يا سادة ذكرهم شعاري

يا سادة ذكرهم شعاري

وعندهم جنّتي وناري

وعندهم جنّتي وناري

O masters, whose remembrance is my watchword,

O masters, mentioning you is my motto

And with them are my paradise and my fire.

With you lies my paradise and my hellfire

أنا الّذي مذ بدا عذاري

أنا الّذي مذ بدا عذاري

خلعت في حبّكم عذاري

خلعت في حبّكم عذاري

I am the one who, since down first appeared on my cheeks,

I who since my youthfulness began

Has cast off my bridle for love of you.

Have shed my youthfulness out of love for you

فطاب لي العشق باشتهاري

فطاب لي العشق باشتهاري

فزوّدوا العفو معتفيكم

فزوّدوا العفو معتفيكم

So love grew sweet to me through my renown.

So yearning became sweet to me through my passion

So furnish your supplicant with pardon,

So provide forgiveness, O you I take refuge in

وأوردوا الصفو مصطفيكم

وأوردوا الصفو مصطفيكم

فطالما بتّ أقتفيكم

فطالما بتّ أقتفيكم

And lead the one who has chosen you to clear waters.

And let flow your kindness, O your chosen one

For so often I have spent the night following your footsteps,

For long have I followed in your footsteps

وذقت طعم الجنون فيكم

وذقت طعم الجنون فيكم

فكان أحلى من الوقار

فكان أحلى من الوقار

And tasted the flavor of madness for your sake;

And tasted the flavor of madness in you

So it was sweeter than dignity.

So it was sweeter than dignity

تأمّلوا السفح من دموعي

تأمّلوا السفح من دموعي

واستوطنوا منحنى ضلوعي

واستوطنوا منحنى ضلوعي

Contemplate the outpouring of my tears,

Observe the slope from my tears

And make your home in the curve of my ribs.

And dwell in the curve of my ribs

فكم تذلّلت من ولوعي

فكم تذلّلت من ولوعي

إن كان في حبّكم خضوعي

إن كان في حبّكم خضوعي

For how often I have humbled myself out of my ardor!

For how much I have humbled myself in my agony

If it is in loving you that I submit,

If my love for you is my submission

فليس ذلّ الهوى بعار

فليس ذلّ الهوى بعار

قد بلغ الصبر منتهاه

قد بلغ الصبر منتهاه

Then love’s abasement is no disgrace.

Then this humiliation of passion is no shame

Patience has reached its limit,

Patience has reached its end

ولم ير الصبّ مشتهاه

ولم ير الصبّ مشتهاه

وقد غدا منشداً هواه

وقد غدا منشداً هواه

Yet the lovesick one has not seen his heart’s desire.

And the lover has not seen his desire

And he has come to chant his passion:

He has become a singer of his passion

من روحه في يدي سواه

من روحه في يدي سواه

فهو حقيقٌ بأن يداري

فهو حقيقٌ بأن يداري

Whoever’s soul is in another’s hands

With his soul in the hands of another

Is bound to be conciliatory.

So it is right that he defies

والله والله يا موالي

والله والله يا موالي

حالي بكم لا يزال حالي

حالي بكم لا يزال حالي

By God, by God, O my masters,

By God, by God, O my masters

My state through you remains sweet.

My state with you does not change

فإن أكن منكم ببال

فإن أكن منكم ببال

لا تحمدوني على احتمالي

لا تحمدوني على احتمالي

So if I am in your thoughts,

So if I am oblivious to you

Do not praise me for enduring

Do not praise me for my endurance

هوانكم واحمدوا اضطراري

هوانكم واحمدوا اضطراري

Your disdain; praise instead my lack of choice.

It is your lowliness, praise my constraint