هلا غنيتم بما غنّى به الوترُ

هلا غنيتم بما غنّى به الوترُ

فتسمعوا منه يا عشاقه وَتَروا

فتسمعوا منه يا عشاقه وَتَروا

Why not sing what the string has sung,

Sing with what the lute string sang,

so you may hear from it, O its lovers, and see?

So you may hear from it, O its lovers, and see,

فإن في نغمة الطنبور بارقة

فإن في نغمة الطنبور بارقة

من البروق التي في القلب تستعر

من البروق التي في القلب تستعر

For in the tanbur's tone there is a flash

For in the melody of the lute there is a flash

of the lightning that blazes within the heart.

Of the flashes that ignite in the heart.

واستنطقوا الدفَّ ينطقْ بالإشارة عن

واستنطقوا الدفَّ ينطقْ بالإشارة عن

معنىً بدا وهو في الأكوان مستتر

معنىً بدا وهو في الأكوان مستتر

And bid the frame drum speak; through signs it will tell of

And make the tambourines speak with gesture about

a meaning revealed, though hidden in created worlds.

A meaning that appeared though hidden in the universe.

وهي المعاني تراءت في السماع لنا

وهي المعاني تراءت في السماع لنا

عنها لقد كان محجوباً بها البصر

عنها لقد كان محجوباً بها البصر

And these are the meanings that appeared to us in listening;

And these meanings seemed clear to us in hearing,

sight had indeed been veiled from them by them.

Though vision of them was obstructed from us before.

وأخبرتنا إشارات الصنوج بها

وأخبرتنا إشارات الصنوج بها

فهيَّم القلبَ منا ذلك الخبر

فهيَّم القلبَ منا ذلك الخبر

And the cymbals' signs told us of them;

And the rhythms' gestures informed us about them,

so that news drove our heart mad with love,

So that news stirred the heart within us,

حتى انعطفنا على السنطير نسأله

حتى انعطفنا على السنطير نسأله

عن عينه فتبدى منه لي أثر

عن عينه فتبدى منه لي أثر

until we turned toward the santur, asking it

Until we turned to the lute asking it

about its essence; then a trace of it appeared to me.

About its source, and traces of it appeared to me.

وقال لي الناي إني من إشارته

وقال لي الناي إني من إشارته

ونفخ روحي منه تبعث الصور

ونفخ روحي منه تبعث الصور

And the ney said to me: I come from its sign,

And the flute told me, "I am from its gesture

and from my spirit's breath, forms are brought to life.

And my breath that evokes images is from it."

والعود عاد بصوت في الغناء شجٍ

والعود عاد بصوت في الغناء شجٍ

وقال نحن وأنتم كلنا عبر

وقال نحن وأنتم كلنا عبر

And the oud returned with a plaintive voice in song,

And the lute returned in singing with a voice that laments,

and said: We and you are all lessons,

And said, "We and you are all lessons."

ونسبة الأمر منا في الوجود سوا

ونسبة الأمر منا في الوجود سوا

ومن مشى في ظلام غره القمر

ومن مشى في ظلام غره القمر

and our relation to the matter in existence is the same.

And the relationship of the matter among us in existence is equal.

And whoever walks in darkness is deceived by the moon.

And the moon misguides one who walks in darkness.

وما السماع بهادي العاشقين له

وما السماع بهادي العاشقين له

ما لم يكن حاصلاً من قبله النظر

ما لم يكن حاصلاً من قبله النظر

And listening does not guide lovers to it,

And hearing is not the guide of lovers to it

unless vision has been attained before it.

Unless vision of it occurred before hearing.