يا مَن جَداهُ قَليلُ

يا مَن جَداهُ قَليلُ

وَمَن بَلاهُ طَويلُ

وَمَن بَلاهُ طَويلُ

O you whose bounty is scant,

O you whose absence is brief

Oh you whose generosity is scant,

and whose torment is long,

Yet whose trials are long

And whose torment is long,

وَمَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ

وَمَن دَعاني إِلَيهِ

طَرفٌ أَحَمُّ كَحيلُ

طَرفٌ أَحَمُّ كَحيلُ

and you to whom I was summoned

O you who called me

And who summoned me to him

by a dark, kohl-rimmed eye,

With a glance intoxicating as kohl

With a glance intense and kohl-rimmed,

وَواضِحُ النَبتِ يَحكي

وَواضِحُ النَبتِ يَحكي

مِزاجُهُ الزَنجَبيلُ

مِزاجُهُ الزَنجَبيلُ

and a bright-toothed mouth, whose savor recalls

And a brilliant smile that tells

And a radiant smile whose flavor resembles

ginger,

Of a ginger-like disposition

A temperament mixed with ginger,

أَو عَينُ تَسنيمٍ وَشا

أَو عَينُ تَسنيمٍ وَشا

بَ طَعمَهُ السَلسَبيلُ

بَ طَعمَهُ السَلسَبيلُ

or a spring of Tasnim, and

Or the eye of a breeze, and lips

Or the spring of Tasnim blended

Salsabil has mingled with its flavor;

Whose taste is refreshing as nectar

With the taste of Salsabil,

وَوَجنَةٍ جائِلٌ ما

وَوَجنَةٍ جائِلٌ ما

ؤها وَخَدٌّ أَسيلُ

ؤها وَخَدٌّ أَسيلُ

and a cheek with shimmering

And a soft cheek the color

And a cheek upon which flows

luster, and a smooth cheek;

Of which is smooth as silk

Its luster, and a cheek smooth and tender,

وَغُصنُ بانٍ تَثَنّى

وَغُصنُ بانٍ تَثَنّى

ليناً وَرِدفٌ ثَقيلُ

ليناً وَرِدفٌ ثَقيلُ

and a bān bough, swaying

And a pliant branch of a body that sways

And a branch of the Ban tree swaying

softly, and a heavy rump;

Gently and a firm posterior

In softness, and a heavy hip.

يُجَمِّعُ الحُسنَ فيهِ

يُجَمِّعُ الحُسنَ فيهِ

وَجهٌ وَسيمٌ جَميلُ

وَجهٌ وَسيمٌ جَميلُ

beauty is gathered in him by

Together make up a beautiful, comely face

He gathers all beauty within him,

a handsome, beautiful face.

He whom God has so perfectly created

A face handsome and lovely.

ذاكَ الَّذي فيهِ مِن صَن

ذاكَ الَّذي فيهِ مِن صَن

عَةِ الإِلَهِ قُبولُ

عَةِ الإِلَهِ قُبولُ

That is the one in whom, through the

So that all I see in him

That is the one who bears,

craft of God, there is charm.

Makes my heart incline towards him

From God's craft, a divine acceptance.

فَكُلُّ ما فيهِ مِنهُ

فَكُلُّ ما فيهِ مِنهُ

قَلبي إِلَيهِ يَميلُ

قَلبي إِلَيهِ يَميلُ

So all that is in him, that comes from him—

But alas, he does not see me as deserving

So everything within him—

my heart inclines toward it.

Nor will he be mine

My heart inclines toward it.

وَيلي فَلَيسَ يَرى لي

وَيلي فَلَيسَ يَرى لي

حَقّاً وَلَيسَ يُنيلُ

حَقّاً وَلَيسَ يُنيلُ

Alas for me! He recognizes no

Alas, and this is not how, O woe is me

Woe is me, for he does not see for me

claim of mine, and grants me nothing.

The beloved should treat his lover

Any right, nor does he grant favors.

وَيلي وَما هَكَذا يا

وَيلي وَما هَكَذا يا

وَيلي يَكونُ الخَليلُ

وَيلي يَكونُ الخَليلُ

Alas for me! This is not how—oh,

No messenger of affection has come between us

Woe is me, for not like this, oh...

alas for me!—a beloved behaves.

Until you revealed what no weary soul can bear

Woe is me, should a true lover be.

لَم يَختَرِق كَرَماً بَي

لَم يَختَرِق كَرَماً بَي

نَنا بِوِدٍّ رَسولُ

نَنا بِوِدٍّ رَسولُ

Not yet had there passed, out of kindness,

Nor was I guided by guile to it

Has no messenger of affection penetrated

between us a messenger bearing love,

No miser can attain it

Between us with generosity?

