ريحُa wind شوقٍlonging للبَينat parting كانتwas سَموماa scorching wind
ريحُ شوقٍ للبَين كانت سَموما
ثمthen عادتreturned عندat اللقاءreunion نسيماa breeze
ثم عادت عند اللقاء نسيما
The wind of longing at parting was a scorching blast;
The wind of longing for the separated was poison,
then, at reunion, it returned as a breeze.
Then it became a breeze at the reunion.
فهيfor it بالأمسyesterday نارfire نمرودNimrod كانتwas
فهي بالأمس نار نمرود كانت
وهيand it اليومtoday نارfire إبراهيماAbraham
وهي اليوم نار إبراهيما
For yesterday it was Nimrod's fire,
Yesterday it was the fire of Nimrod,
and today it is Abraham's fire.
Today it is the fire of Abraham.
ماhow أمرَّbitter الخروجdeparture منfrom بلدةa town فيin
ما أمرَّ الخروج من بلدة في
هاit حبيبيmy beloved وماand how ألذَّsweet القدوماarrival
ها حبيبي وما ألذَّ القدوما
How bitter to leave a town in
What made going out of a town pleasant,
which my beloved is, and how sweet to arrive!
My love, and how sweet is the arrival!
سُمِّيَتwas called وقفةُthe pause of التفرُّقparting تسليstart of 'salutation'
سُمِّيَت وقفةُ التفرُّق تسلي
ماًend of 'salutation' كماjust as سُمِّيَwas called اللَّديغُthe venom-bitten person سليماunharmed
ماً كما سُمِّيَ اللَّديغُ سليما
The pause at parting was called a
The stop of parting was named entertainment,
'salutation,' just as the bitten man was called 'unharmed.'
Just as stinging was named healthy.
ذقتُI tasted طعمَيthe two flavors of تفرُّقٍparting ولقاءٍand reunion
ذقتُ طعمَي تفرُّقٍ ولقاءٍ
كدتُI nearly منfrom فرطthe excess of ذاthis وذاand this أنto أهيماgo mad
كدتُ من فرط ذا وذا أن أهيما
I tasted the two flavors of parting and reunion;
I tasted the flavor of parting and reunion,
from the excess of this and that, I nearly went mad.
I almost went crazy from too much of this and that.
وكأنّيand as though I ولمand not أرَsee النارَHell والجَنstart of 'and Paradise'
وكأنّي ولم أرَ النارَ والجَن
نَةَend of 'Paradise' ذقتُI tasted الغِسلينَGhislin (hell's foul discharge) والتسنيماand Tasnim (a heavenly spring)
نَةَ ذقتُ الغِسلينَ والتسنيما
And it was as though, without having seen Hell or
It is as if I had not seen fire or paradise,
Paradise, I had tasted Ghislin and Tasnim.
Yet I tasted washing and breeze.
ففراقُfor parting from المعشوقِthe beloved والهلكُand death سيّاstart of 'alike'
ففراقُ المعشوقِ والهلكُ سيّا
نend of 'alike' وإنand although كانwas ذاthis وذاكand that عظيماgreat
ن وإن كان ذا وذاك عظيما
For parting from the beloved and death are
Parting from the beloved and perishing are evil,
alike, though this and that are grievous.
Even if this and that are great.
ليسis not فقدانthe loss of مَنone who يُفِيدُbestows الصَباباstart of 'love's yearnings'
ليس فقدان مَن يُفِيدُ الصَبابا
تِend of 'love's yearnings' كفقدانlike the loss of مَنone who يُفيدbestows النعيماbliss
تِ كفقدان مَن يُفيد النعيما
Losing one who bestows love's yearnings is not
Losing one who benefits youth
like losing one who bestows bliss.
Is not like losing one who benefits bliss.
كنbe عنياًa captive فإنfor indeed كلَّevery حبيبٍbeloved
كن عنياً فإن كلَّ حبيبٍ
لمnot يزلcease قاسياًcruel يكونwill become رحيماmerciful
لم يزل قاسياً يكون رحيما
Be a captive, for every beloved
Be gentle, for every beloved
who has always been cruel will become merciful.
Who was harsh becomes kind.
ماnot ترانيyou see me عندamong الأنامhumankind جميعاًall
ما تراني عند الأنام جميعاً
صرتُI became بالسيِّدthrough the lord الكريمnoble كريماhonored
صرتُ بالسيِّد الكريم كريما
Do you not see how, among all mankind,
You do not see the sun when the horizon hides it,
I have become honored through the noble lord?
