ولمَّا توسَّطْنا البِطاحَ عشيَّةً

ولمَّا توسَّطْنا البِطاحَ عشيَّةً

ولاحَتْ لنا الأَنْوارُ في حيِّها الأسمَى

ولاحَتْ لنا الأَنْوارُ في حيِّها الأسمَى

And when we reached the midst of the valley flats at evening,

When we reached the sands at dusk,

and the lights shone for us in their most exalted abode,

And lights shone for us in its sublime quarters,

فرشْنا خُدوداً في الثَّرى حُرمَةً لها

فرشْنا خُدوداً في الثَّرى حُرمَةً لها

رُبوضاً على الأَعْتابِ في الحضرَةِ العُظْمى

رُبوضاً على الأَعْتابِ في الحضرَةِ العُظْمى

we laid our cheeks upon the earth in reverence for them,

We rested our cheeks on the ground out of reverence,

crouching upon the thresholds in the supreme presence.

Kneeling at the thresholds in the greatest shrine.

وبِتْنا بها طيًّا ومن كانَ عاشِقاً

وبِتْنا بها طيًّا ومن كانَ عاشِقاً

ونالَ التَّلاقي لا يَجوعُ ولا يَظْما

ونالَ التَّلاقي لا يَجوعُ ولا يَظْما

And there we spent the night folded up; whoever is a lover

We spent the night close to them, and whoever is a lover,

and attains union neither hungers nor thirsts.

Meeting with his beloved, is neither hungry nor thirsty.

من الغيبِ سُمِّينا عبيدَ عُبَيْدِهِمْ

من الغيبِ سُمِّينا عبيدَ عُبَيْدِهِمْ

لنا صحَّ هذا الحَظُّ في عالمِ الأَسْمَا

لنا صحَّ هذا الحَظُّ في عالمِ الأَسْمَا

From the unseen, we were named servants of their little servant;

From the unknown we were named their devoted slaves,

this lot was assured to us in the realm of names.

This fortune was valid for us in the world of the Divine.

ونحنُ على العهدِ القَديمِ ولم نزَلْ

ونحنُ على العهدِ القَديمِ ولم نزَلْ

ولا هندَ نَبْغي بعدَ ذاكَ ولا سلْمى

ولا هندَ نَبْغي بعدَ ذاكَ ولا سلْمى

And we hold to the ancient covenant, as we always have;

We still hold on to the ancient covenant, never changing,

after that, we seek neither Hind nor Salma.

Seeking no India or Salma afterwards.

وكم يدَّعي حُبَّ الأَحبَّةِ مِثْلَنا

وكم يدَّعي حُبَّ الأَحبَّةِ مِثْلَنا

أُناسٌ ولكنْ في الهَوَى أَخطَأُ والمَرْمى

أُناسٌ ولكنْ في الهَوَى أَخطَأُ والمَرْمى

And how many claim to love the beloved as we do—

How many falsely claim to love the beloved like us!

people who, however, err in love and miss the mark.

People who have gone astray in passion and missed the target.

عَشِقْناهُمُو لا للوُجوداتِ كلِّها

عَشِقْناهُمُو لا للوُجوداتِ كلِّها

ولم نبغِ إِلاَّ من محَبَّتِهِمْ سَهمَا

ولم نبغِ إِلاَّ من محَبَّتِهِمْ سَهمَا

We loved them, not for the sake of all things in existence;

We loved them, not caring for all other creations,

and sought only a share of their love.

Seeking only a share of their love.

علِمْنا بهِمْ سِرَّ الغَرامِ تفَنُّناً

علِمْنا بهِمْ سِرَّ الغَرامِ تفَنُّناً

فيا رَبِّ زِدْنا في محبَّتِهِمْ علْمَا

فيا رَبِّ زِدْنا في محبَّتِهِمْ علْمَا

Through them we learned the secret of passion in its varied forms;

Through them we learned the secret of passion, becoming experts,

so, my Lord, increase our knowledge of their love.

Oh Lord, increase our knowledge in loving them!

فمن جَعَلَ الأَكوانَ هَمًّا فإنَّنا

فمن جَعَلَ الأَكوانَ هَمًّا فإنَّنا

جَعَلْناهُمُو في كلِّ آوِنَةٍ هَمَّا

جَعَلْناهُمُو في كلِّ آوِنَةٍ هَمَّا

So whoever makes the worlds his concern—as for us,

For we made them, in every instant, our only concern,

we have made them our concern at every moment.

