تأمل فما فات شيء أتى

تأمل فما فات شيء أتى

ولا يعرف الأمر إلا الفتى

ولا يعرف الأمر إلا الفتى

Reflect: nothing that has come has passed away.

Contemplate, nothing that has passed will come again

And none knows the matter but the youth.

And none knows what will happen except the youth

شربت الوجود ولم أرتوي

شربت الوجود ولم أرتوي

من الحب يا ليت شعري متى

من الحب يا ليت شعري متى

I drank existence, yet did not drink my fill

I drank existence but was not sated

Of love—oh, would that I knew when!

When, O my poetry, will I be sated with love?

متى أرتوي منه وهو الذي

متى أرتوي منه وهو الذي

نفاني ولكنه أثبتا

نفاني ولكنه أثبتا

When shall I drink my fill of Him, who

When will I be sated with it, it which

Negated me, yet affirmed me?

Annihilated me, yet affirmed me

فأثبتني فيه من غير أن

فأثبتني فيه من غير أن

أرى لي وجوداً سواه أتى

أرى لي وجوداً سواه أتى

Thus He affirmed me in Himself, without

So it affirmed me through it without

My seeing any existence arise for me apart from Him.

Me seeing any existence apart from it come to be

فويلاه ويلاه مني ومن

فويلاه ويلاه مني ومن

تدليه لما دنا ملفتا

تدليه لما دنا ملفتا

So alas, alas, because of me and because of

So woe, woe to me and to

His descent, as He drew near, captivating me!

He who led it when it drew near, enticing

ألا يا لقومي قفوا هاهنا

ألا يا لقومي قفوا هاهنا

فإن له صارماً مصلتا

فإن له صارماً مصلتا

Ho! O my people, halt here,

Lo, O my people, stand right here

For He has a keen sword, unsheathed.

For it has a sword, honed and ready

خذوا من تعاريف آياته

خذوا من تعاريف آياته

به لا بكم واقصدوا المثبتا

به لا بكم واقصدوا المثبتا

Take from the disclosures of His signs,

Take from the meanings of its signs

Through Him, not through yourselves, and seek the Affirmer.

Through it, not you, and aim for the affirmed

محب حبيب لذات له

محب حبيب لذات له

إذا ما تجلى لنا أبهتا

إذا ما تجلى لنا أبهتا

He is lover and beloved of His own essence;

A lover of the essence of the Beloved

Whenever He reveals Himself to us, He leaves us dumbfounded.

When He is revealed to us, dumbfounds us

بعيني عمىً عن سوى وجهه

بعيني عمىً عن سوى وجهه

وأذناي عن غيره صمتا

وأذناي عن غيره صمتا

In my eyes is blindness to all but His face,

My eyes are blind save to His face

And my ears have grown deaf to all but Him.

And my ears deaf but to His voice

هو الحق يبدو ويخفى ومن

هو الحق يبدو ويخفى ومن

أراد اجتماعا به شتتا

أراد اجتماعا به شتتا

He is the Real: He appears and is hidden; and whoever

He is the Truth, appearing and hiding, and he who

Desires union with Him is scattered.

Wants to meet with Him, finds himself scattered

وما الجمع إلا به والذي

وما الجمع إلا به والذي

تعدى فعن أمره قد عتا

تعدى فعن أمره قد عتا

And union is only through Him; and the one who

And there is no gathering but through Him; he who

Transgresses has indeed rebelled against His command.

Transgresses from His command has strayed indeed