رسُلُmessengers المَدامِعtears أبلغُmost eloquent الرُّسلِthe messengers
رسُلُ المَدامِع أبلغُ الرُّسلِ
وفدَتarrived لقَلبٍfor a heart دائِمconstant in الخَبلِderangement
وفدَت لقَلبٍ دائِم الخَبلِ
Tears are messengers—the most eloquent messengers—
The messengers of tears are the most eloquent messengers;
Messengers of tears are the most eloquent messengers
come as an embassy to a heart forever distraught.
They came for a heart forever distraught.
They came to a heart constantly confused
تَجريflow علَىover صَدريmy breast ومِنهand from it بَدتappeared
تَجري علَى صَدري ومِنه بَدت
والشَّيءُand a thing مَرجعُهُits return إلىto الأَصلِthe source
والشَّيءُ مَرجعُهُ إلى الأَصلِ
They flow across my breast, though from it they first appeared;
They flow over my breast, and from it they sprang;
They flow down my chest, from it they began
and everything returns to its source.
And everything returns to its source.
And everything returns to its origin
ماnot العاشِقونَthe lovers وإنeven though هُمthey كَثرواare many
ما العاشِقونَ وإن هُم كَثروا
فيin سُقمِهِمtheir sickness وغَرامِهمand their passion مِثليlike me
في سُقمِهِم وغَرامِهم مِثلي
No lovers, however many they may be,
No lovers, however many they may be,
The lovers, however many they are
are my equals in their sickness and passion.
Are like me in their sickness and passion.
Are not in their sickness and passion like me
أناI قَبلَهُمahead of them فيin وَصفِdescribing وَجدِهمُtheir longing
أنا قَبلَهُم في وَصفِ وَجدِهمُ
وهُمُand they بِسَبقِby the precedence of زَمانِهمtheir time قَبليbefore me
وهُمُ بِسَبقِ زَمانِهم قَبلي
I precede them in portraying their ecstasy,
I am ahead of them in describing their longing,
I preceded them in describing their anguish
though by priority of time they precede me.
Though they are ahead of me in time.
And they, by preceding me in time, preceded me
ياO مَعشَرَcompany of العُذَّالِthe reproachers مَوعِظَةًan admonition
يا مَعشَرَ العُذَّالِ مَوعِظَةً
جعلَتI have made جَزاءَكُمyour recompense علىfor عَذليreproaching me
جعلَت جَزاءَكُم على عَذلي
O company of faultfinders, an admonition
O company of reproachers, here is an admonition,
O tormentors, a lesson
I have made your reward for censuring me.
Which I have made your recompense for reproaching me:
You made your torment my reward
لاlet not يَغتَرِرbe deceived بيby me مِنكمُamong you أحَدٌanyone
لا يَغتَرِر بي مِنكمُ أحَدٌ
ماnot كلُّevery سَهمٍarrow نافِذُpiercing النَّصلِthe arrowhead
ما كلُّ سَهمٍ نافِذُ النَّصلِ
Let none of you be deceived by me:
Let none of you be deceived about me;
None of you should be deceived by me
not every arrow has a piercing point.
Not every arrow has a piercing point.
Not every arrow has a penetrating point
كأسُthe cup of الهَوىlove والخَمرِand wine واحِدَةٌone and the same
كأسُ الهَوى والخَمرِ واحِدَةٌ
كلٌّeach مُسَلَّطةٌholding sway علَىover العَقلِreason
كلٌّ مُسَلَّطةٌ علَى العَقلِ
The cup of passion and the cup of wine are one;
The cup of love and the cup of wine are one;
The cup of love and wine is one
each holds dominion over reason.
Each holds sway over reason.
Each unleashed upon reason
إنif تَعرضواyou venture لِلَّومto reproach فاعتَرضُواthen confront
إن تَعرضوا لِلَّوم فاعتَرضُوا
منfrom قَبلهbefore it لِلأَعيُنِto the eyes النُّجلِwide
من قَبله لِلأَعيُنِ النُّجلِ
If you undertake to blame me, first direct your reproach
If you venture to reproach me, then face
If you are blamed, object
at the wide, lovely eyes.
Those wide eyes before you do.
From one whose eyes are sleepy for you
فَإذاthen if أَطقتُمyou can bear ثقلَthe weight of أنفُسِكمyour souls
فَإذا أَطقتُم ثقلَ أنفُسِكم
عنaway from سِحرهِنَّtheir spell أطَقتُمyou can bear ثِقليmy weight
عن سِحرهِنَّ أطَقتُم ثِقلي
If you can bear to draw yourselves
Then, if you can bear your own souls' weight
When you can bear your own burdens
away from their enchantment, you can bear my burden.
Away from their spell, you can bear my weight.
