يا جَنَّةً قَبلَما حَلَّت بِها قَدَمي

يا جَنَّةً قَبلَما حَلَّت بِها قَدَمي

أَحبَبتُها قِصَّةً وَاِشتَقتُ راويها

أَحبَبتُها قِصَّةً وَاِشتَقتُ راويها

O paradise, before my foot had stepped within it,

Oh paradise, before my foot ever tread upon it,

I loved it as a tale and longed for its teller.

I loved it as a story, and yearned for its narrator.

كانَت لَها صورَةٌ في النَفسِ حائِرَةٌ

كانَت لَها صورَةٌ في النَفسِ حائِرَةٌ

مِثلُ القَصيدَةِ لَم تُنسَج قَوافيها

مِثلُ القَصيدَةِ لَم تُنسَج قَوافيها

An uncertain image of it lived in my soul,

It held a bewildered image within my soul,

Like a poem whose rhymes had not been woven.

Like a poem whose rhymes had not yet been woven.

وَدَدتُ لَو أَنَّها تَمَّت فَيُبصِرُها

وَدَدتُ لَو أَنَّها تَمَّت فَيُبصِرُها

غَيري وَتُسكِرُهُ مِثلي مَعانيها

غَيري وَتُسكِرُهُ مِثلي مَعانيها

I wished it were complete, so that it might be beheld

I wished it were complete, so that others might see it,

By another, whom its meanings would intoxicate as they did me.

And be intoxicated, like me, by its meanings.

وَكَيفَ تَكمُلُ في ذِهني وَلَم أَرَها

وَكَيفَ تَكمُلُ في ذِهني وَلَم أَرَها

وَما لِصورَتِها شَيءٌ يُحاكيها

وَما لِصورَتِها شَيءٌ يُحاكيها

And how could it be complete in my mind when I had not seen it,

But how could it be complete in my mind when I had not seen it,

And nothing existed to resemble its image?

And nothing exists that resembles its image?

وَأَيُّما نَغمَةٍ أَدّى عُذوبَتَا كَلامُ

وَأَيُّما نَغمَةٍ أَدّى عُذوبَتَا كَلامُ

راوٍ وَلا شادٍ يُغَنّيها

راوٍ وَلا شادٍ يُغَنّيها

And what melody's sweetness could be conveyed by the words

And what melody is there—whose sweetness speech conveyed—

Of a narrator, or a singer singing it?

With no narrator nor chanter to sing it?

أَأَنشُقُ العِطرَ لَم أَهبِط خَمائِلَها

أَأَنشُقُ العِطرَ لَم أَهبِط خَمائِلَها

وَأَشرَبُ السِحرَ لَم أَسمَع قَماريها

وَأَشرَبُ السِحرَ لَم أَسمَع قَماريها

Could I breathe the fragrance without descending into its groves,

Do I inhale the perfume though I have not descended into its thickets,

And drink the enchantment without hearing its turtledoves?

And drink in the magic though I have not heard its turtledoves?

وَتَصعَدُ النَفسُ مِنِّيَ لِلسَماءِ وَلا

وَتَصعَدُ النَفسُ مِنِّيَ لِلسَماءِ وَلا

حِبالُ نورٍ تَدَلَّت مِن دَراريها

حِبالُ نورٍ تَدَلَّت مِن دَراريها

And could my soul rise from me to the sky, when no

And my soul ascends to the sky, though no

Cords of light had hung down from its brilliant stars?

Ropes of light have dangled from its shining stars.

كانَت سَعادَةُ نَفسي في تَصَوُّرِها

كانَت سَعادَةُ نَفسي في تَصَوُّرِها

وَالنَفسُ يُسعِدُها وَهمٌ وَيُشقيها

وَالنَفسُ يُسعِدُها وَهمٌ وَيُشقيها

My soul's happiness lay in imagining it;

My soul's happiness lay in imagining it,

And illusion gladdens the soul and makes it miserable.

For the soul is made happy by illusion, and made miserable by it too.

