ياO واحَةًoasis فيin ظُلمَةِthe darkness of اليَأسِdespair
يا واحَةً في ظُلمَةِ اليَأسِ
فيهاin it صَفاءُthe serenity of القَلبِthe heart وَالنَفسِand the soul
فيها صَفاءُ القَلبِ وَالنَفسِ
O oasis in the darkness of despair,
O oasis in the darkness of despair
where heart and soul find serenity,
Wherein is the serenity of heart and soul
أَرقَصَتِyou set dancing قَلبيmy heart مِنfrom مُرَقرَقَةِshimmering
أَرقَصَتِ قَلبي مِن مُرَقرَقَةِ
خَمرٍwine تَصفِقُsurges فيin مَدىthe reach of الحِسِّsensation
خَمرٍ تَصفِقُ في مَدى الحِسِّ
you set my heart dancing with shimmering
My heart danced from the tinkling
wine that surges through the realm of sense,
Of wine clapping through the realm of senses
وَتَدُبُّand creeps فيinto قَلبِthe heart of اِبنِa son of نَشوَتِهاits rapture
وَتَدُبُّ في قَلبِ اِبنِ نَشوَتِها
حَتّىuntil يَبيتَhe spends the night مُؤَرِّقُkeeping awake الأُنسِdelight
حَتّى يَبيتَ مُؤَرِّقُ الأُنسِ
and creeps into the heart of one born of its rapture,
And creeping in the heart of the son of its intoxication
till he keeps delight awake all night.
Until he stays up disturbing companionship
هَلwas it أَنَّةٌa moan أَمor رَنَّةٌa ringing note صَدَحَتrang out
هَل أَنَّةٌ أَم رَنَّةٌ صَدَحَت
أَمرa matter بِهِabout it الأَفهامُminds فيin لَبسِconfusion
أَمر بِهِ الأَفهامُ في لَبسِ
Was it a moan, or a ringing note that sounded?
Is it a moan or a joyful cry that rang out?
A matter over which minds remain perplexed.
The minds were confused in perplexity
هَذيthese الأَغانيthe songs زَفرَةٌa sigh صَعَدَتrose
هَذي الأَغاني زَفرَةٌ صَعَدَت
واسَتbrought solace فَجَلَّتand thus rose above عَنbeyond دَواthe remedy of النُطسِskilled physicians
واسَت فَجَلَّت عَن دَوا النُطسِ
These songs are a sigh that rose,
These songs are a cry that rose up
brought solace, and surpassed skilled physicians' cures.
And transcended the medicine of depression
أَنّيthat I لَمَفضوحٌindeed laid bare بِعَبرَتِهِby his tears
أَنّي لَمَفضوحٌ بِعَبرَتِهِ
يُرثيfeels pity لِمَفضوحٍfor one laid bare مِنَby الجَرَسِthe ringing sound
يُرثي لِمَفضوحٍ مِنَ الجَرَسِ
I am indeed one whose tears betray him,
I am exposed by his tears
pitying one laid bare by the ringing sound.
Mourning an exposed one from bells
لَيسَis not الَّذيthe one whom تُشقيهِmake him wretched أَدمُعُهُhis tears
لَيسَ الَّذي تُشقيهِ أَدمُعُهُ
مِثلَlike الَّذيthe one who يَشدوsings مِنَfrom الحَبسِcaptivity
مِثلَ الَّذي يَشدو مِنَ الحَبسِ
One whom his tears make wretched is not
Not the one whose tears make you suffer
like one who sings from captivity.
Like the one who chants from prison
بِاللَهِby God خَبِّرنيtell me أَمِنis it from وَرسٍwars (yellow dye)
بِاللَهِ خَبِّرني أَمِن وَرسٍ
رَيَّشَتgrew feathers أَمor مِنfrom صَبغَةِthe dye of الشَمسِthe sun
رَيَّشَت أَم مِن صَبغَةِ الشَمسِ
By God, tell me: was it from wars-dye
By God, tell me, from blossoms
they grew their plumage, or from the sun's hue—
Did it rain or from the dye of the sun?
صُفرُyellow الغَلائِلِthe tunics تَزدَهيexult طَرَباًin delight
صُفرُ الغَلائِلِ تَزدَهي طَرَباً
حَتّىuntil لَقَدindeed ثَمِلَتbecame drunk بِلاwithout رَسِّa sip
حَتّى لَقَد ثَمِلَت بِلا رَسِّ
those yellow-robed ones, exulting in delight,
The yellow flowers bloom, crazed with rapture
till they were truly drunk without a sip?
