ومولعين بحرماني وصالهم

ومولعين بحرماني وصالهم

حتى عشقت بهم صداً وحرمانا

حتى عشقت بهم صداً وحرمانا

And those intent on denying me union with them,

They are passionate for depriving me of union with them,

until, because of them, I loved rejection and deprivation.

So much so that I fell in love with their voice and deprivation.

لا نلت وصلهم إن رمت بعدهم

لا نلت وصلهم إن رمت بعدهم

صبراً وكيف يطيق الصبر سلوانا

صبراً وكيف يطيق الصبر سلوانا

May I never attain union with them if, after their departure, I seek

I cannot attain union with them even if I pursue them,

patience—and how can patience bear forgetting?

How can patience bear such agony?

يا دهر هل لك عن أحبابنا خير

يا دهر هل لك عن أحبابنا خير

جدوا إلى الشرق أو للغرب أظعانا

جدوا إلى الشرق أو للغرب أظعانا

O Time, have you anything good to tell of our beloveds?

O fate, do you have any good news about our loved ones?

They hastened in caravans toward the east or the west.

Have they headed east or wandered west as strangers?

منازل أقفرت لما نووا ظعنا

منازل أقفرت لما نووا ظعنا

واستبدلوا بالحشى عنهن أوطانا

واستبدلوا بالحشى عنهن أوطانا

Dwellings became deserted when they resolved to depart,

Abodes were deserted when they intended to depart,

and they chose homelands within the heart in their stead.

And they replaced intimates there with homelands.

كففت وأكف دمعي في الطلول ولي

كففت وأكف دمعي في الطلول ولي

كف يسائل أين الركب قد بانا

كف يسائل أين الركب قد بانا

I held back, and still hold back, my tears among the ruins; and I have

I held back my tears during the nights, but alas,

a hand that asks, 'Where has the caravan gone?'

Hold back from asking where the caravan has appeared.

إن واعدوك عدوا أو واصلوا فصلوا

إن واعدوك عدوا أو واصلوا فصلوا

أو صالحوا منحو الأحشاء نيرانا

أو صالحوا منحو الأحشاء نيرانا

If they promise you, they break faith; or if they unite, they part;

If they promised and kept it, or connected and parted,

or if they make peace, they bestow flames upon the heart.

Or reconciled and lit a fire in the breasts,

جدت ركائبهم في سيرهم فسرت

جدت ركائبهم في سيرهم فسرت

قلوبنا إثرهم مثنى ووحدانا

قلوبنا إثرهم مثنى ووحدانا

Their mounts hastened on their journey, and so traveled

I found their riding camels in their journey, so our hearts

our hearts in their wake, two by two and singly.

Pursued them two by two and alone.

لئن عفا بعدهم رسم فلا عجب

لئن عفا بعدهم رسم فلا عجب

حكم البلى للذي ساموه هجرانا

حكم البلى للذي ساموه هجرانا

If a trace fades after their departure, it is no wonder:

If the law of nature was lenient after they left, it’s no wonder,

decay is decreed for whatever they subject to abandonment.

Such is the decree of nature for those it has estranged.

أو أن بكى الطرف من بين معارفه

أو أن بكى الطرف من بين معارفه

فقد أقام عليه القلب برهانا

فقد أقام عليه القلب برهانا

Or if the eye weeps at parting from those it knows,

Or if the eyelid wept among familiar friends,

the heart has indeed furnished proof to justify it.

Then the heart has proven its right over it.

للَه أيامنا والدار جامعة

للَه أيامنا والدار جامعة

منادماً في الهوى حوراً وولدانا

منادماً في الهوى حوراً وولدانا

How wondrous, by God, were our days, when the house gathered us,

Our days and the abode of gathering belong to God,

as I caroused in love with fair-eyed maidens and youths.

A companion in passion - lovely maidens and lads.

أمست تدير علينا من سلافتها

أمست تدير علينا من سلافتها

لحناً ومن ريقها المعسول الحانا

لحناً ومن ريقها المعسول الحانا

She passed around to us at evening, from her choicest wine,

Her saliva circulates upon us a melody,

a melody, and from her honeyed saliva, melodies.

