِ البَرقَ إِن أَطَقتَ الرُكوبا

Return to us, for you have long kept away,

Return to us, for you have been away too long

and ride the lightning, if you can bear the ride.

Ride the lightning if you can mount it

وَإِذا خِفتَ ما يُخافُ مِنَ اليَم

وَإِذا خِفتَ ما يُخافُ مِنَ اليَم

مِ فَرَشنا لِأَخمَصَيكَ القُلوبا

مِ فَرَشنا لِأَخمَصَيكَ القُلوبا

And if you fear what is feared from the sea,

And if you fear what is feared from the sea

we shall spread our hearts beneath the arches of your feet,

Our hearts will be carpets for your feet

وَدَعَونا بِساطَ صاحِبِ بِلقي

وَدَعَونا بِساطَ صاحِبِ بِلقي

سَ فَلَبّى دُعاءَنا مُستَجيبا

سَ فَلَبّى دُعاءَنا مُستَجيبا

and summon the carpet of Bilqis's companion,

And we called upon the rug of Bilqis's companion

and it shall respond, answering our call;

And he responded to our call favorably

وَأَمَرنا الرِياحَ تَجري بِأَمرٍ

وَأَمَرنا الرِياحَ تَجري بِأَمرٍ

مِنكَ حَتّى نَراكَ مِنّا قَريبا

مِنكَ حَتّى نَراكَ مِنّا قَريبا

and we shall command the winds to blow at a command

And we ordered the winds to blow by your command

from you, until we see you close to us.

Until we see you near, O beloved