حتامَuntil when قلبيmy heart للوصالfor union يميلُinclines
حتامَ قلبي للوصال يميلُ
وعلامَand why سيفُsword الصدّrejection ليagainst me مسلولُdrawn
وعلامَ سيفُ الصدّ لي مسلولُ
How long shall my heart yearn for union?
My heart is ever inclined to union with you,
And why is rejection's sword drawn against me?
Why should the sword of estrangement be unsheathed against me?
حكمdecreed الغرامُpassionate love بلَوعتيto my anguish وتذلليand my submission
حكم الغرامُ بلَوعتي وتذللي
لكto you والتذللand submission للجميلto the beautiful one جميلُbeautiful
لك والتذلل للجميل جميلُ
Love has decreed my anguish and my submission
Love has decreed my distress and humiliation for you,
to you; submission to the beautiful is beautiful.
And to humble oneself for the beautiful is beautiful.
فاعطفso show compassion علىto حبِa lover سقيمٍailing مالهُhe has no
فاعطف على حبِ سقيمٍ مالهُ
ياO بدرُfull moon عنكَin place of you وإنand even if جفوتَyou turned away بديلُsubstitute
يا بدرُ عنكَ وإن جفوتَ بديلُ
So pity an ailing lover who has
So have mercy on the love of a sick man who has none
no substitute for you, O full moon, even if you turn away.
But you, moon, even if you turn from me without replacement.
روحيmy soul عليكَto you جعلتهاI made it موقوفةdevoted
روحي عليكَ جعلتها موقوفة
أبداًforever ودرand pearls مدامعيmy tears مبذولُfreely offered
أبداً ودر مدامعي مبذولُ
I have devoted my soul to you
I have made my soul dependent on you forever,
forever, and the pearls of my tears are freely offered.
And the tears from my eyes flow freely.
والعمرand life منيof mine قدalready تقضيhas passed فيin الهوىlove
والعمر مني قد تقضي في الهوى
والصبرُand patience عيلwas exhausted وليand for me الهيامُlove's frenzy دليلُa guide
والصبرُ عيل ولي الهيامُ دليلُ
And my life has already passed away in love,
And my life passes in passion for you,
and patience is exhausted, while love's frenzy is my guide.
While patience fails me, and longing guides me.
عنيfrom me اقتصرْdesist ياO لائميmy reproacher فيregarding حبهlove for him
عني اقتصرْ يا لائمي في حبه
سفهاًfoolishly فقولfor the words of العارفينَthose who know فضولُneedless talk
سفهاً فقول العارفينَ فضولُ
Leave me be, O you who reproach me for loving him
Leave off blaming me, critic, for my love of him -
foolishly—for the words of those who know are needless.
Foolishness! The words of the wise are redundant.
هيهاتfar from possible أسلوI forget منthe one whom برانيhas wasted me حبهِlove for him
هيهات أسلو من براني حبهِ
كلاno indeed ولاand not لسواهُtoward anyone but him قطever أميلُI incline
كلا ولا لسواهُ قط أميلُ
Far be it that I forget the one whose love has wasted me!
Never will I abandon the love that nourishes me -
No! Never shall I incline toward anyone else.
No! Nor will I ever incline to another.
كيفhow السلوforgetting وحبهُand love for him فرضاًa duty أراI deem
كيف السلو وحبهُ فرضاً أرا
هُit كمدحlike praising منone who منamong شأنهِhis ways التفضيلُbestowing distinction
هُ كمدح من من شأنهِ التفضيلُ
How could I forget, when I deem loving him a duty,
How leave it when I see his love as a duty
like praising one whose way is to bestow distinction?
Like praise of one whose merit is sublime?
بدرfull moon الوفاfidelity حنفيHanafi المعظمrevered قدرهhis stature
بدر الوفا حنفي المعظم قدره
صدرforemost of الأماجدthe noble ناصفNasif المأمولُlooked to with hope
صدر الأماجد ناصف المأمولُ
Hanafi, the full moon of fidelity, whose stature is revered,
The full moon of loyalty, magnified in rank,
Nasif, foremost among the noble, in whom hopes are placed.
Breast of glories, half of hope.
شهمٌnoble-hearted جليلٌeminent فيin الفضائِلِvirtues ماnot لَهُfor him
شهمٌ جليلٌ في الفضائِلِ ما لَهُ
ياO صاحfriend عنfrom سِمةthe mark of الكمالِperfection عدولُdeviation
يا صاح عن سِمة الكمالِ عدولُ
A noble-hearted man, eminent in virtues, who never
A noble hero, peerless in excellence,
strays, my friend, from the mark of perfection.
My friend, deviating not from the badge of perfection!
منwhoever يدّعيclaims جهلاignorantly وجودَthe existence of نظيرهhis equal
من يدّعي جهلا وجودَ نظيره
فيin العالمينِthe two worlds فقولهthen his words تضليلُmisleading
في العالمينِ فقوله تضليلُ
Whoever ignorantly claims that his equal exists
If one claims in ignorance another equal to him
in the two worlds—his words are misleading.
In the two worlds, his words are but delusion.
أوصافهhis qualities الغَرّاradiant تؤيدconfirm أنهُthat he
أوصافه الغَرّا تؤيد أنهُ
متوحدٌpeerless فيin المكرماتِnoble deeds فضيلُvirtuous
متوحدٌ في المكرماتِ فضيلُ
His radiant qualities confirm that he is
His exalted qualities affirm that he
peerless in noble deeds, a virtuous man.
Is uniquely virtuous, a compendium of merits.
