ماwhat لقلبيwith my heart كثرhave multiplied شجونهits sorrows
ما لقلبي كثر شجونه
وفؤاديand my heart منfrom البينseparation مسقمsickened
وفؤادي من البين مسقم
What ails my heart, whose sorrows have multiplied?
My heart is full of sorrows,
And my heart is sickened by separation.
My soul is sick with separation.
قدhas عدمlost فيin الهوىlove معينهits helper
قد عدم في الهوى معينه
يسكبit pours الدمعtears ممزوجmingled بالدمwith blood
يسكب الدمع ممزوج بالدم
It has lost its helper in love.
In love I've lost my helper,
It pours out tears mingled with blood.
Tears mixed with blood I weep.
فاننهits charmer (reading uncertain) ماnot رحمshowed mercy أنينهits moaning
فاننه ما رحم أنينه
قطever ماnot كنwas (dialectal) لهfor him قلبa heart يرحمshows mercy
قط ما كن له قلب يرحم
Its charmer has shown no mercy to its moaning.
For it has shown no mercy to my moans,
Never has he had a heart that shows mercy.
Never did it have a heart that's kind.
كلّeveryone منwho فارقparted from ظنينهhis cherished one
كلّ من فارق ظنينه
واعتراهand seized him الهوىlove بختgood fortune يسلمescapes unharmed
واعتراه الهوى بخت يسلم
Whoever parts from his cherished one
All who abandon their love,
And is seized by love is lucky to escape unharmed.
And are struck by fate's blows.
مسكينpoor منone who حبّloves الإلهGod مسكينpoor
مسكين من حبّ الإله مسكين
فذاكfor that one مذبوحslaughtered بغيرwithout سكينa knife
فذاك مذبوح بغير سكين
Poor is he who loves God—poor indeed.
Wretched is he who loves God, wretched,
For he is slaughtered without a knife.
For he is slaughtered without a knife.
يسYā-Sīn (invocation) ياO قلبيmy heart عليكupon you ياسyās (apparently Yā-Sīn)
يس يا قلبي عليك ياس
جارعswallowing فيin الهوىlove غبونهits wrongs
جارع في الهوى غبونه
Yā-Sīn, O my heart—Yā-Sīn upon you.
Despair not, O my heart,
It swallows the wrongs it suffers in love.
Drowning in passion’s blindness.
قدhas تقضىpassed زمانهits time فيin الهمgrief
قد تقضى زمانه في الهم
أسألI ask اللَهGod أنto يعينهhelp it
أسأل اللَه أن يعينه
Its days have passed in grief.
Though it spends its days in grief,
I ask God to help it.
I ask God to help it.
فهوfor He بالحالof the state أدرىmost aware وأعلمand most knowing
فهو بالحال أدرى وأعلم
جنتيmy paradise فيin لقاmeeting الأحبهthe beloved ones
جنتي في لقا الأحبه
For He is best aware of its state and knows best.
For He knows best what state it’s in.
My paradise lies in meeting the beloved ones.
My paradise is in seeing my loved ones,
والتنائيand separation بهمfrom them دارthe abode مالكMālik
والتنائي بهم دار مالك
ياO عجبwonder ماwhat لذيwith this المحبهlove
يا عجب ما لذي المحبه
And separation from them is Mālik's abode.
And conversing with them in a heavenly abode.
O wonder! What is it about this love?
How strange is the state of the lover!
صيرتit has made ربّmany a مملوكslave مالكa master
صيرت ربّ مملوك مالك
كمhow many ركبناwe undertook أمورventures صعبهdifficult
كم ركبنا أمور صعبه
It has made many a slave a master.
The Lord has become slave to the beloved.
How many hard ventures we have undertaken,
How many hardships we've sailed,
ورميناand we hurled النفوسthe souls فيinto المهالكdeadly perils
ورمينا النفوس في المهالك
كلّeveryone منwho حبّloved واحنينهah, his yearning!
كلّ من حبّ واحنينه
And hurled our souls into deadly perils!
And flung our souls into perdition!
Whoever has loved—ah, his yearning!—
All who love and yearn,
لمnot يزلceases مشغفlove-stricken البالthe mind مهتمcareworn
لم يزل مشغف البال مهتم
متىwhen يزولends البعدdistance والفراقand separation
متى يزول البعد والفراق
Remains love-stricken in mind and careworn.
Will remain enraptured and concerned,
When will distance and separation end,
Until separation and parting are gone,
معwith اجتماعcoming together الشملthe company والتلاقيand meeting
مع اجتماع الشمل والتلاقي
بقاترwith the languid one (reading uncertain) الأجفانthe eyelids والأماقيand the inner eye-corners
بقاتر الأجفان والأماقي
With reunion and meeting again
And the gathering of kinsfolk arrives.
With the one of languid eyelids and eye-corners,
With my eyelids and my cheeks,
وأشهدand I behold البدرthe full moon فيin جبينهhis brow
وأشهد البدر في جبينه
ساجيtranquil العينthe eye عذبsweet الموشمthe tattoo-marked spot
ساجي العين عذب الموشم
And I behold the full moon in his brow,
I bear witness the full moon is on his forehead,
Calm of eye, sweet at the tattoo-marked spot?
My eye finds rest gazing at him,
علنيhe sickened me منwith سهامthe arrows عيونهhis eyes
علني من سهام عيونه
ثمthen شكريmy thanks منfrom قرقفwine الفمthe mouth
ثم شكري من قرقف الفم
He has sickened me with the arrows of his eyes,
His mouth is sweet water.
