قلsay لإخوانto brothers رأونيthey saw me ميتاًdead
قل لإخوان رأوني ميتاً
فبكونيso they wept for me ورثواand they lamented ليfor me حزناin sorrow
فبكوني ورثوا لي حزنا
Say to the brothers who saw me dead,
Tell my brothers who saw me dead,
Then wept for me and mourned me in sorrow:
Weep for me and mourn me with sorrow,
أتظنونdo you think بأنيthat I am ميتكمyour dead one
أتظنون بأني ميتكم
ليسis not ذاكthat الميتthe dead one واللَهby God أناI
ليس ذاك الميت واللَه أنا
Do you think that I am your dead one?
Do you think that I am your dead one?
That dead one, by God, is not I.
By God, that is not the dead one, it is I.
أناI فيin الصورthe Trumpet وهذاand this جسديmy body
أنا في الصور وهذا جسدي
كانwas بيتيmy home وقميصand a shirt زمناfor a time
كان بيتي وقميص زمنا
I am in the Trumpet, and this is my body.
I am in the image, and this is my body,
It was my home and a shirt for a time.
It was my house and shirt for a while.
أناI كنزa treasure وحجابيand my veil طلسمa talisman
أنا كنز وحجابي طلسم
منof ترابdust كانthere was لهfor it فيهwithin it عناhardship
من تراب كان له فيه عنا
I am a treasure, and my veil is a talisman,
I am a treasure, and my veil is a talisman,
Of dust, in which there was hardship for it.
Made of dust that found comfort in it.
أنادرI am a pearl (joined words) قدalready حواهcontained it صدفa shell
أنادر قد حواه صدف
كنتI was ممحوناًafflicted فعفتso I loathed المحناthe afflictions
كنت ممحوناً فعفت المحنا
I am a pearl that a shell once held.
I am a pearl that an oyster contained,
I was afflicted, so I came to loathe afflictions.
I was erased but the ordeal purified me.
أناI عصفورa sparrow وهذاand this قفصيmy cage
أنا عصفور وهذا قفصي
طرتI flew منهfrom it وبقيand it remained مرتهناheld in pledge
طرت منه وبقي مرتهنا
I am a sparrow, and this is my cage.
I am a bird, and this is my cage,
I flew out of it, and it remained held in pledge.
I flew from it while it remained pawned.
أحمدI praise اللضهGod (apparent typo) الذيwho خلصنيfreed me
أحمد اللضه الذي خلصني
وبنىand He built ليfor me فيin المعاليthe heights سكناa dwelling
وبنى لي في المعالي سكنا
I praise God, who freed me,
Praise be to God who freed me,
And built me a dwelling in the heights.
And built for me a dwelling in the heights.
كنتI was قبلbefore اليومtoday ميتاًdead بينكمamong you
كنت قبل اليوم ميتاً بينكم
فحييتso I came alive وخلعتand I took off الكفناthe shroud
فحييت وخلعت الكفنا
I was dead among you before today,
Yesterday I was dead among you,
Then I came alive and took off the shroud.
Today I am revived and cast off my shroud.
وأناand I اليومtoday أناجيI commune with ملأًan assembly
وأنا اليوم أناجي ملأً
وأرىand I see اللَهGod جهاراًopenly علناplainly
وأرى اللَه جهاراً علنا
And today I commune with an assembly,
Today I whisper filled with awe,
And see God openly and plainly.
And see God openly and publicly.
عاكفintent فيin اللوحthe Tablet أقرأI read وأرىand I see
عاكف في اللوح أقرأ وأرى
كلماall that (contextual reading) كانwas تنائيmy remoteness; perhaps 'grew distant' ودناand drew near
كلما كان تنائي ودنا
Intent upon the Tablet, I read and see
Secluded in the tablet I read and see,
All that has been, distant and near [reading uncertain].
Everything that drew near and distanced.
وطعاميand my food وشرابand drink واحدone
وطعامي وشراب واحد
وهوand it is رمزa symbol فافهموهso understand it حسناwell
وهو رمز فافهموه حسنا
And my food and drink are one,
My food and drink are one,
And it is a symbol, so understand it well.
It is a symbol, understand it well.
ليسit is not خمراًwine سائغاًpalatable أوor عسلاhoney
ليس خمراً سائغاً أو عسلا
لاno ولاand not ماءwater ولكنbut لبناmilk
لا ولا ماء ولكن لبنا
It is neither palatable wine nor honey,
It is not a delicious wine or honey,
No, nor water, but milk.
No, not water but milk.
فافهمواso understand السرthe secret ففيهfor in it نبأa message
فافهموا السر ففيه نبأ
أيwhat معنىmeaning تحتbeneath لفظيmy wording كمناlay hidden
أي معنى تحت لفظي كمنا
So understand the secret, for within it is a message:
Understand the secret, for in it is news,
What meaning lay hidden beneath my words?
What meaning lies beneath my words hidden.
فاهدمواso demolish بيتيmy house ورضواand crush قفصيmy cage
فاهدموا بيتي ورضوا قفصي
وذرواand leave الطلسمthe talisman بفناin decay or a courtyard (unclear)
وذروا الطلسم بفنا
So demolish my house and crush my cage,
Destroy my house and discard my cage,
And leave the talisman to decay [reading uncertain].
