ياO فؤاديmy heart غلبتنيyou overcame me عِصياناthrough defiance
يا فؤادي غلبتني عِصيانا
فأطِعْنيso obey me فقدfor indeed عصيتَyou have disobeyed زماناfor a long time
فأطِعْني فقد عصيتَ زمانا
O my heart, you have overcome me through defiance.
O my heart, you have overcome me with disobedience
So obey me, for you have long disobeyed.
So obey me as you have disobeyed for a time
ياO فؤاديmy heart أماdo you not تَحنُّyou yearn إلىfor طُوْṬūbā (word begins)
يا فؤادي أما تَحنُّ إلى طُوْ
بَىṬūbā (word ends) إذاwhen الريحُthe wind هَبَّتswayed الأغصاناthe branches
بَى إذا الريحُ هَبَّت الأغصانا
O my heart, do you not yearn for Ṭūbā,
O my heart, do you not yearn to repent
when the wind sways its branches?
When the wind blows the branches
مَثِّلِpicture الأولياءَthe saints فيin جنّةthe Garden of الخلْeternity (word begins)
مَثِّلِ الأولياءَ في جنّة الخلْ
دِeternity (word ends) إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تقابلواthey met face to face إخواناas brothers
دِ إذا ما تقابلوا إخوانا
Picture the saints in the Garden of Eternity,
Imitate the saints in the gardens of eternity
when they meet face to face as brothers.
When they meet each other as brethren
قدindeed تعالَوْاthey rose aloft علىon أسِرَّةcouches of دُرٍّpearl
قد تعالَوْا على أسِرَّة دُرٍّ
لابسينَclad in الحريرَsilk والأرجواناand purple cloth
لابسينَ الحريرَ والأرجوانا
They sit aloft on couches of pearl,
Wearing silk and purple, sitting on chairs of pearls
clad in silk and purple.
With their crowns and garlands vying in beauty with crowns
وعليهمand upon them تيجانُهمtheir crowns والأكاليand the wreaths (word begins)
وعليهم تيجانُهم والأكالي
لُwreaths (word ends) تباهيrival بحُسنهاwith their beauty التيجاناthe crowns
لُ تباهي بحُسنها التيجانا
Their crowns are upon them, and the wreaths
Taking them in turns, inclusively
rival the crowns in beauty.
In adjoining gardens, gardens upon gardens
يتعاطَوْنَهاthey pass it around سُلافاًpure, first-pressed wine شَمولاًwine
يتعاطَوْنَها سُلافاً شَمولاً
فيin جِنانٍgardens مجاورَاتٍadjoining جِناناgardens
في جِنانٍ مجاورَاتٍ جِنانا
They pass it round—pure, first-pressed wine—
They are welcomed with kind words
in gardens adjoining gardens.
Welcome, welcome to you, O riders
يتلقّاهمُhe welcomes them بقولٍwith speech حَفيٍّkindly
يتلقّاهمُ بقولٍ حَفيٍّ
مرحباًwelcome مرحباًwelcome بكمto you رُكباناas riders
مرحباً مرحباً بكم رُكبانا
He welcomes them with kindly words:
The veils of light are lifted from His face, Glory be to Him
'Welcome, welcome to you, riders!'
And they benefit with joy and delight
وتجلَّتْand drew away عنfrom وجههِhis face حُجُبُthe veils of النوlight (word begins)
وتجلَّتْ عن وجههِ حُجُبُ النو
رlight (word ends) فسبحانَso glory be to وجهِهhis face سبحاناglory
ر فسبحانَ وجهِه سبحانا
And the veils of light drew away from his face,
Which dispel evil and sorrows
so glory to his face, all glory!
Then they return and are received by Houris
واستفادواand they gained بشاشةًcheerfulness وسروراًand joy
واستفادوا بشاشةً وسروراً
ينفيانِboth banish الشرورَevils والأحزاناand sorrows
ينفيانِ الشرورَ والأحزانا
And they gained cheerfulness and joy,
Of the daughters of bliss, most beautiful
which banish evils and sorrows.
With faces like lanterns, knowing only shades and retreats
ثمthen آبواthey returned فاستقبلَتْهُمthen welcomed them حِسانٌbeautiful women
ثم آبوا فاستقبلَتْهُم حِسانٌ
منfrom among بناتِthe daughters of النعيمbliss فُقْنthey surpassed الحساناthe beauties
من بناتِ النعيم فُقْن الحسانا
Then they returned, and beautiful women welcomed them,
Their locks hanging loosely over their backs, diffusing musk and ambergris
from among the daughters of bliss, surpassing all beauties,
If the moon or the sun saw one of them, they would swoon before her beauty and submit
بوجوهٍwith faces مثلlike المصابيحlamps لاnot يَعْthey know (word begins)
بوجوهٍ مثل المصابيح لا يَعْ
رِفْنَthey know (word ends) إلاexcept الظلالَshade والأكناناand shelters
رِفْنَ إلا الظلالَ والأكنانا
with faces like lamps, who know nothing
They greet them saying "welcome and at ease!"
but shade and sheltered retreats,
Raising bunches of basil to them
مُرْسلاتٍletting fall علىover الروادِفthe buttocks منهنْof them (word begins)
مُرْسلاتٍ على الروادِف منهنْ
نَof them (word ends) فُروعاًlocks of hair تمجexude مِسكاًmusk وباناand bān fragrance
نَ فُروعاً تمج مِسكاً وبانا
letting fall over their buttocks
They are enamored with the saints, who grow more luminous, increasing their enchantment
locks that exude musk and bān fragrance.