Yet it extends the glow to the stars.
خدمَتنيserved me القلوبُthe hearts حتّىuntil كأنّيas though I
خدمَتني القلوبُ حتّى كأنّي
متI died باللحدin the grave خلتنيI imagined myself مخدوماserved
مت باللحد خلتني مخدوما
Hearts have served me, until it seems to me
You corrected for me the affection of my days,
that even dead in the grave, I would find myself served.
Though their love was sickly.
ياO أباAbu (father of) القاسمal-Qasim المهيبawe-inspiring المرجّىlooked to with hope
يا أبا القاسم المهيب المرجّى
بكthrough you أُكرِمتُI was honored ظاعناًtraveling ومُقيماand staying
بك أُكرِمتُ ظاعناً ومُقيما
O Abu al-Qasim, awe-inspiring and looked to with hope,
You sheltered me when people dismissed my hopes,
through you I was honored, traveling and staying.
Dismissing the orphan's guardian.
وحَقيقٌand fitting لعُظمfor the greatness of قدركyour standing أنthat يُظstart of 'to display'
وحَقيقٌ لعُظم قدرك أن يُظ
هرَend of 'to display' فيamong أوليائكyour friends التعظيماhonor
هرَ في أوليائك التعظيما
And it befits the greatness of your standing that
You mended hope though it was in ruins,
honor should be displayed among your friends.
Then you made it fruitful though it was barren.
ماnot ترىyou see الشمسَthe sun حينwhen يحجبهاhides it الأفstart of 'the horizon'
ما ترى الشمسَ حين يحجبها الأف
قُend of 'the horizon' يمدُّsupplies الضياءُthe radiance منهاfrom it النجوماthe stars
قُ يمدُّ الضياءُ منها النجوما
Do you not see the sun, when the horizon
So one who sees the relief of my harm says,
hides it—its radiance supplies the stars?
“My Lord gives life to fragile bones."
أنتَyou صَحَّحتَyou made sound ليfor me مودَّةَthe affection of أيّاstart of 'my days'
أنتَ صَحَّحتَ لي مودَّةَ أيّا
ميend of 'my days' وقدand already كانwas ودُّهنَّtheir affection سقيماsick
مي وقد كان ودُّهنَّ سقيما
You healed the affection of my
You purified my wishes for me and they became
days for me, though their affection had been sick.
Hopes rising high though they were worries.
أنتyou آويتَنيyou sheltered me وقدand already طردdrove away الناstart of 'the people'
أنت آويتَني وقد طرد النا
سُend of 'the people' رجائيmy hope طردَthe expulsion by الوصيِّthe guardian اليتيماthe orphan
سُ رجائي طردَ الوصيِّ اليتيما
You sheltered me when the people had driven
So my name became honored by your hands,
my hope away, as a guardian drives away an orphan.
Shameless yet it was beastly before.
ورَمَمتَand you mended الرجاءَhope وهوand it رميمٌdecayed
ورَمَمتَ الرجاءَ وهو رميمٌ
ثمthen أنتجتَهyou made it fruitful وكانand it was عقيماbarren
ثم أنتجتَه وكان عقيما
And you mended hope when it was crumbling,
Your gifts clothed me in a robe that,
then made it fruitful, though it had been barren.
By your name, became embroidered among all people.
فيقولso says الذيthe one who يرىsees كشفَthe removal of ضرّيmy distress
فيقول الذي يرى كشفَ ضرّي
إنindeed ربيmy Lord يُحييrevives العظامthe bones الرميماdecayed
إن ربي يُحيي العظام الرميما
So whoever sees my distress removed says,
If I were silent in thanking the effects of Your bounty,
'Indeed, my Lord revives decayed bones.'
The speaking would speak to the silent.
قدindeed زكتflourished ليfor me بكthrough you الأمانيthe wishes وصارتand became
قد زكت لي بك الأماني وصارت
همماًambitions ترتقيrise وكانتand had been هموماworries
همماً ترتقي وكانت هموما
My wishes have flourished through you, becoming
Your great fortune touched me until I saw
ambitions that rise, though once they were worries.
My fortune as great though it was worries.
فغداso became اسميmy name مُحجَّلاًwhite-stockinged بأياديthrough favors
فغدا اسمي مُحجَّلاً بأيادي
كyour أغرّاًwhite-blazed وكانand it was قبلُbefore بهيماunmarked
ك أغرّاً وكان قبلُ بهيما
So my name became white-stockinged through
If a deprived one saw your image in a dream,
your favors, white-blazed, though before it was unmarked.