And leave the talisman to nothingness.
وردائيand my robe وقميصيand my shirt مزقواtear to pieces
وردائي وقميصي مزقوا
واتركواand leave الكلall of it دفيناًburied بفناin decay or a courtyard (unclear)
واتركوا الكل دفيناً بفنا
And tear my robe and my shirt to pieces,
Tear my gown and shirt,
And leave it all buried, to decay [reading uncertain].
And leave everything buried in nothingness.
قدindeed ترحلتI departed وخلفتكمand I left you behind
قد ترحلت وخلفتكم
لستI am not أرضىI accept داركمyour abode ليfor me وطناa homeland
لست أرضى داركم لي وطنا
I have departed and left you behind;
I have departed, leaving you behind,
I do not accept your abode as my homeland.
Your homes are not pleasing to me as a dwelling.
لاdo not تظنواthink الموتdeath موتاًdeath أنهthat it
لا تظنوا الموت موتاً أنه
لحياةsurely life وهيand it is غايةthe ultimate goal المنىlongings
لحياة وهي غاية المنى
Do not think death is death; indeed, it
Do not think death is death,
Is truly life, the ultimate object of longing.
For it is life, the ultimate wish.
حيa living one ذاthis الدارthe abode تؤمyou seek مغرقsubmerged
حي ذا الدار تؤم مغرق
فإذاthen when ماتhe dies أطارdrives away الوسناslumber
فإذا مات أطار الوسنا
The living one in this abode you seek is submerged [wording unclear].
Alive is he whom the abode has drowned,
Then, when he dies, he drives slumber away.
So when he dies, he takes flight on a pillar.
لاdo not ترعكمfrighten you هجةonrush (unclear spelling) الموتdeath فماfor it is not
لا ترعكم هجة الموت فما
هوit إلاexcept نقلةa transition منfrom هاright (deictic emphasis) هناhere
هو إلا نقلة من ها هنا
Do not let death's onrush frighten you, for it
Do not be shaken by the assault of death,
Is only a passage from right here.
It is but a transition from here to there.
وخذواand set about فيin الزادprovisions جهداًstrenuously لاdo not تنواslacken
وخذوا في الزاد جهداً لا تنوا
ليسis not بالعاقلwise (emphatic) مناamong us منwhoever وناslackened
ليس بالعاقل منا من ونا
And strive hard to gather provisions; do not slacken.
And take supplies for the journey, do not sleep,
The one among us who slackens is not wise.
Not wise among us is he who slumbered.
وأحسنواand make favorable الظنthe expectation بربof a Lord راحمmerciful
وأحسنوا الظن برب راحم
شاكرrewarding للسعيof striving وأتواand they came; perhaps 'and come' أمناin safety
شاكر للسعي وأتوا أمنا
And think well of a merciful Lord,
And think good thoughts of the Merciful Lord,
Who rewards striving—and come in safety [reading uncertain].
Thankful for effort, and come confidently.
عنصرsubstance الأنفسthe souls مناamong us واحدone
عنصر الأنفس منا واحد
وكذاand likewise الجسمthe body جميعاًall together عمناencompassed us
وكذا الجسم جميعاً عمنا
The substance of our souls is one,
The essence of our souls is one,
And likewise the body has encompassed us all.
And so is the body, all together from us.
ماnot أرىI see نفسيmyself إلاexcept أنتمyou
ما أرى نفسي إلا أنتم
واعتقاديand my belief أنكمthat you أنتمyou yourselves أناI
واعتقادي أنكم أنتم أنا
I see myself as none other than you,
I see my soul only as you,
And my belief is that you yourselves are me.
And my belief is that you are I.
فارحمونيso have mercy on me ترحمواyou will have mercy on أنفسكمyourselves
فارحموني ترحموا أنفسكم
واعلمواand know أنكمthat you فيin أثرناour footsteps
واعلموا أنكم في أثرنا
So have mercy on me, and you will have mercy on yourselves,
So have mercy on me, you have mercy on yourselves,
And know that you are following in our footsteps.
And know that you follow in our footsteps.
أسالI ask (apparent typo) اللَهGod لنفسيfor my soul رحمةmercy
أسال اللَه لنفسي رحمة
رحمةmercy اللَهGod صديقاًa friend أمناsafe; safety (unclear reading)
رحمة اللَه صديقاً أمنا
I ask God for mercy for my soul:
I ask God for mercy on my soul,
God's mercy upon a friend in safety [wording unclear].
The mercy of God, a faithful companion.
وعليكمand upon you منfrom سلاميmy greeting طيبfragrance
وعليكم من سلامي طيب
سلمmay He grant peace اللَهGod عليمall-knowing وثناand praise (uncertain reading)
سلم اللَه عليم وثنا
And upon you be the fragrance of my greeting;
And upon you from me is pure peace,
May God, the All-Knowing, grant peace and praise [wording unclear].
May God's peace be upon the devoted and loyal.
Sol 6.1