حَيِّهِمْ إن جِئْتَهم يا سَعْدُ حَيّ

حَيِّهِمْ إن جِئْتَهم يا سَعْدُ حَيّ

فَهُمُ أهل الحيا في كلّ حيّ

فَهُمُ أهل الحيا في كلّ حيّ

Greet them if you come to them, O Sa'd—greet!

Greet them, O Sa'd, when you come to them, greet!

For they are folk of life-giving rain in every community.

For they are the people of life in every quarter.

عِشْ بهم صبًّا ومُتْ في حبّهم

عِشْ بهم صبًّا ومُتْ في حبّهم

مَنْ يَمُتْ في حبّ حيٍّ فهو حيّ

مَنْ يَمُتْ في حبّ حيٍّ فهو حيّ

Live through them, lovesick, and die in love of them.

Live with them morning and die in their love,

Whoever dies loving a living one is himself alive.

He who dies in the love of the living remains alive!

هم ملوكُ الأرضِ سادات الورى

هم ملوكُ الأرضِ سادات الورى

فارْوِ عنهم واطْوِ ذكرَ الغيرِطيّ

فارْوِ عنهم واطْوِ ذكرَ الغيرِطيّ

They are the kings of the earth, the masters of humankind.

They are the kings of the earth, the lords of mankind,

So tell of them, and fold all mention of others utterly away.

So speak of them and spread their mention.

لم يَزلْ إحسانُهم يغمرنا

لم يَزلْ إحسانُهم يغمرنا

مطلباً بالفيض في نشر وطيّ

مطلباً بالفيض في نشر وطيّ

Their beneficence has never ceased to overflow us,

Their benevolence has always overwhelmed us,

Granting what is sought with its flood, in unfolding and folding.

Seeking abundance in widespread generosity.

كم كذا ألفاظهم تأتي بما

كم كذا ألفاظهم تأتي بما

فيه للقلب شفاءٌ ودُرَيّ

فيه للقلب شفاءٌ ودُرَيّ

How often, likewise, their words bring that which

How their words bring what

Holds healing for the heart and a little insight.

Gives the heart remedy and profit!

لفظهم والجود ذا فيه شفا

لفظهم والجود ذا فيه شفا

لذوي السّقم وهذا فيه ريّ

لذوي السّقم وهذا فيه ريّ

Their speech and bounty—the former holds healing

Their words and generosity within bring healing

For the sick, and the latter holds thirst-quenching.

To the sick, and this brings nourishment.

من كلا هذين لا أبرح في

من كلا هذين لا أبرح في

سكرة فارْوِهم عن سَكْرَتَيّ

سكرة فارْوِهم عن سَكْرَتَيّ

From both of these I never cease to be in

Of both these I do not stop in

A drunken trance; so tell them of my two intoxications.

The intoxication, so speak of them to my intoxication!

فثناهم لامعٌ في فكرتي

فثناهم لامعٌ في فكرتي

ونَداهم هامعٌ في راحَتَيّ

ونَداهم هامعٌ في راحَتَيّ

So praise of them gleams in my thoughts,

Their brilliance shines in my thoughts,

And their bounty rains into my two palms.

And their lights glisten in my comfort.

أنا منهم لم أزل مكتسِباً

أنا منهم لم أزل مكتسِباً

كلَّ ما يُنْسَبُ في الخير إلَيّ

كلَّ ما يُنْسَبُ في الخير إلَيّ

I have never ceased acquiring from them

I have never ceased acquiring from them

All the goodness that is attributed to me.

All the good attributed to me.

طَرَقَتْنِي نفحةٌ من سِرِّهم

طَرَقَتْنِي نفحةٌ من سِرِّهم

فكسا ضَوْءُ سناها أصغريّ

فكسا ضَوْءُ سناها أصغريّ

A breath from their secret visited me by night,

A breeze from their secrets cloaked me,

So the light of its radiance clothed my heart and tongue.

And the light of their brilliance clothed my youth.

