لم ينل من وجودنا

لم ينل من وجودنا

الذي أنت نلته

الذي أنت نلته

He has not attained, from our existence,

He has not attained from our existence

what you have attained.

What you have attained

غاية الأمر أنْ يكو

غاية الأمر أنْ يكو

ن الذي أنت كنته

ن الذي أنت كنته

The ultimate point is that he should be

The matter is just that he would be

the one you have been.

What you have been

فإذا ما رايته

فإذا ما رايته

مقبلا قلت أنت هو

مقبلا قلت أنت هو

So whenever you see him

So if I see him

approaching, you say, ‘You are he.’

Coming I say you are him

وإذا ما رأيته

وإذا ما رأيته

مدبرا قلت

مدبرا قلت

And whenever you see him

And if I see him

turning away, you say:

Leaving I say

إن فيكم علامة

إن فيكم علامة

من تفته قد فته

من تفته قد فته

‘Indeed, there is a sign among you;

Indeed among you is a sign

whoever misses it has missed you.’

For whom is confused has confused him

ما لمجنون عامر

ما لمجنون عامر

غير ما قد سمعته

غير ما قد سمعته

Majnun of ʿAmir has nothing

What's with crazy Aamer

but what you have heard

Except what I've heard of him

من هوى بنت عمه

من هوى بنت عمه

وهي من قد علمته

وهي من قد علمته

of love for his uncle’s daughter,

Of passion for his cousin

and she is the one you have known.

And she's who I know of him

لم يكن غير سيِّدي

لم يكن غير سيِّدي

في شخيصٍ نصبته

في شخيصٍ نصبته

It was none other than my master

None other was my master

in a little figure you set up.

In an image I've made of him

فبه قد أنته

فبه قد أنته

وبه قد سترته

وبه قد سترته

Thus, through it, you have made him ‘you’,

So through it I've ended him

and through it you have concealed him.

And through it I've veiled him

فإذا ما جهلته

فإذا ما جهلته

فاعلم أن قد علمته

فاعلم أن قد علمته

So whenever you do not know him,

So if I'm ignorant of him

know that you have known him.

Know that I have known him