قَصَدتُ إِلى العَليا بِهِمَّةِ عاجِزٍ

قَصَدتُ إِلى العَليا بِهِمَّةِ عاجِزٍ

فَنوديتُ إِلى القُربِ مِن دونِ حاجِزِ

فَنوديتُ إِلى القُربِ مِن دونِ حاجِزِ

I sought the heights with a helpless man's resolve,

I aspired to the highest with the ambition of one helpless,

then I was summoned to nearness, with no barrier.

Yet I was called to come close without any barrier.

وَنُبِّئتُ أَنَّ الوَصلَ مِن قَبلِ نَيلِهِ

وَنُبِّئتُ أَنَّ الوَصلَ مِن قَبلِ نَيلِهِ

عِقابَ سَعيٍ في قَطعِها كُلَّ فائِزِ

عِقابَ سَعيٍ في قَطعِها كُلَّ فائِزِ

And I was told that, before union is attained,

And I was told that before attaining union

lie steep passes that every victor strives to cross.

There is retribution for striving to attain it.

وَكُنتُ وَقلبي فيهِ أَي غَريمَةٍ

وَكُنتُ وَقلبي فيهِ أَي غَريمَةٍ

تَطالَعَ أَحوالَ الذَرى وَالمَراكِزِ

تَطالَعَ أَحوالَ الذَرى وَالمَراكِزِ

And I was, my heart a rival indeed in this,

While my heart and I, what enemy

contemplating the states of the summits and stations.

Observes the states of mankind and glory?

أَرى بَذلَ روحي في هَواكُمُ فَريضَةٌ

أَرى بَذلَ روحي في هَواكُمُ فَريضَةٌ

وَبُخلي بِها في حُبِّكُم غَيرَ جائِزِ

وَبُخلي بِها في حُبِّكُم غَيرَ جائِزِ

I deem offering my soul in love for you a duty,

I see sacrificing my soul for your love as a duty,

and withholding it in loving you impermissible.

And my stinginess with it in loving you is not proper.

وَأَنتُم مِنّي قَلبي وَراحَةَ خاطِري

وَأَنتُم مِنّي قَلبي وَراحَةَ خاطِري

وَأَنتُم مُرادي لا حُصولَ الجَوائِزِ

وَأَنتُم مُرادي لا حُصولَ الجَوائِزِ

And you are, to me, my heart and my mind's repose,

You are my heart and the comfort of my thoughts,

and you are my desire, not the gaining of rewards.

You are my goal, not the attainment of prizes.

وَفي السِرِّ داعٍ لَو أَجَبتَ دُعاءَهُ

وَفي السِرِّ داعٍ لَو أَجَبتَ دُعاءَهُ

لَصِرتَ قَرينِ الوَحشِ بَطنَ المَفاوِزِ

لَصِرتَ قَرينِ الوَحشِ بَطنَ المَفاوِزِ

And in the inmost self is a caller; were you to answer his call,

And in private a supplicant, if you answered his prayer

you would become a companion of wild beasts in the heart of the desert wastes.

You would be the companion of the wild in the midst of the deserts.