بِالوَهمِتوجَدُ دُنيا لا وُجودَ لَها

بِالوَهمِتوجَدُ دُنيا لا وُجودَ لَها

وَتَنطَوي عَنكَ دُنيا أَنتَ رائيها

وَتَنطَوي عَنكَ دُنيا أَنتَ رائيها

Through illusion, a world with no existence comes into being,

Through illusion, a world is created that has no existence,

And a world you behold folds away from you.

While a world you actually see folds away from you.

فَكَم ظَمِئتُ وَفي روحي جَداوِلُها

فَكَم ظَمِئتُ وَفي روحي جَداوِلُها

وَكَم رُويتُ وَغَيري في سَواقيها

وَكَم رُويتُ وَغَيري في سَواقيها

How often I thirsted, though its streams were in my soul,

How often I thirsted while its streams were in my spirit,

And how often my thirst was quenched while another was in its watercourses.

And how often I was quenched while others were by its rivulets.

قَد كُنتُ مِن قَبلُ مِثلَ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

قَد كُنتُ مِن قَبلُ مِثلَ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

أَقولُ إِنَّ إِلَهَ الكَونِ باريها

أَقولُ إِنَّ إِلَهَ الكَونِ باريها

Once, I was like all other people,

Before this, I was like all other people,

Saying that the God of the universe was its creator,

Saying that the God of the universe is its Creator.

حَتّى نَظَرتُ إِلَيها في جَلالَتِها

حَتّى نَظَرتُ إِلَيها في جَلالَتِها

فَصارَ كُلُّ يَقيني أَنَّهُ فيها

فَصارَ كُلُّ يَقيني أَنَّهُ فيها

Until I gazed upon it in its majesty,

Until I gazed upon it in its majesty,

And all my certainty became that He was within it.

Then all my certainty became that He is within it.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَمالَ الحَقَّ أَدرَكَني

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَمالَ الحَقَّ أَدرَكَني

زُهدٌ بِكُلِّ جَمالٍ كانَ تَمويها

زُهدٌ بِكُلِّ جَمالٍ كانَ تَمويها

When I saw true beauty, I was seized

When I saw true beauty, I was overtaken by

By indifference to every beauty that was mere deception.

An ascetic renunciation of all beauty that was merely counterfeit.

كَأَنَّما الهورُ مَرَّت في شَواطِإِها

كَأَنَّما الهورُ مَرَّت في شَواطِإِها

في لَيلَةٍ طِفلَةٍ رَقَّت حَواشيها

في لَيلَةٍ طِفلَةٍ رَقَّت حَواشيها

As though heavenly maidens had passed along its shores

As if the Houris passed along its shores

On a young night whose fringes had grown tender.

On a tender, youthful night whose edges were soft,

فَفي الرِمالِ سَناءٌ مِن تَضاحُكِها

فَفي الرِمالِ سَناءٌ مِن تَضاحُكِها

وَفي المِياهِ أَريجٌ مِن أَغانيها

وَفي المِياهِ أَريجٌ مِن أَغانيها

So in the sands is radiance from their laughter,

Leaving a brilliance in the sands from their laughter,

And in the waters, fragrance from their songs.

And a fragrance in the waters from their songs.

أَتَيتُها بِشَبابٍ ضاعَ أَكثَرُهُ

أَتَيتُها بِشَبابٍ ضاعَ أَكثَرُهُ

وَغَيَّبَتهُ اللَيالي في مَطاويها

وَغَيَّبَتهُ اللَيالي في مَطاويها

I came to it with a youth mostly lost,

I came to it with a youth mostly lost,

And the nights had hidden it away in their folds.

Hidden away by the nights in their folds.

فَاِستَرجَعَ الحُبَّ قَلبي فَهوَ مُغتَبِطٌ

فَاِستَرجَعَ الحُبَّ قَلبي فَهوَ مُغتَبِطٌ

وَعادَتِ الروحُ خَضراءَ أَمانيها

وَعادَتِ الروحُ خَضراءَ أَمانيها

Then my heart regained love, and it was joyful,

So my heart reclaimed love and is now jubilant,

And my soul's hopes grew green again.