And from her sweet-scented saliva, melodies.

فبت أسقي الهوى من خمر ريقتها

فبت أسقي الهوى من خمر ريقتها

وبتن يوقرن لي بالعتب آذانا

وبتن يوقرن لي بالعتب آذانا

So I spent the night watering love with the wine of her saliva,

I spent the night quenching passion with the wine of her saliva,

and they spent the night weighing down my ears with reproach.

While she spent it rebuking my ears with blame.

فقلت طابت لنا البشرى فإن إلى

فقلت طابت لنا البشرى فإن إلى

أكناف ربع أمين اللَه مأوانا

أكناف ربع أمين اللَه مأوانا

So I said, 'Sweet are our glad tidings, for in

So I said: good tidings to us, for surely

the precincts of Amin Allah's dwelling lies our refuge.'

The quarters of a trustworthy lord are our refuge.

يلقى العدو بوجه منه منبلج

يلقى العدو بوجه منه منبلج

لقيا الوفود طليق الوجه جذلانا

لقيا الوفود طليق الوجه جذلانا

He meets the enemy with his face radiant,

The enemy meets a radiant face from Him,

as he greets delegations, open-faced and joyful.

Like delegations meeting a gentle-faced man.

قد أكسب الفضل والمجد الأثيل علاً

قد أكسب الفضل والمجد الأثيل علاً

ففات بالمجد أخداناً وأقرانا

ففات بالمجد أخداناً وأقرانا

He has bestowed loftiness upon excellence and deep-rooted glory,

He has attained grace, everlasting glory and loftiness,

and in glory surpassed companions and peers.

Surpassing his contemporaries and peers in glory.

مناقب كذكاء رفعةٍ وسنى

مناقب كذكاء رفعةٍ وسنى

فلا يطيق بها الحساد كتمانا

فلا يطيق بها الحساد كتمانا

Virtues like Dhuka, the sun, in loftiness and radiance,

Attributes of intelligence, noble rank and authority

so the envious cannot keep them hidden.

That enviers cannot conceal.

مولى أقام قناة الدين وابتهجت

مولى أقام قناة الدين وابتهجت

به أقاليمها نجداً وإيرانا

به أقاليمها نجداً وإيرانا

A lord who set the lance of faith upright; and rejoicing

My Master set up the pillars of religion, and its realms

in him were its regions—Najd and Iran.

Rejoiced through him - Najd and Iran.

مولى له البأس والرفد العميم لذا

مولى له البأس والرفد العميم لذا

ألقى له الدهر يا بشراه أرسانا

ألقى له الدهر يا بشراه أرسانا

A lord possessed of might and all-embracing bounty; for this

My Master, His might and abundant support are such

Time yielded him its reins—what glad tidings for him!

That fate casts its thrones to Him.

قد اطمأنت به نفس الفخار وقد

قد اطمأنت به نفس الفخار وقد

جرت بساحته الأعداء أردانا

جرت بساحته الأعداء أردانا

The soul of pride has found peace in him, and

The prideful soul is reassured through Him, and

the enemies have dragged their sleeves through his courtyard.

The enemies walk humble and lowly in His field.

يا من تحلى به جيد الزمان ومن

يا من تحلى به جيد الزمان ومن

غدا لإنسان عين المجد إنسانا

غدا لإنسان عين المجد إنسانا

O you with whom Time's neck is adorned, and who

O you adorned with the beauty of the time, and who

became the pupil of the pupil of glory's eye.

Became the human eye of glory for mankind.

لا زلت غير أن في العلياء تكلؤها

لا زلت غير أن في العلياء تكلؤها

ولم تكن لسوء الرحمن غيرانا

ولم تكن لسوء الرحمن غيرانا

May you endure—yet, in the heights, you guard it [wording unclear],

You continue unchanging, though the lofty occasionally don,

and never be jealous over harm from the Merciful [wording unclear].

And none is spiteful save those deprived of God's mercy.