ماnot الفَخْرُglory إِلاَّexcept للذينَfor those who تَواضَعواhumbled themselves
ما الفَخْرُ إِلاَّ للذينَ تَواضَعوا
للهbefore God وانْقَطعواand severed themselves عنfrom الأغيارِall other than Him
لله وانْقَطعوا عن الأغيارِ
Glory belongs only to those who humbled themselves
before God and severed themselves from all else.
طارواthey flew إليهto Him عنaway from الوُجودِexistence جَميعهِall of it
طاروا إليه عن الوُجودِ جَميعهِ
أكرِمْhow noble بِذاكَis that المَوكبِprocession الطَّيَّارِsoaring
أكرِمْ بِذاكَ المَوكبِ الطَّيَّارِ
They flew to Him, leaving all existence behind.
How noble is that soaring procession!
صَدَقواthey were true لهto Him فَتَنَوَّرَتْso were illumined أسرارهُمْtheir inner mysteries
صَدَقوا له فَتَنَوَّرَتْ أسرارهُمْ
والصِّدْقُand truthfulness يُبديreveals النُّورَlight فيwithin الأسرارِinner mysteries
والصِّدْقُ يُبدي النُّورَ في الأسرارِ
They were true to Him, and their inner mysteries were illumined;
and truthfulness reveals light within inner mysteries.
عَظُمَتْgrew mighty عَزائمهُمْtheir aspirations بِثابتِthrough the firmness of عَزْمهِمْtheir resolve
عَظُمَتْ عَزائمهُمْ بِثابتِ عَزْمهِمْ
فَتَحقَّقواso they attained realization بِشَرائفِin the noblest of الأطْوارِstates
فَتَحقَّقوا بِشَرائفِ الأطْوارِ
Their aspirations grew mighty through their steadfast resolve,
and they attained realization in the noblest states.
وتَمَلْمَلواand stirred restlessly ليلاًat night علىat محْرابهِمْtheir prayer niche
وتَمَلْمَلوا ليلاً على محْرابهِمْ
بِمَدامعٍwith tears كَسَواجمِlike downpours of الأمطارِrain
بِمَدامعٍ كَسَواجمِ الأمطارِ
At night they stirred restlessly at their prayer niche,
with tears like pouring rain.
فَكأنَّماso it was as though نَوْحُthe lamenting of الحَمامِdoves زَجيلُهمْtheir chanting
فَكأنَّما نَوْحُ الحَمامِ زَجيلُهمْ
جُنْحَin the depths of الدُّجىnight's darkness بِعَجائبِwith the wonders of الأذكارِinvocations
جُنْحَ الدُّجى بِعَجائبِ الأذكارِ
It was as though their chanting were the doves' lament,
in the darkness of night, with wondrous invocations.
يَبْكونَthey weep قدindeed رَقَّgrew tender الجَمادُlifeless things لِحالهِمْat their plight
يَبْكونَ قد رَقَّ الجَمادُ لِحالهِمْ
خَوفَin fear of المُهَيْمِنِthe All-Watchful لاnot لِخَوفِfor fear of النَّارِthe Fire
خَوفَ المُهَيْمِنِ لا لِخَوفِ النَّارِ
They weep, and lifeless things have softened at their plight,
in fear of the All-Watchful, not for fear of the Fire.
تَمضيpass بِقاتِلwith the deadly force of لَهْفِهمْtheir yearning أوقاتهُمْtheir hours
تَمضي بِقاتِل لَهْفِهمْ أوقاتهُمْ
سِرًّاin secret وهُمْwhile they عَلَناًopenly علىin a state of اسْتِبْشارِgladness
سِرًّا وهُمْ عَلَناً على اسْتِبْشارِ
Their hours pass in the deadly anguish of their yearning,
in secret, while outwardly they are glad.
الحُبُّlove هَيَّمَهُمْdrove them to distraction وهَزَّand shook قُلوبهمْtheir hearts
الحُبُّ هَيَّمَهُمْ وهَزَّ قُلوبهمْ
فَزُوواso they were drawn away عنfrom الأعوانِhelpers والأنصارِand supporters
فَزُووا عن الأعوانِ والأنصارِ
Love drove them to distraction and shook their hearts,
so they were drawn away from helpers and supporters.
طابواthey found delight بهin Him ولِشَوقِهمْand through their yearning لَجَنابِهِfor His presence
طابوا به ولِشَوقِهمْ لَجَنابِهِ
غابواthey became absent عنfrom الغُيَّابِthe absent والحُضَّارِand the present
غابوا عن الغُيَّابِ والحُضَّارِ
They found delight in Him, and through longing for His presence
they became lost to the absent and the present.
