هذا كتابٌ من محبٍّ مغرمٍ

هذا كتابٌ من محبٍّ مغرمٍ

يرى الوفا مشربَهُ ومطعمَهْ

يرى الوفا مشربَهُ ومطعمَهْ

This is a letter from an enamored lover,

This is a book from a loving admirer

who regards faithfulness as his drink and food.

Who sees loyalty as his way and sustenance

ومطلق الوجود بالحسن سرى

ومطلق الوجود بالحسن سرى

فخصّه بحبّه وعمّمَهْ

فخصّه بحبّه وعمّمَهْ

And absolute existence has flowed with beauty;

And the beauty of existence flowed freely

so he singled it out for his love and made that love universal.

So he devoted his love to it and shared it

يهيم من فرط الجوى صبابةً

يهيم من فرط الجوى صبابةً

وكلّما أومض برقٌ هيّمهْ

وكلّما أومض برقٌ هيّمهْ

He is lost in longing from overwhelming heartache,

He wanders deliriously from intense passion

and whenever lightning flashes, it drives him mad with love.

And whenever a flash of lightning blinked, it startled him

فلم تجد في جسمه جزءاً بلا

فلم تجد في جسمه جزءاً بلا

داء الهوى ولا بقدر سمسمهْ

داء الهوى ولا بقدر سمسمهْ

So you found no part of his body free of

So you cannot find in his body a part without

love’s sickness—not even one the size of a sesame seed.

The malady of love, not even the size of a sesame seed

وإن تسل عن الّذي علّمتَه

وإن تسل عن الّذي علّمتَه

فالجهل فيه كلّ شيءٍ علّمهْ

فالجهل فيه كلّ شيءٍ علّمهْ

And if you ask about the one you taught,

And if you ask what taught him this

then ignorance within him has taught him everything.

Ignorance in him taught him everything