And the spirit returned, its aspirations green again.

سُؤِلتُ ما راقَ نَفسي مِن مَحاسِنِها

سُؤِلتُ ما راقَ نَفسي مِن مَحاسِنِها

فَقُلتُ لِلناسِ باديها وَخافيها

فَقُلتُ لِلناسِ باديها وَخافيها

I was asked which of its beauties had pleased my soul;

I was asked what pleased my soul among its charms,

So I told the people: its visible and its hidden charms.

I told the people: both the visible and the hidden.

وَما حَبَبتُ مِنَ الأَشجارِ قُلتُ لَهُم

وَما حَبَبتُ مِنَ الأَشجارِ قُلتُ لَهُم

إِنّي اِفتَتَنتُ بِكاسيها وَعاريها

إِنّي اِفتَتَنتُ بِكاسيها وَعاريها

And as for which trees I loved, I told them:

And asked what I loved of the trees, I told them:

I am captivated by their clothed and their bare ones.

I was enchanted by the leafy ones and the bare ones alike.

وَما هَوَيتُ مِنَ الأَزهارِ قُلتُ لَهُم

وَما هَوَيتُ مِنَ الأَزهارِ قُلتُ لَهُم

الحُبُّ عِندي لِناميها وَذاويها

الحُبُّ عِندي لِناميها وَذاويها

And as for which flowers I adored, I told them:

And asked what I adored of the flowers, I told them:

My love is for their growing and their withered ones.

My love is for the blooming and the withering alike.

قالوا وَما تَتَمَنّى قُلتُ مُبتَدِراً

قالوا وَما تَتَمَنّى قُلتُ مُبتَدِراً

يا لَيتَني طائِرٌ أَو زَهرَةٌ فيها

يا لَيتَني طائِرٌ أَو زَهرَةٌ فيها

They said, 'And what do you wish for?' I replied at once:

They said, "And what do you wish for?" I said instantly,

'Oh, if only I were a bird or a flower within it!'

"Oh, if only I were a bird or a flower within it."

فَرُبَّ أُنشودَةٍ مِن بُلبُلٍ غَرِدٍ

فَرُبَّ أُنشودَةٍ مِن بُلبُلٍ غَرِدٍ

حَوَت حِكايَةَ حُبٍّ خُفتُ أَحكيها

حَوَت حِكايَةَ حُبٍّ خُفتُ أَحكيها

For many a song from a warbling nightingale

For perhaps a song from a warbling nightingale

Held a tale of love I feared to tell.

Might contain a love story I feared to tell.

وَرُبَّ روحٍ كَروحي في بَنَفسَجَةٍ

وَرُبَّ روحٍ كَروحي في بَنَفسَجَةٍ

وَسنى أَطَلَّت عَلى روحي تُناجيها

وَسنى أَطَلَّت عَلى روحي تُناجيها

And many a soul like mine, in a violet,

And perhaps a soul like mine lies within a violet,

Drowsy, peered out upon my soul, whispering to it.

Drowsy, looking out upon my soul to converse with it.

وَرُبَّ قَطرَةِ ماءٍ لا غِناءَ بِها

وَرُبَّ قَطرَةِ ماءٍ لا غِناءَ بِها

شاهَدتُ مَصرَعَ دُنيا في تَلاشيها

شاهَدتُ مَصرَعَ دُنيا في تَلاشيها

And many a drop of water, of no account—

And perhaps a drop of water, of no apparent worth,

I witnessed a world's death as it vanished.

In its vanishing, I witnessed the death of a world.

كُلُّ الَّذي لاحَ لي في أَرضِها حَسَنٌ

كُلُّ الَّذي لاحَ لي في أَرضِها حَسَنٌ

وَأَحسَنُ الكُلِّ في عَيني أَهاليها

وَأَحسَنُ الكُلِّ في عَيني أَهاليها

All that appeared to me upon its land was beautiful,

Everything that appeared to me in its land is beautiful,

And most beautiful of all in my eyes were its people,

But the most beautiful of all in my eyes are its people.

