1. يا زائِري حينَ لا واشِ مِنَ البَشَرِ

    وَاللَيلُ يَخطُرُ في بَردٍ مِنَ السَحَرِ

    O my visitor, when no tale-bearer among humankind is near,

    And night saunters in the chill before dawn,

  2. فَقُلتُ يا غايَةَ الآمالِ يَأموني

    بِالسَعي نَحوَكَ لَاِستَبشَرتَ بِالظَفَرِ

    Then I said: O ultimate hope—[the final word is unclear]—

    Through striving toward you, you would surely have rejoiced in triumph.

  3. فَكَيفَ إِذا جِئتَ يا سُؤلي وَيا أَمَلي

    فَالحَمدُ لِلَهِ ذا فَوزَ بِلا خَطَرِ

    How much more, then, when you came, O my desire and my hope!

    So praise be to God: this is triumph without danger.

  4. ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنّي مِنكَ مُقتَرِبُ

    لِما لَدَيَّ مِنَ الأَوزارِ يا وَزري

    I never thought that I would draw near to you,

    Because of the sins I bear, O my refuge,

  5. حَتّىدَنَوتُ وَصارَ الوَصلِ يَجمَعُنا

    وَالسِرُّ مِنكَ وَمِنكَ غَيرَ مُستَمِرِّ

    Until I drew near, and union began to bring us together,

    And the secret from you, and from you, was not lasting,

  6. عَلى الكَثيبِ مِنَ الوادي سَقاهُ حَيا

    مِنَ الغَمائِمِ بِالآصالِ وَالبِكَرِ

    On the dune in the valley, which rain had watered,

    From the clouds, in the evenings and early mornings.

  7. لِلَهِ بارِقَةٌ لِلقَلبِ قَد لَمَعَت

    مِن عالَمِ الأَمرِ لا مِن عالَمِ الصُوَرِ

    God's is a flash that has gleamed upon the heart,

    From the realm of command, not the realm of forms.

  8. أَنسَتكَ إِيّاكَ وَالأَكوانُ أَجمَعُها

    وَأَوقَفَتكَ عَلى المَطلوبِ وَالوَطَرِ

    It made you forget yourself and all the worlds,

    And set you before the object of your quest and desire.

  9. هَذا الحَديثُ وَما يَخفى عَلى فَطَنِ

    إِنّي أَرَدتُ بِهِ التَنبيهِ فَاِعتبَرِ

    This discourse is no mystery to a discerning mind;

    I intended it as an awakening, so take heed.

  10. يا أَيُّها الجَوهَرُ المَحصورُ في صَدَفٍ

    مَخلوقٍ غَرَضِ التَغييرِ وَالكَدَرِ

    O jewel confined within a shell,

    Created, a target of change and murkiness,

  11. مُبِطٌ في حَضيضِ الحَضِّ هِمَّتُهُ

    في لِذَّةِ البَطنِ وَالمَنكوحِ وَالنَظَرِ

    Its aspiration is sunk in the depths of self-interest [wording uncertain],

    In the pleasure of the belly, the sexual partner, and the gaze.

  12. تَقودُهُ شَهَواتٌ فيهِ جامِحَةٌ

    حَتّى تَزُجُّ بِهِ في لُجَّةِ الضَرَرِ

    Unbridled passions within it lead it on,

    Until they thrust it into the deep sea of harm.

  13. يا أَيُّها الروحُ هَل تَرضى مُجاوَرَةً

    عَلى الدَوامِ لِهَذا المَظلِمِ الكَدَرِ

    O spirit, would you accept dwelling

    Forever beside this dark, turbid thing?

  14. وَأَينَ كُنتَ وَلا جِسمٍ تُساكِنُهُ

    أَلَستَ في حَضراتِ القُدسِ فَاِدَّكِرِ

    And where were you when there was no body for you to dwell with?

    Were you not in the holy presences? Then remember.

