أَيا صاحِباً ساءَني بُعدُهُ

أَيا صاحِباً ساءَني بُعدُهُ

فَما سَرَّني القُربُ مِن صاحِبِ

فَما سَرَّني القُربُ مِن صاحِبِ

O friend whose absence has grieved me,

O companion whose absence grieved me,

for no friend's nearness has brought me joy.

Nearness to a companion brought me no joy.

لَئِن كُنتَ عَن ناظِري غائِباً

لَئِن كُنتَ عَن ناظِري غائِباً

فَعَن خاطِري لَستَ بِالغَائِبِ

فَعَن خاطِري لَستَ بِالغَائِبِ

Even if you are absent from my sight,

Though absent from my sight,

yet you are not absent from my thoughts.

You're not absent from my thoughts.

أَلَستَ تَرى الدَهرَ يَجري بِنا

أَلَستَ تَرى الدَهرَ يَجري بِنا

كَجَريِ المَطِيَّةِ بِالراكِبِ

كَجَريِ المَطِيَّةِ بِالراكِبِ

Do you not see time carrying us along,

Do you not see how time carries us along

as a mount runs with its rider?

Like the running of the mounted beast with its rider?

فَزُرني أَعُد بِكَ مُستَدرِكاً

فَزُرني أَعُد بِكَ مُستَدرِكاً

لِما فاتَ مِن عَيشِنا الذاهِبِ

لِما فاتَ مِن عَيشِنا الذاهِبِ

So visit me; with you I shall once more recover

Visit me, for I make up for what we missed

what has slipped away of our passing life.

Of our fleeting life.

فَعِندي قَليلٌ مِنَ البَختَجوشِ

فَعِندي قَليلٌ مِنَ البَختَجوشِ

هَدايا فَقيهٍ إِلى تائِبِ

هَدايا فَقيهٍ إِلى تائِبِ

For I have a little Bakhtajush wine,

I have a little date liquor, a welcome gift

gifts from a jurist to a penitent.

From a jurist to a penitent.

كَأَنَّ شَذا عَرفِها عَنبَرٌ

كَأَنَّ شَذا عَرفِها عَنبَرٌ

يُلاثُ بِهِ شارِبُ الشارِبِ

يُلاثُ بِهِ شارِبُ الشارِبِ

As though the waft of its scent were ambergris,

Its aroma is like ambergris

with which the drinker's mustache is anointed.

With which the drinker perfumes his drink.

وَغُرفَتُنا خَلوَةٌ لِلعُلومِ

وَغُرفَتُنا خَلوَةٌ لِلعُلومِ

أُعِدَّت كَصَومَعَةِ الراهِبِ

أُعِدَّت كَصَومَعَةِ الراهِبِ

And our room is a retreat for learning,

Our room is a sanctuary for learning

prepared like a monk's cell.

Prepared like a monk’s cell.

وَقَينَتي خَلفَ كُتبِ الصِحاحِ

وَقَينَتي خَلفَ كُتبِ الصِحاحِ

تَحتَ الجِرارِ إِلى جانِبي

تَحتَ الجِرارِ إِلى جانِبي

And my singing girl is behind the Sahih books,

My companion behind books of authority

beneath the jars, beside me.

Next to me under the jars.

إِذا شَمَّها الناسُ كابَرتُهُم

إِذا شَمَّها الناسُ كابَرتُهُم

وَأَقسَمتُ بِالطالِبِ الغالِبِ

وَأَقسَمتُ بِالطالِبِ الغالِبِ

When people smell it, I stubbornly contradict them

When people smell it, it humbles them,

and swear by the Pursuer, the Prevailing One.

And I swear by the Seeker, the Victorious.

وَإِن شوهِدَت قُلتُ نَيمَختَح

وَإِن شوهِدَت قُلتُ نَيمَختَح

أَداوي بِهِ وَجَعَ الحالِبِ

أَداوي بِهِ وَجَعَ الحالِبِ

And if it is seen, I say, “Naymakhtah—

If it's seen, I say it's oil of nimkhath

I treat pain in the ureter with it.”

With which I treat the pain of the lovelorn.

وَلَن يُنكِرَ الناسُ إِن زُرتَني

وَلَن يُنكِرَ الناسُ إِن زُرتَني

لِسَعيِ فَقيهٍ إِلى كاتِبِ

لِسَعيِ فَقيهٍ إِلى كاتِبِ

And people will not object, if you visit me,

People won’t deny, if you visit me,

to a jurist's visit to a scribe.

A jurist’s quest for a scribe.

فَحَيِّ عَلى الراحِ قَبلَ الدُروسِ

فَحَيِّ عَلى الراحِ قَبلَ الدُروسِ

وَلا تَجعَلِ النَدبَ كَالواجِبِ

وَلا تَجعَلِ النَدبَ كَالواجِبِ

So come to the wine before the lessons,

So hello to comfort before lessons

and do not treat the recommended as obligatory.

And don’t make keening obligatory.

وَخُذها بِأَوفَرِ أَثمانِها

وَخُذها بِأَوفَرِ أَثمانِها

وَلا تَأسَ مِن غِبطَةِ الكاتِبِ

وَلا تَأسَ مِن غِبطَةِ الكاتِبِ

And take it at its highest price,

Take it for its highest price

and do not grieve over the scribe's good fortune.

And don’t envy the scribe.

وَغالِ بِها أَنَّها جَوهَرٌ

وَغالِ بِها أَنَّها جَوهَرٌ

فَقيمَتُها غَرَضُ الطالِبِ

فَقيمَتُها غَرَضُ الطالِبِ

And pay dearly for it, for it is a jewel,

Claim it’s a gem,

for its value is the seeker's goal.

For that’s the seeker’s purpose.