بحياةby the life of ماwhat ضمّتembraced عرىthe loops of الأزرارthe buttons
بحياة ما ضمّت عرى الأزرار
بذمامby the sanctity of ماwhat فيin الحبlove منof أسرارsecrets
بذمام ما في الحب من أسرار
By the life of what the button-loops embrace,
With a life that held the strands of buttons,
By the life of that which the buttonholes embrace,
by the sanctity of the secrets within love,
With a chord that contains the secrets of love,
And by the sanctity of the secrets held within love,
بالحجرby the Hijr (sacred enclosure) بالحجرby the Stone المكرمhonored بالصفاby Safa
بالحجر بالحجر المكرم بالصفا
بالبيتby the House بالأركانby the corners بالأستارby the curtains
بالبيت بالأركان بالأستار
by the Hijr, by the honored Stone, by Safa,
With the venerable Black Stone, with Safa,
By the Hatim, by the Stone honored at al-Safa,
by the House, by the corners, by the curtains—
With the House, the corners, the curtains,
By the Holy House, by its Pillars, and by its draped Veils,
باللّهby God إلاI implore you ماemphatic particle قضيتyou fulfill لبانةa heartfelt wish
باللّه إلا ما قضيت لبانة
تقضيyou satisfy بهاthrough it وطراa desire منamong الأوطارthe desires
تقضي بها وطرا من الأوطار
by God, I implore you, fulfill a heartfelt wish,
By Allah, I have fulfilled a radiant covenant,
By God, I ask only that you fulfill a specific wish,
through which you satisfy one desire among desires,
Fulfilled with wavering from the peg.
Through which one of my deep longings may be satisfied:
ويكفand it lessens منsome of أشجانthe sorrows of صبa lovesick lover يشتكيwho laments
ويكف من أشجان صب يشتكي
جورthe cruelty of الزمانtime وقلةand the scarcity of الأنصارhelpers
جور الزمان وقلة الأنصار
and which eases the sorrows of a lover who laments
And enough of the agonized passion of youth complaining
That it may halt the sorrows of a lovelorn soul complaining
time's cruelty and the scarcity of helpers.
Of the tyranny of time and few helpers.
Of Time's injustice and the scarcity of supporters.
بلّغconvey لأندلسto al-Andalus السلامgreetings وصفand describe لهاto her
بلّغ لأندلس السلام وصف لها
ماwhat فيwithin me منof شوقlonging وبعدand the remoteness of مزارthe place to be visited
ما في من شوق وبعد مزار
Convey greetings to al-Andalus, and tell her
Convey greetings of peace to Andalusia, describe to it
Convey my greetings to al-Andalus, and describe to her
of the longing within me and the distance that separates us.
What longing and remoteness of visitation is in me.
The longing within me and the vast distance of my exile.
وإذاand if مررتyou pass برندةthrough Ronda ذاتpossessing المنىthe pleasure gardens
وإذا مررت برندة ذات المنى
والتاجand al-Taj والديموسand al-Daymus واللؤزارand al-Lu'zar
والتاج والديموس واللؤزار
And if you pass through Ronda, with its pleasure gardens,
And if you pass by glorious Grenada,
And if you pass by Ronda, the possessor of all desires,
and al-Taj, al-Daymus, and al-Lu'zar,
With its crown, citadel, and bracelets,
By the Taj, the Daymus, and the Lawzar,
سلمgreet علىupon تلكthose الديارlands وأهلهاand their people
سلم على تلك الديار وأهلها
فالقومfor the people قومىmy people والديارand the lands دياريmy lands
فالقوم قومى والديار دياري
greet those lands and their people,
Greet that abode and its people,
Send peace upon those dwellings and their people,
for the people are my people, and the lands my lands.
For that tribe is my tribe, that abode my abode,
For the folk are my kin, and the dwellings are my home.
حيثwhere استوتtook shape تلكthat المدينةcity معصماa wrist
حيث استوت تلك المدينة معصما
ولوىand curved عليهاaround it النهرthe river نصفhalf of سوارa bracelet
ولوى عليها النهر نصف سوار
Where that city took the shape of a wrist,
Where that city became a stronghold,
Where that city settles like a wrist,
and the river curved around it, half a bracelet.