إِلّا ذَوُّ السِحَنِ السَوداءِ واعَجَباً

إِلّا ذَوُّ السِحَنِ السَوداءِ واعَجَباً

أَجَنَّةٌ وَذُبابٌ في نَواحيها

أَجَنَّةٌ وَذُبابٌ في نَواحيها

Except those with black faces—how strange!

Except for those of gloomy countenances—how strange!

A paradise, yet flies in its precincts?

Can it be paradise, with flies in its corners?

إِنّي لَيَكبُتُ روحي أَن أُلاحِظَهُم

إِنّي لَيَكبُتُ روحي أَن أُلاحِظَهُم

بِمُقلَةٍ أَبصَرَت فيها غَوانيها

بِمُقلَةٍ أَبصَرَت فيها غَوانيها

Indeed, it oppresses my soul to look upon them

It stifles my spirit to even notice them,

With an eye that has beheld its lovely women there.

With an eye that has beheld its beautiful maidens.

دَعِ المَساوِئَ في الدُنيا فَما بَرَحَت

دَعِ المَساوِئَ في الدُنيا فَما بَرَحَت

فيها مَحاسِنُ تُنسينا مَساويها

فيها مَحاسِنُ تُنسينا مَساويها

Leave aside the world's faults, for there have always been

Leave aside the evils in the world, for there remain

Beauties in it that make us forget its flaws.

Virtues within it that make us forget its vices.

كَم حاوَلَ اللَيلُ أَن يَطوي كَواكِبَهُ

كَم حاوَلَ اللَيلُ أَن يَطوي كَواكِبَهُ

فَكانَ يَنشُرُها مِن حَيثُ يَطويها

فَكانَ يَنشُرُها مِن حَيثُ يَطويها

How often the night tried to fold away its stars,

How often the night tried to fold away its stars,

And it would unfold them from the very place it folded them away.

But it would spread them out from where it folded them.

وَاِذكُر أَكارِمَ قَومٍ طابَ عُنصُرُهُم

وَاِذكُر أَكارِمَ قَومٍ طابَ عُنصُرُهُم

وَأَشبَهوا بِسَجاياهُم أَقاحيها

وَأَشبَهوا بِسَجاياهُم أَقاحيها

And remember the noble people of good nature,

And remember noble people whose origin is pure,

And who, in their character, resembled its daisies.

Who resembled, in their nature, its daisies.

بَني بِلادي وَفيكُم مِن خَمائِلِها

بَني بِلادي وَفيكُم مِن خَمائِلِها

جَمالُها وَالتَسامي مِن رَوابيها

جَمالُها وَالتَسامي مِن رَوابيها

Sons of my homeland, you bear from its groves

Children of my land, in you is something of its thickets:

Its beauty, and from its hills, loftiness.

Its beauty, and the loftiness of its hills.

تَسَلَّتِ النَفسُ عَن أَحبابِها بِكُم

تَسَلَّتِ النَفسُ عَن أَحبابِها بِكُم

لَولاكُمُ لَم يَكُن شَيءٌ يُسَلّيها

لَولاكُمُ لَم يَكُن شَيءٌ يُسَلّيها

Through you, my soul was consoled for its loved ones;

My soul found solace from its loved ones through you;

Without you, nothing could have consoled it.

Were it not for you, nothing could have consoled it.

أَكرَمتُموني فَشُكراً غَيرَ مُنقَطِعٍ

أَكرَمتُموني فَشُكراً غَيرَ مُنقَطِعٍ

دَوامُ شُكرِكِ لِلنَعماءِ يُبقيها

دَوامُ شُكرِكِ لِلنَعماءِ يُبقيها

You honored me; my thanks will never cease.

You honored me, so I offer unending thanks,

Your constant gratitude for blessings preserves them.

For the perpetuity of gratitude for blessings preserves them.