أَلَمْhave ... not تَرَyou seen وَجْهَthe face الحُسْنِof beauty أَوْضَحَthe clearest وَاضِحِof the clear
أَلَمْ تَرَ وَجْهَ الحُسْنِ أَوْضَحَ وَاضِحِ
بَدَاappeared فَهْوَso it is لِلأَنْوارto the lights أَفْضَحُthe most shaming فَاضِحِof shamers
بَدَا فَهْوَ لِلأَنْوار أَفْضَحُ فَاضِحِ
Have you not seen beauty's face, the clearest of the clear?
Did you not see the face of beauty shine bright and clear?
It appeared, putting the lights utterly to shame.
It appeared, outshining the lights, most luminous and radiant.
وَلاَand no عَاتِقٌmaiden مِنْfrom دُونِهِbesides it غَيْرُother than ذَاتِهِits own essence
وَلاَ عَاتِقٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ غَيْرُ ذَاتِهِ
وَمَاand there is no دُونَهُbesides it مِنْany مَانِعٍwithholder غَيْرُother than مَانِحِgiver
وَمَا دُونَهُ مِنْ مَانِعٍ غَيْرُ مَانِحِ
And no maiden apart from it is other than its own essence,
None can match it save its own essence,
And no withholder besides it is other than a giver.
Nor veil it save its own bounty.
إِذَاif أَنْتَyou أَعْطَتَّكَgave you العُيونُthe eyes عُيوُنَهَاtheir own eyes
إِذَا أَنْتَ أَعْطَتَّكَ العُيونُ عُيوُنَهَا
سَبَتْكَtook you captive مَرِيْضَاتُailing العُيُونِthe eyes الصَّحَائِحِhealthy
سَبَتْكَ مَرِيْضَاتُ العُيُونِ الصَّحَائِحِ
If the eyes give you their own eyes,
When eyes gaze upon you, their eyes commit to you,
The languid yet healthy eyes will take you captive.
Making the glancing eyes of the waking sick.
وَإِنْand if أَنْتَyou أَفْنَتْكَannihilated you المَعَانيthe meanings وَكُنْتَهَاand you became them
وَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَفْنَتْكَ المَعَاني وَكُنْتَهَا
شَهِدْتَyou witnessed المَغَانِيthe dwellings آهِلاَتِinhabiting الجَوَانِحِthe ribs
شَهِدْتَ المَغَانِي آهِلاَتِ الجَوَانِحِ
And if meanings annihilate you, and you become them,
And if meanings themselves were to gaze upon you,
You will behold the dwellings inhabiting the breast.
Witnessing the passions, the souls of the enraptured would swoon.
فَشَاهِدْso behold كَثِيفَthe dense substance الكَوْنِof existence لاَnot مُتَنَقصاًbelittling
فَشَاهِدْ كَثِيفَ الكَوْنِ لاَ مُتَنَقصاً
تَجِدْyou will find وَجْهَa face حُسْنٍof beauty لِلكَمَالاَتِwith perfections لاَئِحِshining forth
تَجِدْ وَجْهَ حُسْنٍ لِلكَمَالاَتِ لاَئِحِ
So behold the world's dense substance without belittling it;
So witness the teeming universe, find no shortcoming,
You will find a face of beauty radiant with perfections.
And you will find a beautiful face manifesting perfections.
فَمَاso what of الدَّوْحُthe grove تَثْنيِهِbends it صَباًan east wind سَحَرَيَّةٌpredawn
فَمَا الدَّوْحُ تَثْنيِهِ صَباً سَحَرَيَّةٌ
بَكَتْwept بِالنَّدَاwith dew خَوْفَfor fear of الجَنُوبِthe south wind المُنَاوِحِwailing
بَكَتْ بِالنَّدَا خَوْفَ الجَنُوبِ المُنَاوِحِ
What of the grove, swayed by an east wind before dawn,
The bending branches of the willow tree wept at dawn
Which wept dew for fear of the wailing south wind,
Fearing the approaching south wind.
