ياO منشدsinger الغيبthe unseen أذكرmention منthe one whom نيهمunclear; likely ‘we yearn’ بهfor him
يا منشد الغيب أذكر من نيهم به
وغنناand sing to us بمثانيةwith repeated strains (uncertain form) لتشجيناto stir our longing
وغننا بمثانية لتشجينا
O singer of the unseen, mention the one we yearn for.
O chanter of the unseen, remember the one whose love fills us
And sing us repeated strains to stir our longing.
And sing us a poem to inspire us
وطيِّبand sweeten الوقتthe time بالحبِّwith love الكريمnoble فقدfor indeed
وطيِّب الوقت بالحبِّ الكريم فقد
متناwe have died وذكرand remembrance حبيبthe beloved القلبthe heart يحييناrevives us
متنا وذكر حبيب القلب يحيينا
And sweeten the time with noble love, for indeed
And make this time sweet with noble love, for
We have died, and remembering the heart’s beloved revives us.
We are dying, and the beloved's memory gives us life
متىwhenever سمعناwe hear معانيthe meanings ذكرهof remembering him ابتهجتrejoiced
متى سمعنا معاني ذكره ابتهجت
أرواحناour spirits وانجلتand were revealed أنوارهhis lights فيناwithin us
أرواحنا وانجلت أنواره فينا
Whenever we hear the meanings of remembering him, joy fills
Whenever we hear the meanings of his remembrance, our souls rejoice
Our spirits, and his lights are revealed within us.
And his lights shine within us
ولاand no سرٌّsecret خفيٌّhidden فيin سرائرناour innermost selves
ولا سرٌّ خفيٌّ في سرائرنا
وطابand became sweet بالسرِّthrough the secret باديناour outward selves وخافيناand our hidden selves
وطاب بالسرِّ بادينا وخافينا
And no secret lies hidden in our innermost selves.
No hidden secret remains in our innermost being
And through the secret, our outward and hidden selves grew sweet.
And the mystery has made our apparent and hidden selves prosper
وصاحand sang out كلُّevery هزارٍnightingale فيin الوجودexistence لناfor us
وصاح كلُّ هزارٍ في الوجود لنا
وانهزَّand swayed كلُّevery قضيبٍbough فيin نواحيناour surroundings
وانهزَّ كلُّ قضيبٍ في نواحينا
And every nightingale in existence sang out for us.
And every being in existence cries out to us
And every bough swayed all around us.
And every rod in our surroundings trembles
ورنَّand rang جلجالbell ملكdominion اللهGod عنout of طربٍrapture
ورنَّ جلجال ملك الله عن طربٍ
وعندand (begins the split word ‘nightingale’) ليبُcompletes the split word ‘nightingale’ العلىthe heights اضحىbecame يغنيناsings to us
وعند ليبُ العلى اضحى يغنينا
And the bell of God’s dominion rang out in rapture.
And the rattle of the angel of God rings out in rapture
And the nightingale of the heights began singing to us.
And the flashes of the Most High have come to sing to us
فهاتso bring ياO منشدsinger الغيبthe unseen الفنونthe varied songs بهabout him
فهات يا منشد الغيب الفنون به
ونادناand call to us ليعمَّso that it may fill النورthe light ناديناour gathering
ونادنا ليعمَّ النور نادينا
So bring, O singer of the unseen, varied songs about him.
So bring, O chanter of the unseen, your diverse arts
And call to us, so light may fill our gathering.
And call us so that the light may fill our caller
وقلand say لذيto the keeper of القهوةthe wine (poetic sense) المسكيَّةmusk-scented ارويهاgive it to drink
وقل لذي القهوة المسكيَّة ارويها
طوائفthe throngs الوجدof ecstasy وابعثهاand send it forth فناجيناin cups
طوائف الوجد وابعثها فناجينا
And tell the keeper of the musk-scented wine: ‘Serve it
And say to the one with musky love: quench us
To the throngs of ecstasy, and send it forth in cups.’
With the passions of ecstasy and send them to console us
وكلَّماand whenever سكنتgrew still آثارthe traces ثورتناof our tumult
وكلَّما سكنت آثار ثورتنا
دمدمthunder ودعand let نارthe fire طورthe Mount الوجدof ecstasy تكويناsear us
دمدم ودع نار طور الوجد تكوينا
And whenever the traces of our tumult grow still,
And whenever the traces of our fervor subside
Thunder, and let the fire of the Mount of ecstasy sear us.
Stoke the fire of the mount of rapture to burn us
ولاand do not تخفfear مللاًweariness مناon our part فنحنfor we بهthrough him
ولا تخف مللاً منا فنحن به
علىupon التمكُّنهsteadfastness (nonstandard form) قدindeed قامتbecame established معانيناour inner meanings
على التمكُّنه قد قامت معانينا
And do not fear that we will tire, for through him
Do not fear any boredom from us, for we
Our inner meanings have become firmly established.
In our steadfastness have built up our meanings through him
فإنfor if فنيناwe vanish وإنand if عشناwe live علىupon نسقٍone consistent course
فإن فنينا وإن عشنا على نسقٍ
لمnot (past negation) ننقلبwe change course قدindeed جعلناwe have made حبَّهlove for him ديناa creed
لم ننقلب قد جعلنا حبَّه دينا
For whether we vanish or live, our course is one;
For though we perish, for we have lived according to his way
We have not changed; we have made love for him our creed.
We will not change, for we have made his love our religion
Sol 6.1