1. أَبداً تَحنُّ إِلَيكُمُ الأَرواحُ

    وَوِصالُكُم رَيحانُها وَالراحُ

    Forever the souls yearn for you.

    And union with you is their sweet basil and wine.

  2. وَقُلوبُ أَهلِ وِدادكم تَشتاقُكُم

    وَإِلى لَذيذ لقائكم تَرتاحُ

    And the hearts of those who love you long for you,

    And find rest in the sweetness of meeting you.

  3. وَا رَحمةً للعاشِقينَ تَكلّفوا

    سرّ المَحبّةِ وَالهَوى فَضّاحُ

    Ah, mercy for the lovers who have taken upon themselves

    The secret of love, while passion exposes all.

  4. بِالسرِّ إِن باحوا تُباحُ دِماؤُهم

    وَكَذا دِماءُ العاشِقينَ تُباحُ

    If they divulge the secret, their blood is lawful to shed;

    And thus the blood of lovers is made lawful.

  5. وَإِذا هُم كَتَموا تَحَدّث عَنهُم

    عِندَ الوشاةِ المَدمعُ السَفّاحُ

    And if they conceal it, their tale is told

    Before the talebearers by the eye that pours out tears.

  6. أَحبابنا ماذا الَّذي أَفسدتمُ

    بِجفائكم غَير الفَسادِ صَلاحُ

    Our beloveds, what is it you have ruined

    By your coldness? What is not corruption is soundness.

  7. خَفضَ الجَناح لَكُم وَلَيسَ عَلَيكُم

    لِلصَبّ في خَفضِ الجَناح جُناحُ

    He lowered his wing for you, not over you;

    The lovesick one bears no blame in lowering his wing.

  8. وَبَدَت شَواهِدُ للسّقامِ عَلَيهمُ

    فيها لِمُشكل أمّهم إِيضاحُ

    And signs of sickness appeared upon them,

    In which their obscure intent is made plain.

  9. فَإِلى لِقاكم نَفسهُ مُرتاحةٌ

    وَإِلى رِضاكُم طَرفه طَمّاحُ

    So his soul finds rest in meeting you,

    And his gaze strains eagerly toward your favor.

  10. عودوا بِنورِ الوَصلِ مِن غَسَق الدُّجى

    فَالهَجرُ لَيلٌ وَالوصالُ صَباحُ

    Return with the light of union from the deep gloom of night;

    For separation is night, and union is morning.

  11. صافاهُمُ فَصَفوا لَهُ فَقُلوبهم

    في نُورِها المِشكاةُ وَالمِصباحُ

    He showed them pure affection, and they were sincere toward him; thus their hearts

    In their radiance are the niche and the lamp.

  12. وَتَمَتّعوا فَالوَقتُ طابَ لِقُربِكُم

    راقَ الشّراب وَرَقّتِ الأَقداحُ

    And take delight, for the time is sweet through your nearness;

    The drink has grown clear, and the goblets delicate.

  13. يا صاحِ لَيسَ عَلى المُحبِّ مَلامَةٌ

    إِن لاحَ في أُفق الوِصالِ صَباحُ

    O friend, no blame lies upon the lover

    If dawn appears on the horizon of union.

  14. لا ذَنبَ لِلعُشّاقِ إِن غَلَبَ الهَوى

    كِتمانَهُم فَنما الغَرامُ فَباحوا

    Lovers bear no guilt if passion overcomes

    Their concealment, and ardor grows, and they speak openly.

  15. سَمَحوا بِأَنفُسِهم وَما بَخِلوا بِها

    لَمّا دَروا أَنّ السَّماح رَباحُ

    They gave their souls freely and did not begrudge them,

    When they learned that generosity brings gain.

  16. وَدعاهُمُ داعي الحَقائقِ دَعوة

    فَغَدوا بِها مُستَأنسين وَراحوا

    And the caller of truths called them with a summons,

    So they went forth at morn, gladdened by it, and returned at dusk.

  17. رَكِبوا عَلى سنَنِ الوَفا وَدُموعهُم

    بَحرٌ وَشِدّة شَوقهم مَلّاحُ

    They embarked on the course of fidelity, their tears

    A sea, and the force of their longing a boatman.

  18. وَاللَّهِ ما طَلَبوا الوُقوفَ بِبابِهِ

    حَتّى دعوا فَأَتاهُم المفتاحُ

    By God, they did not seek to stand at his door

    Until they were summoned; then the key came to them.

  19. لا يَطربونَ بِغَيرِ ذِكر حَبيبِهم

    أَبَداً فَكُلُّ زَمانِهم أَفراحُ

    They delight in nothing but remembrance of their beloved,

    Ever; so all their time is joy.

  20. حَضَروا وَقَد غابَت شَواهِدُ ذاتِهم

    فَتَهَتّكوا لَمّا رَأوه وَصاحوا

    They were present, though the signs of their own selves had vanished;

    Then they cast off restraint when they saw him and cried out.

  21. أَفناهُم عَنهُم وَقَد كشفَت لَهُم

    حجبُ البقا فَتَلاشتِ الأَرواحُ

    He effaced them from themselves, and for them were lifted

    The veils of abiding; then the souls dissolved.

  22. فَتَشَبّهوا إِن لَم تَكُونوا مِثلَهُم

    إِنَّ التَّشَبّه بِالكِرامِ فَلاحُ

    So emulate them if you are not like them;

    For emulating the noble brings success.

  23. قُم يا نَديم إِلى المدامِ فَهاتها

    في كَأسِها قَد دارَتِ الأَقداحُ

    Rise, O drinking companion, to the wine, and bring it;

    In its cup the goblets have gone round.

  24. مِن كَرمِ أَكرام بدنّ ديانَةٍ

    لا خَمرَة قَد داسَها الفَلّاحُ

    From a vineyard of vineyards, in a cask of piety,

    Not wine that the farmer has trodden.

  25. هيَ خَمرةُ الحُبِّ القَديمِ وَمُنتَهى

    غَرض النَديم فَنعم ذاكَ الراحُ

    It is the wine of ancient love, and the utmost

    Desire of the drinking companion—how fine that wine is!

  26. وَكَذاكَ نوحٌ في السَّفينة أَسكَرَت

    وَلَهُ بِذَلِكَ رَنَّةً وَنِياحُ

    And likewise it intoxicated Noah in the ship,

    And at that he gave a ringing cry and a lament.

  27. وَصَبَت إِلى مَلَكوتِهِ الأَرواحُ

    وَإِلى لِقاءِ سِواه ما يَرتاحُ

    And the souls yearned toward his dominion,

    And he finds no rest in meeting anyone but him.

  28. وَكَأَنَّما أَجسامهُم وَقُلوبهُم

    في ضَوئِها المِشكاةُ وَالمِصباحُ

    And it is as though their bodies and their hearts

    In its radiance were the niche and the lamp.

  29. مَن باحَ بَينَهُم بِذِكرِ حَبيبِهِ

    دَمهُ حلالٌ لِلسّيوفِ مُباحُ

    Whoever speaks openly among them of his beloved,

    His blood is lawful for swords, permitted to be shed.