أَبداً تَحنُّ إِلَيكُمُ الأَرواحُ
وَوِصالُكُم رَيحانُها وَالراحُ
The souls always yearn for you,
And being with you is their comfort and rest.
وَقُلوبُ أَهلِ وِدادكم تَشتاقُكُم
وَإِلى لَذيذ لقائكم تَرتاحُ
The hearts of those who love you long for you,
And find solace in your sweet company.
وَا رَحمةً للعاشِقينَ تَكلّفوا
سرّ المَحبّةِ وَالهَوى فَضّاحُ
Have mercy on the lovers - do not reveal
The secrets of love and passion, o loose-tongued one!
بِالسرِّ إِن باحوا تُباحُ دِماؤُهم
وَكَذا دِماءُ العاشِقينَ تُباحُ
If they divulge the secret, their blood becomes lawful,
Thus the blood of lovers is made lawful.
وَإِذا هُم كَتَموا تَحَدّث عَنهُم
عِندَ الوشاةِ المَدمعُ السَفّاحُ
And if they keep it hidden, the tale-carrying spy
Sheds crocodile tears before the jealous ones.
أَحبابنا ماذا الَّذي أَفسدتمُ
بِجفائكم غَير الفَسادِ صَلاحُ
O beloved ones, what corruption have you caused
Other than good, by your aloofness?
خَفضَ الجَناح لَكُم وَلَيسَ عَلَيكُم
لِلصَبّ في خَفضِ الجَناح جُناحُ
He has folded his wings for you - no need to fold yours -
No shame in lowering one's wing.
وَبَدَت شَواهِدُ للسّقامِ عَلَيهمُ
فيها لِمُشكل أمّهم إِيضاحُ
And signs of their illness have appeared in them
Making clear the troubles of their mothers.
فَإِلى لِقاكم نَفسهُ مُرتاحةٌ
وَإِلى رِضاكُم طَرفه طَمّاحُ
Their souls find rest in seeing you
And their eyes aspire to please you.
عودوا بِنورِ الوَصلِ مِن غَسَق الدُّجى
فَالهَجرُ لَيلٌ وَالوصالُ صَباحُ
Return with the light of union from the gloom of separation
For estrangement is night and reunion is dawn.
صافاهُمُ فَصَفوا لَهُ فَقُلوبهم
في نُورِها المِشكاةُ وَالمِصباحُ
They purified themselves, so their hearts are pure,
The lantern and lamp shine in their light.
وَتَمَتّعوا فَالوَقتُ طابَ لِقُربِكُم
راقَ الشّراب وَرَقّتِ الأَقداحُ
Rejoice while time is pleasant in your company -
The wine is fine and the cups glitter.
يا صاحِ لَيسَ عَلى المُحبِّ مَلامَةٌ
إِن لاحَ في أُفق الوِصالِ صَباحُ
O companion! No blame lies with the lover
If the dawn of reunion appears on the horizon.
لا ذَنبَ لِلعُشّاقِ إِن غَلَبَ الهَوى
كِتمانَهُم فَنما الغَرامُ فَباحوا
No fault lies with lovers if passion prevails -
Their secret grew as they concealed it, so they divulged it.
سَمَحوا بِأَنفُسِهم وَما بَخِلوا بِها
لَمّا دَروا أَنّ السَّماح رَباحُ
They were generous with themselves, not miserly,
For they knew generosity to be profitable.
وَدعاهُمُ داعي الحَقائقِ دَعوة
فَغَدوا بِها مُستَأنسين وَراحوا
The voice of truth called them with an invitation,
So they came willingly and at ease.
رَكِبوا عَلى سنَنِ الوَفا وَدُموعهُم
بَحرٌ وَشِدّة شَوقهم مَلّاحُ
They embarked upon the ways of loyalty, their tears
An ocean and their intense longing the sail.
وَاللَّهِ ما طَلَبوا الوُقوفَ بِبابِهِ
حَتّى دعوا فَأَتاهُم المفتاحُ
By God! They did not seek to stand at his door
Until the key came to them and opened it.
لا يَطربونَ بِغَيرِ ذِكر حَبيبِهم
أَبَداً فَكُلُّ زَمانِهم أَفراحُ
They are never delighted but by remembrance of their beloved -
Every moment of theirs is joyful.
حَضَروا وَقَد غابَت شَواهِدُ ذاتِهم
فَتَهَتّكوا لَمّا رَأوه وَصاحوا
They came while signs of their selves had disappeared,
They shrieked when they saw him and were annihilated.
أَفناهُم عَنهُم وَقَد كشفَت لَهُم
حجبُ البقا فَتَلاشتِ الأَرواحُ
He made them oblivious of themselves when the veils
Of permanence were lifted from them and the souls evaporated.
فَتَشَبّهوا إِن لَم تَكُونوا مِثلَهُم
إِنَّ التَّشَبّه بِالكِرامِ فَلاحُ
Imitate them if you are not like them -
Imitating the noble ones is success.
قُم يا نَديم إِلى المدامِ فَهاتها
في كَأسِها قَد دارَتِ الأَقداحُ
Arise, o cupbearer, and bring it here -
In its cup the drinks have circulated.
مِن كَرمِ أَكرام بدنّ ديانَةٍ
لا خَمرَة قَد داسَها الفَلّاحُ
It is the old wine of love and the goal
Of the boon companion - so excellent is that rest!
هيَ خَمرةُ الحُبِّ القَديمِ وَمُنتَهى
غَرض النَديم فَنعم ذاكَ الراحُ
Thus did Noah in the ark become intoxicated,
And he fluted and lamented because of it.
وَكَذاكَ نوحٌ في السَّفينة أَسكَرَت
وَلَهُ بِذَلِكَ رَنَّةً وَنِياحُ
The souls streamed to His kingdom,
And find no rest but in meeting Him.
وَصَبَت إِلى مَلَكوتِهِ الأَرواحُ
وَإِلى لِقاءِ سِواه ما يَرتاحُ
Their bodies and hearts are as though
The lantern and lamp shine in their light.
وَكَأَنَّما أَجسامهُم وَقُلوبهُم
في ضَوئِها المِشكاةُ وَالمِصباحُ
The blood of one who reveals their beloved among them
Is made lawful for the swords.
مَن باحَ بَينَهُم بِذِكرِ حَبيبِهِ
دَمهُ حلالٌ لِلسّيوفِ مُباحُ