While they made the universes their concern.

هو الحُبُّ قِدْماً قبلَ تكوينِ طِينِنا

هو الحُبُّ قِدْماً قبلَ تكوينِ طِينِنا

سَرَيْنا على مِنْوالِ قِسمَتِنا قِدْمَا

سَرَيْنا على مِنْوالِ قِسمَتِنا قِدْمَا

It is love from of old, before our clay was formed;

Love preceded, before our bodies' creation,

long ago we journeyed by night, following the pattern of our allotted share.

We walked the path of our destiny from early on.

ألا يا نُجومَ اللَّيْلِ لا تَعْبَثي بِنا

ألا يا نُجومَ اللَّيْلِ لا تَعْبَثي بِنا

فخَلِّ لنا الآفاقَ إذْ نَخْتَلِ عَتْمَا

فخَلِّ لنا الآفاقَ إذْ نَخْتَلِ عَتْمَا

Ah, O stars of night, do not toy with us!

Oh stars of the night, do not toy with us!

So leave us the horizons as we withdraw into solitude in darkness,

Make way for us when we shed our darkness.

لنخلَعَ في الحُبِّ العِذارى تهَتُّكاً

لنخلَعَ في الحُبِّ العِذارى تهَتُّكاً

وننظِمَ في أَشواقِ ساداتِنا نَظْمَا

وننظِمَ في أَشواقِ ساداتِنا نَظْمَا

that we may cast off the maidens in love, in shameless abandon,

To take off, in love, our chaste veils wantonly,

and compose verse on longing for our masters.

And compose, in longing for our masters, a poem.

ويا عَذَباتِ البانِ من جانِبِ اللِّوا

ويا عَذَباتِ البانِ من جانِبِ اللِّوا

أَفيضي لنا من نَشْرِ مِعْطارِهِمْ شمَّا

أَفيضي لنا من نَشْرِ مِعْطارِهِمْ شمَّا

And O tender bān boughs from the side of al-Liwā,

And you, gentle breeze from the bent tin,

pour forth for us a whiff of their perfumed one's fragrance.

Diffuse to us the fragrance of their perfume.

تُحارِبُنا الأَيَّامُ بالبُعْدُ عنهُمُ

تُحارِبُنا الأَيَّامُ بالبُعْدُ عنهُمُ

إلى كم أما قد آنَ نلْقَها سِلْمَا

إلى كم أما قد آنَ نلْقَها سِلْمَا

The days wage war on us through distance from them;

The days fight us with distance from them,

how long? Has the time not come to meet them in peace?

For how long? Is it not time we made peace?

وللقَلبِ أطوارٌ وفي الصَّبرِ مِنحَةٌ

وللقَلبِ أطوارٌ وفي الصَّبرِ مِنحَةٌ

ولكنْ تَفانَى ما رأَيْنا له عَزْمَا

ولكنْ تَفانَى ما رأَيْنا له عَزْمَا

And the heart has its phases, and in patience lies a gift;

The heart has its phases, and patience has its gift,

but it has wasted away; we have seen no resolve in it.

But the resolve we saw in it had no strength.

وجمرُ الجَوَى والبُعْدِ وَيْلاهُ والنَّوى

وجمرُ الجَوَى والبُعْدِ وَيْلاهُ والنَّوى

أسالَ الدِّمَا منَّا وقد أوهَنَ العَظْمَا

أسالَ الدِّمَا منَّا وقد أوهَنَ العَظْمَا

And the ember of heartache and distance—alas!—and separation

The embers of estrangement and distance, alas,

has made our blood flow and weakened our bones.

Made our blood spill, weakening even the bones.

كأنَّ وُرودَ النَّارِ في أَمرِ بعدِهِمْ

كأنَّ وُرودَ النَّارِ في أَمرِ بعدِهِمْ

من الغيبِ مَقْضِيًّا نَراهُ لنا حُتْمَا

من الغيبِ مَقْضِيًّا نَراهُ لنا حُتْمَا

It is as though entering the fire, through separation from them,

It is as if the flowers of fire in the matter of their absence

were decreed from the unseen; we see it as inevitable for us.

Were a foreordained judgment we see imposed on us.

وأيَّامِ قربٍ ساعَدَتْنا بوصْلِهِمْ

وأيَّامِ قربٍ ساعَدَتْنا بوصْلِهِمْ

وعُدوانِ أيَّامٍ قضَتْ هَجرَهُمْ ظُلْمَا

وعُدوانِ أيَّامٍ قضَتْ هَجرَهُمْ ظُلْمَا

And by days of nearness that favored us with union with them,

While days of nearness helped us attain their company,

and by the hostility of days that unjustly decreed their estrangement,

And hostile days parted us from them unjustly.

