أحيا اشتياقي والأشواق قد ذهبوا

أحيا اشتياقي والأشواق قد ذهبوا

عرامسُ بالظبيع فوقها ذهبُ

عرامسُ بالظبيع فوقها ذهبُ

My yearning was revived, though the yearnings had departed,

I revive my longing, though longings have gone

By sturdy she-camels at al-Ẓabīʿ, bearing gold upon them.

Doe-eyed gazelles above which gold has risen

عرامس كلها من فوقها ذهبٌ

عرامس كلها من فوقها ذهبٌ

لكن ذا ذهبٌ في ثغره شنب

لكن ذا ذهبٌ في ثغره شنب

Sturdy she-camels, all bearing gold above them,

All gazelles above which is gold

But this gold has cool, gleaming teeth in its mouth.

But that gold has a gap-toothed smile

عرامسٌ ذهبت بكل ما أربٍ

عرامسٌ ذهبت بكل ما أربٍ

وكل ذي أرب قبلي له أربُ

وكل ذي أرب قبلي له أربُ

Sturdy she-camels that carried away every object of desire,

Doe-eyed, who have taken all I wanted

And every seeker before me had a desire of his own.

And all those before me who wanted have wanted

عرامس حسنت حُسناً لمن حملت

عرامس حسنت حُسناً لمن حملت

وصادت الأدبا فصادها الأدبُ

وصادت الأدبا فصادها الأدبُ

Sturdy she-camels, made beautiful by those they carried,

Doe-eyed, beautiful for those who carried them

They ensnared the men of letters, and refinement ensnared them.

And most virtuous, so virtue reciprocated

عرامس حملت ميمون لو طلبت

عرامس حملت ميمون لو طلبت

مني الفداء لها لجاءها الطلب

مني الفداء لها لجاءها الطلب

Sturdy she-camels carried Maymun; had she asked

Doe-eyed, who carried fortunes, if they sought

Me for her ransom, she would have received what she sought.

From me sacrifice, requests would come to them

ميمون لو طلبت نفسي لقد طربت

ميمون لو طلبت نفسي لقد طربت

تعطي لها النفس والأرواح والطرب

تعطي لها النفس والأرواح والطرب

Maymun—had she asked for my soul, it would have rejoiced,

Fortunes, if they sought my soul I would rejoice

Giving her the soul, the spirits, and rapture.

Giving them my soul, spirit, and joy

ميمون قد سلبت نفسي بها وَلَهَا

ميمون قد سلبت نفسي بها وَلَهَا

بها الفؤاد لها والجسمُ والسلب

بها الفؤاد لها والجسمُ والسلب

Maymun has stolen my soul, through her and for her;

Fortunes who have captured my soul for them

Through her, my heart is hers, and so are my body and the spoils.

To them my heart, body, and captivity

ميمون قد نصبت نفسي بها ولها

ميمون قد نصبت نفسي بها ولها

يا ليتها قربت ليذهب النصب

يا ليتها قربت ليذهب النصب

Maymun—my soul has grown weary through her and for her.

Fortunes for whom I set out my soul and for them

Would that she drew near, so weariness might depart.

Would that they drew near so anxiety departed

ميمون شمسٌ فلا تعجب لها قمرٌ

ميمون شمسٌ فلا تعجب لها قمرٌ

لكن تنسيك ذا وتلك ذا عجبُ

لكن تنسيك ذا وتلك ذا عجبُ

Maymun is a sun; do not marvel—she has a moon.

Fortunes, a sun so no wonder it has a moon

Yet she makes you forget this and that: that is the marvel.

But your forgetfulness of this and that is wondrous

ميمون قد جملت أخلاقها خُلُقاً

ميمون قد جملت أخلاقها خُلُقاً

ذكراً ورؤيا جمال قربها قرب

ذكراً ورؤيا جمال قربها قرب

Maymun—her manners have grown lovely in character,

Fortunes, who have beautified their characters beautifully

In remembrance and in vision, beauty; nearness to her brings nearness.

Remembrance and sight of their proximity is intimate

لأنها أخذت حرفا لمن رغبت

لأنها أخذت حرفا لمن رغبت

نفسي به وجميع الخلق قد رغبوا

نفسي به وجميع الخلق قد رغبوا

For she took a letter belonging to him whom

Because they have taken a letter from whom I desired

My soul desired, and whom all creation has desired

My soul for him and all people have desired

في فضله وله عدلٌ وقد رهبت

في فضله وله عدلٌ وقد رهبت

نفسي به وجميع الخلق قد رعبوا

نفسي به وجميع الخلق قد رعبوا

For his bounty; justice is his, and in awe has stood

For his excellence, and he has justice, so I fear

My soul before him, while all creation has been struck with fear.

