سَبيلُ الحبِّ أوَّلُهُ اغْترارُ

سَبيلُ الحبِّ أوَّلُهُ اغْترارُ

وآخِرُهُ هُمومٌ وَادِّكارُ

وآخِرُهُ هُمومٌ وَادِّكارُ

The path of love begins in delusion,

The path of love, its beginning is infatuation

And ends in sorrows and remembrance.

And its end is worries and reminders

وَتَلْقى العَاشِقينَ لَهُمْ جُسومٌ

وَتَلْقى العَاشِقينَ لَهُمْ جُسومٌ

بَراها الشَّوقُ لو نُفِخُوا لطاروا

بَراها الشَّوقُ لو نُفِخُوا لطاروا

And you find lovers whose bodies

You find lovers, their bodies

Longing has worn away—if blown upon, they would fly.

So emaciated by passion, if blown they would fly

يا عاجزاً ليسَ يَعْفُو حِينَ يَقْتدِرُ

يا عاجزاً ليسَ يَعْفُو حِينَ يَقْتدِرُ

ولا يُقضَّى له مِن عَيشِهِ وَطَرُ

ولا يُقضَّى له مِن عَيشِهِ وَطَرُ

O helpless one, who does not forgive when he has power,

Oh you powerless, who shows no mercy when able

Nor is any desire fulfilled for him in his life.

And none of his life's joys are fulfilled

عايِنْ بِقَلْبِكَ إِنَّ العَين غافِلَةٌ

عايِنْ بِقَلْبِكَ إِنَّ العَين غافِلَةٌ

عَنِ الحقيقَةِ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّها سَقَرُ

عَنِ الحقيقَةِ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّها سَقَرُ

Look with your heart, for the eye is heedless

Look with your heart, for the eye is heedless

Of the truth; and know that it is Saqar,

Of the truth, and know that it is hell

سَوداءُ تَزْفرُ مِنْ غَيْظٍ إِذا سُعِرَتْ

سَوداءُ تَزْفرُ مِنْ غَيْظٍ إِذا سُعِرَتْ

للظالمينَ فما تُبقي ولا تَذَرُ

للظالمينَ فما تُبقي ولا تَذَرُ

Black, it breathes out in rage when kindled

Pitch black, snarling with rage when kindled

For wrongdoers—it spares nothing and leaves nothing.

For the unjust, it spares none and leaves none

إنَّ الَّذينَ اشْتَرَوا دُنْيا بِآخِرةٍ

إنَّ الَّذينَ اشْتَرَوا دُنْيا بِآخِرةٍ

وَشِقْوَةً بِنَعيمٍ ساءَ ما تَجَروا

وَشِقْوَةً بِنَعيمٍ ساءَ ما تَجَروا

Indeed, those who bought worldly life in exchange for the hereafter,

Those who traded the Hereafter for worldly life

And misery in exchange for bliss—how evil their trade!

And misery for bliss, evil is what they purchased

يا مَنْ تَلَهَّى وشَيْبُ الرأسِ يَنْدُبُهُ

يا مَنْ تَلَهَّى وشَيْبُ الرأسِ يَنْدُبُهُ

ماذا الَّذي بَعْدَ شَيْبِ الرأسِ تَنْتَظرُ

ماذا الَّذي بَعْدَ شَيْبِ الرأسِ تَنْتَظرُ

O you who amuse yourself while the gray hair on your head laments you,

Oh you distracted, though age reproaches you

What is it you await after your head has turned gray?

What after the graying of hair do you still expect?

لو لم يَكُنْ لكَ غيرَ المَوتِ مَوْعِظةٌ

لو لم يَكُنْ لكَ غيرَ المَوتِ مَوْعِظةٌ

لكانَ فيهِ عَنِ اللَّذَّاتِ مُزْدَجَرُ

لكانَ فيهِ عَنِ اللَّذَّاتِ مُزْدَجَرُ

If you had no admonition other than death,

If death itself were not admonishment enough

In it would lie a deterrent from pleasures.

It would deter you from all pleasures

أنتَ المَقُولُ لَهُ ما قُلْتُ مُبْتَدِئاً

أنتَ المَقُولُ لَهُ ما قُلْتُ مُبْتَدِئاً

هَلَّا ابَتكَرْتَ لِبَينٍ أَنْتَ مُبتْكِرُ

هَلَّا ابَتكَرْتَ لِبَينٍ أَنْتَ مُبتْكِرُ

You are the one addressed by what I said at the outset:

You who are told what I say in initiation

Why not set out early for a parting you are bound to make?

Why not reject outright what you yourself initiated?