To the point they have ripened without irrigation
وَأَكَلَّةُand eaters of (uncertain reading) الجاديsaffron فيat عُرسٍa wedding
وَأَكَلَّةُ الجادي في عُرسٍ
وَلَوand even if أَنَّهاthat they فيin حَلبَةِthe arena of العُرسِthe wedding
وَلَو أَنَّها في حَلبَةِ العُرسِ
And the saffron-eaters are at a wedding,
And the guest of generosity is celebrating a wedding
even if they are in the wedding arena.
As if it were in the racecourse of the wedding
وَالدوحُand the great trees وَالأَغصانُand the branches مائِسَةٌswaying
وَالدوحُ وَالأَغصانُ مائِسَةٌ
وَالماءُand the water وَالأَظلالُand the shadows فيin مِسِّa trance
وَالماءُ وَالأَظلالُ في مِسِّ
And the great trees and branches sway,
The jujube and the branches are intoxicated
and water and shadows are in a trance,
The water and the shadows in ecstasy
تَرنوgaze سَكارىdrunken فيwithin عَوالِمِهاtheir worlds
تَرنو سَكارى في عَوالِمِها
حَتّىuntil لَتُحسَبَsurely be taken for دَولَةَthe realm of الفُرسِthe Persians
حَتّى لَتُحسَبَ دَولَةَ الفُرسِ
gazing drunkenly within their worlds,
They warble drunk in their worlds
till you would take them for Persia's realm,
To the point you'd think them a horse race
نَظارَةًan audience لِمُغَرِّدٍfor a singer نَدبٍgifted
نَظارَةً لِمُغَرِّدٍ نَدبٍ
يَنفيbanishes الهُمومَcares وَطارِقُand the night-visitor of النَحسِill fortune
يَنفي الهُمومَ وَطارِقُ النَحسِ
an audience for a gifted singer
A gaze for a singing mourner
who banishes cares and ill fortune's night-visitor.
Dispelling worries and misfortune
يَسموsoars وَيَهويand swoops فيin السَماthe sky غَرداًsinging
يَسمو وَيَهوي في السَما غَرداً
كَشَرارَةٍlike a spark طارَتflew فيin القَبسِthe flame
كَشَرارَةٍ طارَت في القَبسِ
He soars and swoops through the sky, singing,
He rises and plunges in the sky, singing
like a spark that flew within the flame,
Like a spark that flew into tinder
أَوor سَهمِan arrow of رامٍan archer راحَsped عَنfrom قَوسٍa bow
أَو سَهمِ رامٍ راحَ عَن قَوسٍ
أَوor حُلمُa dream of صَبٍّa lovesick one فيin هَوىthe love of الأَمسِyesterday
أَو حُلمُ صَبٍّ في هَوى الأَمسِ
or an archer's arrow sped from a bow,
Or an archer’s arrow gone from his bow
or a lover's dream of yesterday's love.
Or a youth’s dream in the love of yesterday
مُتَهَلِّلاًbeaming مُتَبَسِّماًsmiling طَلِقاcarefree
مُتَهَلِّلاً مُتَبَسِّماً طَلِقا
يَطَأُtreads النُجومَthe stars وَرائِقَand the lovely الغَرسِsaplings
يَطَأُ النُجومَ وَرائِقَ الغَرسِ
Beaming, smiling, carefree,
Frolicking, smiling, set free
he treads the stars and lovely saplings.
Stepping on stars and slender saplings
يَصِلُreaches السَماءَthe sky يَمَسُّtouches جِلدَتِهاits skin
يَصِلُ السَماءَ يَمَسُّ جِلدَتِها
وَيَحِطُّand alights بِالغُدرانِat the pools فيin غَطسِa plunge
وَيَحِطُّ بِالغُدرانِ في غَطسِ
He reaches heaven, touches its skin,
Reaching the sky, touching its skin
and alights in the pools with a plunge.
And landing on hills in a dive
فَرِحاًjoyous يَدُرُّpours forth عَلَيهِupon him صَفوَتَهُits purest essence
فَرِحاً يَدُرُّ عَلَيهِ صَفوَتَهُ
فَرَحُthe joy of الغَرامِlove وَنَشوَةُand the rapture of الأُنسِcompanionship
فَرَحُ الغَرامِ وَنَشوَةُ الأُنسِ
Joyous, he is showered with purest bliss
Happily he pours over him his elite
by love's gladness and the rapture of companionship.
The joy of passion and the bliss of company
مَثواهُhis dwelling فيin الأَجواءِthe skies مُرتَفِعٌhigh
مَثواهُ في الأَجواءِ مُرتَفِعٌ
بَيناwhile هَواهُhis love بَينَناamong us يُرسيcasts anchor
بَينا هَواهُ بَينَنا يُرسي
His dwelling is high in the skies,
His abode is high in the air
while his love casts anchor among us.
