أَلا يا نازِلينَ عَلَى الكَثيبَ

أَلا يا نازِلينَ عَلَى الكَثيبَ

مِنَ الوادي عَلى المَرعي الخَصيبِ

مِنَ الوادي عَلى المَرعي الخَصيبِ

O you who have alighted upon the dune,

Ah, you who dwell upon the sand dune

from the valley, upon the fertile pasture—

in the valley, upon the lush pasture,

نَأَت بي عَنكُمُ الدَارُ فَمالي

نَأَت بي عَنكُمُ الدَارُ فَمالي

وَلِلبُعدِ المُفَتَّتِ لِلقُلوبِ

وَلِلبُعدِ المُفَتَّتِ لِلقُلوبِ

The abode has taken me far from you; what have I

My dwelling has borne me far from you—what have I

to do with distance, that shatterer of hearts?

to do with distance that shatters hearts?

تَروعُني الحَوادِثُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

تَروعُني الحَوادِثُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَتَقصِدُني مَهولاتِ الكُروبِ

وَتَقصِدُني مَهولاتِ الكُروبِ

Each day, events fill me with dread,

Calamities frighten me every day,

and the terrors of affliction make straight for me.

and the horrors of affliction seek me out.

وَلَو أَنّي مُقيمٌ في حِماكُم

وَلَو أَنّي مُقيمٌ في حِماكُم

أَراكُم لَم أُهدَدُّ بِالخُطوبِ

أَراكُم لَم أُهدَدُّ بِالخُطوبِ

Were I dwelling within your sanctuary,

And were I dwelling in your sanctuary,

seeing you, no calamities could threaten me.

beholding you, I would not be threatened by calamities.

وَلَم أَسلوكُم يا أَهلِ وُدّي

وَلَم أَسلوكُم يا أَهلِ وُدّي

فَلا تَصغوا لِإِرجافِ الكَذوبِ

فَلا تَصغوا لِإِرجافِ الكَذوبِ

I have not forgotten you, O people of my love;

Nor have I ceased loving you, O those I hold dear,

so do not heed the lying one’s false rumors.

so do not heed the habitual liar's rumors.

يَرى أَنّي خَلي عَن هَواكُم

يَرى أَنّي خَلي عَن هَواكُم

وَلا يَدري بِما بَينَ الجُنوبِ

وَلا يَدري بِما بَينَ الجُنوبِ

He thinks that I am free of love for you,

He thinks I am free of love for you,

yet knows nothing of what lies between my ribs.

and does not know what lies between my sides.

أُحِبِّكُم لَكُم وَلَمّا مَنَحتُم

أُحِبِّكُم لَكُم وَلَمّا مَنَحتُم

مِنَ الإِحسانِ وَاللُطفِ العَجيبِ

مِنَ الإِحسانِ وَاللُطفِ العَجيبِ

I love you for yourselves and for what you have bestowed

I love you for your own sake, and for what you have bestowed

of kindness and wondrous grace.

of kindness and wondrous grace.

فَكَم أَهدَت إِلى سِرّي يَداكُم

فَكَم أَهدَت إِلى سِرّي يَداكُم

مَواهِبُ دونَها أَرَبٌ لريبِ

مَواهِبُ دونَها أَرَبٌ لريبِ

How often your hands have bestowed upon my inmost being

How often your hands have offered to my inmost self

gifts beyond the desire of any discerning mind;

gifts surpassing desire [the final word is unclear].

وَكَم بَرَزَت لِروحي مِن حِماكُم

وَكَم بَرَزَت لِروحي مِن حِماكُم

مُحَجَّبَةً عَنِ الفِطَنِ اللَبيبِ

مُحَجَّبَةً عَنِ الفِطَنِ اللَبيبِ

and how often, from your sanctuary, there appeared to my spirit

And how often there appeared to my soul, from your sanctuary,

something veiled from the astute and discerning.

one veiled from the astute and discerning.

وَلي أَمَلٌ وَرا هَذا بَعيدُ

وَلي أَمَلٌ وَرا هَذا بَعيدُ

وَذاكَ أَصيرُ إِلى الحَبيبِ

وَذاكَ أَصيرُ إِلى الحَبيبِ

Beyond all this, I have a distant hope:

And I have a far-off hope beyond this:

Beyond you, I shall journey toward the Beloved,

to come to the Beloved,

فَأَشهَدُهُ مُشاهَدَةٌ فَأَفنى

فَأَشهَدُهُ مُشاهَدَةٌ فَأَفنى

عَنِ الكَونِ البَعيدِ مَعَ القَريبِ

عَنِ الكَونِ البَعيدِ مَعَ القَريبِ

then behold him in a beholding, and be annihilated

then behold Him directly and become oblivious

from all existence, distant and near alike;

to the distant world, with the Near One;

وَأَن أَبقى بِهِ بَعدَ التَفاني

وَأَن أَبقى بِهِ بَعدَ التَفاني

فَيا بُشرايَ ما أَوفى نَصيبي

فَيا بُشرايَ ما أَوفى نَصيبي

and through him may I abide after annihilation.

and to abide through Him after self-annihilation.

O my glad tidings—how complete my portion!

Then, oh my joy! How ample is my share!