أَلا يا ابنَ عَمِّي قَد تَمادى التَّباعُدُ

أَلا يا ابنَ عَمِّي قَد تَمادى التَّباعُدُ

عَلَيَّ فأَضحَى دَمعُ عَينِيَ يَذرُفُ

عَلَيَّ فأَضحَى دَمعُ عَينِيَ يَذرُفُ

Ah, my cousin, separation has dragged on

Oh my cousin's son, estrangement between us has lingered on

for me, so now the tears of my eye flow.

Making my eyes shed copious tears in longing

أَرُومُ وِصالاً نَحوَكُم فيعُوقُنِي

أَرُومُ وِصالاً نَحوَكُم فيعُوقُنِي

زَمانٌ عَلَى التَّقدِيرِ يُرضِي ويُسعِفُ

زَمانٌ عَلَى التَّقدِيرِ يُرضِي ويُسعِفُ

I seek reunion with you, but I am hindered by

I yearn for your company but time holds me back

time, which brings contentment and aid as fate decrees.

Proceeding as fate dictates, sometimes helping, other times hindering

عَلى أَنَّكُم أَقصَى مَرامِي وَإِنَّما

عَلى أَنَّكُم أَقصَى مَرامِي وَإِنَّما

تعُوقُ الفَتَى الأَقدارُ حِيناً وَتصرِفُ

تعُوقُ الفَتَى الأَقدارُ حِيناً وَتصرِفُ

Although you are my utmost aim, it is only

For you are my ultimate desire, though at times

fate that at times hinders a young man and turns him aside.

Destiny can hinder a young man, twisting matters awry

وأَنتُم مُنائِي يا سُوَيداءَ ناظِري

وأَنتُم مُنائِي يا سُوَيداءَ ناظِري

وراحَةُ قَلبِي الهائِمِ المُتَلَهِّفِ

وراحَةُ قَلبِي الهائِمِ المُتَلَهِّفِ

And you are my desire, O pupil of my eye,

You bring joy to my eyes and solace to my restless heart

and the solace of my love-stricken, yearning heart.

My refuge and relief from burning anguish

فرِقُّوا لِصَبٍّ أَنحَلَ البُعدُ جِسمَهُ

فرِقُّوا لِصَبٍّ أَنحَلَ البُعدُ جِسمَهُ

سَهِيراً وَمن حَرِّ الجَوى كادَ يَتلَفُ

سَهِيراً وَمن حَرِّ الجَوى كادَ يَتلَفُ

So have pity on a lover whose body distance has wasted,

Intercede on behalf of one melted by the pain of separation

sleepless, and nearly perishing from the heat of love's anguish.

Whose body is withered from the heat of intense yearning

فأنتُم حِجا المَلهُوفِ إِن جاءَ صارِخاً

فأنتُم حِجا المَلهُوفِ إِن جاءَ صارِخاً

وأَنبَلُ مَن فوقَ المِهادِ وأَشرَفُ

وأَنبَلُ مَن فوقَ المِهادِ وأَشرَفُ

For you are the refuge of the distressed when he comes crying for help,

You are the shelter for one desperate, crying out in longing

and the noblest and most honorable of all upon the earth's bed.

The noblest, highest, and most virtuous of men

وساجَلتُكُم عَلِّي أَفُز من جَنابِكُم

وساجَلتُكُم عَلِّي أَفُز من جَنابِكُم

بِطِرسٍ فأَهنا بالوِصالِ وأَرشُفُ

بِطِرسٍ فأَهنا بالوِصالِ وأَرشُفُ

And I have exchanged verses with you, hoping to obtain from you

I venture to seek from you reunion and its bliss

a written page, to rejoice in communion and sip of it.

From which flows euphoric elation and soaring spirits

أَلا يا ابنَ عَمِّي أَنتَ رِفدٌ لِقاصِدٍ

أَلا يا ابنَ عَمِّي أَنتَ رِفدٌ لِقاصِدٍ

وَجُودُكَ بَحرٌ وَالبَرِيَّةُ تَغرِفُ

وَجُودُكَ بَحرٌ وَالبَرِيَّةُ تَغرِفُ

Ah, my cousin, you are aid to the seeker,

Oh cousin's son, you sustain the visitor knocking at your door

and your generosity is a sea, and all creation draws from it.

Your generosity is an ocean from which others draw

فجُد بِرَقِيمٍ يُنعِشُ الرُّوحَ نَسجُهُ

فجُد بِرَقِيمٍ يُنعِشُ الرُّوحَ نَسجُهُ

فَفَضلُكَ مَشهورٌ وَبالبِرِّ تُوصَفُ

فَفَضلُكَ مَشهورٌ وَبالبِرِّ تُوصَفُ

So grant a written message whose weave revives the soul,

Show kindness with a message that revives my soul

for your bounty is renowned, and you are known for kindness.

For your merit is well-known and you are characterized by righteousness

فأَنتُم شِفا سُقمِي وَمَرتَعُ ناظِرِي

فأَنتُم شِفا سُقمِي وَمَرتَعُ ناظِرِي

وَغايةُ آمالي فَمُنُّوا تَعَطَّفُوا

وَغايةُ آمالي فَمُنُّوا تَعَطَّفُوا

For you are the cure for my sickness and a pasture for my eye,

You are the remedy for my malady, the joy of my eyes

and the utmost of my hopes; so bestow favor and show compassion.

