ماwhat لهمis with them ياO قبرُgrave قدindeed جدُّواthey hastened انصرافاto depart
ما لهم يا قبرُ قد جدُّوا انصرافا
بعدماafter قدindeed دفنواthey buried فيكin you العفافاchastity
بعدما قد دفنوا فيك العفافا
What ails them, O grave, that they have hastened away,
Why, O grave, have they labored, after burying chastity within you,
after they have buried chastity in you,
To urge from you ashes the high-eyed maidens would covet?
وحثواand they cast handfuls منكَfrom you علىupon عينthe eye العُلىof glory
وحثوا منكَ على عين العُلى
تربةًearth تستافهاthey inhale its scent الحورُthe houris استيافاdeeply inhaling
تربةً تستافها الحورُ استيافا
and cast, from you, upon glory's eye
They shook your soil and patience alike
earth whose scent the houris deeply inhale?
With a hand that clutches yearning hearts.
نفضواthey shook off تربكyour dust والصبرَand patience معاًtogether
نفضوا تربك والصبرَ معاً
عنfrom يدٍa hand تمسكُthat holds أكباداًhearts لهافاgrief-stricken
عن يدٍ تمسكُ أكباداً لهافا
They shook off your dust and patience together
Just yesterday, burdened with passion, they departed.
from a hand clutching grief-stricken hearts.
With what have they returned today, so light?
وردواthey arrived أمسyesterday ثقالاًheavy-laden بالجوىwith anguish
وردوا أمس ثقالاً بالجوى
فبماذاso with what صدرواthey departed اليومtoday خفافاlightly laden
فبماذا صدروا اليوم خفافا
Yesterday they arrived, heavy with anguish;
Have they brought back what they took away
so how did they depart today so lightly laden?
Of trinkets they left behind as keepsakes?
هلdid أعادواthey bring back معهمwith them ماwhat أخذواthey took
هل أعادوا معهم ما أخذوا
منof حشاشاتremnants of life تبقُّوهاthey retained them لهافاin anguish
من حشاشات تبقُّوها لهافا
Did they bring back with them what they had taken
No! He who purified the water with it
of the remnants of life they had kept in anguish?
Since it was his has added it.
لاno ومَنand by Him who قدindeed طهَّرَpurified الماءَwater بهاthrough her
لا ومَن قد طهَّرَ الماءَ بها
مذsince لهاto her مطلقهits unqualified form كانَwas مضافاattributed
مذ لها مطلقه كانَ مضافا
No—by Him who purified water through her,
And she whose soft cloak the live coal donned
since its unqualified form became attributed to her;
Along with her, her immaculate shroud.
والتيand by her who راحَwent forth الحياmodesty ملتحفاًenwrapped
والتي راحَ الحيا ملتحفاً
معهاwith her طاهرَpure برديهاher two mantles التحافاa wrapping
معها طاهرَ برديها التحافا
and by her—modesty went forth enwrapped
Rather, they returned the embers of passion to
beside her, chastely cloaked in her two mantles.
Ribs that have dried upon them.
بلrather أعادواthey brought back جمرةthe ember الوجدِof grief إلىto
بل أعادوا جمرة الوجدِ إلى
أضلعٍribs باتتspent the night عليهاover it تتجافىrecoiling
أضلعٍ باتت عليها تتجافى
Rather, they brought back grief's ember to
The grave concealed the daughter of revelation whose
ribs that lay restless above it all night.
Mention honored exalted minds.
حجبveiled القبرُthe grave ابنةthe daughter الوحيof revelation التيwho
حجب القبرُ ابنة الوحي التي
شرفُthe glory الذكرof the Reminder بعلياهاthrough her lofty rank أنافاrose high
شرفُ الذكر بعلياها أنافا
The grave veiled the daughter of revelation,
Of the chaste, God struck for her
through whose lofty rank the glory of the Reminder rose high.
The tents of inviolability and curtain.
منamong كريماتٍnoble women علىdear to اللهGod لهاfor her
من كريماتٍ على الله لها
ضربHe made العصمةinfallibility خدراًa secluded chamber وسجافاand a curtain
ضرب العصمة خدراً وسجافا
One of the noble women dear to God, for whom
She bore only him who gives drink to all
He made infallibility a secluded chamber and curtain.
The living: honey and limpid wine.
