سبْعٌ مضَتْ منْ زَمانِ اللّيْلِ وا أسَفي

سبْعٌ مضَتْ منْ زَمانِ اللّيْلِ وا أسَفي

هلْ لي من العُمرِ المَسروقِ منْ خلَفِ

هلْ لي من العُمرِ المَسروقِ منْ خلَفِ

Seven hours of the night have passed—oh, my regret!

Seven have passed of the night's time, and woe to me,

Is there any recompense for me for the stolen span of life?

Is there any of my stolen life left behind?

كمْ صُنْتُ جوْهرَهُ بالجَهْدِ فانتُهِبَتْ

كمْ صُنْتُ جوْهرَهُ بالجَهْدِ فانتُهِبَتْ

وكيفَ والأمرُ حقٌّ إنْ نظَرْتَ وَفِي

وكيفَ والأمرُ حقٌّ إنْ نظَرْتَ وَفِي

How often I guarded its jewel with effort, only for it to be plundered!

How much did I protect its essence with effort, yet it was plundered,

And how, when the matter is true, if you reflect—and in... [unclear continuation]

And how could it not be true, if you look closely and consider?

تُغالِبُ الحقَّ منّي والتَّوى حُمَّ لا

تُغالِبُ الحقَّ منّي والتَّوى حُمَّ لا

أدْري بهِ وا خَسارِي أيْنَ مُنصَرَفي

أدْري بهِ وا خَسارِي أيْنَ مُنصَرَفي

You contend with the truth in me; ruin is decreed—I do not

Truth and desire overcome me, bearing grief I cannot comprehend,

know of it. Alas, my loss! Where can I turn?

And of my loss, where is it heading?

ضِدّانِ ما شِئْتَ منْ داعٍ الى سرَفٍ

ضِدّانِ ما شِئْتَ منْ داعٍ الى سرَفٍ

في الغَيّ هَذا وذا داعٍ الى شَرَفِ

في الغَيّ هَذا وذا داعٍ الى شَرَفِ

Two opposites, as you will: one calling to excess

Two opposites, whichever you want of a caller to indulgence,

in waywardness—this one; that one calling to honor.

In this confusion, one calls to nobility, another to disgrace,

حالٌ مُشتَّتَةٌ فالعقْلُ في طرَفٍ

حالٌ مُشتَّتَةٌ فالعقْلُ في طرَفٍ

والجِسْمُ في طرَفٍ والنّفْسُ في طرَفِ

والجِسْمُ في طرَفٍ والنّفْسُ في طرَفِ

A scattered state: the mind is on one side,

A scattered state, so the mind is in disarray,

the body on another, and the soul on another.

The body in disarray, the soul in disarray,

والعيْنُ في سرين ليسَ تسْرَحُ بي

والعيْنُ في سرين ليسَ تسْرَحُ بي

والقلبُ منْ ذِكْرِ ما قدْ فاتَ في أسَفِ

والقلبُ منْ ذِكْرِ ما قدْ فاتَ في أسَفِ

And the eye is on Sirin [unclear reading], not roaming with me,

The eye looking in two directions, not roaming with me,

and the heart, remembering what has passed, is in sorrow.

The heart in sorrow for what has passed,

إنّا الى اللهِ منْها أنْفُساً عرَفَتْ

إنّا الى اللهِ منْها أنْفُساً عرَفَتْ

مآلَها ثمّ لجّتْ بعْدَ مُعْتَرَفِ

مآلَها ثمّ لجّتْ بعْدَ مُعْتَرَفِ

We appeal to God against them—souls that knew

We knew ourselves heading to God,

their final fate, then persisted stubbornly after acknowledging it.

Then plunged after confessing,

خانَتْ مَواثيقَ أعْطَتْها مؤكَّدةً

خانَتْ مَواثيقَ أعْطَتْها مؤكَّدةً

أخْسِرْ بعَهْدٍ قَريبِ العَهْدِ غيْرَ وَفِي

أخْسِرْ بعَهْدٍ قَريبِ العَهْدِ غيْرَ وَفِي

They betrayed the covenants they had pledged and firmly confirmed.

Breaking covenants it had firmly made,

How ruinous a pledge, newly made yet unkept!

Lose a compact whose time is not yet up!

واللّهِ إنْ لمْ يُدارِكْها وقَدْ وصَلَتْ

واللّهِ إنْ لمْ يُدارِكْها وقَدْ وصَلَتْ

بلَمْحَةٍ أو بلُطْفٍ منْ لَدُنْهُ خَفِي

بلَمْحَةٍ أو بلُطْفٍ منْ لَدُنْهُ خَفِي

By God, if He does not save them, now that they have come this far,

By God, if He does not save it, for it has arrived,

with a glance or a hidden kindness from Him,

With a subtle gesture or kindness from Him hidden,

ولمْ يجُدْ بتَلافِيها علَى عجَلٍ

ولمْ يجُدْ بتَلافِيها علَى عجَلٍ

ما أمْرُها صائِرٌ إلا الى تلَفِ

ما أمْرُها صائِرٌ إلا الى تلَفِ

and does not generously grant their rescue at once,

And does not find in mending it hastily,

their course leads only to destruction.

Its affair will only end in ruin.