إعلم يا خلّي

إعلم يا خلّي

أنَّ خصالي رشفَ المصالي

أنَّ خصالي رشفَ المصالي

Know, my friend,

Know, my friend

That my way is sipping snares [sense uncertain].

That my traits are noble traits

قد جار حبي وأسلوب نصالي

قد جار حبي وأسلوب نصالي

واقطع وصالي

واقطع وصالي

My beloved has been cruel, as has the way of my blades.

My love and my sword's style have prevailed

And sever my union.

And I've cut off my connection

لا زال عشقي على اتصال

لا زال عشقي على اتصال

بلا انفصال

بلا انفصال

My passion remains in union,

Yet my love remains connected

Without separation.

Without separation

الصبر عنده جعلت نائب على المصائب

الصبر عنده جعلت نائب على المصائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

In his presence, I made patience a deputy over calamities.

I've made patience my deputy for afflictions

So they gave me no drink until I returned to God repentant.

So they did not make me drink until I repented to God

لقد حلالي خمير كاسي

لقد حلالي خمير كاسي

والغصنُ آسي

والغصنُ آسي

Indeed, the ferment in my cup has grown sweet to me.

Indeed, my conditions have fermented my cup

And the bough is my myrtle.

And the branch is sorrowful

وفي حفيره بِشربٍ كاس

وفي حفيره بِشربٍ كاس

طابت أنفاسي

طابت أنفاسي

And in his pit, by drinking a cup,

And in a dugout, with a drink in a cup

My breaths grew sweet.

My breath was perfumed

وذكّرتني فصِرتُ ناسٍ

وذكّرتني فصِرتُ ناسٍ

أهلي وناسي

أهلي وناسي

And it reminded me, so I became forgetful of

And it reminded me, so I became forgetful

My family and my people.

Of my family and people

بت أوطاني واشتريت دار الحبائب

بت أوطاني واشتريت دار الحبائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

I [sold?] my homelands and bought the abode of the beloveds.

I remained from my homelands and bought the home of loved ones

So they gave me no drink until I returned to God repentant.

So they did not make me drink until I repented to God

قد زوّجوني بنت الدوالي

قد زوّجوني بنت الدوالي

وهيَ الدوالي

وهيَ الدوالي

They have indeed married me to the daughter of the vines.

They have married me to the daughter of rulers

And she is my remedy.

And she is the ruler

وقد تركتُ أمّ الهوالي

وقد تركتُ أمّ الهوالي

بلا هوى لي

بلا هوى لي

And I have abandoned the mother of terrors,

And I have left the mother of passions

Without desire on my part.

Without passion for me

وإن قل الناس

وإن قل الناس

بهالي فلا أُبالي

بهالي فلا أُبالي

And even if people say,

And if people say about me

"A madman!"—I do not care.

I do not care

فإن أطَعتُ وإن عصيتُ فاللَهُ رقب

فإن أطَعتُ وإن عصيتُ فاللَهُ رقب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

Whether I obey or disobey, God keeps watch.

For if I obey or disobey, God watches over me

So they gave me no drink until I returned to God repentant.

So they did not make me drink until I repented to God

لقد وقفت على حدود

لقد وقفت على حدود

تلكَ الحدودِ

تلكَ الحدودِ

Indeed, I have stood at the bounds

Indeed, I stood at the limits

Of those bounds.

Of those limits

وقد لزِمتُ سهر القعود

وقد لزِمتُ سهر القعود

ونفرَ عودي

ونفرَ عودي

And I have kept to wakeful sitting,

And I persisted staying up nights

And my lute recoiled [wording obscure].

And my lute sounded sadly

فما انعِدام ولا الوجود

فما انعِدام ولا الوجود

بين الوجود

بين الوجود

So there is neither nonexistence nor existence

So there is no extinction or existence

Amid existence.

Between existence

وأين أثني وأين كنتُ حاضر وغائب

وأين أثني وأين كنتُ حاضر وغائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

فما سقوني حتى رجعت للّه تائب

And where do I give praise, and where was I—present and absent?

And where can I praise and where was I present and absent?

So they gave me no drink until I returned to God repentant.

So they did not make me drink until I repented to God