لِقَاؤُكَmeeting you ياO عَبدَservant of الإِلهِGod هُوَit الشِّفَاthe cure
لِقَاؤُكَ يا عَبدَ الإِلهِ هُوَ الشِّفَا
لِنَفسَىfor my soul مِنfrom دَاءٍan illness لَهُit has فيin الحَشَاthe breast إختَفَاconcealment
لِنَفسَى مِن دَاءٍ لَهُ في الحَشَا إختَفَا
Meeting you, O Abd al-Ilah, is the cure
Meeting you, O Abdal-Ilah, is the cure
For my soul, from an illness hidden within my breast.
For my soul from an illness that hid in my thoughts
تَنَائِيكَyour distance عنيfrom me أكسَبَhas brought القَلبَthe heart لَوعَةًanguish
تَنَائِيكَ عني أكسَبَ القَلبَ لَوعَةً
تُذِيبَit melts الصَّفَاhard rock إِنَّindeed النَّوَىseparation لَيسَis not مُنصِفَاjust
تُذِيبَ الصَّفَا إِنَّ النَّوَى لَيسَ مُنصِفَا
Your distance from me has brought anguish to my heart,
Your distance from me made my heart grieve
That melts hard rock; indeed, separation is unjust.
It melts sincerity, for intention is not just
ولَمand not أستَطِبI found pleasant مِنfrom بَعدِكَafter you لَذَّةًa pleasure
ولَم أستَطِب مِن بَعدِكَ لَذَّةً
ولَمand not أُرَI was seen إِلاَّexcept حَائِراًbewildered مُتَأسِّفَاsorrowful
ولَم أُرَ إِلاَّ حَائِراً مُتَأسِّفَا
And since your departure, I have found no pleasure sweet,
And after you I enjoyed no pleasure
Nor have I been seen except bewildered and sorrowful.
And saw nothing but confusion and regret
وَبعدَكَand after you مَاnot سَامَرتُI conversed by night مِنany ذِىone possessing قَرِيحَةٍpoetic talent
وَبعدَكَ مَا سَامَرتُ مِن ذِى قَرِيحَةٍ
يُوَافِقُaccords with طَبعِىmy nature مُنشِداًas a reciter ومُؤلِّفَاand as a composer
يُوَافِقُ طَبعِى مُنشِداً ومُؤلِّفَا
And since you left, I have conversed by night with no gifted poet
And after you I conversed with no one of wit
Who suits my nature as a reciter and composer,
Who suits my nature, reciting and composing
وتَسقِينيand gives me to drink الأخلاَقُcharacter مِنهُfrom him مُعَتَّقاًwell-aged
وتَسقِيني الأخلاَقُ مِنهُ مُعَتَّقاً
مِنَof الخَمرِwine مُلذُوذَpleasing الطَّوِيَّةِthe inner self قَرقَفَاchilled wine
مِنَ الخَمرِ مُلذُوذَ الطَّوِيَّةِ قَرقَفَا
And whose character gives me a well-aged draught
And manners make me drink from him as if
Of wine, pleasing to the soul and chilled.
Intoxicated by smooth wine in a flask
وَإِنand if رَامَhe seeks إنشَاءَcomposing القَوَافيrhymes تَرَاهُyou see him فيamid
وَإِن رَامَ إنشَاءَ القَوَافي تَرَاهُ في
عَوَاصِىunruly ones of القَوافيrhymes حَاكِماًruling مُتَصَرِّفَاexercising control
عَوَاصِى القَوافي حَاكِماً مُتَصَرِّفَا
And if he seeks to compose rhymes, you see him amid
And if he tries composing rhymes you’ll find him
Unruly rhymes, as their ruler and master.
In the far reaches of rhyme, ruling and directing
وَيدعوand he calls إِلَىto العَليَاnoble heights وَينهَىand he forbids عَنِfrom الخَنَاobscenity
وَيدعو إِلَى العَليَا وَينهَى عَنِ الخَنَا
ويَقفُوand he follows النبيthe Prophet المُصطفيthe Chosen One ومَنand those whom اصطفيhe chose
ويَقفُو النبي المُصطفي ومَن اصطفي
And he calls to noble heights and forbids obscenity,
He calls to the most high and forbids sin
And follows the Prophet, the Chosen One, and those he chose.
And follows the chosen prophet and his followers
ويُنهِضُand uplifts حَالِىmy spiritual state حَالُهُhis spiritual state ولِسَانُهُand his tongue
ويُنهِضُ حَالِى حَالُهُ ولِسَانُهُ
يُرَوِّضُhe cultivates بِهwith it رَوضَthe garden of القُلُوبِhearts التَّصَوُّفاSufism
يُرَوِّضُ بِه رَوضَ القُلُوبِ التَّصَوُّفا
And his spiritual state uplifts mine; his tongue—
His state raises my state and his tongue
With it he cultivates the garden of hearts: Sufism.
Trains with it the garden of mysticism’s hearts
لَحَاmay curse اللهُGod أجلاَفاًboors يَخَالُونَthey imagine أنَّهُمthat they are
لَحَا اللهُ أجلاَفاً يَخَالُونَ أنَّهُم
كِرَامٌnoble علىon account of أنَّthe fact that الزَّمَانَthe times لَهُمfor them صَفَاbecame favorable
كِرَامٌ على أنَّ الزَّمَانَ لَهُم صَفَا
May God curse boors who imagine themselves
God has given long lives to dissolutes who think
Noble, merely because the times have favored them.
They are nobles for the times have cleared for them
ولمand not تَكُthere was فيin دِينٍreligion ولاnor فيin مُرُوءَةٍhonorable conduct
ولم تَكُ في دِينٍ ولا في مُرُوءَةٍ
لَهُمfor them هِمَّةٌaspiration بَلrather هَمُّهمtheir concern شِدَّةُseverity of الجَفَاharshness
لَهُم هِمَّةٌ بَل هَمُّهم شِدَّةُ الجَفَا
And neither in religion nor in honorable conduct
And they have no ambition in religion or chivalry
Have they had any aspiration; rather, their concern is extreme harshness.
Their only concern is the harshness of deprivation
وكُلُّهُمُand each of them لَمnot يَدرِknows حَرفاًa letter وعِندَهُمand in their eyes
وكُلُّهُمُ لَم يَدرِ حَرفاً وعِندَهُم
سَفِيهٌa fool أخُوa man of التَّقَوَىpiety ومَنand whoever خَطَّhas penned أَحرُفَletters
سَفِيهٌ أخُو التَّقَوَى ومَن خَطَّ أَحرُفَ
And not one of them knows a letter; yet in their eyes
And none of them can understand a letter yet
The pious man and anyone who has penned letters are fools.
The ignorant claims to be devout and letters’ author
Sol 6.1