وَقالوا الشُموسَ بِدارِ الفَلَك

وَقالوا الشُموسَ بِدارِ الفَلَك

وَهَل مَنزِلُ الشَمسِ إِلّا الفَلَك

وَهَل مَنزِلُ الشَمسِ إِلّا الفَلَك

And they said, “The suns are in the sphere’s abode.”

They said the suns revolve around the celestial sphere

And is the sun’s dwelling anywhere but the sphere?

And does the sun have any abode but the sphere?

إِذا قامَ عَرشٌ عَلى ساقِهِ

إِذا قامَ عَرشٌ عَلى ساقِهِ

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا اِستِواءُ المَلِك

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا اِستِواءُ المَلِك

When a throne stands upon its leg,

When a throne stands on its columns

Then nothing remains but the King’s enthronement.

Only the kingdom of the King remains

إِذا خَلَصَ القَلبُ مِن جَهلِهِ

إِذا خَلَصَ القَلبُ مِن جَهلِهِ

فَما هُوَ إِلّا نُزولُ المَلَك

فَما هُوَ إِلّا نُزولُ المَلَك

When the heart is freed from its ignorance,

When the heart is free from its ignorance

Then it is nothing but the angel’s descent.

It is nothing but the descent of an angel

تَمَلَّكُني وَتَمَلَّكتُهُ

تَمَلَّكُني وَتَمَلَّكتُهُ

فَكُلٌّ لِصاحِبِهِ قَد مَلَك

فَكُلٌّ لِصاحِبِهِ قَد مَلَك

He possessed me, and I possessed him;

You have possessed me and I possessed you

So each has taken possession of his companion.

So each belongs to the other, having possessed

فَكَونِيَ مُلكاً لَهُ بَيَّنٌ

فَكَونِيَ مُلكاً لَهُ بَيَّنٌ

وَمُلكي لَهُ قَولُهُ هيتُ لَك

وَمُلكي لَهُ قَولُهُ هيتُ لَك

That I am his possession is plain;

Let my being belong to Him openly

And my possession of him is his saying, “Come to me!”

And my possession of Him, His words "I am yours"

فَيا حادِيَ العيسِ عَرِّج بِنا

فَيا حادِيَ العيسِ عَرِّج بِنا

وَلا تَعدُ بِالفُلكِ دارَ الفَلَك

وَلا تَعدُ بِالفُلكِ دارَ الفَلَك

O driver of the white camels, turn aside with us,

O guide of the camel litters, take us up

And do not take the ship beyond the sphere’s abode.

And ascend not by the celestial sphere

أَعَلَّكَ دارٌ عَلى شاطِىءٍ

أَعَلَّكَ دارٌ عَلى شاطِىءٍ

بِقُربِ المُسَنّى وَما عَلَّلَك

بِقُربِ المُسَنّى وَما عَلَّلَك

A dwelling on a shore has made you ill,

Has a house on the seashore raised you?

Near al-Musanna, yet it gave you no solace.

Near the beloved, what has exalted you?

فَلَيتَ الَّذي بي وَحُمَّلتُهُ

فَلَيتَ الَّذي بي وَحُمَّلتُهُ

مِنَ الحُبِّ رَبَّ الهَوى حَمَّلَك

مِنَ الحُبِّ رَبَّ الهَوى حَمَّلَك

Would that what is within me, and which I was made to bear,

I wish the one I love who carries my love

Of love, had been laid upon you by the lord of passion.

The Lord of passion has burdened you

فَلَيسَ زَرودٌ وَلا حاجِرٌ

فَلَيسَ زَرودٌ وَلا حاجِرٌ

وَلا سَلَمٌ مَنزِلٌ أَنحَلَك

وَلا سَلَمٌ مَنزِلٌ أَنحَلَك

For neither Zarud nor Hajir,

So there is neither a ferry nor a crossing

Nor Salam is the dwelling that made you waste away.

Nor a rest-house where you might lodge

ظَلَلتُ لِحَرِّ الهَوى طالِباً

ظَلَلتُ لِحَرِّ الهَوى طالِباً

سَحابَ الوِصالِ وَما ظَلَّلَك

سَحابَ الوِصالِ وَما ظَلَّلَك

Against passion’s heat, I kept seeking

I sought the heat of passion in its shadows

The cloud of union, yet it gave you no shade.

But no cloud of union has shaded you

أَذَلَّكَ عِزٌّ لِسُلطانِهِ

أَذَلَّكَ عِزٌّ لِسُلطانِهِ

فَلَيتَ كَما ذَلَّلَك ذَلَّ لَك

فَلَيتَ كَما ذَلَّلَك ذَلَّ لَك

Might has abased you through its dominion;

Has glory humbled you with its rule?

Would that, as it humbled you, it submitted to you.

Would that as it has abased you, it may abase itself to you

وَيا لَيتَهُ إِذ أَبى عِزَّةً

وَيا لَيتَهُ إِذ أَبى عِزَّةً

تَدَلُّلُهُ لَيتَهُ دَلَّ لَك

تَدَلُّلُهُ لَيتَهُ دَلَّ لَك

And oh, would that, when it refused out of pride—

Would that when it refused glory

His coyness—would that he had been coy with you.

Its fawning upon you, would that it had fawned upon you