البُعْدُ عنْكَ يا ابْني

البُعْدُ عنْكَ يا ابْني

أكبرْ مصايبي

أكبرْ مصايبي

Being far from you, my son,

Being away from you, my son

is the greatest of my misfortunes.

Is my greatest misfortune

وحِينْ حصَل لِي قْرْبَكْ

وحِينْ حصَل لِي قْرْبَكْ

سَيَّبتُ قاربي

سَيَّبتُ قاربي

And when closeness to you came to me,

And when I got close to you

I let my boat go.

I repaired my boat

يُوحشْني فيكْ ظُهوري مِن بَعْدِ غَيْبتي

يُوحشْني فيكْ ظُهوري مِن بَعْدِ غَيْبتي

ونَذْكُرَكْ وتَدْهَشْ مِنْكَ قُلَيْبتي

ونَذْكُرَكْ وتَدْهَشْ مِنْكَ قُلَيْبتي

My reappearance in you after my absence makes me feel estranged.

Your return makes me happy after your absence

And I remember you, and my little heart is bewildered by you.

And remembering you amazes my heart

يُبْسُطْني فيكْ أنْسي يقْبِضْني هَيْبَتي

يُبْسُطْني فيكْ أنْسي يقْبِضْني هَيْبَتي

لَو أنَّ بانْطباعي

لَو أنَّ بانْطباعي

My intimacy with you expands me; my awe constricts me.

You give me intimacy, you take away my awe

If it were by my own nature,

If only my imprints

واخراجْ قَوالِبي

واخراجْ قَوالِبي

وإِنْ صِبْتُ منكَ خَلوه

وإِنْ صِبْتُ منكَ خَلوه

and the bringing forth of my forms,

And my molds

and if I found seclusion with you,

And if I got a drink from you

تنْشُبْ مَخالبي

تنْشُبْ مَخالبي

سقَيتني عُبَيْبَة من خَيرِكَ القديمْ

سقَيتني عُبَيْبَة من خَيرِكَ القديمْ

my claws would take hold.

My claws would grow

You gave me a little draught of your ancient bounty.

You gave me a sweet drink from your old goodness

وكُنْتَ لِي موانس في السُّكر والنَّديمْ

وكُنْتَ لِي موانس في السُّكر والنَّديمْ

وصِرتُ بيكْ مُرَفّهْ ولم نَزلْ عَديمْ

وصِرتُ بيكْ مُرَفّهْ ولم نَزلْ عَديمْ

And you kept me company in intoxication and were my drinking companion.

And you were a companion in drunkenness and leisure

And through you I became at ease, yet remained destitute.

And I became spoiled by you and still penniless

ولم يكُن شرَابَكْ

ولم يكُن شرَابَكْ

مِن قَرضِ شارِبي

مِن قَرضِ شارِبي

And your drink was not

And your drink

from clipping my mustache;

Was not from borrowing from my drinking companion

وإِنّمَا بِفَضْلكْ

وإِنّمَا بِفَضْلكْ

تَمّت مآرِبي

تَمّت مآرِبي

but only through your grace

But by your grace

were my wishes fulfilled.

My affairs were completed

إِيَّاكَ لا تَنظُر اثْنين

إِيَّاكَ لا تَنظُر اثْنين

لا تَسْمَع الغَلَطْ

لا تَسْمَع الغَلَطْ

Beware: do not see two!

Beware of looking at two

Do not listen to error.

Do not listen to mistakes

ما ثمَّ إِلاَّ واحِدْ

ما ثمَّ إِلاَّ واحِدْ

أنْت هُوَت فقط

أنْت هُوَت فقط

There is only one;

There is only one

you are He, nothing more.

You alone, that is all

وافهمْ ذِيكَ الْمَعانِي

وافهمْ ذِيكَ الْمَعانِي

واحْذَر ذِيكَ النَّقطْ

واحْذَر ذِيكَ النَّقطْ

And understand those meanings,

And understand these meanings

and beware of those dots.

And beware of these dots

وانجمعْ بذاتكْ

وانجمعْ بذاتكْ

لَسْ ثمَّ طالبي

لَسْ ثمَّ طالبي

And gather yourself within your own essence;

And focus on yourself

no one there seeks me

I have no seeker other than you

غَيْرَك على صفاتِكْ

غَيْرَك على صفاتِكْ

مِن الأَقاربِي

مِن الأَقاربِي

but you, with your attributes,

No relative of mine has your qualities

among the kinsfolk.

O you who tell me of abundance

يا من يقُل لي كثرة

يا من يقُل لي كثرة

فالناس هوم المِلاح

فالناس هوم المِلاح

O you who speak to me of multiplicity,

People are the salt of beauty

for people are the fair ones—

Indeed, you see the stars

حقاً تُرى الكواكبَ

حقاً تُرى الكواكبَ

مَع بهجةِ الصَّباحْ

مَع بهجةِ الصَّباحْ

can the stars truly be seen

With the splendor of the morning

amid the splendor of morning?

Absolutely, listen

مُطْلَق تطرتُوا فاسمع

مُطْلَق تطرتُوا فاسمع

وارْجِعْ للاصطباح

وارْجِعْ للاصطباح

Without restriction, [unclear verb]—so listen,

And return to consciousness

and return to the morning draught.

There is only one

ما ثمَّ إلاَّ واحد

ما ثمَّ إلاَّ واحد

فافهم يا صاحبي

فافهم يا صاحبي

There is only one;

So understand, my friend

so understand, my friend.

And abundance is like abundant

والكثرْه مِثلُ كثرهْ

والكثرْه مِثلُ كثرهْ

جَوْزِ العجايبي

جَوْزِ العجايبي

And multiplicity is like the multiplicity

Walnut trees

of the conjurer's walnuts.

Saturn was completed in an hour

تمَّ الزَّحَل في ساعه

تمَّ الزَّحَل في ساعه

وجاكما تَرَى

وجاكما تَرَى

The zajal was finished in an hour,

As you see

and came out as you see:

A solid, good work

عمَل مُحِق جيِّد

عمَل مُحِق جيِّد

لَوْشِي وشُشْتري

لَوْشِي وشُشْتري

the work of a good, truthful man,

For al-Lushi and Shostri

Lawshi and Shushtari,

A suitor for a passionate lover

عارِض لزجَل عاشق

عارِض لزجَل عاشق

خَبرُوا لقد درِي

خَبرُوا لقد درِي

in response to a lover's zajal,

They know, they knew

whose story he indeed knew:

We cry, and how can we not cry

نَبْكي وكَيف لا نَبْكي

نَبْكي وكَيف لا نَبْكي

عَلَى جَبايبي

عَلَى جَبايبي

I weep—and how could I not weep

For our loved ones

for my beloveds?

I bid them farewell and

ودَّعْتُهُم وسارَت

ودَّعْتُهُم وسارَت

عَنْهُم ركايبي

عَنْهُم ركايبي

I bade them farewell, and off went

My mounts went away from them

my mounts, away from them.