While his love is down here spreading
تَرنيمَةُthe hymn of الإِصباحِmorning رائِقَةًlimpid
تَرنيمَةُ الإِصباحِ رائِقَةً
فيin الجَوِّthe air صافِيَةًpure مِنَfrom الرِجسِdefilement
في الجَوِّ صافِيَةً مِنَ الرِجسِ
The morning hymn, limpid,
The dawn’s chant delicate
pure in the air, free of defilement,
In the air, pure of filth
تَسريdrifts إِلىtoward الغيطانِthe fields مُترَعَةًfilled to the brim
تَسري إِلى الغيطانِ مُترَعَةً
مِنهاwith it الرِياضُthe gardens بِغَيرِهاabout anything other than it حَدَسِconjecture
مِنها الرِياضُ بِغَيرِها حَدَسِ
drifts toward the fields—brimming
Flowing to the meadows drunk
with it are the gardens; all else is conjecture—
The gardens sensed from them no less
فَوقَabove اليَنابيعِthe springs الَّتيthat غَمَرَتflooded
فَوقَ اليَنابيعِ الَّتي غَمَرَت
ساحَthe expanses of الحُقولِthe fields بِدائِمِwith ceaseless البَجسِwelling
ساحَ الحُقولِ بِدائِمِ البَجسِ
over the springs that have flooded
Above the springs that flooded
the fields' expanses with ceaseless welling,
The fields’ expanse with abundant irrigation
وَسَلاسِلُand chains of الأَنوارِlight دافِقَةًstreaming
وَسَلاسِلُ الأَنوارِ دافِقَةً
غَطَّتcovered ذُرىthe tops of الأَشجارِthe trees بِالقَمسِby immersion
غَطَّت ذُرى الأَشجارِ بِالقَمسِ
while streaming chains of light
And the chains of light pouring down
have covered the treetops, immersing them,
Covered the trees’ atoms with the sun
وَرَمَتand shot at قِلاعَthe citadels of المُدنِthe cities صائِبَةًunerringly
وَرَمَت قِلاعَ المُدنِ صائِبَةً
وَالشَمسُand the sun تَعلوrises over الأَرضَthe earth فيin خَلَسِstealth
وَالشَمسُ تَعلو الأَرضَ في خَلَسِ
and struck the cities' citadels unerringly,
And pelted the cities’ fortresses unerringly
as the sun rises over the earth by stealth.
As the sun rises over the earth in concealment
يَسموsoars إِلَيهاtoward it صَوتُهُhis voice صَعداًupward
يَسمو إِلَيها صَوتُهُ صَعداً
وَيُصافِحُand clasps hands with الأَرواحَsouls بِاللَمسِby touch
وَيُصافِحُ الأَرواحَ بِاللَمسِ
His voice soars upward toward it,
His voice ascends to it rising
and, with its touch, clasps hands with souls.
And shakes hands with souls in a touch
فيin حُمرَةِthe redness of الشَفَقِtwilight الَّتيwhich شَرَقَتglowed
في حُمرَةِ الشَفَقِ الَّتي شَرَقَت
فيهاin it الزُهورُthe flowers وَيافِعُand the young growth of الوَرَسِthe wars plant
فيها الزُهورُ وَيافِعُ الوَرَسِ
In the twilight's redness, where there glow
In the redness of the horizon that shone
the flowers and the young wars-plants,
Wherein flowers blossom and tender grass
وَالنَبتُand the plants وَالأَشجارُand the trees لامِعَةٌgleaming
وَالنَبتُ وَالأَشجارُ لامِعَةٌ
مِنfrom حُمرَةِthe redness of الأَضواءِthe lights فيon يَبَسِdry ground
مِن حُمرَةِ الأَضواءِ في يَبَسِ
and plants and trees gleam
And the plants and trees are gleaming
with the redness of light upon dry ground,
From the redness of lights in dryness
فيهاin it تَنامُyou sleep مُمتِعاًgiving delight ثَمِلاًintoxicated
فيها تَنامُ مُمتِعاً ثَمِلاً
مِنfrom رَحمَةِthe mercy of الرَحمَنِthe All-Merciful فيin حَرَسِsafekeeping
مِن رَحمَةِ الرَحمَنِ في حَرَسِ
there you sleep, delightful and intoxicated,
Wherein you sleep gratified, sated
guarded by the mercy of the All-Merciful.
With the mercy of the Merciful under guard
Sol 6.1