ياO مصلَّىprayer-place أيمهimams
يا مصلَّى أيمه
منamong بنىthe children of آدمAdam طَهُرpure
من بنى آدم طَهُر
O prayer-place of imams,
O worshipper of the faithful
pure among the children of Adam.
Of the children of Adam, purity
سبَّحoffered praise الرملthe sand والحصىand the pebbles
سبَّح الرمل والحصى
فيin نواحيهits reaches والحجرand the stones
في نواحيه والحجر
The sand and pebbles offered praise
The sand and pebbles glorified
in its reaches, as did the stones.
In his surroundings and the stone
وعلىand upon ظهرthe back of جوّهits sky
وعلى ظهر جوّه
صلَّتprayed الشمسthe sun والقمرand the moon
صلَّت الشمس والقمر
And upon the back of its sky,
And on the back of its air
the sun and moon prayed.
The sun and the moon prayed
جمعاthe two joined عزلةsolitude المدارthe orbit
جمعا عزلة المدار
إلىto عزلةsolitude المدرthe clay clods
إلى عزلة المدر
They joined the orbit's solitude
Together the isolation of orbit
to the solitude of the clay.
To the isolation of the monastery
سبّحاthe two offered praise ثمthen سبّحاthe two offered praise
سبّحا ثم سبّحا
بالعشاياin the evenings وبالبكرand in the early mornings
بالعشايا وبالبكر
They offered praise, then offered praise,
They glorified and then glorified
in the evenings and early mornings.
In the evenings and at dawn
وخِضماand a vast sea منof الرمالthe sands
وخِضما من الرمال
أواذيُّهits billows الصخرthe rock
أواذيُّه الصخر
And a vast sea of sand,
And the bustle of the sands
whose billows are rock.
Its rocky places of prayer
ماnot لهit has ساحلa shore ولاnor
ما له ساحل ولا
منfrom فُجاءاتهits sudden perils وزرa refuge
من فُجاءاته وزر
It has no shore, nor
It has no coast and no
any refuge from its sudden perils.
Of its gaps and burden
فيهin it منof كلevery حاصبstone-laden gale
فيه من كل حاصب
جَلَّلshrouded الجوthe sky وانهمرand poured down
جَلَّل الجو وانهمر
Within it, stone-laden gales of every kind
In it from every lookout
shrouded the sky and poured down,
Adorned the air and rained
هبblew منfrom كلevery جانبside
هب من كل جانب
كالَّدَبىlike young locusts اشتدgrew fierce وانتشرand spread
كالَّدَبى اشتد وانتشر
blew from every side,
Blowing from every side
like young locusts, grew fierce and spread.
Like heavy rainfall intensified and spread
ربmany أكفانshrouds مصحرa desert traveller
رب أكفان مصحر
منهfrom it هيئنwere readied أوor حفرburial pits
منه هيئن أو حفر
Many a desert traveller's shroud
Lord of the shrouds of the desert
was readied from it—or a grave.
Made of it forms or dug
وفضاءand an expanse كأنهas though it were
وفضاء كأنه
حلمa dream رائعwondrous الصورthe images
حلم رائع الصور
And an expanse as though it were
And space as if it were
a dream of wondrous images.
A beautiful figment of imagination
العشاياthe evenings سواحرenchantresses
العشايا سواحر
فيin حواشيهits fringes والبكرand the early mornings
في حواشيه والبكر
The evenings are enchantresses
The evenings are sorceresses
along its fringes, as are the early mornings.
In its margins and dawn
كلevery سارnight-traveller وسامرand one conversing at night
كل سار وسامر
**********
**********
Every night-traveller and companion in night-time talk
Every walker and night conversationist
**********
**********
ياO فضاءexpanse بسحرهwith its magic
يا فضاء بسحره
دَلَّهenraptured الركبthe caravan بالسحرbefore dawn
دَلَّه الركب بالسحر
O expanse, whose magic
O space with its magic
enraptured the caravan before dawn.
Its path led travelers with magic
فتنتهمbeguiled them وجوههits faces
فتنتهم وجوهه
واستخفتهموand carried them away الصورthe images
واستخفتهمو الصور
Its faces beguiled them,
Charmed them its faces
and the images carried them away.
And made light of them the images
وشجاهمand saddened them سكونهits stillness
وشجاهم سكونه
بالعشاياin the evenings وبالبُكرand in the early mornings
بالعشايا وبالبُكر
And its stillness saddened them
And stimulated them its tranquility
in the evenings and early mornings.
In the evenings and at dawn
لاdo not تلمهمblame them فانماfor only
لا تلمهم فانما
قائدguide of الأنفسthe souls الفِطرinnate dispositions
قائد الأنفس الفِطر
Do not blame them, for only
Do not blame them, for only
innate dispositions guide souls.
The leader of instinctive souls
كلevery نفسsoul لهاit has هوىa passion
كل نفس لها هوى
كلevery نفسsoul لهاit has وطرa desire
كل نفس لها وطر
Every soul has its passion;
Every soul has a passion
every soul has its desire.
Every soul has a way
كمhow many جمالa beauty ومنظرand a vista
كم جمال ومنظر
فرَّقاthe two divided لذةpleasure النظرgazing
فرَّقا لذة النظر
How many a beauty and vista
How much beauty and scenery
have divided the pleasure of gazing!
Shared the pleasure of looking
كلevery حسنbeauty ومنظرand a vista
كل حسن ومنظر
فيهماin both of them للهوىfor passion نظرa view
فيهما للهوى نظر
Every beauty and vista—
Every beauty and view
in both, passion has its own view.
In both for passion a view
Sol 6.1