سَرى الجَوهرُ العُلويُّ للعالمِ العُلوِي

سَرى الجَوهرُ العُلويُّ للعالمِ العُلوِي

وَأُسكِنَ بَطنَ الأَرض مَستودَعَ السّلوِ

وَأُسكِنَ بَطنَ الأَرض مَستودَعَ السّلوِ

The heavenly jewel journeyed by night to the heavenly realm,

The essence of the Supreme flowed into the Supreme world,

and was lodged in the earth's belly, the repository of oblivion.

And the innermost part of the earth was made a repository of tranquility.

وَعُطِّلَ بَيتُ العِلمِ وَالدينِ وَالحِجا

وَعُطِّلَ بَيتُ العِلمِ وَالدينِ وَالحِجا

مِن الذكرِ وَالقُرآنِ وَالفقهِ وَالنَحوِ

مِن الذكرِ وَالقُرآنِ وَالفقهِ وَالنَحوِ

And the house of learning, religion, and reason was left bereft

The house of knowledge, religion, pilgrimage was suspended -

of remembrance, the Qur'an, jurisprudence, and grammar.

Of mention, Quran, jurisprudence and grammar.

وَقَد كانَ مَعموراً بِسُنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ

وَقَد كانَ مَعموراً بِسُنَّةِ أَحمَدٍ

فَها هُوَ ذا مِن بَعدِ أُنسٍ بِها مُقوي

فَها هُوَ ذا مِن بَعدِ أُنسٍ بِها مُقوي

It had once been filled with Ahmad's tradition;

It had been inhabited by the Sunnah of Ahmed,

now, after the comfort of her company, behold it desolate.

Yet here it is, after intimacy with it, strengthened.

وَكانَت نُضارٌ فيهِ شَمساً منيرةً

وَكانَت نُضارٌ فيهِ شَمساً منيرةً

فَعوجِلَ ذاكَ النُورُ بِالكَسفِ وَالمَحوِ

فَعوجِلَ ذاكَ النُورُ بِالكَسفِ وَالمَحوِ

And Nudar was a radiant sun within it,

There was vitality in it, an illuminating sun,

but that light was suddenly eclipsed and erased.

But that light was eclipsed and erased.

فَتاةٌ كَأنَّ الحسنَ خُيِّرَ أينَ مَن

فَتاةٌ كَأنَّ الحسنَ خُيِّرَ أينَ مَن

يَحِلُّ بِها فاختارَها طالبُ البَأوِ

يَحِلُّ بِها فاختارَها طالبُ البَأوِ

A maiden, as though beauty were given its choice of whom

A young woman, as if beauty itself had been given the choice

to dwell in, and chose her in its quest for glory.

Of where to reside, so it chose her, seeker of wonders!

جَرى الناس شَأواً للمعالي وَقَصَّروا

جَرى الناس شَأواً للمعالي وَقَصَّروا

وَجاءَت نُضارٌ فيهِ سابِقَة الشَأوِ

وَجاءَت نُضارٌ فيهِ سابِقَة الشَأوِ

People raced toward eminence, but fell short,

People strove for greatness and fell short,

while Nudar came foremost in that race.

Yet vitality came to her, surpassing others in stature.

وَما لنضارٍ في البَناتِ نَظيرةٌ

وَما لنضارٍ في البَناتِ نَظيرةٌ

لَفاقَت بَناتَ الناسِ في الحَضرِ وَالبَدوِ

لَفاقَت بَناتَ الناسِ في الحَضرِ وَالبَدوِ

Nudar has no equal among maidens;

No daughter among daughters is a peer to Nudhar -

she surpassed the daughters of town and desert alike.

She surpassed the daughters of people, both urban and nomad.

سَلامٌ عَلى ذاكَ الشَبابِ الَّذي لَها

سَلامٌ عَلى ذاكَ الشَبابِ الَّذي لَها

تَرَدّى رِداءَ العلمِ وَالدينِ وَالسّروِ

تَرَدّى رِداءَ العلمِ وَالدينِ وَالسّروِ

Peace upon that youth of hers,

Greetings to that youth to whom, for her sake,

clad in the robe of learning, religion, and nobility.

The gowns of knowledge, religion and hiddenness bowed down.

سَلامٌ عَلى فَخرِ البَناتِ الَّتي غَدَت

سَلامٌ عَلى فَخرِ البَناتِ الَّتي غَدَت

لداتٌ لَها تزهى بِها أَيَّما زَهوِ

لداتٌ لَها تزهى بِها أَيَّما زَهوِ

Peace upon the pride of maidens, whose

Greetings to the pride of daughters, who became

peers came to glory in her with boundless pride.

A mother to whom she brings pride, whatever her pride!

يُعَظِّمنَها إِمّا حَلَلنَ بِمُنتَدىً

يُعَظِّمنَها إِمّا حَلَلنَ بِمُنتَدىً

فَيجلِسنَ سُفلاً وَهيَ تَجلِس في البَهوِ

فَيجلِسنَ سُفلاً وَهيَ تَجلِس في البَهوِ

They revered her whenever they gathered in an assembly,

They revere her, whether they gather in an assembly,

sitting lower down while she sat in the spacious hall.

