أَمَّا المَحَبَّةُ فَهِيَ بَذْلُ نُفُوسِ

أَمَّا المَحَبَّةُ فَهْيَ بَذْلُ نُفُوسِفَتَنَعَّمِي يَا مُهْجَتِي بِالبُوسِ

Ammā al-maḥabbatu fahya badhlu nufūsi, Fatanaʿʿamī yā muhjatī bi-al-būsi

As for love, it is the giving of souls, so delight, O my heart, in hardship.

بَذَلَ المُحِبُّ لِمَنْ أَحَبَّ دُمُوعَهُوَطَوَى حَشَاهُ عَلَى أَحَرِّ رَسِيسِ

Badhala al-muḥibbu liman aḥabba dumūʿahu, Waṭawā ḥashāhu ʿalā aḥarri rasīsi

The lover gives his tears to the one he loves, and folds his heart over the hottest smouldering fire.

صَدِّقْ وَقُلْ مَنْ لَمْ يَقُمْ كَقِيَامِهِلَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ مِنْهُ امْرُؤٌ بِجُلُوسِ

Ṣaddiq waqul man lam yaqum kaqiyāmihi, Lam yantafiʿ minhu mruʾun bijulūsi

Believe it and say: whoever does not stand as he stood, no one gains anything from sitting with him.

قَبِلَ الإِلَهُ تَقَرُّبِي بِمَدِيحِهِوَتَوَجُّهِي لِجَنَابِهِ المَحْرُوسِ

Qabila al-ʾilahu taqarrubī bimadīḥihi, Watawajjuhī lijanābihi al-maḥrūsi

Allah has accepted my drawing near through praising him, and my turning toward his well-guarded presence.

رُمْتُ المَسِيرَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَزَنِي السُّرَىوَأَبَاحَنِي مَرْآهُ غَيْرَ يَئُوسِ

Rumtu al-masīra ilayhi aʿjazanī as-surā, Waʾabāḥanī marʾāhu ghayra yaʾūsi

I sought to journey to him, but the night travel defeated me, yet he granted me the sight of him, and I did not despair.

أَكْرِمْ بِيَوْمِ الأَرْبَعَاءِ زِيَارَةًلَكَ إِنَّهُ عِنْدِي كَأَلْفِ خَمِيسِ

Akrim biyawmi al-ʾarbaʿāʾi ziyāratan, Laka innahu ʿindī kaʾalfi khamīsi

How noble a day for visiting you is Wednesday! To me it is worth a thousand Thursdays.

كُلُّ اتِّصَالَاتِ السَّعِيدِ سَعِيدَةٌبِمَثَابَةِ التَّثْلِيثِ وَالتَّسْدِيسِ

Kullu ttiṣālāti as-saʿīdi saʿīdatun, Bimathābati at-tathlīthi wa-at-tasdīsi

Every conjunction of the fortunate is fortunate, like the auspicious trine and sextile.

شَرَفاً لِشَاذِلَةٍ وَمُرْسِيَةٍ سَرَتْلَهُمَا الرِّيَاسَةُ مِنْ أَجَلِّ رَئِيسِ

Sharafan lishādhilatin wamursiyatin sarat, Lahumā ar-riyāsatu min ajalli raʾīsi

Honour to Shadhila and to Murcia, to which leadership flowed from the most exalted of leaders.

مَا إِنْ نَسَبْتُ إِلَيْهِمَا شَيْخَيْهِمَاإِلَّا جَلَوْتُهُمَا جِلَاءَ عَرُوسِ

Mā in nasabtu ilayhimā shaykhayhimā, Illā jalawtuhumā jilāʾa ʿarūsi

Never have I named their two shaykhs in relation to them but I displayed them in splendour like a bride unveiled.