  15. تَأوي مَعَ المَلَأِ الأَعلى وَتَكرَعُ مِن

    حِياضِ أَنسَ كَما تَجني مِنَ الثَمَرِ

    You dwelt with the highest assembly and drank from

    The pools of intimacy, as you gathered fruit.

  16. تَأتي عَلَيكَ نَسيمُ القُربِ مَهدِيَّةً

    عَرَفَ الجَمالُ كَعُرفُ المَندَلِ العَطِرِ

    The breeze of nearness came to you, offering

    Beauty's scent, like the fragrance of aromatic aloeswood,

  17. حَتّى جَعَلَت بِأَمرِ اللَهِ في قَفَصِ

    لَيَبتَليكَ فَكُن مِن مِن خَيرِ مُختَبَرِ

    Until you were placed, at God's command, in a cage,

    To test you; so be among the best of those tested.

  18. فَحينَ أَبصَرَت هَذا الجِسمِ قَد بَرَزَت

    بِهِ العَجائِبِ مِن بادِ ومُستَتَرِ

    Then, when you beheld this body, there had appeared

    Within it wonders, both manifest and concealed.

  19. أَنسَتكَ بَهجَتَهُ ما كُنتَ تَشهَدُهُ

    مِن قُدسِ رَبِّكَ فَاِعرِف ضَيعَةَ العُمرِ

    Its splendor made you forget what you once beheld

    Of your Lord's holiness; recognize the waste of your lifetime.

  20. رَضيتُ بِالفِكرِ عَن كَشفِ وَأَينِكَ مِن

    جَلِيَّةِ الحَقِّ إِن أَخلَدَت لِلفِكرِ

    I settled for reflection instead of unveiling—but how far you are from

    The manifest truth, if you cling to reflection!

  21. لا تَقنَعَن بِدونِ العَينِ مَنزِلَةً

    فَالحُبِّ مَن يَكتَفي بِالظِلِّ وَالأَثَرِ

    Never settle for a station short of the reality itself;

    For, in love, who is content with shadow and trace?

  22. وَعدٌ هُديتَ فَقَد تَوَدَّيتَ مَطرَحا

    هَذا الوُجودُ وَما فيهِ مِنَ الغَيرِ

    A promise: you were guided; you have perished, casting aside [wording uncertain]

    This existence and whatever otherness it contains.

  23. وَاِسلُك سَبيلاً إِلى الرَحمَنِ قيمَةً

    بِها أَتاكَ أَمام البَدوِ وَالحَضَرِ

    And follow an upright path to the All-Merciful,

    Brought to you by the leader of desert-dwellers and townspeople,

  24. مَشروحَةً في كِتابِ اللَهِ واضِحَةً

    فَسِر عَلَيها وَكُن بِالصِدقِ مُتَّزِرِ

    Clearly explained in the Book of God.

    So walk upon it, and be girded with sincerity,

  25. وَبِالرِياضَةِ مَن صَمَتَ وَمَخمَصَةً

    مَعَ التَخَلّي عَنِ الأَضدادِ وَالسَهَرِ

    And with self-discipline through silence and hunger,

    Together with relinquishing contraries and keeping vigil.

  26. وَدُم عَلى الذِكرِ لا تَسأَمُهُ مُعتَقِداً

    إِنَّ التَوَجُّهَ روحُ القَصدِ وَالصَدرِ

    And persist in remembrance, never wearying of it, believing

    That turning toward God is the soul of intention and the breast.

  27. خَيرُ النَبِيّينَ هادينا وَمُرشِدَنا

    بِما أَتانا مِنَ الآياتِ وَالسُوَرِ

    The best of prophets is our guide and counselor,

    Through the verses and surahs he brought us.

  28. صَلّى عَلَيهِ إِلَهي كُلَّما سَجَعَت

    حَمامَةٌ فَوقَ مَياسٍ مِنَ الشَجَرِ

    May my God bless him whenever there coos

    A dove above a swaying tree.