فإذاso when أردتُI wish أصوغُI compose مدحpraise of جنابهhis noble person
فإذا أردتُ أصوغُ مدح جنابه
تمليdictate عليّto me صفاتهhis qualities فأقولُand so I say
تملي عليّ صفاته فأقولُ
So when I wish to compose praise of his noble person,
So if I would compose a poem in praise of his station,
his qualities dictate to me, and I say:
Recite to me his attributes, and I will speak.
ذوpossessed of فطنةdiscernment راقتwas pleasing وماضيand the keen edge of فكرهhis thought
ذو فطنة راقت وماضي فكره
بوميضby the flash of برقlightning بلاغةٍeloquence مصقولُpolished
بوميض برق بلاغةٍ مصقولُ
He has delightful discernment, and the keen edge of his thought
Of penetrating wisdom and proven thought,
is polished by the lightning-flash of eloquence.
Like the radiant lightning flash of eloquence refined.
إنif هزbrandished سيفَthe sword of يراعهhis pen بينamong الورىmankind
إن هز سيفَ يراعه بين الورى
فالجهلthen ignorance أكبرُthe mightiest of جيشهits army مخذولُvanquished
فالجهل أكبرُ جيشه مخذولُ
If he brandishes the sword of his pen among mankind,
If he brandishes his sword among mankind,
then ignorance's mightiest host is vanquished.
Then ignorance, his greatest army, will be vanquished.
أوor رامsought إنشاءًprose composition بتحقيقاتهthrough his researches
أو رام إنشاءً بتحقيقاته
يوماًone day فماthen nothing كمقالهlike his discourse مقبولُwell received
يوماً فما كمقاله مقبولُ
Or if he undertakes composition through his researches
Or if he aims one day to establish truths by his reasoning,
one day, nothing is as well received as his discourse.
Then none will equal his words in acceptance.
ياO مصدرَsource of الأمجادِglories ياO منyou who فيin المماthe king-
يا مصدرَ الأمجادِ يا من في المما
لكِ-doms لاnot يضارعrivals ماwhat حواهhe possesses جليلُan eminent man
لكِ لا يضارع ما حواه جليلُ
O source of glories, O you whom, throughout the kingdoms,
O source of glories! O you, whose likes
no eminent man can rival in what you possess.
In loftiness, none within creation can match!
بشريglad tidings برتبةof a rank of سؤددeminence قدalready نلتهاyou have attained it
بشري برتبة سؤدد قد نلتها
بكمالwith the perfection of مجدٍglory لستyou are not عنهfrom it تحُولُdeparting
بكمال مجدٍ لست عنه تحُولُ
Glad tidings of a rank of eminence you have attained,
Give me the glad tidings of a rank you have attained
with consummate glory from which you never turn.
Through perfect majesty, from which you never swerve!
بعدafter الهناءjoy بهاin it غداhe set forth وسناؤهand his radiance
بعد الهناء بها غدا وسناؤه
لاnot يعتريهbefalls it مدىthroughout الزمانtime أفولُsetting
لا يعتريه مدى الزمان أفولُ
After the joy in it, he set forth, and his radiance
After congratulating you on it, your renown
shall know no setting throughout the course of time.
Will remain, unaffected by the passage of time.
والصفوand serenity عمspread everywhere وإنماand only ببعادكمthrough your departure
والصفو عم وإنما ببعادكم
عناfrom us عراناovertook us فيamong الأنامِmankind ذهولُbewilderment
عنا عرانا في الأنامِ ذهولُ
And serenity spread everywhere; only through your departure
It is through your absence from us that we suffer
from us did bewilderment overtake us among mankind.
Perplexity among mankind, bewildered.
فبمنso through whom تسودprevail حقوقُناour rights منfrom بَعدكمafter you
فبمن تسود حقوقُنا من بَعدكم
وبمنand through whom بهاwithin them خيرthe blessings of النجاحsuccess يجولُcirculates
وبمن بها خير النجاح يجولُ
Through whom shall our rights prevail after you?
To whom after you will our rights be entrusted?
And through whom shall the blessings of success course through them?
By whom will success, then, wander about?
تاللهby God إنيindeed I آسفٌgrieving لفراقكمat parting from you
تالله إني آسفٌ لفراقكم
دوماًalways وقلبand the heart of مسرتيmy joy متبولُlove-stricken
دوماً وقلب مسرتي متبولُ
By God, I grieve at parting from you
By God, always I grieve for your departure,
always, and the heart of my joy is stricken with love.
While my heart for joy is crippled.
لكنَّyet حبِّيmy love للترقيfor advancement غالبٌprevailing
لكنَّ حبِّي للترقي غالبٌ
ولذاكand therefore صبريmy patience ياO جليلeminent one جميلُbeautiful
ولذاك صبري يا جليل جميلُ
Yet my love of advancement prevails,
But my love of advancement prevails,
and therefore my patience, O eminent one, is beautiful.
And so my patience, O Great One, is beautiful.
لاmay you not زلتcease فيin رتبthe ranks of السعادةhappiness راقياًascending
لا زلت في رتب السعادة راقياً
عرشthe throne of العلاglory وشعاركand your emblem التبجيلُveneration
عرش العلا وشعارك التبجيلُ
May you ever, in the ranks of happiness, ascend
I still ascend the ranks of happiness,
the throne of glory, with veneration as your emblem,
Scaling the throne of exaltation, beneath your banner.
ماas long as لاحshone بدرٌa full moon أوor ترنمsang كاملKamil
ما لاح بدرٌ أو ترنم كامل
حتامَuntil when قلبيmy heart للوصالِfor union يميلُinclines
حتامَ قلبي للوصالِ يميلُ
so long as a full moon shines or Kamil sings:
No full moon has risen or perfect star
"How long shall my heart yearn for union?"
Unless my heart inclines toward union with you.
Sol 6.1