You see them approaching them eagerly, their colors changed with joy
لوif رأىsaw البدرُthe full moon بعضَهُنَّone of them أوor الشمْthe sun (word begins)
لو رأى البدرُ بعضَهُنَّ أو الشمْ
سُsun (word ends) لَذلَّاboth would surely be humbled لوجههاbefore her face واستكاناand both would submit
سُ لَذلَّا لوجهها واستكانا
If the full moon or the sun saw one of them,
Their mouths fresh as water when thirsty you drink it
both would bow before her face and submit.
Saying, "Patience is impossible without you, so descend, let us see you, it is time"
فتلقَّينهمthen they (women) greeted them بأهلاًwith 'welcome' وسهلاًand 'be at ease'
فتلقَّينهم بأهلاً وسهلاً
رافعاتraising إليهمُtoward them الريحاناthe basil
رافعات إليهمُ الريحانا
Then they welcomed them with 'Welcome, be at ease!'
They lower their feet to descend and settle in pavilions, wearing safety
holding basil up to them.
Sometimes they visit each other, and sometimes they visit their Lord
كُنَّthey (women) were بالأولياءby the saints مُفتتناتٍenthralled
كُنَّ بالأولياء مُفتتناتٍ
ثمthen زِيدواthey (men) were given more نوراًlight فزِدْنَso they (women) increased افتِتاناin infatuation
ثم زِيدوا نوراً فزِدْنَ افتِتانا
They were enthralled by the saints,
Then they withdraw, desiring their homelands
then the men were given more light, and the women grew more enthralled.
They spend eternity in ever-new joy
فتراهُنَّso you see them (women) مقبلاتٍapproaching عليهمtoward them
فتراهُنَّ مقبلاتٍ عليهم
بابتهاجٍwith delight قدalready عَصْفرواthey (men) dyed with safflower الألواناthe complexions
بابتهاجٍ قد عَصْفروا الألوانا
So you see them approaching the men,
Never devoid of bliss or anytime
in delight, the men's complexions safflower-dyed,
راشفاتsipping أفواهَهُمْtheir mouths رشَفَكyour sipping الماthe water (word begins)
راشفات أفواهَهُمْ رشَفَك الما
ءَwater (word ends) إذاwhen ماemphatic particle شرِبْتَهُyou drank it ظمآناthirsty
ءَ إذا ما شرِبْتَهُ ظمآنا
sipping at their mouths as you sip water,
when you drink it thirsty,
قائلاتٍsaying عيلَwas exhausted التصبُّرُpatient endurance عنكمaway from you
قائلاتٍ عيلَ التصبُّرُ عنكم
فانزلواso dismount آنit is time أنْto نراكُمْwe see you وحاناand the time has come
فانزلوا آن أنْ نراكُمْ وحانا
saying, 'Our patience away from you is spent.
So dismount; it is time for us to see you—the time has come!'
فَثنواso they bent أرجُلَthe legs of النزولِdismounting وحلُّواand settled
فَثنوا أرجُلَ النزولِ وحلُّوا
فيin المقاصيرthe private chambers لابسينَclothed in أماناsafety
في المقاصير لابسينَ أمانا
So they bent their legs to dismount, and settled
in private chambers, clothed in safety.
تارةًsometimes بعضُهمsome of them يزورونvisit بعضاًothers
تارةً بعضُهم يزورون بعضاً
ويزورونَand they visit ربَّهمtheir Lord أحياناat times
ويزورونَ ربَّهم أحيانا
At times they visit one another,
and sometimes they visit their Lord.
ثمthen يَخْلُونthey are alone بعدafter ذلكthat بالحُوْwith the houris (word begins)
ثم يَخْلُون بعد ذلك بالحُوْ
رِhouris (word ends) إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تشوَّقواthey yearned for الأوطاناthe homes
رِ إذا ما تشوَّقوا الأوطانا
Then, after that, they are alone with the houris,
when they yearn for their homes.
فهمُso they الدهرforever فيin سرورٍjoy جديدٍfresh
فهمُ الدهر في سرورٍ جديدٍ
ليسnot يخلونَthey are devoid منof سرورٍjoy أواناat any time
ليس يخلونَ من سرورٍ أوانا
So they are forever in fresh joy,
never without joy for a moment.
Partial English translation: 31 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1