إنّindeed قلبيmy heart لديغbitten رُقطspeckled serpents الفراقِseparation
إنّ قلبي لديغ رُقط الفراقِ
ليسnot يشفىis healed ولوeven if رقىrecited a healing charm ألفَa thousand راقِhealer by incantation
ليس يشفى ولو رقى ألفَ راقِ
Indeed, my heart is bitten by separation's speckled serpents.
My heart is stung by the bite of separation
It will not heal, even if a thousand healers recite their charms.
It cannot be healed even by a thousand healers
ماno لدائيfor my ailment منfrom التنائيseparation دواءٌcure
ما لدائي من التنائي دواءٌ
غيرexcept قربnearness اللقاmeeting وطيبand sweetness التلاقيreunion
غير قرب اللقا وطيب التلاقي
There is no cure for my sickness from distance,
My malady has no cure but nearness
Except the closeness of meeting and the sweetness of reunion.
And the sweetness of union
ليتwould that شعريmy knowing متىwhen يُماطis lifted لثامُthe veil الthe
ليت شعري متى يُماط لثامُ ال
بعدِdistance بالقربby nearness أوor يفكُّis undone وثاقيmy bonds
بعدِ بالقرب أو يفكُّ وثاقي
Would that I knew when the veil of
Would that I knew when the veil of remoteness will be lifted
distance will be lifted by nearness, or my bonds undone.
After proximity or its bond unbound
ثمّthen يشفىis healed منof لسعةthe sting البينseparation صبٌّan ardent lover
ثمّ يشفى من لسعة البين صبٌّ
باللقاthrough meeting وهوand it معظمthe chief part الترياقthe antidote
باللقا وهو معظم الترياق
Then a lovesick lover is healed of separation's sting
Then my ardour for the beloved will be assuaged
Through reunion, which is the chief part of the antidote.
Through meeting, the best antidote
حيثwhere تجلىwas revealed لناto us سلافُchoice wine التهانيfelicitations
حيث تجلى لنا سلافُ التهاني
بالتدانيthrough drawing near منfrom كفِّthe palm ألطفthe gentlest ساقcupbearer
بالتداني من كفِّ ألطف ساق
Where the choice wine of joy was revealed to us
When the felicity of intimacy was revealed
Through drawing near, from the gentlest cupbearer's hand.
Through affectionate approach of a gentle hand
ياO رعىmay preserve اللهGod ماwhat مضىpassed منof ليالٍnights
يا رعى الله ما مضى من ليالٍ
أطلعتmade rise ليfor me كواكبَthe stars الإشراقradiance
أطلعت لي كواكبَ الإشراق
Oh, may God preserve those nights gone by
O Lord, the nights that passed
That made the stars of radiance rise for me,
With stars of daybreak rising for me
فيin رياضٍgardens لذّwas sweet اقتطافيmy plucking جناهاtheir fruit
في رياضٍ لذّ اقتطافي جناها
فيin اصطباحيmy morning drinking منfrom زهرهاtheir blossoms واغتباقيand my evening drinking
في اصطباحي من زهرها واغتباقي
In gardens whose fruit I delighted to pluck,
In gardens whose fruits my picking has plucked
As I drank from their blossoms, morning and evening.
In my mornings of blossoms and sipping
وهيand they فيin وجهthe face ذاتa person خيرٍgoodness عليٍّAli
وهي في وجه ذات خيرٍ عليٍّ
طاهرpure النفسthe soul طيّبgood الأعراقancestral roots
طاهر النفس طيّب الأعراق
And they are in the face of a goodly soul, Ali,
In the face of the best, most high being
Pure of soul, noble of lineage,
Pure of soul, fragrant of nature
مرتضىthe chosen one مهجتيmy heart وكرّارand the ever-charging warrior حربيmy battle
مرتضى مهجتي وكرّار حربي
فيin كروبيmy afflictions لوُسعfor easing ضيقthe tightness خناقيmy throat
في كروبي لوُسع ضيق خناقي
My heart's chosen one, the ever-charging warrior in my battle,
Desire of my soul, comforter of my sorrow
In my afflictions, to relieve the tightness at my throat.
