دارَO abode of سَلمىSalma سَقاكِmay it water you دَمعِيَmy tears الهاميstreaming
دارَ سَلمى سَقاكِ دَمعِيَ الهامي
إِنif تَعَدّىpassed by ثَراكِyour soil صَوبُthe downpour of الغَمامِthe clouds
إِن تَعَدّى ثَراكِ صَوبُ الغَمامِ
O Salma’s abode, may my streaming tears water you
if the clouds’ downpour passes your soil by.
وَلَعَمريand by my life إِنَّindeed السَحابَthe cloud وَمُستَجand seekers of
وَلَعَمري إِنَّ السَحابَ وَمُستَج
ديهِits bounty (word ending) كُلٌّall إِلىtoward غَديرَكِyour pool ظامِthirsty
ديهِ كُلٌّ إِلى غَديرَكِ ظامِ
And by my life, surely the cloud and those who seek
its bounty all thirst for your pool.
وَحَماكِand your sanctuary الرَحبُspacious الأَنيقُlovely وَأَهلوand the people of
وَحَماكِ الرَحبُ الأَنيقُ وَأَهلو
كِyou (feminine suffix) المَناياdeath عَمَّنon behalf of whomever حَمَوهُthey protected him تُحاميdefends
كِ المَنايا عَمَّن حَمَوهُ تُحامي
And as for your spacious, lovely sanctuary and your people,
death itself defends those they protect.
عُصبَةٌa band جَرَّدواthey unsheathed العَزائِمَresolves فيin القَصthe quest (word beginning)
عُصبَةٌ جَرَّدوا العَزائِمَ في القَص
دِquest (word ending) فَنالواso they attained القَديمَthe Eternal بِالإِقدامِthrough daring
دِ فَنالوا القَديمَ بِالإِقدامِ
A band who unsheathed their resolve in the quest
and attained the Eternal through daring.
حَفِظواthey preserved ذِمَّةَthe covenant of الهَوىlove فَحَظواso they gained بِالwith the
حَفِظوا ذِمَّةَ الهَوى فَحَظوا بِال
عِزِّhonor مِنthrough عِزَّةٍdignity وَحِفظِand keeping الذِمامِpledges
عِزِّ مِن عِزَّةٍ وَحِفظِ الذِمامِ
They kept love’s covenant and gained
honor through dignity and the keeping of pledges.
وَتَجَلَّتand she revealed herself لَهُمto them مِراراًrepeatedly جَهاراًopenly
وَتَجَلَّت لَهُم مِراراً جَهاراً
بِصِفاتٍwith attributes دَقَّتwere too subtle عَنِfor الأَفهامِminds
بِصِفاتٍ دَقَّت عَنِ الأَفهامِ
And she revealed herself to them repeatedly, openly,
with attributes too subtle for minds to grasp.
فَهُمso they كَعبَتيmy Kaaba إِذاwhen أَناI صَلَّيprayed (word beginning)
فَهُم كَعبَتي إِذا أَنا صَلَّي
تُI (verb ending) وَحاديand the camel-driver of السُرىnight travel إِلَيهِمto them إِماميmy imam
تُ وَحادي السُرى إِلَيهِم إِمامي
So they are my Kaaba whenever I pray,
and the camel-driver on my night journey to them is my imam.
وَاِئتِمامُand seeking out العُشّاقِthe lovers بابَهُمtheir gate فَرa duty (word beginning)
وَاِئتِمامُ العُشّاقِ بابَهُم فَر
ضٌduty (word ending) عَلىupon كُلِّevery ذيone possessed of جَوىlove’s anguish وَغَرامِand passion
ضٌ عَلى كُلِّ ذي جَوى وَغَرامِ
And lovers’ seeking their gate is a duty
upon everyone bearing love’s anguish and passion.
وَحِماهُمand their sanctuary دارُthe abode of السَلامِpeace وَقَدand indeed أَضbecame (word beginning)
وَحِماهُم دارُ السَلامِ وَقَد أَض
حىbecame (word ending) سَبيليmy path إِلَيهِto it عَبدَʿAbd (servant of) السَلامِal-Salam (Peace)
حى سَبيلي إِلَيهِ عَبدَ السَلامِ
Their sanctuary is the abode of peace, and now
ʿAbd al-Salam has become my path to it.
سَيِّدُa master سادَhe surpassed بِالمَعاليthrough lofty virtues وَإِدراand grasping (word beginning)
سَيِّدُ سادَ بِالمَعالي وَإِدرا
كِgrasping (word ending) المَعانيmeanings وَالفَضلِand excellence جُلَّmost of الأَنامِhumankind
كِ المَعاني وَالفَضلِ جُلَّ الأَنامِ
A master who surpassed, through lofty virtues and the grasp
of meanings, and through excellence, most of humankind.
فَبِهِso through him فُزتُI attained بِاليَقينِwith certainty مِنَfrom العِلknowledge (word beginning)
فَبِهِ فُزتُ بِاليَقينِ مِنَ العِل
مِknowledge (word ending) وَنِلتُand I gained الإيمانَfaith فيwithin إِسلاميmy Islam
مِ وَنِلتُ الإيمانَ في إِسلامي
So through him I gained certainty born of knowledge
and attained faith within my Islam.
فَعَلَيهِso upon him صَلاةُthe blessing of مَنthe One who بِهُداهُthrough his guidance
فَعَلَيهِ صَلاةُ مَن بِهُداهُ
فَكَّfreed نَفسيmy soul مِنfrom ضِلَّةِthe straying of الأَنعامِcattle
فَكَّ نَفسي مِن ضِلَّةِ الأَنعامِ
So upon him be the blessing of the One who, through his guidance,
freed my soul from the straying of cattle.
Sol 6.1