Your imagination would suffice the deprived.
ألبستنيclothed me نعماكyour bounty ثوباًa robe غداbecame باسstart of 'with your name'
ألبستني نعماك ثوباً غدا باس
مكend of 'with your name' فيamong الناسthe people كلِّهمall of them مرقوماinscribed
مك في الناس كلِّهم مرقوما
Your bounty clothed me in a robe that now bears
Your nature requires your generous self,
your name, inscribed among all mankind.
As the creditor requires the debtor.
فلوso if اَنِّيthat I سكتُّI fell silent عنabout شكرgratitude for آثاstart of 'your favors'
فلو اَنِّي سكتُّ عن شكر آثا
رِكَend of 'your favors' كلَّمنَthey would speak ذاthis الورىhumankind تكليماspeech
رِكَ كلَّمنَ ذا الورى تكليما
So even if I fell silent about thanking you for
You protected us when the nights neglected us,
your favors, they would themselves speak to these people.
So we praised through you the despicable time.
مَسَّنيtouched me حظُّكyour good fortune الجسيمimmense فأعداand so infected
مَسَّني حظُّك الجسيم فأعدا
نيَme حتىuntil رأيتُI saw حظيmy fortune جسيماimmense
نيَ حتى رأيتُ حظي جسيما
Your immense good fortune touched me and infected
The world thanked you, so it gave you
me, until I saw my own fortune become immense.
General, accessible, and allotted reward.
لوif رأىsaw فيin المنامa dream طيفَكyour apparition محروstart of 'a deprived person'
لو رأى في المنام طيفَك محرو
مٌend of 'a deprived person' لأغنىwould enrich خيالُكyour phantom المحروماthe deprived person
مٌ لأغنى خيالُك المحروما
If a deprived man saw your apparition in a dream,
You beautified it, so you showed in it
your phantom would make that deprived man rich.
Generosity when people showed blame.
وسجاياكand your virtues تقتضيdemand from نفسَكyour soul الجوstart of 'generosity'
وسجاياك تقتضي نفسَك الجو
دَend of 'generosity' كماjust as يقتضيdemands payment from الغريمُthe creditor الغريماthe debtor
دَ كما يقتضي الغريمُ الغريما
And your virtues demand from your soul
Whenever it is said, “May your goodness last,”
generosity, as a creditor exacts payment from a debtor.
Generosity says “Amen,” desiring it to last.
صُنتَناyou protected us حينwhen أهملَتناneglected us اللياليthe nights
صُنتَنا حين أهملَتنا الليالي
فحمدناso we praised بكthrough you الزمانَTime الذميماblameworthy
فحمدنا بك الزمانَ الذميما
You protected us when the nights neglected us;
We will never lack the shadows of your gifts covering the land,
so through you we praised blameworthy Time.
Or lack one who is destitute on it.
شكرَتكَthanked you الدنياthe world فأعطَتكَso it gave you تنبيstart of 'renown'
شكرَتكَ الدنيا فأعطَتكَ تنبي
هاًend of 'renown' مشاعاًwidespread ونائلاًand a bounty مقسوماallotted
هاً مشاعاً ونائلاً مقسوما
The world thanked you and bestowed on you
widespread renown and an allotted bounty.
أنتyou زَيَّنتَهاyou adorned it فأظهرتَand so you displayed فيهاwithin it
أنت زَيَّنتَها فأظهرتَ فيها
كرماًgenerosity حينwhen أظهرdisplayed الناسُthe people لُوماmeanness
كرماً حين أظهر الناسُ لُوما
You adorned it and displayed within it
generosity, when people displayed meanness.
كلّماwhenever قيلis said دامmay endure خيرُكyour bounty قالsays الthe
كلّما قيل دام خيرُك قال ال
جُودُgenerosity آمِينَAmen رغبةًout of desire أنthat يدوماit endure
جُودُ آمِينَ رغبةً أن يدوما
Whenever 'May your bounty endure' is said,
Generosity says 'Amen,' wishing it to endure.
لاmay ... not عدمناwe lack ظِلالthe shades of نعماكyour bounty تغشىcover الthe
لا عدمنا ظِلال نعماك تغشى ال
أرضَearth أوor لاnot ترىyou see عليهاupon it عَدِيماa destitute person
أرضَ أو لا ترى عليها عَدِيما
May we never lack your bounty's shades, covering
the earth—or may you see no destitute person upon it.
Partial English translation: 52 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1