وَرَدَّدَand repeated فِيهَاwithin it لَحْنَهُits melody كُلُّevery مُعْرِبٍeloquent one
وَرَدَّدَ فِيهَا لَحْنَهُ كُلُّ مُعْرِبٍ
مِنَamong الوُرْقِthe gray doves مِنْfrom مَعْنىًa meaning مُغَنٍّsinging وَنَائِحِand mourning
مِنَ الوُرْقِ مِنْ مَعْنىً مُغَنٍّ وَنَائِحِ
And each eloquent one repeated its melody there,
And every eloquent voice echoed its melody there,
Among the gray doves, from a meaning that sings and mourns,
With meaning, chanting, and lamenting.
وَأَوْقَدَand kindled فِيهَاwithin it وَامِضَthe flash البَرْقِof lightning ضَوْؤُهُits light
وَأَوْقَدَ فِيهَا وَامِضَ البَرْقِ ضَوْؤُهُ
فَلاَقَىthen met الدُّجَىthe darkness مِنْfrom زَهْرِهِits blossoms بِالمَصَابِحِwith lamps
فَلاَقَى الدُّجَى مِنْ زَهْرِهِ بِالمَصَابِحِ
And its light kindled lightning's flash within it,
And the fading lightning lit up its blossoms in the gloom
Then met the darkness with lamps of its blossoms?
As the clouds were set aglow by the lanterns.
فَيَاso, oh حُسْنَthe beauty وَجْهٍof a face مِنْfrom كَنِيفَاتِprivies مَركَزٍof a center
فَيَا حُسْنَ وَجْهٍ مِنْ كَنِيفَاتِ مَركَزٍ
هَجَاهَاreviled them غَمٍgrief لَكِنْbut بِعَيْنِwith the very essence المدَائحِof praises
هَجَاهَا غَمٍ لَكِنْ بِعَيْنِ المدَائحِ
Oh, the beauty of a face from a center's privies—
O exquisite beauty centralized in abundant forms!
Grief reviled them, yet with the very substance of praise.
Sorrow advanced, yet through eyes of praise.
تَطَوَّرَtook changing forms فيin أَشْكَالِهَاits shapes ذَلِكَthat one الذَّيwho
تَطَوَّرَ في أَشْكَالِهَا ذَلِكَ الذَّي
لَهُfor whom القَيْدُrestriction وَالإِطْلاقُand unboundedness رُتْبَةُthe station لاَمِحِof a beholder
لَهُ القَيْدُ وَالإِطْلاقُ رُتْبَةُ لاَمِحِ
That one assumed changing forms within its shapes—
He who has mastery and release took shape through them,
For whom restriction and unboundedness are a beholder's station.
Of an incomparable and sublime rank.
فَإِنْso if غَلِطَتْerred عَيْنُthe eye الجَهُولِof the ignorant one فَشَاهَدَتْthen it beheld
فَإِنْ غَلِطَتْ عَيْنُ الجَهُولِ فَشَاهَدَتْ
خِلاَفاًdiscord فَفيthen within عَيْنِthe very essence الوِفَاقِof concord المُنَاصِحِsincere
خِلاَفاً فَفي عَيْنِ الوِفَاقِ المُنَاصِحِ
And if the ignorant one's eye errs and then beholds
If the eye of the ignorant sees the contrary
Discord, it lies in the very heart of sincere concord.
The eye of harmony and good counsel sees the truth.
ومَاand not غَلِطَتْerred عَيْنُthe eye الجَهُولِof the ignorant one وَإِنَّهاand indeed it
ومَا غَلِطَتْ عَيْنُ الجَهُولِ وَإِنَّها
لَصَادِقَةٌis surely truthful فِيin كُلِّevery كِذْبٍfalsehood فَسَامِحِso be forgiving
لَصَادِقَةٌ فِي كُلِّ كِذْبٍ فَسَامِحِ
Yet the ignorant one's eye has not erred; indeed it
The eye of the ignorant sees no untruth,
Is surely truthful in every falsehood—so be forgiving.
It is honest in every falsehood, so forgive it!
فَإِنَّfor indeed الوُجودَexistence المَحْضَpure لَمْdid not يَأْتِbring بِدْعةًan innovation
فَإِنَّ الوُجودَ المَحْضَ لَمْ يَأْتِ بِدْعةً
وَمَاand not غَيْرُهُanything other than it يَأْتِيbrings بِبَدْعٍanything new وَصَالحِand something good
وَمَا غَيْرُهُ يَأْتِي بِبَدْعٍ وَصَالحِ
For pure existence has brought forth no novelty,
For pure being came not innovating,
Nor does anything besides it bring forth novelty or goodness.