ناحواthey wailed وماand what was الخَنْساءُal-Khansa فيin تَعديدهاher elegiac recounting
ناحوا وما الخَنْساءُ في تَعديدها
وتَلَهَّفواand yearned in anguish فَتَنَفَّسواso they breathed بأُوارِwith scorching heat
وتَلَهَّفوا فَتَنَفَّسوا بأُوارِ
They wailed—what were al-Khansa's laments beside theirs?
and yearned in anguish, breathing out scorching heat.
عَجَباًwonder لهمْat them فيin اللَّيلِthe night فيin خَلَواتِهِمْtheir solitary retreats
عَجَباً لهمْ في اللَّيلِ في خَلَواتِهِمْ
غَسلواthey washed الثِّيابَthe garments بِمَدمَعٍwith tears مِدْرارِcopiously flowing
غَسلوا الثِّيابَ بِمَدمَعٍ مِدْرارِ
How wondrous they are at night in their solitary retreats!
They washed their garments with copiously flowing tears.
طَلَبواthey sought الحَبيبَthe Beloved بأنفُسٍwith souls قُدْسيَّةٍholy
طَلَبوا الحَبيبَ بأنفُسٍ قُدْسيَّةٍ
مَحْفوظَةِsafeguarded in الإيرادِbringing in والإصدارِand sending forth
مَحْفوظَةِ الإيرادِ والإصدارِ
They sought the Beloved with holy souls,
safeguarded in their bringing in and sending forth.
رَحلواthey journeyed إليهِto Him بوَقتهِمْwith their time وبِصِدْقهِمْand with their sincerity
رَحلوا إليهِ بوَقتهِمْ وبِصِدْقهِمْ
وفَدَواand sacrificed عليهِfor Him طَرائفَthe choicest treasures of الأعْمارِlifetimes
وفَدَوا عليهِ طَرائفَ الأعْمارِ
They journeyed to Him with their time and their sincerity,
and sacrificed for Him the choicest treasures of their lives.
وتَقَيَّدواand bound themselves بِغَرامهِto love of Him فَتَجرَّدواso they stripped themselves
وتَقَيَّدوا بِغَرامهِ فَتَجرَّدوا
عنof كِسْوَةِthe garb of الإقْلالِhaving little والإكْثارِand having much
عن كِسْوَةِ الإقْلالِ والإكْثارِ
They bound themselves to love of Him, and so stripped themselves
of the garb of want and plenty.
إنِّيindeed I أحاولُseek to join رَكْبَهُمْtheir caravan يومَat the time of السُّرىnight travel
إنِّي أحاولُ رَكْبَهُمْ يومَ السُّرى
ليَكونَso that may be فيamong تلكَthose القُفولِreturning caravans مَساريmy course
ليَكونَ في تلكَ القُفولِ مَساري
I strive to join their caravan when they travel by night,
so my course may lie among those returning caravans.
وإذاand when الأمورُaffairs تَقارَبَتْdraw near لأوانِهاto their appointed time
وإذا الأمورُ تَقارَبَتْ لأوانِها
حُلَّتْwere loosened عُرىthe bonds of الأقْدارِfate's decrees بالأقْدارِby fate's decrees
حُلَّتْ عُرى الأقْدارِ بالأقْدارِ
And when affairs draw near their appointed time,
the bonds of fate are loosened by fate.
الحمدُpraise للهِbe to God الكَريمِthe Generous فَنارُهُمْfor their fire
الحمدُ للهِ الكَريمِ فَنارُهُمْ
ناريmy fire ومَدْمَعُهُمْand their tears كَدَمعيlike my tears الجاريflowing
ناري ومَدْمَعُهُمْ كَدَمعي الجاري
Praise be to God, the Generous, for their fire
is my fire, and their tears are like my flowing tears.
ياO ليلَتيmy night والرَّكبُwhile the caravan قَلْقَلَهُhas unsettled it الهَوىlove
يا ليلَتي والرَّكبُ قَلْقَلَهُ الهَوى
لاdo not تَقْصُريgrow short طوليgrow long علىover السُّفَّارِthe travelers
لا تَقْصُري طولي على السُّفَّارِ
O my night, while love has unsettled the caravan,
do not grow short; stretch long over the travelers.
