قَبْلَ كَوْنِ الزَّمانْ

وَوُجُودِ السَّكْرِ

Before the dawn of time

And the existence of inebriation

أسْكَرَتْنِي بِدانْ

الْهُوَى والْخَمْرِ

I was intoxicated by the wine

Of passion and liquor

قَمَرْ الرُّشْدِ لاَحْ

وأنَارَ الْفِكْرَا

The moon of guidance rose

And enlightened my thoughts

ونَسِيمَ الصَّباحْ

طابَ مِنْهُ نَشْرَا

The morning breeze blew

Spreading its fragrance

وبِرَوْحٍ وراحْ

عادَ شَفْعِي وِتْراً

In rapture and comfort

My ode returned, verse by verse

وأنَا في مهْرَجانْ

طُولْ حياتي عُمْرِي

While I was in celebration

All my life, my age

عِزَّتِي في الْهَوَانْ

وعِنَائِي فَقْرِي

My honor in humiliation

And my glory in poverty

للفقيرِ الوُصُولْ

في ريَاضِ الأنْسِ

For the poor to attain

The gardens of intimacy

كاسُ خَمْرٍ تَجُولْ

نُزِّهَتْ عُنْ جِنْسِ

A cup of wine circulates

Purified of any blemish

فَهْيَ فَهْمُ الْعُقُولْ

وحَياةُ النَّفْسِ

It is the mind’s comprehension

And the soul’s life

لَمْ يُعَبِّرْ لِسانْ

وَصْفَهَا بِالحَصْرِ

No tongue could encompass

Describing it fully

مَنْ شَرَبْهَا عِيانْ

قَدْ حُبِي بالسِّرِّ

Whoever drinks it openly

Has been granted its secret

أشْرَقَتْ كالشُّمُوسْ

في زُجاجِ الْقَلْبِ

It shone like the sun

In the heart’s glass

مُزِجَتْ في الكُؤُوسْ

مِن خُلُوصِ الْحُبِّ

Blended in goblets

From the quintessence of love

وهُدَتْ لِلنْفُوسْ

مِنْ خِلالِ الْحُجْبِ

And it guided souls

Through the veils

فَهُدَاها اسْتَبانْ

لِلْحَمِيدِ الصَّبْرِ

So it saw clearly

The praiseworthy patience

وَرَآهَا عِيَانْ

يُونُسُ في الْبَحْرِ

And witnessed openly

Jonas in the sea

فَهَواها دَلِيلْ

وسَنَاها تَدْلَهْ

It lured its guide

And inspired its inspiration

قَد سُقِيَتْ للخليلْ

ولنوحٍ قَبْلَهْ

It was served to the Friend

And to Noah before him

وهَدَتْ لِلْسَّبِيلْ

وأنارَتْ سُبْلَهْ

It guided the wayfarer

And lit his paths

لاَ تَقُلْ كَيْفَ كانْ

كَونُ ذاكَ الأمْرِ

Do not ask how it was

The being of that matter

لَيْسَ يَحْوِيهْ مَكانْ

سِرُّ ذَاكَ السِّرِ

No place can contain

The secret of that mystery

ولِمُوسى الْكَلِيمْ

حِين تَجَلَّى لِلْطُّورْ

And for Moses the Speaker

When it manifested itself to Mount Sinai

جَنْحَ لَيْلِ بَهِيمْ

وَرَا سِرَّ النُّورْ

A wing of a sublime night

Behind the secret of the Light

والنَّبِيُّ الكَرِيمْ

باتَ منها مسرور

The noble Prophet

Slept from it delighted

في رِضَا وامْتِنَان

وسُمُوِّ الْقَدْرِ

In pleasure and gratitude

And the sublime decree

شَأْنُهُ خَيْرُ شَانْ

باللِّوَا والفَخْرِ

His status is the best of statuses

In banners and pride

للنبيِّ الرَّسولْ

زَادَ شَوْقُ الْعَبْدِ

For the Prophet Messenger

The servant’s longing grew

رَبِّ قَرِّب وُصُولْ

مَن شَكَى بالْبُعْدِ

Lord, bring near the arrival

Of those who complain of distantness

عل ريح القبول

يدنيني من قصدي

On the wind of acceptance

Bring me closer to my quest

جَارَ عَلَيَّا الزَّمانْ

في هَوَى مَنْ تَدرِي

Time has been unjust to me

In the passion of the one I do not know

صُمْتُ عَنْهُ أوَانْ

وجَعَلْتُهُ فِطْرِي

I fall silent or speak

I have made it my instinct