يا عُيونَ النَّرجِسِ الغَضِّ أَلا

غُضِّ عنَّا قد طَوَيْنا بُرْدَنا

O eyes of the tender narcissus, do not

Turn away, for we have folded up our cloaks,

وغُصونُ البانِ مِيلي كَرَماً

واتْرُكينا بعدَ هذا وحْدَنَا

And the branches of the acacia incline generously,

So leave us alone after this, to ourselves.

ونُجومُ اللَّيْلِ غيبي في الدُّجى

لِنُؤدِّي الوجدَ مِنَّا جُهْدَنَا

And the stars of the night disappear into the gloom

So we may fully vent our passion,

ونُسَيْماتِ الصَّبا لا تطرُقي

ودَعينا قد أَضعْنا رُشْدَنَا

And the morning breezes—do not stir them!—

Leave us be, for we have lost our senses.

نحنُ لولا مِكْنَةٌ في طَوْرِنا

لرأَيْنا كلَّ عبدٍ عَبْدَنَا

If it weren’t for the veil drawn round our affair

We would make every slave our slave.

كتبَ اللهُ على رَقْمِ العَما

قبلَ إِبْرازِ البَرايا مجدَنَا

God wrote upon the parchment of Fate

Before the coming of beings our glory,

وعلى جبهَةِ آثارِ الوَرَى

أَحكَمَ الباري تَعالى سعْدَنَا

And upon the page of the traces of existence

The Creator firmly established our fortune.

إِرجِعي الطَّرفَ ولا تَنْحَجِبي

ورِدِي في كلِّ طَوْرٍ وِرْدَنَا

Turn your gaze away—do not hide yourself!—

And visit us at every halt along the way.

واتْرُكي العِنْدَ فما عندَ امْرءٍ

في البَرايا كلِّها ما عِنْدَنَا

Leave whining be, for no man owns

Anything in this world that matches what is ours.

زُهْدُنا في العرشِ والفرشِ معاً

قَلِّدي إِنْ رُمْتِ زُهْداً زُهْدَنَا

Our detachment from throne and mattress alike—

Imitate, if you wish, our detachment!

مُهِّدَتْ جَلْجَلَةُ الشَّأنِ لنا

ويدُ الغيبِ تَلافَتْ فَرْدَنَا

The vessel of our affair was smoothed for us

And the hand of the Unseen chose us alone.

حسبُنا اللهُ تعالى إِنَّنا

قد حَلَلْنا بالتَّجلِّي عَقْدَنَا

God suffices us! We indeed

Have unbound, through revelation, our knot.

ولإِيفاءِ وُجوبِ الشُّكرِ قد

فَرَشَ العزمُ انْقِياداً خدَّنا

And to fulfill the duty of gratitude

Determination has spread out, obedient, our cheek.

لا تقلْ هذا بعيدٌ أمَداً

فتَقَ الرَّتْقَ تَدَلَّى ودَنَا

Do not say this is far-fetched,

For the firm rope has drawn near and bent down.