فَنينا بهِمْ عنَّا وعن كونِ غيرِنا

فَنينا بهِمْ عنَّا وعن كونِ غيرِنا

ومن كانَ مرمِيًّا هلِ العَدْلُ أن يُرمَى

ومن كانَ مرمِيًّا هلِ العَدْلُ أن يُرمَى

through them we were lost to ourselves and to the existence of others.

We passed away through them, oblivious of ourselves and all else,

And for one already struck, is it just that he should be struck?

And whoever is targeted, is it justice that he be targeted?

وأينَ لهُمْ من حُجَّةٍ في شُؤُنِهِمْ

وأينَ لهُمْ من حُجَّةٍ في شُؤُنِهِمْ

وشيخُ هَوانا المَحْضِ ما أُتِيَ الحُكْمَا

وشيخُ هَوانا المَحْضِ ما أُتِيَ الحُكْمَا

And what justification have they for their affairs,

Where are their defenses in their affairs,

while the elder of our pure love was granted no judgment?

When the Sheikh of my passion never came to trial?

صبيُّ مَعانيهِمْ علينا مُحَكَّمٌ

صبيُّ مَعانيهِمْ علينا مُحَكَّمٌ

ولا ظُلْمَ منهُمْ كيفَ شَأُوا ولا إثْمَا

ولا ظُلْمَ منهُمْ كيفَ شَأُوا ولا إثْمَا

The child of their meanings is appointed arbiter over us;

The boy of their meanings reigns supreme over us,

and from them comes neither wrong nor sin, however they choose.

Without any wrong from them, however they wished, or sin.

ولكنْ دَواعي الحُبِّ تَدْفَعُنا إلى

ولكنْ دَواعي الحُبِّ تَدْفَعُنا إلى

بَيانِ دَعاوينا ولم نكتَسِبْ جُرْمَا

بَيانِ دَعاوينا ولم نكتَسِبْ جُرْمَا

But the promptings of love drive us to

But the motives of love drive us

set forth our claims, though we have committed no offense.

To state our claims, though we committed no crime.

سَلامٌ عليهِمْ نحنُ طَوْعُ يَمينِهِمْ

سَلامٌ عليهِمْ نحنُ طَوْعُ يَمينِهِمْ

رَضِينا بما يَرْضَوْنَهُ في الهَوَى حَكْمَا

رَضِينا بما يَرْضَوْنَهُ في الهَوَى حَكْمَا

Peace be upon them; we are at their right hand's command.

Peace be upon them! We are obedient to their command,

We accepted as judgment in love whatever they approve.

Content with whatever they approve in passion as judgment.

لعلَّ وليتٌ في المحبَّةِ أو عَسى

لعلَّ وليتٌ في المحبَّةِ أو عَسى

شُؤُناتُ ظَنٍّ في الهَوَى امْتَلأَتْ وَهْمَا

شُؤُناتُ ظَنٍّ في الهَوَى امْتَلأَتْ وَهْمَا

“Perhaps” and “if only” in love, or “it may be,”

Perhaps, if only, in love, or maybe -

are matters of conjecture in love, filled with illusion.

The matters of speculation in passion became filled with illusion.

نعمْ إنَّنا منهُمْ وفِطرَةُ جِنْسِنا

نعمْ إنَّنا منهُمْ وفِطرَةُ جِنْسِنا

غدَتْ عِلَّةً في النَّحوِ تستَلْزِمُ الضَّمَّا

غدَتْ عِلَّةً في النَّحوِ تستَلْزِمُ الضَّمَّا

Yes, we are of them, and our kind's innate nature

Yes, we are from them, and the nature of our being

has become a cause in grammar requiring joining.

Became in grammar a requirement for adjacency.

وهذا هو المَأْمولُ من طَوْلِ عِزِّهِمْ

وهذا هو المَأْمولُ من طَوْلِ عِزِّهِمْ

جعلْناهُ في بدءِ النِّظامِ لنا خَتْمَا

جعلْناهُ في بدءِ النِّظامِ لنا خَتْمَا

And this is what we hope for from their glorious bounty;

And this is the hoped for end of their eternal glory -

we made it our seal at the beginning of the poem.

We made it, at the start of creation, our seal.