كتابك يا عليٌّ زار غبا

فزاد على تليد الحب حبا

Your book, O Ali, visited absence

So it increased love over accustomed love

وكنت إليه صبّاً أي صب

ولولا حبكم ما كنت صبا

And I was pouring to it, O pourer

And were it not for your love, I would not have been a pourer

أتاني بعد ما أنحلت جسما

وذبت حشاشة وعمدت قلبا

It came to me after my body had melted

And my heart had melted and intended a heart

فككت ختامه فشذى عبيراً

ولامح جوهراً وانساع ضربا

So I undid its seal and it diffused a scent

And gleamed a essence and spread a pulse

وخاطبني به معنى لطيف

وحيث سألته عنكم فلبى

And addressed me with a gentle meaning

And when I asked it about you, it fulfilled

ولولا حيث حياني لعمري

غدت روحي بأيدي البين نهبا

And were it not that it gave me life for my life

My soul would have been prey to separation

تقاضاني بقرب الوجد بعداً

وعوضني ببعد الوصل قربا

Demanding me the nearness of passion after distance

And compensating me for the distance of union with nearness

أبا حسن فدتك من الرزايا

عداة بعضهم بالغيب دبا

O Abu Hasan, I sacrifice you from afflictions

Some enemies crept in absence

وينسى اللَه من ينسى صنيعا

صنعت له فصنعك في أربى

And forgets God whoever forgets a favor

You did to him, so your favor is more worthy

وتذكر أنني عن وصل ليلى

بدا لي لا ومن كشف المغبا

And remember that I, from the union of Layla

The no to me became yes, and who uncovered the unseen

سأرتكب الخطوب لوصول ليلى

فما يخشى أخو العزمات خطبا

I will commit mistakes to reach Layla

So the brother of resolves does not fear mistakes

وحسبي اللَه في قرب وبعد

كفى باللَه ذي الآلاء حسبا

God suffices me in nearness and distance

Sufficient is God, the Bestower, as Reckoner

مقيلي فوق أكوار المطايا

وليلي السرى خفضاً ونصبا

My night camp is atop the curves of the mounts

And my night of travel bowed down and erect

وقد أرد المياه مطحلبات

وإن عدمت جعلت الليل شربا

And though the water is green with moss

If it lacks, I make the night a drink

إذا ما حقق الحر اعتزاماً

فلا يخشى أذى بر وحبا

When the free person accomplishes a resolve

He does not fear harm of justification or love

أظل على مطا كور المطايا

أخب بها إذا ما الآل خبا

I remain atop the curves of the mounts

Speaking of them when the family spoke

عوي السيد في الفلوات أنسي

وأقنص بالضحى صعواً وضبا

Passing the master in the expanses, I busy myself

And hunt with the morning a deer and mountain goat

وأحدو بالروي مكلفات

وأزجر في ضمير الليل ركبا

And I stir in the conscience of the night riding camels

And I remember from the love of Layla, arts

وأذكر من هوى ليلى فنوناً

إذا ما ساخها ذو الشيب شبا

When the gray-haired stoked them as a youth

And my companions above their saddlebags asleep

وصحبي فوق أرحلهم رقود

تهب إذا النسيم الرطب هبا

The moist breeze blows so they awake

The beauties danced to us toward Layla

رقصن بنا الأيانق نحو ليلى

وقد نظرت نواظرهن حبجبا

And their glances looked from behind the veils

So they made us forbidden and permitted and we circled

فأحرمنا وأحللنا وطفنا

وعرفنا ولبينا الملبى

And we knew and faced the direction of prayer

And we rushed toward Tayba so we may revive

وعجنا نحو طيبة كي نحيي

رسول اللَه إخلاصا وحبا

The Messenger of God in sincerity and love

We stopped at his planet and said

وقفنا عند كوكبه وقلنا

حبيب اللَه فاجعلنا أحبا

Beloved of God, so make us the most loving

We glorified the earth to our faces

سبحنا بالتراب لنا وجوهاً

وعدناها لنمسح منه تربا

And we returned them to wipe from it dust

And we said, and God is Knowing of us

وقلنا والإله بنا عليم

إليك إليك فارقنا ذنبا

To You, to You, we left sin

And we hope through your intercession we are saved

ونرجو بالشفاعة منك ننجو

ونرجع بالرضى منكم ونحبى

And we return with acceptance from you and are rewarded