حَتّى بَدا مِنكَ ما لَم

حَتّى بَدا مِنكَ ما لَم

يُطِقهُ قَطُّ مَلولُ

يُطِقهُ قَطُّ مَلولُ

when you revealed what no

Do not think that what is hidden from me

Until there appeared from you what

fickle man could ever manage,

Makes me delusional

Even a bored lover could never bear,

وَلا اِهتَدى بِاِحتِيالٍ

وَلا اِهتَدى بِاِحتِيالٍ

إِلَيهِ قَطُّ بَخيلُ

إِلَيهِ قَطُّ بَخيلُ

nor, through scheming, had

For your glance upon my hidden soul

Nor has a miser ever been guided

any miser ever found a way to it.

Is evidence enough

To such behavior by trickery.

وَلا تَرى أَنَّ ما قَد

وَلا تَرى أَنَّ ما قَد

يَخفى عَلَيَّ يُخيلُ

يَخفى عَلَيَّ يُخيلُ

And do not think that what may

God protect you, O you who sway

And do not think that what is

be concealed from me will deceive me;

With the winds

Hidden from me is merely imagined;

وَالطَرفُ مِنكَ عَلى غا

وَالطَرفُ مِنكَ عَلى غا

ئبِ الضَميرِ دَليلُ

ئبِ الضَميرِ دَليلُ

and your glance bears witness to the

You have my oath that I will not

For the glance from you is evidence

hidden thoughts within.

Turn away from what you have promised me

Of what the conscience hides.

فَاللَهُ يَرعاكَ يا مَن

فَاللَهُ يَرعاكَ يا مَن

مَعَ الرِياحِ يَميلُ

مَعَ الرِياحِ يَميلُ

So may God watch over you, O you who

And God is my guardian over me

So may God watch over you, oh you who

sway with the winds.

Your aloofness, O soul, is unavoidable

Sways along with the winds.

لَكَ الوَثيقَةُ مِنّي

لَكَ الوَثيقَةُ مِنّي

بِأَنَّني لا أَحولُ

بِأَنَّني لا أَحولُ

You have my solemn pledge

For the love I have for you

You have a solemn pledge from me

that I will never turn

Is an intruder in my heart

That I shall never change

عَمّا عَهِدتَ وَرَبّي

عَمّا عَهِدتَ وَرَبّي

راعٍ عَلَيَّ كَفيلُ

راعٍ عَلَيَّ كَفيلُ

from what you have known; and my Lord

Its shackles and fetters have bound me

From what you knew, and my Lord

watches over me and stands surety.

Love is a cloud above me

Is a guardian and guarantor over me.

جَفاكِ يا نَفسُ شَيءٌ

جَفاكِ يا نَفسُ شَيءٌ

ما إِن إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

ما إِن إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

Forsaking you, O soul, is something

And love is a flood beneath me

Something has shunned you, O soul,

for which there is no way,

So it makes me stagger on my feet

To which there is no path,

لِأَنَّ حُبَّكِ حُبٌّ

لِأَنَّ حُبَّكِ حُبٌّ

في القَلبِ مِنّي دَخيلُ

في القَلبِ مِنّي دَخيلُ

because love for you is a love

And pours down upon me

Because your love is a love

deeply lodged in this heart of mine.

The ardour of passion surrounds me

That dwells deep within my heart.

ضَمَّت إِلَيَّ وِثاقي

ضَمَّت إِلَيَّ وِثاقي

أَغلالُهُ وَالكُبولُ

أَغلالُهُ وَالكُبولُ

My bonds have been tightened around me by

Like a tribe, and yearning resides

Its shackles and chains

its shackles and fetters.

In my heart like a settlement

Have tightened my bonds upon me.

فَالحُبُّ فَوقي سَحابٌ

فَالحُبُّ فَوقي سَحابٌ

وَالحُبُّ تَحتي سُيولُ

وَالحُبُّ تَحتي سُيولُ

For love above me is a cloud,

And nothing surrounds me

For love is a cloud above me,

and love beneath me is torrents.

Except the winds of love that roam

And love is a torrent beneath me;

فَذا يَسيخُ بِرِجلي

فَذا يَسيخُ بِرِجلي

وَذا عَلَيَّ هَطولُ

وَذا عَلَيَّ هَطولُ

So this one makes my foot sink,

While my heart is the heart of a lover

This one swallows my foot,

and that pours down upon me.