Of their magic, you can bear my burden
أوor لاnot فليسَthen it does not يمرُّmake bitter لومكُمُyour reproach
أو لا فليسَ يمرُّ لومكُمُ
فيماin what حَلفتُI have sworn لهto it ولاnor يُحليmakes sweet
فيما حَلفتُ له ولا يُحلي
Otherwise, your blame will neither embitter
Or else your reproach neither sours
Or not, your blame will not pass
what I have sworn myself to, nor sweeten it.
What I have sworn myself to, nor sweetens it.
For what I have sworn by, nor be legitimate
ياO رَوضَةَgarden of الحُسنِbeauty التيwhich غَنِيَتbecame self-sufficient
يا رَوضَةَ الحُسنِ التي غَنِيَت
أزهارُهاits flowers عَنof عارِضٍa cloud وَبلِheavy with rain
أزهارُها عَن عارِضٍ وَبلِ
O garden of beauty, whose flowers
O garden of beauty, whose self-sufficient
O garden of beauty, whose flowers
have no need of a passing raincloud's downpour,
Flowers need no rain-laden cloud,
Have no need for a visitor or rain
هَلhave...? ضِقتِyou grown too narrow عَنfor عَينيmy eye ونَظرتِهاand its gaze
هَل ضِقتِ عَن عَيني ونَظرتِها
فتَركتِهاso you left it والدَّمعand the tears فيin شُغلِoccupation
فتَركتِها والدَّمع في شُغلِ
are you too narrow to admit my eye and its gaze,
Have you grown too narrow for my eye and its gaze,
Are you too narrow for my eyes and their glance
that you leave it occupied with tears?
And so left it busy with tears?
That you left them while tears are busy?
إِنif كانَis بُخلُكِyour stinginess قاتِليmy slayer فَغَداthen came to be
إِن كانَ بُخلُكِ قاتِلي فَغَدا
بَينيbetween me وبَينكِand between you قاتِلُthe slayer of البُخلِstinginess
بَيني وبَينكِ قاتِلُ البُخلِ
If your withholding is killing me, there now stands
If your stinginess is my slayer, then there has come
If your stinginess kills me, then between us
between you and me a slayer of withholding.
Between me and you the slayer of stinginess.
The killer is the stinginess
أظنَنتِdid you think أنَّthat مَسالِكيmy paths صَعُبَتbecame difficult
أظنَنتِ أنَّ مَسالِكي صَعُبَت
أنَّىhow ومَقصِدُهاand their destination أبوAbu (father of) سَهلِSahl
أنَّى ومَقصِدُها أبو سَهلِ
Did you think my paths had grown difficult?
Did you think my paths had grown difficult?
You thought my paths difficult
How could they, when their destination is Abu Sahl?
How could they, when their destination is Abu Sahl?
How, when their destination is Abu Sahl?
فتكاتُهhis onslaughts بعُداتِهِagainst his enemies أبداًalways
فتكاتُه بعُداتِهِ أبداً
فتكاتُهُhis onslaughts بالنَّائِلِwith bounty الجَزلِlavish
فتكاتُهُ بالنَّائِلِ الجَزلِ
His assaults upon his foes are ever
His onslaughts against his foes are ever
His charms in his distance forever
his assaults of lavish generosity.
Like his onslaughts with lavish bounty.
Are his charms with the heavy rain
يأتِيhe comes الذيwhoever يأتِيهِcomes to him مُعتَذِراًapologizing
يأتِي الذي يأتِيهِ مُعتَذِراً
بشَمائلٍwith noble traits مَجموعةِgathered الشَّملِunity
بشَمائلٍ مَجموعةِ الشَّملِ
He goes to meet whoever comes to him, apologetically,
He comes to whoever comes to him, apologizing,
He comes apologizing
with every noble quality gathered in harmony,
With noble traits gathered in harmony,
With features gathered together
وخلائِقand qualities والجدُّand earnestness مَعقِلُهاtheir stronghold
وخلائِق والجدُّ مَعقِلُها
سَهُلَتbecame easy فتَحسبُهاso you think them منof الهَزلِjest
سَهُلَت فتَحسبُها من الهَزلِ
and virtues whose fortress is earnestness,
And qualities—though earnestness is their stronghold—
And manners whose essence is seriousness
yet so effortless that you would take them for play.
That are so easy you take them for jest.
You think them jest
لاdo not تَملِكنَّever claim ownership of ثَناءَpraise of زائِدهِhis surplus
لا تَملِكنَّ ثَناءَ زائِدهِ
فتَظُنُّهand then think it ضَرباًa kind مِنof البَذلِgiving
فتَظُنُّه ضَرباً مِن البَذلِ
Never withhold the praise due his bounty,
Do not claim ownership of praise for his surplus bounty,
Do not possess redundant praise
imagining such praise a form of generosity.
And then think it a kind of giving.
Thinking it a kind of generosity
Sol 6.1