أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ يَا رَفِيقَ شُجُونِي

أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ يَا رَفِيقَ شُجُونِي

لَكَ بَوْحِي بِخَافِقِي الْمَجْنُونِ

لَكَ بَوْحِي بِخَافِقِي الْمَجْنُونِ

O poetry, O companion of my sorrows,

O poetry, O companion of my sorrows,

O poetry, O companion of my sorrows,

yours is the outpouring of my crazed, throbbing heart,

to you belongs the confession of my maddened heart,

To you I confide my mad, beating heart,

وَشُرُودِي وَلَيْلَكَاتُ فُؤَادِي

وَشُرُودِي وَلَيْلَكَاتُ فُؤَادِي

وَسَخِينُ الدُّمُوعِ مِلْءَ جُفُونِي

وَسَخِينُ الدُّمُوعِ مِلْءَ جُفُونِي

my wanderings, and the lilacs of my heart,

my straying, and the lilacs of my heart,

and my reverie and the lilacs of my heart,

and hot tears brimming beneath my lids.

and the scald of tears that brims my eyelids.

and warm tears filling my eyelids.

أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ فِيكَ وَحْيُ شُرُودٍ

أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ فِيكَ وَحْيُ شُرُودٍ

يَتَجَلَّى كَأَنْجُمٍ وَمُزُونِ

يَتَجَلَّى كَأَنْجُمٍ وَمُزُونِ

O poetry, within you, wandering inspiration

O poetry, in you is a revelation of reverie,

O poetry, in you lies the inspiration of reverie,

reveals itself as stars and rain-filled clouds.

shining forth like stars and rainclouds.

manifesting itself like stars and rain clouds.

أَنْتَ سِحْرٌ وَلَذَّةٌ وَارْتِحَالٌ

أَنْتَ سِحْرٌ وَلَذَّةٌ وَارْتِحَالٌ

فِي غَيَابَاتِ أَحْرُفٍ وَفُنُونِ

فِي غَيَابَاتِ أَحْرُفٍ وَفُنُونِ

You are magic, delight, and a journey

You are enchantment, delight, a setting-forth

You are magic, delight, and a journey

through the hidden depths of letters and arts.

into the hidden depths of letters and of arts.

into the hidden depths of letters and arts.

يَا نَدِيمٌ بِكَ النَّدِيمُ يُنَاجِي

يَا نَدِيمٌ بِكَ النَّدِيمُ يُنَاجِي

سَكْرَةَ الأُنْسِ وَالسَّلاَمِ الْهَتُونِ

سَكْرَةَ الأُنْسِ وَالسَّلاَمِ الْهَتُونِ

O boon companion, through you the companion communes with

O boon companion — through you the reveler whispers

O boon companion, through you the boon companion communes

the rapture of fellowship and cascading peace.

the rapture of intimacy, of peace that falls like soft rain.

with the intoxication of companionship and ever-pouring peace.

كَمْ تَجَلَّيْتَ فِي مَسَارِبِ رُوحِي

كَمْ تَجَلَّيْتَ فِي مَسَارِبِ رُوحِي

وَشَرِبْتَ الرَّحِيقَ.. رُوحَ فُتُونِي

وَشَرِبْتَ الرَّحِيقَ.. رُوحَ فُتُونِي

How often you have shone through the channels of my spirit

How often you have shone in the passages of my soul,

How often you have revealed yourself in the passageways of my soul,

and drunk the nectar—the essence of my enchantment;

and drunk the nectar — the very soul of my bewitchment,

and drunk the nectar—the spirit of my enchantment,

وَتَسَلَّلْتَ فِي عُرُوقِ بَهَائِي

وَتَسَلَّلْتَ فِي عُرُوقِ بَهَائِي

مِثْلَ نُورٍ مُخَلَّطٍ بِظُنُونِ

مِثْلَ نُورٍ مُخَلَّطٍ بِظُنُونِ

and slipped into the veins of my radiance

and slipped through the veins of my splendor,

and slipped into the veins of my splendor,

like light commingled with doubts.

like a light mingled with doubts.

like light mingled with doubts.

أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ أَنْتَ رُوحُ بَقَاءٍ

أَيُّهَا الشِّعْرُ أَنْتَ رُوحُ بَقَاءٍ

وَسُطُوعٌ وَهَيْنَمَاتُ حُزُونِ

وَسُطُوعٌ وَهَيْنَمَاتُ حُزُونِ

O poetry, you are the spirit of what endures,

O poetry, you are the spirit of endurance,

O poetry, you are the spirit of survival,

a radiance, and murmurs of sorrow.

a blaze of light, the murmurings of griefs.

and radiance, and the murmurs of sorrows.

أَنْتَ بِي غُنْوَةٌ وَبَوْحٌ تَلاَشَى

أَنْتَ بِي غُنْوَةٌ وَبَوْحٌ تَلاَشَى

فِي ضُلُوعِ الْمُنَى.. ضُلُوعِ الْمَنُونِ!

فِي ضُلُوعِ الْمُنَى.. ضُلُوعِ الْمَنُونِ!

Within me, you are a song, and an outpouring that faded

In me you are a song, a confession dissolved

You are a song within me, and an outpouring that faded

within the ribs of longing—the ribs of death!

in the ribs of longing.. the ribs of death!

in the ribs of hopes—the ribs of death!