لولاكَwere it not for you لمnot تُلوَgleam فيin الآفاقِthe horizons بارِقَةٌa lightning-flash
لولاكَ لم تُلوَ في الآفاقِ بارِقَةٌ
ولمand not يكنexist قبلَهاbefore it عرشٌa throne ولاnor مَلكُan angel
ولم يكن قبلَها عرشٌ ولا مَلكُ
Without you, no lightning-flash would have gleamed across the horizons,
nor, before it, would there have been a throne or an angel.
وأَنْتَand you بحرٌa sea إِلهيٌّdivine أُقيمَwas set علىupon
وأَنْتَ بحرٌ إِلهيٌّ أُقيمَ على
شِراعِthe sail of إحْسانِهِits bounty المَمْلوكُthe slave والمَلِكُand the king
شِراعِ إحْسانِهِ المَمْلوكُ والمَلِكُ
And you are a divine sea; set upon
the sail of its bounty were the slave and the king.
وأَنْتَand you لولاكَwere it not for you لمnot تُبْنَbe built السَّماءُheaven ولمand not
وأَنْتَ لولاكَ لم تُبْنَ السَّماءُ ولم
يَدُرْturn بمحوَرِهِon its axis فيin سَمْكِهاits height الفَلَكُthe celestial sphere
يَدُرْ بمحوَرِهِ في سَمْكِها الفَلَكُ
And you—without you, heaven would not have been built, nor
would the celestial sphere have turned on its axis in its heights.
وأَنْتَand you لولاكَwere it not for you لمnot يُجْلَbe unveiled النَّارُthe fire لناto us
وأَنْتَ لولاكَ لم يُجْلَ النَّارُ لنا
ولكand for you يَجُرَّdrags بِناover us كَلْكالَهُits breast الحَلَكُpitch darkness
ولك يَجُرَّ بِنا كَلْكالَهُ الحَلَكُ
And you—without you, fire would not have been unveiled to us,
and for you, pitch darkness drags its breast over us.
وأَنْتَand you نقطَةُa point of جمعٍunion فيin تَوَحُّدِهاits oneness
وأَنْتَ نقطَةُ جمعٍ في تَوَحُّدِها
أَجزاءُparts of أَصنافِthe kinds of هذاthis الكَوْنِthe universe تَنْسَبِكُfuse together
أَجزاءُ أَصنافِ هذا الكَوْنِ تَنْسَبِكُ
And you are a point of union, in whose oneness
the parts of this universe's diverse kinds fuse together.
ياO رُوحُspirit of كلُّevery نبيٍّprophet قبلَbefore أُمَّتِهِhis community
يا رُوحُ كلُّ نبيٍّ قبلَ أُمَّتِهِ
ونورَand light of كلِّevery وليٍّsaint أَينَwhere ينْسَلِكُhe takes his place
ونورَ كلِّ وليٍّ أَينَ ينْسَلِكُ
O spirit of every prophet before his community,
and light of every saint, wherever he takes his place.
ياO منone who بهthrough him الأرضُthe earth عنinstead of أَوْتادِهاits pegs اعْتَصَمَتْit sought protection
يا من به الأرضُ عن أَوْتادِها اعْتَصَمَتْ
ثمَّthen السَّمَواتُthe heavens والأَبراجُand the constellations والحُبُكُand the woven paths
ثمَّ السَّمَواتُ والأَبراجُ والحُبُكُ
O you through whom the earth found protection rather than through its pegs,
then the heavens, the constellations, and the woven paths.
وكلُّand every صَديقِfriend of عزمٍresolve فيin حِماكَyour sanctuary لهfor him
وكلُّ صَديقِ عزمٍ في حِماكَ له
رُبوضُresting قلبٍa heart ويُلقىand is cast دونَهُbefore him الدَّرَكُprotection
رُبوضُ قلبٍ ويُلقى دونَهُ الدَّرَكُ
And every resolute friend within your sanctuary has
a heart at rest, and protection is cast before him.