فَعَسىso perhaps الصَّباحُthe morning ليَحمَدَso that may praise القومُthe company السُّرىthe night journey
فَعَسى الصَّباحُ ليَحمَدَ القومُ السُّرى
باللُّطْفِwith gentleness يوصِلُناwill bring us لتلكَto that الدَّارِabode
باللُّطْفِ يوصِلُنا لتلكَ الدَّارِ
Perhaps morning—so the company may praise the night journey—
will gently bring us to that abode.
والغائِبينَby those absent الحاضرينَyet present أليَّةًan oath
والغائِبينَ الحاضرينَ أليَّةً
ضُرِبَتْhave been drawn عليهاover it فيin الهَوىlove أسْتاريmy veils
ضُرِبَتْ عليها في الهَوى أسْتاري
By those absent yet present, I swear an oath,
over which my veils have been drawn in love.
بَعُدواthey have gone far وفيyet in قَلبيmy heart مَحَطُّthe resting place of رَحالِهمْtheir saddles
بَعُدوا وفي قَلبي مَحَطُّ رَحالِهمْ
وعَليهِمُand over them قدindeed عُقِّدَتْhave been fastened أزراريmy buttons
وعَليهِمُ قد عُقِّدَتْ أزراري
They are far away, yet my heart is their saddles' resting place;
and my buttons have been fastened over them.
أنَّيْتُI moaned عنfrom لَهْفٍyearning فَقالَand said عُوَيْذِليmy little reproacher
أنَّيْتُ عن لَهْفٍ فَقالَ عُوَيْذِلي
رِفقاًgently فقدfor indeed أزْعَجْتَنيyou have disturbed me ياO جاريmy neighbor
رِفقاً فقد أزْعَجْتَني يا جاري
I moaned from yearning, and my little reproacher said,
“Gently! You have disturbed me, O my neighbor!”
رَقَّgrew tender العَذولُthe reproacher لأنَّتيat my moaning وتَفَجُّعيand my anguished grief
رَقَّ العَذولُ لأنَّتي وتَفَجُّعي
وبَكىand wept لِحاليat my plight جامدُthe hard الأحْجارِstones
وبَكى لِحالي جامدُ الأحْجارِ
The reproacher grew tender at my moaning and anguish,
and hard stones wept at my plight.
والذَّارِياتُand by those that scatter منfrom العُيونِeyes جَداوِلاًstreams
والذَّارِياتُ من العُيونِ جَداوِلاً
فَيَّاضَةًoverflowing يومَon the day of النَّوىseparation بِبحارِwith seas
فَيَّاضَةً يومَ النَّوى بِبحارِ
By those that scatter streams from eyes,
overflowing with seas on the day of separation,
والمُعْصَراتِand by those that wring out دَماًblood نَقيعاًfresh أحْمَراًred
والمُعْصَراتِ دَماً نَقيعاً أحْمَراً
منfrom مُقْلَتيmy eye وزَفيرِand by the roar of شَبَّةِthe blaze of ناريmy fire
من مُقْلَتي وزَفيرِ شَبَّةِ ناري
and by those that wring out fresh, red blood
from my eye, and by the roar of my blazing fire:
إنِّيindeed I علىremain true to العَهْدِthe covenant القديمِold وحُبُّهُمْand love for them
إنِّي على العَهْدِ القديمِ وحُبُّهُمْ
دينيmy faith وكَعْبَةُand the Kaaba of مُهْجَتيmy soul ومَناريand my beacon
ديني وكَعْبَةُ مُهْجَتي ومَناري
I remain true to the old covenant, and love for them
is my faith, the Kaaba of my soul, and my beacon.
وإذاand when حشرْتُI am gathered بُعَيْدَshortly after موتيmy death فيon غَدٍthe morrow
وإذا حشرْتُ بُعَيْدَ موتي في غَدٍ
حُبِّيmy love لِهاتيكَfor those الوُجوهِfaces شِعاريmy emblem
حُبِّي لِهاتيكَ الوُجوهِ شِعاري
And when I am gathered on the morrow, soon after my death,
my love for those faces will be my emblem.
أنَّىhow أُجانبُcould I shun حُبَّهُمْlove for them وهوwhen it is الَّذيthat which
أنَّى أُجانبُ حُبَّهُمْ وهو الَّذي
أعْدَدْتُهُI have prepared it زاديmy provision لِعُقْبىfor the final outcome of الدَّارِthe abode
أعْدَدْتُهُ زادي لِعُقْبى الدَّارِ
How could I shun love for them, when it is what
I have prepared as my provision for the final abode?
Sol 6.1