منwho ليfor me بقلبٍwith a heart أستميحُهْI beg of it
من لي بقلبٍ أستميحُهْ
حبّاًlove فيطربنيso it enraptures me مديحُهْits praise
حبّاً فيطربني مديحُهْ
Who will give me a heart from which I may beg
Who can lend me a heart to which I profess
love, so that its praise may enrapture me?
My love, so that its praise may delight me,
وتعيرنيand lends me ريحwind الصباthe east wind
وتعيرني ريح الصبا
نشراًfragrance ينمreveals إليto me ريحهits scent
نشراً ينم إلي ريحه
And the east wind lends me
And the breeze of morning blows to me
a fragrance whose scent reveals itself to me,
Its fragrance, filling me with joy,
ويهزنيand stirs me طرباًwith rapture كأنas though (continued)
ويهزني طرباً كأن
نَcompletion of 'as though' غبوقهhis evening draught عنديfor me صبوحهhis morning draught
نَ غبوقه عندي صبوحه
and stirs me with rapture, as though
As if its rapture in the early dawn were with me.
his evening draught were, to me, his morning draught,
Longing for the one who wounded my heart
شوقاًin longing لمنfor him who جرحwounded القلوhearts (first fragment)
شوقاً لمن جرح القلو
بcompletion of 'hearts' بعشقهwith love for him وأناand I جريحهhis wounded one
ب بعشقه وأنا جريحه
in longing for him who wounded hearts
With his love, while I remain his wounded one.
with love for him—and I am his wounded one.
Let it go, my reproacher, for I have
دعdesist ياO عذوليmy reproacher إنindeed ليI have
دع يا عذولي إن لي
قلباًa heart يذوبmelts فمنso who يريحهsoothes it
قلباً يذوب فمن يريحه
Desist, O my reproacher, for I have
A heart that melts, so who can comfort it
a heart that melts; who can soothe it
Except the Most High Refuge, the Most Beautiful forever.
إلّاexcept الملاذthe refuge الملتجاthe place of recourse
إلّا الملاذ الملتجا
ومليحهand his lovely one أبداًforever مليحهhis lovely one
ومليحه أبداً مليحه
but the refuge to whom one turns?
O Peter, the exalted and most noble,
And his lovely one is forever his lovely one.
With his vast and spacious dignity.
ياO بطرسPeter الساميlofty الذرىthe summits
يا بطرس السامي الذرى
وجنابهand his precinct رحبٌbroad فسيحهits spacious expanse
وجنابه رحبٌ فسيحه
O Peter, exalted in your heights,
O rock of faith, speak,
whose precinct has a broad expanse!
For who can violate the rock?
ياO صخرةrock الإيمانthe faith قلspeak
يا صخرة الإيمان قل
والصخرand the rock منwho ذاthis one يستبيحهviolates it
والصخر من ذا يستبيحه
O rock of faith, speak—
He illuminated the world with good tidings
and who can violate the rock?
And spread its fragrance throughout the universe.
وأنارَand illumined بالبشرىwith the good news الورىhumankind
وأنارَ بالبشرى الورى
وأجالهاand carried it around فيin الكونthe universe ريحهhis wind
وأجالها في الكون ريحه
And he illumined humankind with the good news,
The Teacher suddenly denied
and his wind carried it through the universe.
And turned back weeping in sadness.
جحدdenied المعلمthe Teacher بغتةًsuddenly
جحد المعلم بغتةً
وارتدand turned back فيin وعيٍawareness ينوحهhe laments him
وارتد في وعيٍ ينوحه
He suddenly denied the Teacher,
So his denial benefited us
and turned back in awareness, lamenting him.
With his evident, exposed weeping.
فأفادناso he benefited us بجحودهthrough his denial
فأفادنا بجحوده
وبنَوحهand through his lamentation الباديmanifest صريحهits candor
وبنَوحه البادي صريحه
Thus he benefited us through his denial
Be not surprised at what transpired,
and through his lamentation, whose candor was plain.
For who can move the rock against its will?
لاdo not تعجبواmarvel مماat what جرىhappened
لا تعجبوا مما جرى
فالصخرُfor the rock مَنwhoever يقوىhas strength يزيحهdislodges it
فالصخرُ مَن يقوى يزيحه
Do not marvel at what happened,
He took the absolute authority,
for whoever has strength can dislodge the rock.
And the truth cannot be obscured or concealed.
أخذreceived الرئاسةthe headship مطلقاًoutright
أخذ الرئاسة مطلقاً
والحقand the truth لاnot يخفىis hidden وضوحهits clarity
والحق لا يخفى وضوحه
He received the headship outright,
The tongues of the world praised him,
and the truth's clarity cannot be hidden.
Adorned by his praise.