The goal of all my hopes - show mercy and kindness I implore

فَيا حبَّذا ذاكَ التَّزاوُرُ بَينَنا

فَيا حبَّذا ذاكَ التَّزاوُرُ بَينَنا

وَنُجمُ السَّما مِن حَولِ بَدرِهِمُ حَفُّوا

وَنُجمُ السَّما مِن حَولِ بَدرِهِمُ حَفُّوا

Oh, how lovely that exchange of visits between us,

If only we could visit back and forth

and the stars of heaven gathered around their full moon.

With the stars gathered reverently around the shining moon

فَيا لَيتَني معكم أَحِبَّةَ ناظِري

فَيا لَيتَني معكم أَحِبَّةَ ناظِري

فأَجني ثِمارَ العلم منكم وأَقطُفُ

فأَجني ثِمارَ العلم منكم وأَقطُفُ

So, if only I were with you, O beloved ones of my eye,

If only I could be with you, my beloved, once more

then I would gather from you the fruits of knowledge and pluck them.

To glean the fruits of knowledge and gather an abundant harvest

وَأُنبِئُكُم يا زِينَةَ الدَّهرِ أَنَّنِي

وَأُنبِئُكُم يا زِينَةَ الدَّهرِ أَنَّنِي

لِشَطِّكُمُ نَومي وعيشِيَ لم يَصفُ

لِشَطِّكُمُ نَومي وعيشِيَ لم يَصفُ

And I tell you, O adornment of the age, that

If only I could tell you, the beauty of this age

because you are far away, neither my sleep nor my life has been serene.

That for your company I cannot sleep, from longing undone

فآهٍ عَسى الأَيّامُ تُدمِجُ ما مَضَى

فآهٍ عَسى الأَيّامُ تُدمِجُ ما مَضَى

بأُنسٍ مَعَ الساداتِ وَالشَّملَ يَلتَفُّ

بأُنسٍ مَعَ الساداتِ وَالشَّملَ يَلتَفُّ

Ah, may the days enfold what has passed

Alas, may time yet mend what has passed

in fellowship with the noble masters, and may our company reunite.

With fellowship amongst the noble ones and ties restored

فَيُشفى حَرِيقُ القَلبِ مِن حَرِّ فَقدِكُم

فَيُشفى حَرِيقُ القَلبِ مِن حَرِّ فَقدِكُم

وَيَنكَفُّ دَمعٌ بالخُدودِ لهُ وَكفُ

وَيَنكَفُّ دَمعٌ بالخُدودِ لهُ وَكفُ

Then the heart's burning from the heat of your absence will be healed,

Healing the burning heart from the agony of your absence

and the tears streaming down the cheeks will cease.

And quenching the ceaseless tears upon my cheeks

فَعَبد لَطيفٍ أَنتَ رُوحِي وَراحَتِي

فَعَبد لَطيفٍ أَنتَ رُوحِي وَراحَتِي

وَقربُكَ يُحيِيني وَبُعدُكَ لِي حَتفُ

وَقربُكَ يُحيِيني وَبُعدُكَ لِي حَتفُ

So, Abd Latif, you are my soul and my solace,

You are the gentle servant, comfort to my soul

and your nearness gives me life, while your distance is death to me.

Your nearness gives me life, your distance brings ruin

وَلا زالَ لُطفُ اللَّه يا عَلَمَ الهُدى

وَلا زالَ لُطفُ اللَّه يا عَلَمَ الهُدى

يُغادِيكَ ما قامَ المُصَلُّونَ واصطَفُّوا

يُغادِيكَ ما قامَ المُصَلُّونَ واصطَفُّوا

And may God's kindness, O beacon of guidance, never cease

Everlasting is God's grace upon you, guiding pillar

to visit you each morning, as long as worshippers rise and stand in rows.

As long as worshippers stand and rank themselves in rows

علَيكَ سَلامي ما ذَكَرتُكَ ساعَةً

علَيكَ سَلامي ما ذَكَرتُكَ ساعَةً

فَأَسبَلتُ دَمعاً مِن عُيونِي لهُ عُنفُ

فَأَسبَلتُ دَمعاً مِن عُيونِي لهُ عُنفُ

My greeting of peace be upon you whenever I remember you for a moment,

Greetings upon you whenever you cross my mind

and then I let tears pour fiercely from my eyes.

And copious tears from my eyes cascade in torrents

وَأَختِمُ نَظمِي بالصَّلاةِ مُسَلِّماً

وَأَختِمُ نَظمِي بالصَّلاةِ مُسَلِّماً

عَلَى المُصطَفى ما رُدَّ لِلنَّاظِرِ الطَّرفُ

عَلَى المُصطَفى ما رُدَّ لِلنَّاظِرِ الطَّرفُ

And I close my verse with blessings, offering peace

I conclude with a prayer, submitting peace

upon the Chosen One, as long as the gaze returns to the beholder,

Upon the Prophet for as long as eyes continue to see

وَآلٍ وَأَصحابٍ جَميعاً وَعِترَةٍ

وَآلٍ وَأَصحابٍ جَميعاً وَعِترَةٍ

لأَنَّهُمُ شَمسُ الهُداءِلِمَن يَقفُو

لأَنَّهُمُ شَمسُ الهُداءِلِمَن يَقفُو

and his household and companions, all of them, and his kindred,

And his family, his companions, his progeny altogether

for they are the sun of guidance for whoever follows.

For they are the suns of guidance for those who follow