And the river coiled around it like a bracelet,
And the river winds around it like a half-bracelet,
وامتدand stretched فيacross تلكthose البطاحplains أمامهاbefore it
وامتد في تلك البطاح أمامها
ماas much as شئتyou wished منof ظلshade وماءand water جارflowing
ما شئت من ظل وماء جار
And across those plains before it stretched
With whatever shade and running water extending before it
And stretching out across those plains before it,
as much shade and running water as you could wish.
In those plains, as far as you wish.
Is all the shade and flowing water you could desire.
وتنسمتand breathed in ريحthe breeze of المنىhope تلكthose المنىpleasure gardens
وتنسمت ريح المنى تلك المنى
فتبسمتso they smiled فيinto أوجهthe faces of النظارthe onlookers
فتبسمت في أوجه النظار
And those gardens breathed the breeze of hope,
The zephyr of wishes blew there, those wishes,
And the breeze of desire breathed through those aspirations,
then smiled into the faces of onlookers.
So it smiled in the faces of onlookers.
Smiling into the faces of the beholders.
والروضand the garden قدindeed سامىrivaled السماءthe sky لحسنهfor its beauty
والروض قد سامى السماء لحسنه
لماwhen ازدهىgrew resplendent بالنهرwith the river والأزهارand the flowers
لما ازدهى بالنهر والأزهار
And the garden rivaled the sky in its beauty
The garden ascended the sky in its beauty,
And the garden rivaled the heavens in its beauty,
when it grew resplendent with the river and flowers.
When it flourished with the river and flowers.
When it proudly adorned itself with the river and the flowers,
فكأنso, as though ذاكthat النهرriver فيهwithin it مجرةthe Milky Way
فكأن ذاك النهر فيه مجرة
وكأنand as though ذاكthat الزهرblossom فيهwithin it دراريbrilliant stars
وكأن ذاك الزهر فيه دراري
So that river within it seemed the Milky Way,
So it was as if that river contained a galaxy,
As if that river within it were the Milky Way,
and those flowers within it seemed brilliant stars.
And as if those flowers contained pearls.
And as if those flowers within it were shining stars.
وبسيحةand at Siha العلياthe Upper لناfor us متنزهa pleasure ground
وبسيحة العليا لنا متنزه
فيهin it منof الأسماعthe ears والأبصارand the eyes
فيه من الأسماع والأبصار
And at Siha al-Ulya we have a pleasure ground,
And lofty Bāshaykha is a promenade for us
And in the Upper Sayha we had a place of leisure,
with delights for the ears and eyes,
With views and sights.
Filled with delights for both hearing and sight,
حيثwhere انتهتreached perfection فيin الحسنbeauty كلevery حديقةgarden
حيث انتهت في الحسن كل حديقة
وجرىand flowed النسيمthe breeze وفاحand gave off fragrance كلevery عرارarar (an aromatic flowering plant)
وجرى النسيم وفاح كل عرار
where every garden reached the height of beauty,
Where every garden ended in beauty,
Where every garden reached the perfection of beauty,
and the breeze drifted, and every arar plant gave off fragrance.
The breeze blew, and the thickets diffused scent,
And the breeze flowed, and every wild herb wafted its fragrance.
والغصنand the bough فيin حركاتهits movements متحيرbewildered
والغصن في حركاته متحير
بينbetween الغناءsinging وغنةand the trilling of الأطيارthe birds
بين الغناء وغنة الأطيار
And the bough, in its swaying, was bewildered
And the branch was perplexed in its motions
And the branch seemed bewildered in its movements,
between singing and the birds' trilling.
Between singing and the trilling of birds.
Caught between the singing of men and the chanting of birds.
