لا تتركوا المشتاق نهباً للعدا

لا تتركوا المشتاق نهباً للعدا

في قفر هجركم وحيدا مفردا

في قفر هجركم وحيدا مفردا

Do not leave the yearning lover prey to enemies,

Do not leave the longing one prey to enemies

Alone and solitary in the wasteland of your abandonment.

In the desolation of your abandonment, alone and isolated

إن تخذلوه فما له من ناصر

إن تخذلوه فما له من ناصر

أو تبعدوه تسلموه للردى

أو تبعدوه تسلموه للردى

If you forsake him, he has no helper;

If you let him down, he has no helper

Or if you drive him away, you surrender him to death.

Or if you exclude him, you deliver him to perdition

ولقد وعدتم أن تعودوا سقمَهُ

ولقد وعدتم أن تعودوا سقمَهُ

فنبذتموه في شكايته سدى

فنبذتموه في شكايته سدى

And indeed you promised to visit him in his sickness,

And you had promised to cure his illness

Yet you cast him aside, unattended in his suffering.

But you dismissed him, his complaints in vain

والآن أحوج ما يكون فهل له

والآن أحوج ما يكون فهل له

من عودة بعيادة تشفى الصدى

من عودة بعيادة تشفى الصدى

And now he is in greatest need—is there for him

And now when he needs it most, does he

A return, a visit that would quench his thirst?

Have any return visit to heal sadness?

مهجوركم أضحى ذليلاً واقفاً

مهجوركم أضحى ذليلاً واقفاً

بالباب يرجو الجود منكم والجدا

بالباب يرجو الجود منكم والجدا

The one you abandoned has become abased, standing

Abandoned by you, he has become lowly, standing

At the door, hoping for generosity and bounty from you.

At the door, hoping for kindness and help from you

إن تسمحوا بقبوله وبقربه

إن تسمحوا بقبوله وبقربه

من وصلكم كان السعيد الأسعدا

من وصلكم كان السعيد الأسعدا

If you grant him acceptance and let him draw near

If you would allow accepting him and his closeness

To union with you, he would be the happiest of the happy.

To your union, he would be the happiest of the happy

يا مالكي قلبي ونفسي في الهوى

يا مالكي قلبي ونفسي في الهوى

أيكون حظى منكم أن أبعدَا

أيكون حظى منكم أن أبعدَا

O possessors of my heart and soul in love,

O owners of my heart and soul in love

Is my lot from you to be banished?

Would my share of you be banishment?

هذا فؤادي قطّعتهُ يد النوى

هذا فؤادي قطّعتهُ يد النوى

فغدَت ضلوعي للصبابة معهدا

فغدَت ضلوعي للصبابة معهدا

This is my heart, torn apart by the hand of separation;

The hand of passion tore up this heart of mine

So my ribs have become an abode of ardent longing.

Making my ribs a place for youth to gather

فالحزن تنشدني حمام حمامه

فالحزن تنشدني حمام حمامه

في دوح أشجان البعاد مغردا

في دوح أشجان البعاد مغردا

So the doves of its doom sing grief to me,

So sadness sings to me the cooing of its doves

Warbling in the spreading trees of separation's sorrows.

In the grove of sorrows of remoteness, singing

انزف دموع العين في عرصباتهم

انزف دموع العين في عرصباتهم

واجعل ربوعهم لوجهك مسجدا

واجعل ربوعهم لوجهك مسجدا

Pour out the eye's tears in their courtyards,

I shed the tears of my eyes in their horse rides

And make their dwellings a place of prostration for your face.

And make their meadows a mosque for your face

واصبر على سحّ الدموع فإنها

واصبر على سحّ الدموع فإنها

تدنى إلى وصل الحبيب مبعدا

تدنى إلى وصل الحبيب مبعدا

And bear the streaming tears patiently, for they

And be patient with the flow of tears, for they

Bring the banished one closer to union with the beloved.

Draw near to connect with the beloved distantly

يا مفرداً في عزّه وجلا له

يا مفرداً في عزّه وجلا له

صل مفرداً في الحزن يحيى مكمدا

صل مفرداً في الحزن يحيى مكمدا

O one peerless in his might and majesty,

O you who are isolated in your glory and might

Rejoin one alone in grief, who lives consumed by sorrow.

Pray alone in sorrow resuscitating extinct

إن تطردوه فما له من حيلة

إن تطردوه فما له من حيلة

إلا جنابكم فذاك تعوّدا

إلا جنابكم فذاك تعوّدا

If you drive him away, he has no recourse

If you dismiss him, he has no solution

Except your threshold, for that is what he has grown used to.

Except your side, so he grew accustomed to that

فإذا سرت نفحات نافحة الرضا

فإذا سرت نفحات نافحة الرضا

يهتز كالغصن القويم تأوّدا

يهتز كالغصن القويم تأوّدا

Then, when the breaths of a breeze of favor waft by,

When the breezes of pleased consent blow

He sways like an upright bough, bending.

He sways like a straight strong branch flexible

اسم الحبيب وذكره يحيى به

اسم الحبيب وذكره يحيى به

مهما يسير مغوراً أو منجدا

مهما يسير مغوراً أو منجدا

The beloved's name and remembrance are what he lives by,

The name of the beloved and his memory revive him

Wherever he goes, descending to lowlands or ascending to highlands.

Wherever he travels, deep or elevated

فيظلّ ولهاناً بحب حبيبه

فيظلّ ولهاناً بحب حبيبه

يختال في ثوب التواجد منشدا

يختال في ثوب التواجد منشدا

So he remains distraught with love for his beloved,

So he remains infatuated with his lover

Strutting in the robe of ecstasy, chanting.

Strutting in the garb of devotion, singing poems

صب تولّه في الوجود بحبه

صب تولّه في الوجود بحبه

وحبيبه في الحسن أضحى أوحدا

وحبيبه في الحسن أضحى أوحدا

A passionate lover, bewildered in the world by love for him,

Pour your bending into existence with your love

And his beloved has become peerless in beauty.

And your lover in beauty has become peerless