In my anguish, expanse for my constriction
طالماhow often منfrom محاسنthe beauties الوجهthe face منهfrom him
طالما من محاسن الوجه منه
لاحshone نورthe light الآدابrefinement والأذواقand spiritual tastes
لاح نور الآداب والأذواق
How often, from the beauties of his face,
From the beauty of that face has shone
The light of refinement and spiritual tastes shone forth.
The light of refinement and taste
وخلعناand we cast off العذارthe bridle فيهاtherein ولكنbut
وخلعنا العذار فيها ولكن
معwith شهودwitnessing القيودthe restraints فيin الإطلاقfreedom
مع شهود القيود في الإطلاق
And we cast off the bridle there, but
We shed inhibitions yet
With awareness of the bonds within freedom.
Fettered in liberation
وتجلّتand revealed herself حسناؤناour fair one فيin سماءthe heaven الthe
وتجلّت حسناؤنا في سماء ال
حسنbeauty والصبُّand the lover فيin الصبابةardent longing راقيascending
حسن والصبُّ في الصبابة راقي
And our fair one revealed herself in the heaven of
Our charms were unveiled in the heaven of beauty
beauty, while the lover was ascending in passionate longing.
Passion in the springtime of youth enchanted me
ثمّthen همناwe wandered in ecstasy لمّاwhen فهمناwe understood رموزاًsymbols
ثمّ همنا لمّا فهمنا رموزاً
معجزٌbaffling دركُهاcomprehending them نُهىintellects الحذّاقthe adept
معجزٌ دركُها نُهى الحذّاق
Then we wandered in ecstasy when we understood symbols
Then we aspired when we comprehended symbols
Whose comprehension baffles the intellects of the adept.
Miraculous, whose knowledge the adepts forbid
وشطحناand we spoke ecstatically فيin حضرةthe presence القدسholiness لمّاwhen
وشطحنا في حضرة القدس لمّا
فتحopened البابthe door فاتحُthe Opener الأغلاقthe locks
فتح الباب فاتحُ الأغلاق
And we spoke ecstatically in the holy Presence, when
And we reveled in the sanctum when
The Opener of locks opened the door.
The Opener of gates unlocked them
وشربناand we drank منfrom خمرةwine الإنسintimacy كأساًa cup
وشربنا من خمرة الإنس كأساً
فسكرناso we grew drunk بفيضهاon its outpouring الغيداقcopious
فسكرنا بفيضها الغيداق
And we drank a cup of the wine of intimacy,
And we drank from the wine of companionship a cup
So we grew drunk on its copious outpouring.
Intoxicated by its limpid vintage
ثمّthen غبناwe vanished لماwhen رغبناwe turned away عنfrom الغيthe other (continued)
ثمّ غبنا لما رغبنا عن الغي
رcompletion of 'the other' بكأسthrough the cup الجمالbeauty صافيpure المذاقtaste
ر بكأس الجمال صافي المذاق
Then we vanished when we turned away from the
Then we were absent when we were distracted
other, through the cup of beauty, pure in taste.
From the pure wine of beauty by any other cup
ثمّthen بتناwe spent the night نُهديwe offer صلاتgifts صلاةٍblessing
ثمّ بتنا نُهدي صلات صلاةٍ
لحبيبto the beloved المهيمنthe Guardian الخلّاقthe Creator
لحبيب المهيمن الخلّاق
Then we spent the night offering gifts of blessing
We remained to send blessings and prayers
To the beloved of the Guardian, the Creator,
To the Beloved, the All-Determining Creator
وإلىand to آلهhis family الكرامthe noble وصحبٍand companions
وإلى آله الكرام وصحبٍ
أحرزواthey attained فيin الكمالperfection حدّthe utmost rank السباقprecedence
أحرزوا في الكمال حدّ السباق
And to his noble family and companions,
And to His noble folk and companions
Who attained the foremost rank in perfection,
Who won perfection's race
ماas long as سرىtraveled by night الركبُthe caravan منfrom نوىthe remoteness حيّthe camp نجدٍNajd
ما سرى الركبُ من نوى حيّ نجدٍ
وصباand yearned للحجازfor the Hijaz فيamong العشّاقthe lovers
وصبا للحجاز في العشّاق
As long as the caravan travels by night from Najd's distant camp
The caravan did not march from a living intent
And yearns for the Hijaz among the lovers.
And passion for Hejaz in lovers