ويكادand almost قلبthe heart of الصبthe lovesick lover يفنىperishes رقّةfrom tenderness
ويكاد قلب الصب يفنى رقّة
بينbetween النشيدsong ونغمةand the melody of الأوتارthe strings
بين النشيد ونغمة الأوتار
And the lover's heart all but dissolves in tenderness
The heart of the youth is nearly spent in gentleness
And the heart of the lovelorn lover almost perishes from tenderness,
between song and the melody of the strings.
Between melody and the tune of strings.
Between the recited verses and the melody of strings.
للّهfor God (in admiration) كمhow many بتناwe spent the night بهاin it منof ليلةa night
للّه كم بتنا بها من ليلة
وكأنهاand as though it were سحرٌa predawn hour منamong الأسحارthe predawn hours
وكأنها سحرٌ من الأسحار
God, how many nights we spent there,
By Allah, how many nights did we spend in it,
By God, how many a night we passed there,
as though each were one of the hours before dawn!
Nights that were like the magic of magicians!
As if it were a magic cast by the early dawns.
ولكمand how often قطعناwe passed الدهرtime فيin ظلthe shade of الصباyouth
ولكم قطعنا الدهر في ظل الصبا
ماwhat بينbetween اعذارexcuses وخلعand casting off عذارa bridle
ما بين اعذار وخلع عذار
And how often we passed our time beneath youth's shade,
And for how long did we spend our time in the shade of youth,
And how often we traversed time in the shadow of youth,
between excuses and casting off the bridle.
Between coquetry, removing veils, and donning them!
Wavering between restraint and casting off the bridle of inhibition.
عيشa life تلاعبتtoyed الخطوبcalamities بعهدهwith its days
عيش تلاعبت الخطوب بعهده
حتىuntil غداit became خبراa story منamong الأخبارthe stories
حتى غدا خبرا من الأخبار
A life whose days calamities toyed with,
A life whose covenant vicissitudes toyed with
A life whose covenant was toyed with by misfortunes,
until it became a story among stories.
Until it became a tale of the tales.
Until it became nothing but a story among stories.
ومعاهدand familiar haunts كانتwere عليto me كريمةdear
ومعاهد كانت علي كريمة
لمnot يبقremain ليfor me منهاof them سوىexcept التذكارremembrance
لم يبق لي منها سوى التذكار
And haunts that once were dear to me—
I had a covenant noble and generous,
And familiar haunts that were once so generous to me,
nothing remains to me of them but remembrance.
Of which there remains to me only remembrance.
Of which nothing remains for me now but the memory.
واحسرتاoh, my sorrow! منat ذكرrecalling أيامthe days of الصباyouth
واحسرتا من ذكر أيام الصبا
هاbehold قدalready بداappeared شيبيmy gray hair فأينso where is وقاريmy dignity
ها قد بدا شيبي فأين وقاري
Alas, to recall the days of youth!
Woe to me from the memory of the days of youth!
Oh, the sorrow of remembering the days of youth!
Behold, my gray hair has appeared—where is my dignity?
Behold, my hair has turned white, where then is my dignity?
My gray hair has appeared, yet where is my dignity?
ياO ربLord خذtake بيديby my hand منaway from الذنبthe sin الذيwhich
يا رب خذ بيدي من الذنب الذي
أناI حائرbewildered فيin بحرهits sea الزخارsurging
أنا حائر في بحره الزخار
O Lord, take me by the hand out of the sin
O Lord, take me by the hand from sins
O Lord, save me from the sin in which
in whose surging sea I am bewildered.
In which I am bewildered, in a tumultuous sea.
I am lost, adrift in its swelling sea.
لاdo not تأخذpunish الجانيthe sinner بماaccording to what هوhe اهلهdeserving of it
لا تأخذ الجاني بما هو اهله
واغفرand forgive بجاهby the standing of المصطفىal-Mustafa (the Chosen One) المختارthe Elect
واغفر بجاه المصطفى المختار
Do not punish the sinner as he deserves,
Do not seize the sinner for what he deserves,
Do not treat the sinner as he deserves,
and forgive me for the sake of al-Mustafa, the Elect.
And pardon me through the status of the Chosen One.
But forgive him for the sake of the Chosen One, the Elect.
Sol 6.1