أطافتْ جبالُ الشوقِ بي وبحارُهُ

أطافتْ جبالُ الشوقِ بي وبحارُهُ

ولجَّ صُعُودُ الشوقِ بي وانحدارُهُ

ولجَّ صُعُودُ الشوقِ بي وانحدارُهُ

The mountains of longing and its seas closed round me;

Longing's mountains and seas have encircled me.

longing’s ascent with me—and its descent—grew relentless.

Longing's ascent and descent have beset me relentlessly.

وَمَنْ غاب عن شَمْسِ المعالي وبدرِها

وَمَنْ غاب عن شَمْسِ المعالي وبدرِها

فَحُقَّ له ألاَّ يَقَرَّ قراره

فَحُقَّ له ألاَّ يَقَرَّ قراره

Whoever is absent from excellence’s sun and full moon,

And whoever is far from the sun of glory and its full moon

it is only right that he should never come to rest.

Has every reason to find no settled rest.

مكارمُ سيفِ الدولةِ الغرُّ كلُّها

مكارمُ سيفِ الدولةِ الغرُّ كلُّها

على العُدْمِ سَيْفٌ لا يُفَلُّ غِرارُه

على العُدْمِ سَيْفٌ لا يُفَلُّ غِرارُه

All the shining virtues of Sayf al-Dawla

All Sayf al-Dawla's radiant acts of generosity

are a sword against want, its edge never blunted.

Are a sword against poverty whose edge is never blunted.

فيا ليتني أَدْنتْ مزاري مطيّتي

فيا ليتني أَدْنتْ مزاري مطيّتي

إلى سيّدي إذ شطَّ عني مزارُه

إلى سيّدي إذ شطَّ عني مزارُه

If only my mount could bring my visit nearer—

Ah, if only my mount had brought me nearer on my visit

to my lord, for his dwelling lies far from me.

To my lord, since his abode lies far from me.

على أنني إِنْ أَدْنُ أو كنتُ نائياً

على أنني إِنْ أَدْنُ أو كنتُ نائياً

فقلبي إليه حَجُّهُ واعتمارُه

فقلبي إليه حَجُّهُ واعتمارُه

Yet whether I draw near or remain far away,

Yet, whether I draw near or am far away,

my heart makes both its hajj and its ʿumrah to him.

My heart makes its pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage to him.