For my soul for him and all people are afraid

ذاك الذي قد سما في ذا الورى شرفاً

ذاك الذي قد سما في ذا الورى شرفاً

وفاقها حسباً قد زانه نسبُ

وفاقها حسباً قد زانه نسبُ

He is the one who has risen in honor among these people,

He who has risen with honor in this abode

Surpassing them in noble standing, adorned by lineage.

And their ancestry, adorned by lineage

ذاك الذي لن ترى في ذا الورى حسباً

ذاك الذي لن ترى في ذا الورى حسباً

إلاّ له كرماً ومنه ذا الحسبُ

إلاّ له كرماً ومنه ذا الحسبُ

He is the one: you will see no noble standing among these people

He for whom you will not see in this abode a lineage

Except his, through generosity; from him comes that standing.

Save for him, generosity, and from him this lineage

ذاك الذي لن ترى في ذا الورى سبباً

ذاك الذي لن ترى في ذا الورى سبباً

إلا وإصلاح ذاك منه والسببُ

إلا وإصلاح ذاك منه والسببُ

He is the one: you will see no bond among these people

He for whom you will not see in this abode a cause

But its mending comes from him, and the bond itself.

Save for reforming that from him and the cause

ذاك الذي لن ترى في الناس من نسبٍ

ذاك الذي لن ترى في الناس من نسبٍ

إلا به جمعه ويبذل النسبُ

إلا به جمعه ويبذل النسبُ

He is the one: you will see no lineage among people

He for whom you will not see among people a lineage

Except that through him it is united, and lineage is bestowed.

Save through him, who unites and gives lineage

ذاك الذي لن ترى في الأرض قد رسبت

ذاك الذي لن ترى في الأرض قد رسبت

قدمٌ سوى إربه يكون ذا الرسبُ

قدمٌ سوى إربه يكون ذا الرسبُ

He is the one: you will not see sunk into the earth

He for whom you will not see on earth a foothold

A foot, unless that sinking accords with his wish.

Save his fingertip, for that is the foothold

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما هربت

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما هربت

أبطال كفرٍ ولكن منه قد هربوا

أبطال كفرٍ ولكن منه قد هربوا

He is the noble one without whom there would not have fled

He is the noble but for whom knights of blasphemy would not Have fled, but from him they have fled

The champions of unbelief; yet from him they have fled.

He is the noble but for whom enemies would not

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما ذهبت

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما ذهبت

شحنا ولكن به أسبابها ذهبوا

شحنا ولكن به أسبابها ذهبوا

He is the noble one without whom there would not have vanished

Have perished, but by his means they have gone

Rancor; yet through him its causes have departed.

He is the noble but for whom the armies of Iblis would not

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما خربت

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما خربت

جنود إبليس لكن منه قد خربوا

جنود إبليس لكن منه قد خربوا

He is the noble one without whom there would not have fallen to ruin

Have been destroyed, but by him they were ravaged

The armies of Iblis; yet through him they have fallen to ruin.

He is the noble but for whom the people of knowledge would not

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما شربت

هو الشريف الذي لولاه ما شربت

أهل المعارف لكن منه قد شربوا

أهل المعارف لكن منه قد شربوا

He is the noble one without whom there would not have drunk

Have drunk, but by him they have drunk

The people of spiritual knowledge; yet from him they have drunk.

He is the noble by whom in distance hearts

هو الشريف الذي في النأْي قد قربت

هو الشريف الذي في النأْي قد قربت

ضمائر منه للإله قد قربوا

ضمائر منه للإله قد قربوا

He is the noble one through whom, even from afar, have drawn near

For God have drawn near, and drawn near

Inmost hearts; through him they have drawn near to God.

Sheikh of sheikhs, for whom abundance of knowledge

شيخ الشيوخ الذي بالفضل قرَّ له

شيخ الشيوخ الذي بالفضل قرَّ له

شرق يمينٌ شمالٌ والذي غَرُبوا

شرق يمينٌ شمالٌ والذي غَرُبوا

Sheikh of sheikhs, whose excellence is acknowledged by

To the East, West, South and North has flowed

The east, the right, the left, and those who went west.

