أهْلِ المَحَبَّةْ قَالُولِي

أَهْلِ المَحَبَّةْ قَالُولِيإِذَا بَلَاكَ الله بِهَا

Ahli al-maḥabba qālūlī, Idhā balāka Allāh bihā

The people of love told me: "If Allah tries you with it,

رَاهْ مَقَامَهَا عَالِي غَالِيأَهْلِ الكِتَبُ حَارُو فِيهَا

Rāh maqāmahā ʿālī ghālī, Ahli al-kitabu ḥārū fīhā

Know that its station is lofty and precious; the people of books were bewildered by it."

لَا مَحَبَّةْ إِلَّا بَوْصُولْوَلَا وْصُولْ إِلَّا غَالِي

Lā maḥabba illā bawṣūl, Walā wṣūl illā ghālī

There is no love without arrival, and no arrival without a high price,

وَلَا شْرَابْ إِلَّا مَخْتُومْوَلَا مَقَامْ إِلَّا عَالِي

Walā shrāb illā makhtūm, Walā maqām illā ʿālī

And no drink but the sealed one, and no station but the lofty one.

وَأَنَا رَاقَدْ فِي مَنَامِيأَهْلَ الله وَقْفُوا عَلَيَّ

Waʾanā rāqad fī manāmī, Ahla Allāh waqfū ʿalayya

While I lay asleep, the people of Allah stood over me.

قَالُوا لِي قُمْ يَا نَايِمْاُذْكُرْ مَوْلَاكَ الدَّايِمْ

Qālū lī qum yā nāyim, Udhkur mawlāka ad-dāyim

They said to me: "Rise, O sleeper, remember your Everlasting Master."

النَّاسْ قَالِتْ لِي بِدْعِيوَأَنَا طْرِيقِي مَنْجُورَةْ

An-nās qālit lī bidʿī, Waʾanā ṭrīqī manjūra

People said to me, "You are an innovator," but my path is well hewn.

وَإِذَا صْفِيتْ مَعْ رَبِّيالعَبْدَ مَامِنُّو ضَرُورَةْ

Waʾidhā ṣfīt maʿ rabbī, Al-ʿabda māminnū ḍarūra

And when I am pure with my Lord, the servant has no need of anyone.

طِلْعِ النَّهَارْ عَلَى حِبِّيحَتَّى نَظَرْتَهْ بِعِينِيَّ

Ṭilʿi an-nahār ʿalā ḥibbī, Ḥattā naẓartah biʿīniyya

Day dawned upon my beloved, until I saw him with my own eyes.

أَنْتَ قَصْدِي يَا إِلَهِيوَأَنْتَ أَوْلَى مِنِّي بِيَّ

Anta qaṣdī yā ilahī, Waʾanta awlā minnī biyya

You are my aim, O my God, and You have more right to me than I have.