أَلبابُminds أَهلِpeople of المَعانيinner meanings فيat وَصيدِكَyour threshold عنout of
أَلبابُ أَهلِ المَعاني في وَصيدِكَ عن
إِخلاصِsincerity of قلبٍheart لهاfor them فيin رُكْنِهِits shelter وَشَكُhaste
إِخلاصِ قلبٍ لها في رُكْنِهِ وَشَكُ
The minds of those versed in inner meanings are at your threshold, out of
sincerity of heart; they hasten within its shelter.
ياOh طالَماhow often نَدَبواthey cried for help فيin طيِّthe folds of زلَّتِهِمْtheir lapse
يا طالَما نَدَبوا في طيِّ زلَّتِهِمْ
بعِزِّby the might of اسمِكَyour name عنout of إخْلاصِهِمْtheir sincerity وَشَكواand they lamented
بعِزِّ اسمِكَ عن إخْلاصِهِمْ وَشَكوا
Oh, how often they cried out amid the folds of their lapse,
by the might of your name, out of their sincerity, and lamented.
بكَby you اقْتَدَوْاthey followed the example فاهْتَدَوْاand so they were guided قبلتِهِمْtheir direction of prayer
بكَ اقْتَدَوْا فاهْتَدَوْا قبلتِهِمْ
وعَمَّهُمْand encompassed them منfrom هُداكَyour guidance الزُّهدُrenunciation والنُّسكُand devotion
وعَمَّهُمْ من هُداكَ الزُّهدُ والنُّسكُ
They followed your example and so found their direction of prayer,
and through your guidance, renunciation and devotion encompassed them.
هامواthey were enraptured بحُبِّكَwith love for you فارْتاحَتْso found ease عَزائمُهُمْtheir resolves
هاموا بحُبِّكَ فارْتاحَتْ عَزائمُهُمْ
وفيand in دَواوينِكَyour registers العَلياexalted قدindeed احْتَبَكواthey became interwoven
وفي دَواوينِكَ العَليا قد احْتَبَكوا
They were lost in love for you, and their resolves found ease;
and in your exalted registers they have become interwoven.
نبيَّهُمْtheir prophet قَصَدواthey sought والغيرَand all else قدindeed تَرَكواthey left
نبيَّهُمْ قَصَدوا والغيرَ قد تَرَكوا
للهِfor God ماwhatever قَصَدواthey sought للهِfor God ماwhatever تَرَكواthey left
للهِ ما قَصَدوا للهِ ما تَرَكوا
They sought their prophet and forsook all else.
Whatever they sought was for God; whatever they left was for God.
عَواجِزٌpowerless ones حينَماwhen الأَحكامُthe rulings تُلزِمُهُمْbind them
عَواجِزٌ حينَما الأَحكامُ تُلزِمُهُمْ
أُسودُlions of غيبٍthe unseen متَىwhen ماever (emphatic) أُطْلِقواthey were unleashed فَتَكواthey struck ruthlessly
أُسودُ غيبٍ متَى ما أُطْلِقوا فَتَكوا
Powerless when the rulings bind them,
lions of the unseen—whenever unleashed, they strike ruthlessly.
أَدْعوكَI call upon you بالرَّحِمِby the bond of kinship المَوصولِkept unbroken مُلْتَجِئاًseeking refuge
أَدْعوكَ بالرَّحِمِ المَوصولِ مُلْتَجِئاً
فإنَّهfor indeed it is لاصْطِيادِfor catching المُرْتَجىwhat is hoped for شَرَكُa snare
فإنَّه لاصْطِيادِ المُرْتَجى شَرَكُ
I call upon you by the unbroken bond of kinship, seeking refuge,
for it is a snare for capturing what is hoped for.
عطْفاًcompassion عليَّupon me وقلْand say هَاbehold أَنْتَyou فيin دَرَكيmy protection
عطْفاً عليَّ وقلْ هَا أَنْتَ في دَرَكي
ياO منone who عليهِupon him إذاwhen احْتَفَّclosed in القَضاfate الدَّرَكُthe duty of protection
يا من عليهِ إذا احْتَفَّ القَضا الدَّرَكُ
Show me compassion, and say: 'Behold, you are under my protection.'
O you upon whom the duty of protection falls when fate closes in.
Sol 6.1