Sheikh of sheikhs, for whom all knowledge

شيخ الشيوخ الذي جمْع العلوم له

شيخ الشيوخ الذي جمْع العلوم له

قد وُهِّبَتْ وبه للخلق قد وُهِبُوا

قد وُهِّبَتْ وبه للخلق قد وُهِبُوا

Sheikh of sheikhs, to whom the collected sciences

Has been granted and through it people granted

Have been bestowed, and through him bestowed upon creation.

Sheikh of sheikhs, who has surpassed them in rank

شيخ الشيوخ الذي قد فاقهم رتباً

شيخ الشيوخ الذي قد فاقهم رتباً

وللمواريد قد أعلت به رُتَبُ

وللمواريد قد أعلت به رُتَبُ

Sheikh of sheikhs, who has surpassed them in rank,

And for saints through him ranks are exalted

And through whom the seekers' ranks have been exalted.

Sheikh of sheikhs by whom they overpowered and conquered

شيخ الشيوخ الذي علوا به غلبوا

شيخ الشيوخ الذي علوا به غلبوا

كما علوا برسول الله من غَلَبُوا

كما علوا برسول الله من غَلَبُوا

Sheikh of sheikhs, through whom they rose and prevailed,

As they did by the Messenger of God -- they conquered

As those who prevailed rose through the Messenger of God.

Sheikh of sheikhs who codified the realities with

شيخ الشيوخ الذي صلب الحقائق مع

شيخ الشيوخ الذي صلب الحقائق مع

شرع أقسام وقبلاً للورى صلبوا

شرع أقسام وقبلاً للورى صلبوا

Sheikh of sheikhs, who strengthened the inner truths, along with

Branches of law and before that people codified

The divisions of sacred law, once hard for humankind.

Muhammad the Virtuous, by whose excellence has expanded

محمدٌ فاضلٌ بفضله رَحُبَتْ

محمدٌ فاضلٌ بفضله رَحُبَتْ

صدور علم مع العلوم قد رحبوا

صدور علم مع العلوم قد رحبوا

Muhammad Fadil, through whose bounty have grown spacious

Chests of sciences' knowledge vastly expanded

The breasts of learning; with the sciences they have broadened.

Muhammad the Virtuous by whose excellence unpacked

محمدٌ فاضلٌ بفضله فرجت

محمدٌ فاضلٌ بفضله فرجت

كروب قلب وعن جسمٍ جَلَتْ كُرَبُ

كروب قلب وعن جسمٍ جَلَتْ كُرَبُ

Muhammad Fadil, through whose bounty have been relieved

Distress of hearts and from bodies misfortunes dispersed

The heart's sorrows, and from the body afflictions have departed.

Muhammad the Virtuous who surpassed every last

محمدٌ فاضلٌ وفاق قاطبةً

محمدٌ فاضلٌ وفاق قاطبةً

كُلَّ الذي قبله في الناس قد قطبوا

كُلَّ الذي قبله في الناس قد قطبوا

Muhammad Fadil, who has surpassed, without exception,

One before him among all people universally

All those before him among people who became spiritual poles.

Muhammad the Virtuous, son of the Trustworthy by whom

محمدٌ فاضلٌ نجل الأمين به

محمدٌ فاضلٌ نجل الأمين به

ظفرٌ لمن رغبوا في الله أو طلبوا

ظفرٌ لمن رغبوا في الله أو طلبوا

Muhammad Fadil, son of al-Amin—through him

A victory for those who have wanted God or sought

There is success for those who yearn for God or seek Him.

Muhammad the Virtuous, if you reckoned of his glory

محمدٌ فاضلٌ لم تفن لو حسبت

محمدٌ فاضلٌ لم تفن لو حسبت

من مجده قطرةٌ لو تعدم الُحُقُب

من مجده قطرةٌ لو تعدم الُحُقُب

Muhammad Fadil—though counted, there would never run out

Not a drop, though epochs run out, would suffice

A drop of his glory, even if the ages ceased to be.

Enough – through him inheritances of messengers are Complete, concluded, though they are gone

كفاك إن به قد أكملت ختمتْ

كفاك إن به قد أكملت ختمتْ

وراثة الرسل وانتهت وهم ذهبوا

وراثة الرسل وانتهت وهم ذهبوا

Let it suffice you: in him has been completed and sealed

Upon them, of God's prayers, as much as you reckoning,

The inheritance of the messengers—and it has ended, while they have departed.

And people you counting, though none can fathom

عليهم من صلاة الله ما حسبت

عليهم من صلاة الله ما حسبت

قوم تعدّ وما لم يدر من حسبوا

قوم تعدّ وما لم يدر من حسبوا

Upon them be God's blessings, as many as have been counted

By a people who count, and as many as those who counted never knew.