سيّدتني مُنْشِئاً مرتحلاً

سيّدتني مُنْشِئاً مرتحلاً

كلُّ ما أطلُبُه في قبضتيّ

كلُّ ما أطلُبُه في قبضتيّ

It made me a master, composing and journeying;

They empowered me, making me a wanderer,

All I seek lies within my two hands' grasp.

With all I seek in my grasp.

أَسْعَدَ اللّهُ بهم فكري فلا

أَسْعَدَ اللّهُ بهم فكري فلا

يعتريني نَصَبٌ في ساعديّ

يعتريني نَصَبٌ في ساعديّ

God has gladdened my mind through them, so no

God has brought them happiness to my mind, so

Weariness overtakes me in my two forearms.

No fatigue befalls my arm.

واجبٌ عنديَ أن أسعى على

واجبٌ عنديَ أن أسعى على

بَصَرِي حقّا لهم لا قدميّ

بَصَرِي حقّا لهم لا قدميّ

I deem it a duty to walk upon

It is my duty to strive with

My eyes, as their rightful due, not my two feet.

My eyes truly for them, not my feet.

يا لساني أَدِمِ المدحَ لهم

يا لساني أَدِمِ المدحَ لهم

دائمَ الدّهر ويا فكري تَهَيّ

دائمَ الدّهر ويا فكري تَهَيّ

O my tongue, keep praising them

O my tongue, perpetuate praising them

For all time; and O my mind, make ready.

Eternally, and O my mind, prepare!

أنا واللّه محبٌّ لَهُمُ

أنا واللّه محبٌّ لَهُمُ

صدِّقوني ليس بعد اللّه شيّ

صدِّقوني ليس بعد اللّه شيّ

I am, by God, a lover of them.

By God, I am a lover of them,

Believe me: after God, there is nothing else.

Believe me, after God there is nothing.

مُخْتَفٍ حبّهُمُ في مُهجتي

مُخْتَفٍ حبّهُمُ في مُهجتي

عن جميع الخلق إلا ملكَيّ

عن جميع الخلق إلا ملكَيّ

Love of them lies hidden in my heart's blood,

My love of them is hidden in my innermost heart

From all creation, except my two angels.

From all people except my Master.

قد منحت بوفا دون جفا

قد منحت بوفا دون جفا

فلذا أَنْسَيْتُمُوني أَبَوَيّ

فلذا أَنْسَيْتُمُوني أَبَوَيّ

I have been granted fidelity without estrangement,

You have bestowed loyalty without disloyalty upon me,

And thus you have made me forget my two parents.

So you have made me forget my parents.

وسقاني كفّكم كأسَ نَوًى

وسقاني كفّكم كأسَ نَوًى

من رحيقٍ باردٍ فيه شفيّ

من رحيقٍ باردٍ فيه شفيّ

And your palm gave me a cup of separation to drink,

And your palm has quenched me with a cup of intimacy

Of cool nectar, in which lies my healing.

Of cool wine wherein is healing.

فلكم منّي صلاةٌ كلّما

فلكم منّي صلاةٌ كلّما

أَمْطَرَتْ سحبٌ بصُبح وعِشيّ

أَمْطَرَتْ سحبٌ بصُبح وعِشيّ

So upon you be a blessing from me whenever

So for you is a prayer from me whenever

Clouds rain at dawn and evening.

Clouds rain down at dawn and dusk.

وكذا الآل مع الأصحاب ما

وكذا الآل مع الأصحاب ما

وَجد الحيُّ فتىً في كلّ حيّ

وَجد الحيُّ فتىً في كلّ حيّ

And likewise upon the family, with the companions, as long as

And so are the Family and the Companions as long

The Living One finds a youth in every community.

As the living one finds a youth in every quarter.

واستمرّ المدح يأتيكم على

واستمرّ المدح يأتيكم على

سائق الأظعان يطوي البِيدَ طيّ

سائق الأظعان يطوي البِيدَ طيّ

And praise has kept coming to you, borne by

And praise continues to come to you

The driver of the camel-litters, folding the deserts utterly away.

Folding the spathes, covering the dunes.