And my body is a sickly body

And that one pours down upon me.

وَلِلصَبابَةِ حَولي

وَلِلصَبابَةِ حَولي

مَدينَةٌ وَقَبيلُ

مَدينَةٌ وَقَبيلُ

And ardent longing has around me

Whose motto is anxiety, grief, and lament

And for passion around me

a city and a tribe;

O people of my affection, why

There is a city and a tribe,

وَلِلحَنينِ بِقَلبي

وَلِلحَنينِ بِقَلبي

مَحَلَّةٌ وَمَقيلُ

مَحَلَّةٌ وَمَقيلُ

and yearning has within my heart

Have you shunned me, tell me

And for longing in my heart

a dwelling and a noonday resting place.

If it is due to some sin

There is a dwelling and a resting place.

وَلَيسَ حَولِيَ إِلّا

وَلَيسَ حَولِيَ إِلّا

رِياحُ حُبٍّ تَجولُ

رِياحُ حُبٍّ تَجولُ

And there is nothing around me but

Then I readily seek forgiveness

And there is nothing around me except

winds of love that roam.

I have from you only

The winds of love roaming about.

وَالقَلبُ قَلبُ مُعَنّىً

وَالقَلبُ قَلبُ مُعَنّىً

وَالجِسمُ جِسمٌ عَليلُ

وَالجِسمُ جِسمٌ عَليلُ

And the heart is the heart of one tormented,

The joys of delusion you give me

The heart is the heart of a sufferer,

and the body an ailing body.

Indeed, my worries are a heavy burden

And the body is a body frail.

شِعارُهُ الهَمُّ وَالحُز

شِعارُهُ الهَمُّ وَالحُز

نُ وَالضَنا وَالعَويلُ

نُ وَالضَنا وَالعَويلُ

Its inner garment is worry and

Subtle, but great

Its inner garment is worry and grief,

sorrow, wasting sickness, and wailing.

I am nothing but

And wasting away and wailing.

يا أَهلَ وُدّي عَلاما

يا أَهلَ وُدّي عَلاما

صَرَمتُموني فَقولوا

صَرَمتُموني فَقولوا

O those I love, why

A supplicant to the aloof

O people of my affection, for what

have you cut me off? So tell me.

Much was my hope

Have you cut me off? So speak!

إِن كانَ ذاكَ لِذَنبٍ

إِن كانَ ذاكَ لِذَنبٍ

فَإِنَّني مُستَقيلُ

فَإِنَّني مُستَقيلُ

If that was for a fault,

But little came to pass

If that was due to a sin,

then I seek pardon.

So I attained neither paltry union

Then indeed, I ask for pardon.

ما في يَدي مِنكَ إِلّا

ما في يَدي مِنكَ إِلّا

مُنى الغُرورِ تُنيلُ

مُنى الغُرورِ تُنيلُ

I have nothing from you in hand but

Nor ample gifts

I have nothing in my hand from you but

the delusive hopes you bestow.

But God in all this

The deceptive wishes you grant.

بَلى هُمومي ثِقالٌ

بَلى هُمومي ثِقالٌ

دَقيقُهُنَّ جَليلُ

دَقيقُهُنَّ جَليلُ

Indeed, my worries are heavy;

Is sufficient for me, and an excellent Guardian

Yes, my worries are heavy;

the smallest of them is immense.

The smallest of them is immense.

وَلَستُ إِلّا بِوَصلٍ

وَلَستُ إِلّا بِوَصلٍ

عَلى الصُدودِ أَصولُ

عَلى الصُدودِ أَصولُ

And only through union

And I possess nothing but union

do I combat estrangement.

To launch against rejection.

كانَ الكَثيرُ رَجائي

كانَ الكَثيرُ رَجائي

فَفاتَ مِنّي القَليلُ

فَفاتَ مِنّي القَليلُ

My hope was for much,

Great was my hope,

yet even a little eluded me.

But even the little escaped me.

فَلا نَوالٌ زَهيدٌ

فَلا نَوالٌ زَهيدٌ

وَلا عَطاءٌ جَزيلُ

وَلا عَطاءٌ جَزيلُ

So there is no scant bounty,

So there is no meager gift,

nor any generous gift.

Nor any bountiful giving.

وَاللَهُ في كُلِّ هَذا

وَاللَهُ في كُلِّ هَذا

حَسبي وَنِعمَ الوَكيلُ

حَسبي وَنِعمَ الوَكيلُ

And God, in all of this,

And God, in all of this,

is enough for me—what an excellent Trustee!

Is my sufficiency and the best Guardian.