While all else innovates, yet proper and good.
هُوَit البَحْرُthe sea لاَno سَطْحٌsurface ولاَand no سَاحِلٌshore لَهُbelonging to it
هُوَ البَحْرُ لاَ سَطْحٌ ولاَ سَاحِلٌ لَهُ
فَمِنْso among them طَائِرٍa flier فِيهِwithin it ومَاشٍand a walker وسَابحِand a swimmer
فَمِنْ طَائِرٍ فِيهِ ومَاشٍ وسَابحِ
It is the sea: it has neither surface nor shore.
It is the ocean - no surface nor coast to it -
Some fly within it, some walk, and some swim.
Soaring above it, walking upon it, and swimming in it.
شَجَتْcleft مَاءَهُits water واسْتَوْقَفَتْand held back مِنْهُfrom it فُلْكَهُits ships
شَجَتْ مَاءَهُ واسْتَوْقَفَتْ مِنْهُ فُلْكَهُ
سَرَائِرُsecrets يُبْدِيreveals صَوْنَهَاtheir concealment كُلُّevery بَائِحِdivulger
سَرَائِرُ يُبْدِي صَوْنَهَا كُلُّ بَائِحِ
Its waters were cleft, its ships held back from it,
Its waters stirred and its ships were anchored,
By secrets whose concealment every divulger reveals.
As every weeping soul reveals its hidden pain.
عَذارىَvirgins أَبُوهَاtheir father كَانَwas مَفْعُولَacted upon by أُمِّهَاtheir mother
عَذارىَ أَبُوهَا كَانَ مَفْعُولَ أُمِّهَا
لِذَاtherefore لَمْdid not يَجيِcome فِيهَاconcerning them القَيِاسُanalogy بِوَاضِحِwith anything clear
لِذَا لَمْ يَجيِ فِيهَا القَيِاسُ بِوَاضِحِ
Virgins whose father was acted upon by their mother—
Virgins whose father was their mother’s doing -
Thus analogy has yielded nothing clear concerning them.
Reason cannot fathom this clear enough.
أَياO طَارِحاُone casting تِلْكَthose الحَبَائِلَsnares صَائِداًas a hunter
أَيا طَارِحاُ تِلْكَ الحَبَائِلَ صَائِداً
هِيَthey الصَّيْدُthe quarry فَاطْرَحْso cast away طَرْحُهَاcasting them away غَيْرُnot طَارِحِone who casts away
هِيَ الصَّيْدُ فَاطْرَحْ طَرْحُهَا غَيْرُ طَارِحِ
O you who cast those snares as a hunter,
O you who cast those ropes hunting game!
They are the quarry: cast them off; casting them off is no casting.
The game itself does the casting, none other.
وَلاَand do not تَشْكُcomplain هَجْراًof estrangement مِنْfrom حَبِيبٍa beloved مُوَاصِلٍmaintaining union
وَلاَ تَشْكُ هَجْراً مِنْ حَبِيبٍ مُوَاصِلٍ
تَنَكَّرَhe became a stranger إِذْwhen سَمَّيْتَهُyou named him باسْمِby the name كَاشِحِof an enemy
تَنَكَّرَ إِذْ سَمَّيْتَهُ باسْمِ كَاشِحِ
And do not complain of estrangement from a beloved who maintains union;
Do not doubt the love of an affectionate beloved
He became a stranger when you called him by an enemy's name.
If you named him “one who withdraws” in anger.
وَإِنْand if كُنْتَyou are مَزْكُوماًafflicted with a cold فَلَيْسَthen it is not بِلاَئقٍfitting
وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مَزْكُوماً فَلَيْسَ بِلاَئقٍ
مَقَالُكَyour saying إِنَّthat المِسْكَmusk لَيْسَis not بِفَائِحَgiving off fragrance
مَقَالُكَ إِنَّ المِسْكَ لَيْسَ بِفَائِحَ
And if you have a cold, it is not fitting
And if you are considered of little worth, it is not fitting
For you to say that musk gives off no fragrance.
To say: “Musk itself has no scent.”
Sol 6.1