Then my thanks come from the wine of his mouth.
By his glances I am struck down,
كمhow often أدوّهI call to him (reading uncertain) وكمand how often أغزلI sing love verses
كم أدوّه وكم أغزل
ليسdoes not يصغيheed إلىto قوليmy words أصلاat all
ليس يصغي إلى قولي أصلا
How often I call to him, how often I sing of love!
Then my thanks to his smiling lips.
He does not heed my words at all.
How I sing his praises and pine!
يستويare alike مشجنrugged ومسهلand easy
يستوي مشجن ومسهل
ذاكthat one ساليfree of longing وذاand this one ليسdoes not يسلاfind solace
ذاك سالي وذا ليس يسلا
The rugged and the easy are alike.
Yet he pays no heed to my words.
That one is free of longing; this one finds no solace.
It's all the same to him if I blame or glorify,
لذbecame sweet لهto him فيin الهوىlove جنونهhis madness
لذ له في الهوى جنونه
ليسdoes not يصغيheed لعذلto reproach ولاnor ذمblame
ليس يصغي لعذل ولا ذم
His madness in love has become sweet to him.
One pours while the other gives no drink.
He heeds neither reproach nor blame.
In love he is possessed and mad,
اللَهGod يعينhelps الوالهthe love-bewildered one المعناthe tormented one
اللَه يعين الواله المعنا
ويفتنand puts to trial الرحمنthe All-Merciful منwhoever عذلناreproached us
ويفتن الرحمن من عذلنا
May God help the love-bewildered, tormented one!
Heeding no reproach or praise.
And may the All-Merciful put whoever reproached us to the test,
God help the enamored and excused,
لعلّperhaps يطعمhe tastes بعضsome ماwhat طعمناwe tasted
لعلّ يطعم بعض ما طعمنا
ينزعجis disturbed بالهوىby love سكونهhis calm
ينزعج بالهوى سكونه
So perhaps he may taste some of what we have tasted.
May the Merciful forgive our faults!
His calm is disturbed by love,
Perhaps he will taste some of what we've tasted,
ثمthen يمسيhe becomes by evening مولعenamored ومغرمand besotted
ثم يمسي مولع ومغرم
ينظرhe sees العسرhardship منfrom بعدafter لينهhis ease
ينظر العسر من بعد لينه
Then he becomes enamored and besotted.
And be disturbed by passion in his repose,
He sees hardship after his ease,
Then find ease after hardship,
ثمthen ينسىhe forgets سلوهhis detachment منfrom الغمgrief
ثم ينسى سلوه من الغم
وأنتand you ياO قلبheart كيفhow تجزعyou become distressed
وأنت يا قلب كيف تجزع
Then grief makes him forget his former detachment.
And forget his sorrows and distress.
And you, O heart, how can you be distressed?
As for you, my heart, why do you grieve?
انindeed لكfor you ربّa Lord فتاحOpener وهابBestower
ان لك ربّ فتاح وهاب
بابهHis door لكfor you سريعswift واسعwide
بابه لك سريع واسع
Indeed, you have a Lord, the Opener, the Bestower.
You have a Lord who answers prayers.
His door is swift to open and wide for you,
His door to you is swift and spacious,
انif تغلقare closed عليكagainst you كلall الأبوابthe doors
ان تغلق عليك كل الأبواب
واستجيرand seek refuge بالنبيwith the Prophet المشفعwhose intercession is accepted
واستجير بالنبي المشفع
Even if all doors are shut against you.
Even if all doors are shut to you.
And seek refuge with the Prophet whose intercession is accepted.
And seek the intercession of the Prophet,
يذهبdispels اللَهGod بكthrough you كلّall الأوصابthe afflictions
يذهب اللَه بك كلّ الأوصاب
دينناour religion فيin اتباعfollowing دينهhis religion
ديننا في اتباع دينه
Through you, God dispels every affliction.
God will take away all your troubles.
Our religion lies in following his religion.
Our religion is in following his way,
ذاكthat واللَهby God لناfor us خيرbest مغنمgain
ذاك واللَه لنا خير مغنم
منwhoever كانwas هذاthis المصطفىChosen One شفيعهhis intercessor
من كان هذا المصطفى شفيعه
That, by God, is the best gain for us.
And that, by God, is the greatest gain.
Whoever has this Chosen One as his intercessor,
Whoever has this Chosen One intercede,
قربهbrought him near الرحمنthe All-Merciful ماnot يضيعهforsakes him
قربه الرحمن ما يضيعه
بلrather يغمرهHe overwhelms him بالجودwith bounty منfrom صنيعهHis beneficence
بل يغمره بالجود من صنيعه
The All-Merciful draws him near and does not forsake him.
The Merciful will not let him be lost.
Rather, He floods him with bounty from His beneficence.
Rather, He will immerse him in His generosity,
كيفhow لاnot ينعقدtakes hold يقينهhis certainty
كيف لا ينعقد يقينه
انهthat he للغنىfor riches ليسdoes not يعدمlack
انه للغنى ليس يعدم
How could his certainty fail to take hold
How will his faith not be strengthened?
That he will not lack riches?
For the Rich One will not deprive him.
واختمand conclude القولthe speech بمنwith the one who يزينهadorns it
واختم القول بمن يزينه
ذكرmention هذاthis النبيthe Prophet المكرمhonored
ذكر هذا النبي المكرم
And close the speech with what adorns it:
And I conclude my words with the one who adorns them,
The mention of this honored Prophet.
The mention of this noble Prophet.