منية الأرواح وافانا

منية الأرواح وافانا

وبكأس الراح صافانا

وبكأس الراح صافانا

The souls’ desire has come to us,

The souls' desire has come to us,

and with the wine-cup he has shown us pure fellowship.

And with a cup of wine, he befriended us.

حبّذا كاسٌ بنشأته

حبّذا كاسٌ بنشأته

عن سوى ساقيه أفنانا

عن سوى ساقيه أفنانا

How lovely the cup at its first arising:

How lovely a cup whose intoxication

it effaced us from all but its cupbearer.

Effaced us from all but its cupbearer.

ذو قوامٍ كم يرنّح من

ذو قوامٍ كم يرنّح من

روض قلب الصبّ أفنانا

روض قلب الصبّ أفنانا

One of graceful stature—how many has he made sway

Of graceful stature, he sways so many of

of the boughs in the lover’s heart-garden!

The branches in the garden of the lovesick heart.

خرّت الأغصان ساجدةً

خرّت الأغصان ساجدةً

هيبةً أن ماس أو لانا

هيبةً أن ماس أو لانا

The branches fell down in prostration,

The boughs fell prostrate,

in awe, whether he swayed or showed us tenderness.

In awe at his swaying or bending.

وكذا الأقمار كاسفةً

وكذا الأقمار كاسفةً

عند ما الأنوار أولانا

عند ما الأنوار أولانا

And so too the moons stood eclipsed

And likewise the moons were eclipsed,

when he bestowed his radiance upon us.

When he bestowed the lights upon us.

بدر تمٍّ لاح في شرف

بدر تمٍّ لاح في شرف

ببديع الحسن أحيانا

ببديع الحسن أحيانا

A full moon appeared upon a height

A full moon shone on high,

and with wondrous beauty brought us to life.

With wondrous beauty, he brought us to life.

ليته بالعصف حيّانا

ليته بالعصف حيّانا

بوصال منه أحيانا

بوصال منه أحيانا

Would that he greeted us with tenderness

Would that he greeted us with the tempest,

and, through union with him, revived us.

With union from him, now and then.

كم فنينا بالهوى شغفاً

كم فنينا بالهوى شغفاً

ولبسنا منه أكفانا

ولبسنا منه أكفانا

How often we perished, consumed by love,

How often we perished through love's ardor,

and from it donned our shrouds.

And donned shrouds made of it.

ليت شعري يا حبيب أما

ليت شعري يا حبيب أما

ذا القلى والهجر أكفانا

ذا القلى والهجر أكفانا

Would that I knew, beloved: has not

Would that I knew, beloved—has not

this aversion and abandonment sufficed us?

This aversion and estrangement been enough for us?

طالما بالوجد هائمةٌ

طالما بالوجد هائمةٌ

مهجتي سرّاً وإعلانا

مهجتي سرّاً وإعلانا

Long has wandered, distraught with longing,

Long has it been distraught with longing—

my soul, secretly and openly.

My soul, in secret and openly.

يا له بدراً علا رتباً

يا له بدراً علا رتباً

في مقام الحبّ أعلانا

في مقام الحبّ أعلانا

What a full moon he is—exalted in rank,

Ah, what a full moon, ascending through the ranks,

who raised us high in love’s station;

In the station of love, he raised us.

وهلالاً حسن هالته

وهلالاً حسن هالته

جملة الأهلين أنسانا

جملة الأهلين أنسانا

and what a crescent, lovely in its halo,

And a crescent whose halo's beauty

who made us forget all our kin.

Made us forget all our kin.

ما برا الرحمن خالقه

ما برا الرحمن خالقه

مثله في الكون إنسانا

مثله في الكون إنسانا

The Merciful, his Creator, never fashioned

The All-Merciful, his Creator, never fashioned

a human being like him in all creation.

A human like him in the universe.

فعليه الله صلّى ما

فعليه الله صلّى ما

طاب شعري فيه أو زانا

طاب شعري فيه أو زانا

So may God bless him for as long as

So may God bless him, as long as

my poetry about him delights—or adorns us;

My verse about him is sweet or beautiful,

أو محبّ في صبابته

أو محبّ في صبابته

من هواه اكتال أوزانا

من هواه اكتال أوزانا

or as long as a lover, in his ardor,

Or a lover, in his ardent longing,

measures out poetic meters from his passion,

Measures out verses from his love for him,

وشدا بالوصل منتعشاً

وشدا بالوصل منتعشاً

منية الأرواح وافانا

منية الأرواح وافانا

and, revived, sings of union:

And sings, enlivened by union:

The souls’ desire has come to us.

The souls' desire has come to us.