So they sit below while she sits on high.

يُقَبِّلنَ مِنها الردنَ عِظماً لِشأنِها

يُقَبِّلنَ مِنها الردنَ عِظماً لِشأنِها

فَتُلقي لَهُنَّ الدُرَّ مِن مَنطِقٍ حُلوِ

فَتُلقي لَهُنَّ الدُرَّ مِن مَنطِقٍ حُلوِ

They kissed her sleeve in reverence for her standing,

They kiss the edge of her gown out of reverence for her,

and she offered them pearls of sweet speech.

And she casts pearls to them from her sweet talk.

أَبَعدَ نُضارٍ أَبتَغي صَفوَ عِيشَةٍ

أَبَعدَ نُضارٍ أَبتَغي صَفوَ عِيشَةٍ

وَقَد كُدِّرَت يا بُعدَ عَيشي مِن الصَفوِ

وَقَد كُدِّرَت يا بُعدَ عَيشي مِن الصَفوِ

After Nudar, should I seek an unclouded life,

Is there, after Nudhar, a way I can seek a life of tranquility

when it has been clouded? How far my life is from serenity!

When, oh remoteness, my life is so disturbed from tranquility?

لَقَد أَشرَبَت قَلبي وَطَرفي وَمَسمَعي

لَقَد أَشرَبَت قَلبي وَطَرفي وَمَسمَعي

وَما ليَ مِن فكرٍ وَما ليَ مِن عُضوِ

وَما ليَ مِن فكرٍ وَما ليَ مِن عُضوِ

Indeed, she has suffused my heart, my eye, my hearing,

She has intoxicated my heart, my eyes and my hearing -

and every thought I have, and every limb.

I have no thought, no limb of my own!

وَإِنّي مَعمورُ الزَمانِ بِشَخصِها

وَإِنّي مَعمورُ الزَمانِ بِشَخصِها

يمثل لي في الأَمسِ وَاليَومِ وَالغدوِ

يمثل لي في الأَمسِ وَاليَومِ وَالغدوِ

And all my days are filled with her form,

And I, in every era, am inhabited by her being -

appearing before me yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

She represents to me the past, present and what is to come.

وَعاهدتُ أَنّي لا أَزالُ إِزاءَها

وَعاهدتُ أَنّي لا أَزالُ إِزاءَها

مُقيماً كَئيباً دائمَ الشَوقِ وَالشَجوِ

مُقيماً كَئيباً دائمَ الشَوقِ وَالشَجوِ

And I have vowed that I shall always remain before her,

And I have vowed that I will remain, because of her,

abiding, grief-stricken, in ceaseless longing and sorrow,

Ever-present, pining, always yearning and lamenting,

إِلى أَن تُوافيني شَعوبُ فَنَرتَقي

إِلى أَن تُوافيني شَعوبُ فَنَرتَقي

مِن الوَهدَةِ السُفلى إِلى العالمِ العُلوي

مِن الوَهدَةِ السُفلى إِلى العالمِ العُلوي

until Death comes to me, and we ascend

Until the final hours come upon me and we ascend

from the lower hollow to the heavenly realm.

From this lowly abode to the Exalted Realm.

لَئِن كانَ غَيري قَد سَها عَن حَبيبِهِ

لَئِن كانَ غَيري قَد سَها عَن حَبيبِهِ

فَما أَنا يَوماً عَن نُضارَ بذي سَهوِ

فَما أَنا يَوماً عَن نُضارَ بذي سَهوِ

Even if another has forgotten his beloved,

If others have erred in their love,

not for a day do I forget Nudar.

Never will I err, not for a moment, in my love for Nudhar!

وَإِن كانَ سَكرانٌ مِن الحُبِّ قَد صَحا

وَإِن كانَ سَكرانٌ مِن الحُبِّ قَد صَحا

فَإِنّي سَكرانٌ وَما لي مِن صَحوِ

فَإِنّي سَكرانٌ وَما لي مِن صَحوِ

And if one drunk on love has sobered,

And if one drunk on love has become sober,

then I am drunk, with no sobriety for me.

Then I am ever drunk, beyond all sobering!

سَقى رَوضَةً حَلَّت نُضارُ قَرارَها

سَقى رَوضَةً حَلَّت نُضارُ قَرارَها

مُغِبّ مِن الغُرِّ الغَوادِي بِلا صَحوِ

مُغِبّ مِن الغُرِّ الغَوادِي بِلا صَحوِ

May the garden in whose depths Nudar rests be watered

She watered a garden where Nudhar took up abode -

by recurring rain from bright morning clouds, without a clear spell.

Intoxicated by love's headiness, with no sobering.

وَلا زالَ رَيحانٌ يُظِلُّ ضَريحَها

وَلا زالَ رَيحانٌ يُظِلُّ ضَريحَها

فَما رَوضَةٌ تَحوي كمثلِ الَّذي تَحوِي

فَما رَوضَةٌ تَحوي كمثلِ الَّذي تَحوِي

And may sweet basil ever shade her tomb,

And basil still shades her tomb -

for no garden holds the like of what this one holds.

What garden can contain what it contains?