لمdid not تلدshe bear إلاَّexcept الذيthe one who يسقيgives drink كلاboth
لم تلد إلاَّ الذي يسقي كلا
ماتحيwater-drawers سجليهhis two buckets شهداًhoney وذعافاand deadly poison
ماتحي سجليه شهداً وذعافا
She bore only him who gives both
She whose stature never bent
drawers from his two buckets honey and deadly poison.
Over any like her, to bewitch minds.
والتيand she who ماnever مدَّتspread العلياglory علىover
والتي ما مدَّت العليا على
مثلهاher like يوماًever لتخديرfor seclusion طرافاa leather canopy
مثلها يوماً لتخدير طرافا
And she—never has glory spread over
It cried, "Do you know when she was singled out
her like, on any day, a canopy of seclusion.
And the grave filled with clamor and cheers?
صاحَfriend (vocative reading) هلdo تعلمُyou know لمَّاwhen أفردتshe was left alone
صاحَ هل تعلمُ لمَّا أفردت
وامتلىand became filled القبرُthe grave ضجيجاًwith clamor وهتافاand cries
وامتلى القبرُ ضجيجاً وهتافا
Friend, do you know, when she was left alone
Is that the soil they presented to Fatima
and the grave filled with clamor and cries,
Or did the holy world submit to her?"
أبذاكwas it with that التربsoil وارواthey buried فاطماًFatima
أبذاك الترب واروا فاطماً
أمor إليهاto her العالمُthe world القدسيُّsacred وافىcame
أم إليها العالمُ القدسيُّ وافى
did they bury Fatima beneath that soil,
Indeed in it is a legacy of a people
or did the sacred world come to her?
From whose ardors it seized a legacy.
ونعمand yes فيهwithin it توراثlay hidden (uncertain reading) شعبةٌa branch
ونعم فيه توراث شعبةٌ
منfrom حشاهاher womb اختطفتwas snatched منهاfrom her اختطافاa forceful snatching
من حشاها اختطفت منها اختطافا
And yes, within it a branch lay hidden,
Fate took her, but only after
from her womb, forcibly snatched away from her.
It tore the mantle of guidance from her.
ساقهاcarried her away الحتفُdeath ولكنbut بعدماafter
ساقها الحتفُ ولكن بعدما
شقَّtore منfrom صدرthe breast الهُدىof guidance عنهاaway from her الشغافاthe heart's sheath
شقَّ من صدر الهُدى عنها الشغافا
Death carried her away, but only after
Upon her the passion of love once smiled
it tore from guidance's breast the heart's sheath around her.
A tearless blind woman who knows no drought.
وعليهاand for her مسحَwiped الوجدُgrief ضحًىin the forenoon
وعليها مسحَ الوجدُ ضحًى
مقلةًan eye عمياءsightless لاnot تدريknows الجفافاdryness
مقلةً عمياء لا تدري الجفافا
And for her, grief wiped, in the forenoon,
Bereft of the mother of a cub, it became a jungle—
a sightless eye that never knew dryness.
Had the father of cubs passed through, he would have feared.
أوحشتshe left desolate منbereft of أمِّthe mother شبلٍof a lion cub غابةًa thicket
أوحشت من أمِّ شبلٍ غابةً
لوhad بهاthrough it مرَّpassed أبوthe father شبلٍof a lion cub لخافاhe would surely have feared
لو بها مرَّ أبو شبلٍ لخافا
She left a thicket desolate, bereft of a lion-cub's mother,
The Kaaba of rapture, except that it
where, had the cub's father passed, he would have feared.
Was created for the Most High to circumambulate.
كعبةthe Kaaba التخديرof seclusion إلاَّexcept أنَّهاthat she
كعبة التخدير إلاَّ أنَّها
خلقتwas created للملأfor the assembly الأعلىhighest مطافاa place of circumambulation
خلقت للملأ الأعلى مطافا
The Kaaba of seclusion—except that she
The abode of sanctity in which God placed
was created as a place of circumambulation for the highest assembly.
The best of humankind's devotion and probity.
دارُa dwelling قدسٍof holiness أودعَplaced اللهُGod بهاwithin it
دارُ قدسٍ أودعَ اللهُ بها
خيرَthe best أهلof the people الأرضof earth نسكاًin devotion وعفافاand chastity
خيرَ أهل الأرض نسكاً وعفافا
A dwelling of holiness, where God placed
Say to those who aspired to stray from them:
the best of earth's people in devotion and chastity.
"He who seeks to stray from truth goes astray."
