نَفسي فِداءُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَوِقاؤُهُ

نَفسي فِداءُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَوِقاؤُهُ

وَكَذَبتُ ما في العالَمينَ فِداؤُهُ

وَكَذَبتُ ما في العالَمينَ فِداؤُهُ

My soul is Muhammad's ransom and his protection.

My soul is the ransom of Muhammad and his protection,

But I lied: nothing in all the worlds can ransom him.

And I have lied that in the two worlds there is his ransom,

أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّ الظَبيَ يَحكَي طَرفَهُ

أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّ الظَبيَ يَحكَي طَرفَهُ

وَالقَدُّ غُصنٌ جالَ فيهِ ماؤُهُ

وَالقَدُّ غُصنٌ جالَ فيهِ ماؤُهُ

Did you claim that the gazelle resembles his gaze,

You claimed that the gazelle narrates its eyelash,

and that his figure is a branch through which its sap has coursed?

And the wrist is a branch in which its water flowed,

أُسكُت فَأَينَ ضِياؤُهُ وَبَهاؤُهُ

أُسكُت فَأَينَ ضِياؤُهُ وَبَهاؤُهُ

وَكَمالُهُ وَذَكاؤُهُ وَحَياؤُهُ

وَكَمالُهُ وَذَكاؤُهُ وَحَياؤُهُ

Be silent! Where, then, are his radiance and splendor,

I am silent so where is its light, brilliance,

and his perfection, his intelligence, and his modesty?

Its perfection, intelligence, and shyness?

لا تُغنِ أَسماءُ المَلاحَةِ وَالحِجى

لا تُغنِ أَسماءُ المَلاحَةِ وَالحِجى

فيمَن سِواهُ فَإِنَّها أَسماؤُهُ

فيمَن سِواهُ فَإِنَّها أَسماؤُهُ

Names of beauty and wisdom mean nothing

The names of sailor and guide do not avail

when given to anyone but him, for they are his names.

For other than him, for they are his names,

عَرِيَ المُحِبُّ مِنَ الضَنا فَقَميصُهُ

عَرِيَ المُحِبُّ مِنَ الضَنا فَقَميصُهُ

طولُ التَأَوُّهِ وَالسَقامُ رِداؤُهُ

طولُ التَأَوُّهِ وَالسَقامُ رِداؤُهُ

The lover is stripped bare by wasting illness, so his shirt

The lover has shed the garment of stinginess,

is prolonged sighing, and sickness is his cloak.

So his shirt is long sighing and his cloak is illness,

لَو قيلَ سَل تُعطَ المُنى كانَ المُنى

لَو قيلَ سَل تُعطَ المُنى كانَ المُنى

أَن لَو رَأى مَولاهُ كَيفَ بُكاؤُهُ

أَن لَو رَأى مَولاهُ كَيفَ بُكاؤُهُ

If he were told, 'Ask, and you shall receive your wishes,' his wish would be

If it were said "Ask and you will be given your wishes,"

that his lord might see how he weeps.

My wish would be that his Master saw his crying,

أَحبابَهُ لِم تَفعَلونَ بِقَلبِهِ

أَحبابَهُ لِم تَفعَلونَ بِقَلبِهِ

ما لَيسَ يَفعَلُهُ بِهِ أَعداؤُهُ

ما لَيسَ يَفعَلُهُ بِهِ أَعداؤُهُ

O his loved ones, why do you do to his heart

Why, O friends, do you do this to his heart

what his enemies do not do to it?

What his enemies do not do to him?

مَطَرٌ مِنَ العَبَراتِ خَدّي أَرضُهُ

مَطَرٌ مِنَ العَبَراتِ خَدّي أَرضُهُ

حَتّى الصَباحَ وَمُقلَتايَ سَماؤُهُ

حَتّى الصَباحَ وَمُقلَتايَ سَماؤُهُ

A rain of tears falls—my cheek is its earth—

A rain of tears, my cheek is its land,

until morning, and my two eyes are its sky.

Until morning, and my eyelids are its sky.