مدحتهpraised him ألسنةtongues الورىhumankind
مدحته ألسنة الورى
قدalready زانهاadorned them منهfrom him مديحهhis praise
قد زانها منه مديحه
The tongues of humankind praised him;
From the era of Adam, his mention
the praise he inspired had adorned them.
Was in the first generations until the days of Noah.
منfrom عهدthe time of آدمAdam ذكرهhis mention
من عهد آدم ذكره
فيin البِكرthe firstborn حتىuntil جاءcame نُوحهhis Noah
في البِكر حتى جاء نُوحه
From Adam's time, his mention was
They continued to the point
in the firstborn, until his Noah came.
When the Messiah came among them.
يتسلسلونthey follow in succession لغايةٍtoward a goal
يتسلسلون لغايةٍ
حتىuntil أتىcame فيهاwithin it مسيحهhis Messiah
حتى أتى فيها مسيحه
They followed in succession toward a goal,
His Master gave him authority
until his Messiah came within it.
And the caliphate which he desired.
أعطاهgave him مولاهhis Lord الولاauthority (first fragment)
أعطاه مولاه الولا
يةcompletion of 'authority' والخلافةand the succession تستميحهseeks favors from him
ية والخلافة تستميحه
His Lord gave him authority,
"Here are my keys, and whatever
and the succession seeks favors from him.
You order, I make permissible."
هذيthese مفاتيحيmy keys وماand whatever
هذي مفاتيحي وما
تأمرْyou command بهconcerning it فأناthen I أبيحهpermit it
تأمرْ به فأنا أبيحه
These are my keys, and whatever
You truly guide whomsoever is lost,
you command, I shall permit.
And you are his sincere advisor.
منwhoever ضلstrayed أنتyou هداؤهhis guidance
من ضل أنت هداؤه
حقّاًtruly وأنتand you لهfor him نصيحهhis counselor
حقّاً وأنت له نصيحه
Whoever strays, you are his guide,
I will be among your fortunate caliphs,
truly, and you are his counselor.
And the disobedient one I will remove.
وأكونand I shall be منamong خلفائكyour successors الthe
وأكون من خلفائك ال
سعداءblessed ones والعاصيand the disobedient one أُزيحهI cast him out
سعداء والعاصي أُزيحه
And I shall be among your successors, the
My Master, preserve my obedience
blessed ones, and I shall cast out the disobedient.
In its shade one day when I call out.
مولايmy lord إحفظpreserve طاعتيmy obedience
مولاي إحفظ طاعتي
فيin ظلهhis shade يوماًone day أَصيحهI cry to him
في ظله يوماً أَصيحه
My lord, preserve my obedience;
This is my success, if I obey
beneath his shade, one day I shall cry to him.
Its laws, for I will be successful.
هذاthis نجاحيmy success إنif أطعI obey (continued)
هذا نجاحي إن أطع
تُI (verb ending) رسومهhis precepts فأناthen I نجيحهhis successful one
تُ رسومه فأنا نجيحه
This is my success: if I obey
Blessed is the land one day inhabited,
his precepts, then I am his successful one.
And his tomb was in it.
طوبىblessedness لأرضٍfor a land حلهاhe alighted in it
طوبى لأرضٍ حلها
يوماًone day وكانand was بهاin it ضريحهhis tomb
يوماً وكان بها ضريحه
Blessed is the land where he alighted
Oh, most blessed is his tomb
one day, and where his tomb lay.
I visited, while I am preparing to depart.
ياah حبذاhow splendid منهof his ضريtomb (first fragment)
يا حبذا منه ضري
حٌcompletion of 'tomb' زرتهI visited it وأناand I نزيحهdistant from it
حٌ زرته وأنا نزيحه
Ah, how splendid is his tomb—
In the land of Rome was what I wished,
I visited it, though I am far from it!
And its clarity was evident.
بديارin the lands of روماRome كانwas ماwhat
بديار روما كان ما
أمَّلتهI hoped for it وبهاand in it وضوحهits clarity
أمَّلته وبها وضوحه
In the lands of Rome was what
This is my praise, which does not suffice,
I had hoped for, and there it was clear.
For the one to whom this praise belongs.
هذاthis مديحيmy praise لاnot يفيsuffices
هذا مديحي لا يفي
عنيon my behalf لمنfor the one whom هذاthis مديحهhis praise
عني لمن هذا مديحه
This praise of mine does not do justice
For the sword, no matter how the swordsman waves it,
on my behalf to the one it praises.
Is dazzled by its blade.
فالسيفfor the sword مهماhowever much هزهhe brandishes it الthe
فالسيف مهما هزه ال
سيافexecutioner يبهرهdazzles him صفيحهits blade
سياف يبهره صفيحه
For the sword, however much it is brandished by the
executioner, its blade dazzles him.
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1