قلsay لمنto whoever رامَsought انحرافاًdeviation عنهمaway from them
قل لمن رامَ انحرافاً عنهم
ضلَّhas gone astray منwhoever يبغيseeks عنaway from الحقِّtruth انحرافاdeviation
ضلَّ من يبغي عن الحقِّ انحرافا
Tell whoever sought to turn away from them:
Masters of rectitude, in their Mahdi
Whoever seeks to turn away from truth has gone astray.
God made a requital for misguidance.
سادةٌmasters للرشدof right guidance فيin مهديِّهمtheir Mahdi
سادةٌ للرشد في مهديِّهم
جعلَestablished اللهُGod منagainst الغيِّerror انتصافاredress
جعلَ اللهُ من الغيِّ انتصافا
Masters of right guidance—in their Mahdi
Each of them is a sea of knowledge that surged:
God established redress against error.
So draw from any of them you wish a draught.
كلُّهمall of them أبحرُseas علمٍof knowledge طفحتoverflowed
كلُّهم أبحرُ علمٍ طفحت
فاغترفso draw منfrom أيّهمwhichever of them شئتَyou wish اغترافاa draught
فاغترف من أيّهم شئتَ اغترافا
They are all overflowing seas of knowledge;
In merit they surpassed mankind, drawing
so draw a draught from whichever of them you wish.
Excellence and bygone morals in their wake.
فضلواthey surpassed الخلقَcreation أكفًّاin hands سحباًrain clouds
فضلوا الخلقَ أكفًّا سحباً
رفعَlifted المحلَdrought وأخلاقاًand in character سلافاchoice wine
رفعَ المحلَ وأخلاقاً سلافا
They surpassed creation, with hands like rain clouds
Passion for them intoxicated even foes.
that dispelled drought, and with character like choice wine,
Thus she is the bright-faced one for gentleness and tasting.
أسكرتْintoxicated فيin حبِّهمlove for them حتَّىeven العدىthe foes
أسكرتْ في حبِّهم حتَّى العدى
فهيso it is الصهباءtawny wine لطفاًin delicacy وارتشافاand in sipping
فهي الصهباء لطفاً وارتشافا
which intoxicated even their foes with love for them.
Generous to the guest-lodges,
Thus it is tawny wine, in delicacy and in the sipping.
They slaughter the full moon, not the skinny camel.
كرماءٌgenerous لقِرىfor the hospitality of أضيافهمtheir guests
كرماءٌ لقِرى أضيافهم
ينحرونthey slaughter البدرَthe full moon لاnot البدنَsacrificial camels العجافاlean
ينحرون البدرَ لا البدنَ العجافا
Generous men, who, to feast their guests,
They gave safety in God to those who gave them safety
slaughter the full moon, not lean sacrificial camels.
And frightened those God frightened.
آمنواthey gave safety فيfor the sake of اللهGod مَنwhoever آمنهHe gave him safety
آمنوا في الله مَن آمنه
وأخافواand they frightened منwhoever لهfor Him اللهُGod أخافاmade afraid
وأخافوا من له اللهُ أخافا
They gave safety, for God's sake, to those He made safe,
O wise ones, in you is tenderness
and frightened those whom God frightened for His sake.
In which you muted change and diversion.
ياO ذويpossessors of الحلمforbearance وفيكمand in you رقَّةٌtenderness
يا ذوي الحلم وفيكم رقَّةٌ
فقتمyou excelled فيهاin it حنوًّاin compassion وانعطافاand affection
فقتم فيها حنوًّا وانعطافا
O men of forbearance, within you is a tenderness
It was only the stroke of fate on your patience’s march
in which you excelled in compassion and affection.
That multiplied its violence.
إنَّماonly هزَّتshook قناthe spears صبركمُof your patience
إنَّما هزَّت قنا صبركمُ
نكبةُcalamity الدهرof time فزادتهاso it increased them ثقافاin straightness
نكبةُ الدهر فزادتها ثقافا
The spears of your patience were shaken only by
And over the advance of nights, never once
time's calamity, which made them straighter still.
Did your towering verses complain of creeping.
وعلىand despite زحفthe advance اللياليof the nights لاnever شكتcomplained
وعلى زحف الليالي لا شكت
أبداًever أبياتthe verses (also houses) علياكمof your glory زحافاof metrical contraction
أبداً أبيات علياكم زحافا
And despite the nights' advance, never did
the verses of your glory ever complain of metrical contraction.
Partial English translation: 58 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1