صَاحِO friend مَاذَاwhy التَّوَانِيdelay
صَاحِ مَاذَا التَّوَانِي
عَنْfrom مُرَادِthe object الأَمَانِيhopes
عَنْ مُرَادِ الأَمَانِي
Friend, why hold back
My friend, why the hesitation
O companion, why this lingering delay
from the object of longing
About my heart's aspirations
Away from the destination of our desires,
فِيin أَصِيلٍa late afternoon مُعَصْفَرِsafflower-dyed الأَرْدَانِthe sleeves
فِي أَصِيلٍ مُعَصْفَرِ الأَرْدَانِ
فَالْعَشَايَاfor evenings مَسَارِحُroaming grounds الأَشْوَاقِlongings
فَالْعَشَايَا مَسَارِحُ الأَشْوَاقِ
in a late afternoon with safflower-dyed sleeves?
In an elegant, saffron-colored cloak
In a late afternoon of saffron-tinted sleeves?
For evenings are the roaming grounds of longing,
The evenings are theaters of longing
For the evening twilights are the pastures of longing,
وَحُلاَهَاand their charms مَطَارِحُresting places الأَحْدَاقِthe eyes
وَحُلاَهَا مَطَارِحُ الأَحْدَاقِ
كَمْhow many بِهَاin them مِنْof مَصَارِعِdownfalls الْعُشَّاقِthe lovers
كَمْ بِهَا مِنْ مَصَارِعِ الْعُشَّاقِ
and their charms are where eyes alight.
And their trysts, places for eyes to meet
And their beauties are where the eyes come to rest;
How many lovers have met their doom there!
So many battles of lovers there
How many lovers have fallen within them!
شَوَّقَتْstirred longing in كُلَّevery عَانِcaptive
شَوَّقَتْ كُلَّ عَانِ
لِمَغَانِيfor the abodes التَّهَانِيfelicitations
لِمَغَانِي التَّهَانِي
They have stirred every captive's longing
It made every weak soul yearn
They have awakened yearning in every captive
for the abodes of joy
For songs of tenderness
For the abodes of joyous bliss,
وَحَبِيبٍand a beloved قَدْindeed جَلَّis exalted عَنْabove نُقْصَانِimperfection
وَحَبِيبٍ قَدْ جَلَّ عَنْ نُقْصَانِ
لَيْسَdoes not يَنْبِيtell عَنْabout حَالِهِhis state تَشْبِيهُcomparison
لَيْسَ يَنْبِي عَنْ حَالِهِ تَشْبِيهُ
and a beloved truly exalted above imperfection.
And a beloved transcending all faults
And for a beloved exalted above all imperfection.
No comparison conveys his state;
No metaphor can match his state
No comparison can convey his true state;
إنَّمَاonly يَرْتَقِيrises لَهُto him التَّنْزِيهُaffirming transcendence
إنَّمَا يَرْتَقِي لَهُ التَّنْزِيهُ
عَنْabove سِمَاتٍtraits مِنْof شَأْنِهِits nature التَّمْوِيهُdeception
عَنْ سِمَاتٍ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ التَّمْوِيهُ
only affirming his transcendence can reach him,
Only exaltation befits him
Only pure transcendence ascends to him,
above traits—for comparison is by nature deceptive—
His attributes conceal his nature
Far above attributes whose nature is but illusion,
مِنْfrom بَعِيدٍone far away وَدَانِand one near
مِنْ بَعِيدٍ وَدَانِ
مِنْamong حِسَانِthe beauties الزَّمَانِthe age
مِنْ حِسَانِ الزَّمَانِ
from those far and near,
From afar and from near
Be it from far or near,
among the beauties of this age
With the beauty of days
From the beauties of this age,
وَحِسَانٍand beauties فِيin غَابِرِbygone الأَزْمَانِthe ages
وَحِسَانٍ فِي غَابِرِ الأَزْمَانِ
فَإِلَيْهِso to him انْتَهَىculminated جَمَالُthe beauty الصُّورَهْform
فَإِلَيْهِ انْتَهَى جَمَالُ الصُّورَهْ
and beauties of ages long past.
And days gone by
Or the beauties of bygone eras.
In him, then, the beauty of form reached its height;
To him belongs the beauty of forms
For in him, the beauty of form culminates,
وَعَلَيْهِand upon him زَهْرُthe blossoms الْحُلَىadornments مَقْصُورَهْconfined
وَعَلَيْهِ زَهْرُ الْحُلَى مَقْصُورَهْ
وَبِأَسْرَارِand within the mysteries ذَاتِهِhis essence مَحْصُورَهْenclosed
وَبِأَسْرَارِ ذَاتِهِ مَحْصُورَهْ
and the blossoms of adornment are his alone,
And flowers of adornment reserved for him
To him alone the blossoms of adornment are restricted,
and are enclosed in the mysteries of his essence.
Secrets of his essence locked away
And within the secrets of his essence they are confined.
جَلَّhe is exalted عَنْbeyond مَاwhat نُعَانِيwe labor over
جَلَّ عَنْ مَا نُعَانِي
مِنْof بَدِيعِwondrous الْمَعَانِيmeanings
مِنْ بَدِيعِ الْمَعَانِي
He transcends all we labor to express:
Beyond what troubles us
He is exalted above all we labor to express
wondrous meanings
Of wonderful meanings
Of wondrous meanings,
بِغَرِيبِwith rare الأَلْفَاظِwords وَالأَوْزَانِand meters
بِغَرِيبِ الأَلْفَاظِ وَالأَوْزَانِ
in rare words and meters.
And strange words and rhythms
Through rare words and poetic meters.
Sol 6.1