أَمولىً شرُفْتُ به أَم صَديقُ

أَمولىً شرُفْتُ به أَم صَديقُ

يُواصِلُنِي حينَ يجفو الشَّقيقُ

يُواصِلُنِي حينَ يجفو الشَّقيقُ

Is he a patron through whom I am honored, or a friend

Is he my friend or my beloved

Is he a master through whom I found honor, or a friend,

who keeps close to me when my own brother shuns me?

Who consoles me when others abandon me

Who maintains the bond when my own brother turns away?

تملكني ومنى ملكهُ

تملكني ومنى ملكهُ

فحسبُ مَعاليهِ أَنَّا رَقيقُ

فحسبُ مَعاليهِ أَنَّا رَقيقُ

He has taken possession of me, and I long to belong to him;

He has captivated me, and I am his captive

He has taken possession of me, and his dominion is my desire,

it is enough for his eminence that we are slaves.

It suffices that he is noble and I am lowly

For it suffices his high glory that I am his bondsman.

سَقَانِي وأَخْلاقُهُ جَنَّةٌ

سَقَانِي وأَخْلاقُهُ جَنَّةٌ

فمنها الرِّياضُ ومنها الرَّحيقُ

فمنها الرِّياضُ ومنها الرَّحيقُ

He gave me drink, and his virtues are a garden;

His morals have quenched my thirst

He poured me a drink, and his character is a paradise:

from it come gardens, and from it pure wine.

From it comes happiness and from it comes joy

From it come the gardens, and from it flows the nectar.

حَلَتْ وَأُحِلَّتْ كريقِ الحبيبِ

حَلَتْ وَأُحِلَّتْ كريقِ الحبيبِ

فطابَ الصَّبوحُ بها والغَبوقُ

فطابَ الصَّبوحُ بها والغَبوقُ

It became sweet and was made lawful, like the beloved’s saliva;

The ropes of the beloved have descended and been untied

Sweet to the taste and made lawful, like the moisture of the beloved's lips,

so with it the morning and evening draughts were delightful.

So the mornings and evenings are pleasant because of him

Making the morning draught and the evening cup delightful.

وزادَ على الزَّادِ ما فاتَنِي

وزادَ على الزَّادِ ما فاتَنِي

زَماناً وإِن طالَ ذاكَ الطَّريقُ

زَماناً وإِن طالَ ذاكَ الطَّريقُ

And he added to the provisions what had eluded me

And to my supplies he has added what I missed

And he added to the provisions that which I had missed,

for a time, however long that road might be.

For a long time, though arduous was that journey

For an age, however long that road had been.