أساعة توديعك أم ساعة الحشر

وليلة بيني منك أم ليلة النشر

Is this the hour of your farewell or the hour of resurrection?

Is it the hour of your farewell, or the Hour of Resurrection?

Is this a night with you or the night of spreading?

And the night of my parting from you, or the night of the dead rising?

وهجرك تعذيب الموحد يقتضي

ويرجو التلاقي أم عذاب ذوي الكفر

Your separation tortures the monotheist, as is required,

Does your abandonment bring the trial of a true believer,

Yet he hopes for reunion, not the torture of the unbelievers.

Who still hopes for reunion, or the torment of the deniers?

سقى الله أياماً مضت وليالياً

تحاكي لنا النيلوفر الغض في النشر

May God water the days past and the nights

May God water past days and nights

That portray for us the green nile flowers in spreading,

That resembled for us the tender water lily in fragrance,

فأوراقه الأيام حسناً وبهجةً

وأوسطه الليل المقصر للعمر

Its days are beauty and delight,

Whose petals were the days in beauty and delight,

And its middle night shortens life.

And whose center was the night that steals away life.

لهونا بها في غمرةٍ وتآلفٍ

تمر فلا تدري وتأتي فلا ندري

We passed them in deep love and harmony.

We revelled through them in blissful intimacy;

They pass without knowing, and come without us knowing.

They passed unnoticed, and arrived without our knowing.

فأعقبنا منه زمان كأنه

ولا شك حسن العقد أعقب بالغدر

So after them came a time as if

Then a harsh time followed upon us, as though—

No doubt, the beauty of the knot was followed by betrayal.

Beyond doubt—a fair covenant was met with betrayal.

فلا تيأسي يا نفس عل زماننا

يعود بوجهٍ مقبلٍ غير مدبر

So do not despair, O soul, of our time,

Despair not, O soul, for perhaps our fortunes

It will return with a forthcoming, not fleeting, face.

Will return with a welcoming face, not turning away,

كما صرف الرحمن ملك أميةٍ

إليه ولوذي بالتجمل والصبر

As the Merciful turned the kingdom of Umayyads

Just as the All-Merciful turned the realm of the Umayyads

Back to them, though they donned pretense and patience.

Over to him; so take refuge in grace and patience.

أليس يحيط الروح فينا بكل ما

دنا وتناءى وهو في حجب الصدر

Does not the soul encompass within us everything

Does not the soul within us encompass all that is

That drew near and receded, while it lies in the veils of the chest?

Near and far, though concealed behind the veils of the chest?

كذا الدهم جسم وهو في الدهر روحه

محيط بما فيه وإن شئت فاستقر

Thus sorrow is a body, and in time is its spirit,

Likewise are the multitudes a body, and he in time is their soul,

Encompassing what is in it, so settle down if you wish.

Encompassing all within—and investigate if you will.

أتاوتها تهدي إليه ومنة

تقبلها منهم يقاوم بالشكر

Offer it to Him, a gift that guides to Him,

Their tributes are offered to him as gifts, and any favor

And accept from them, resisting with gratitude,

He accepts from them, he repays with generous thanks,

كذا كل نهر في البلاد وإن طمت

غزارته ينصب في لجج البحر

Thus every river in the countries, if

Just as every river in the land, no matter how vast and overflowing

Its torrents swell, pours into the depths of the sea.

Its torrent swells, pours at last into the depths of the sea.