شخصت لطلعة وجهك الأشخاصُ

شخصت لطلعة وجهك الأشخاصُ

وتراقصت بطيورها الأقفاصُ

وتراقصت بطيورها الأقفاصُ

The figures stood transfixed at the appearance of your face,

The features of your face gave character to characters,

And the cages danced with their birds.

And birds fluttered in their cages.

ومشت عوام في طريقك فاهتدى

ومشت عوام في طريقك فاهتدى

بك وانثنت فغوت عليك خواص

بك وانثنت فغوت عليك خواص

The common folk walked your path and found guidance

The commoners walked your path, and through you found guidance.

Through you; the elect turned aside and went astray concerning you.

The special ones leaned towards you and whispered.

يا جوهر البحر الذي غرقت به

يا جوهر البحر الذي غرقت به

قوم وفاز بنيله الغواص

قوم وفاز بنيله الغواص

O jewel of the sea in which drowned

O essence of the sea in which I drowned,

A people, while the diver triumphed by attaining it.

Arise, and let the diver attain his wish.

أشقيت قوماً فالرياء شعارهم

أشقيت قوماً فالرياء شعارهم

وشعار من أسعدته الإخلاص

وشعار من أسعدته الإخلاص

You made a people wretched, so ostentation is their emblem;

You made a people wretched, for whom hypocrisy was their banner.

And sincerity is the emblem of those you made happy.

And sincerity was the banner of those you brought joy to.

وبكلِّ شيء للذي أبعدته

وبكلِّ شيء للذي أبعدته

قيد ومن قربته فخلاص

قيد ومن قربته فخلاص

And in everything, for the one you kept far away,

With everything, to those you dismissed,

There is a fetter; for the one you drew near, release.

Was shackling, and those you drew near, liberation.

ورصاص من أحببته ذهبٌ كما

ورصاص من أحببته ذهبٌ كما

ذهبُ الذي لم ترض عنه رصاص

ذهبُ الذي لم ترض عنه رصاص

And the lead of one you loved is gold, just as

And for those you loved, your bullets were gold, just as

The gold of one with whom you were not pleased is lead.

For those you did not favor, their bullets were lead.

وبك الرخاص هي الغوالي إن دنت

وبك الرخاص هي الغوالي إن دنت

لك والغوالي إن بعدت رخاص

لك والغوالي إن بعدت رخاص

Through you, the cheap are precious if they draw near

When they approached you, the cheap became priceless.

To you; and the precious, if they grow distant, are cheap.

When distant from you, the priceless became cheap.

طير بأوج الغيب رفرف ما له

طير بأوج الغيب رفرف ما له

أبداً سواه من الورى قناص

أبداً سواه من الورى قناص

A bird fluttered at the zenith of the unseen; it has no

A bird circles the highest unknown, having

Hunter among created beings ever but itself.

No other hunter in the world but you.

نصب الخيالُ له الشباك جهالة

نصب الخيالُ له الشباك جهالة

فعلا وجل وكان فيه مناص

فعلا وجل وكان فيه مناص

Imagination set nets for it in ignorance;

Imagination foolishly set up its traps for Him,

So it rose and was exalted, and in it lay escape.

The Most High, the Most Majestic, who had a means of escape.

جرحته عيني منه حين عيونه

جرحته عيني منه حين عيونه

جرحت فؤادي والجروح قصاص

جرحت فؤادي والجروح قصاص

My eye, itself from it, wounded it when its eyes

My eyes wounded Him when His eyes

Wounded my heart—and wounds are retribution.

Wounded my heart – wounds requited equally.

صدق الذي بك لم يكن في كونه

صدق الذي بك لم يكن في كونه

يا من به لم يقتل الخرّاص

يا من به لم يقتل الخرّاص

He spoke truly who, through you, was not in his own existence,

True are those whom through you have not been

O you, through whom the conjecturer was not slain.

Among the living, O You through whom no arquebus kills.

وبك المحب هو الذي شيطانه

وبك المحب هو الذي شيطانه

أبداً على أعقابه نكّاص

أبداً على أعقابه نكّاص

And through you, the lover is the one whose devil

And through you the lover is one whose devil

Always turns back upon his heels.

Never ceases to turn back on his heels.

رجعت بطاناً منك أطيار المنى

رجعت بطاناً منك أطيار المنى

لما غدت ترجوك وهي خماص

لما غدت ترجوك وهي خماص

The birds of wishes returned from you with bellies full,

The birds of wishes returned foolish

Having gone forth in the morning hoping in you, hungry.

When you became their hope, though before they were wary.

جسدٌ له طبلُ اللسان وزمرُهُ

جسدٌ له طبلُ اللسان وزمرُهُ

صورُ الخيال وقلبُه الرقاص

صورُ الخيال وقلبُه الرقاص

A body has the tongue as its drum; its piping is

A body whose tongue is a drum and chant,

Imagination's images, and its heart is the dancer,

Whose imagination is images and whose heart’s a dancer.

فرحا له بحضور غائب سره

فرحا له بحضور غائب سره

وقد انجلت عن عينه الأشخاص

وقد انجلت عن عينه الأشخاص

In joy for it at the presence of the one hidden in its secret,

Happy is it in the presence of the mystery of its absent one.

And the figures have cleared away from its sight.

Characters have been unveiled before its eyes.