ياO منyou whom دعوناهwe called him وليسand he does not يجيبanswer
يا من دعوناه وليس يجيب
أقبلcome forward فنادىfor the gathering-place of المكرماتnoble deeds رحيبspacious
أقبل فنادى المكرمات رحيب
O you whom we called, but who do not answer,
O you whom we called but did not answer,
Come, for the gathering-place of noble deeds is spacious.
Come, for the generous ones welcome you kindly,
قسمتwere apportioned علىamong أهلthe people of الخلوصsincerity مواهبٌgifts
قسمت على أهل الخلوص مواهبٌ
وأراكand I see you مالكyou have no فيin الهباتthe gifts نصيبshare
وأراك مالك في الهبات نصيب
Gifts were apportioned among the sincere,
Gifts have been allotted to the sincere people,
And I see that you have no share in those gifts.
Yet I see you have no share of the donations.
ماnot ذاكthat إلاexcept أنthat شربهمtheir draught صفاbecame clear
ما ذاك إلا أن شربهم صفا
لهمfor them وشربكand your draught فيin السلوكthe spiritual journey مشوبtainted
لهم وشربك في السلوك مشوب
That is only because their draught grew clear
That is only because their drink was pure,
For them, while your draught on the path is tainted.
While yours in conduct was mixed.
واهاًalas عليكfor you أتدعىdo you claim أخلاقهمtheir virtues
واهاً عليك أتدعى أخلاقهم
هيهاتfar from it قدindeed صدقواthey were truthful وأنتwhile you كذوبa habitual liar
هيهات قد صدقوا وأنت كذوب
Alas for you! Do you claim to have their virtues?
Woe to you, you claim their morals,
Far from it! They were truthful, while you are a habitual liar.
Far from it! They were truthful and you a liar.
سهرواthey kept vigil ونمتand you slept وفيwhile within الجوانحthe ribs والحشىand the entrails
سهروا ونمت وفي الجوانح والحشى
جمرembers ترىyou see الأكبادthe livers منهfrom it تذوبmelt
جمر ترى الأكباد منه تذوب
They kept vigil and you slept, while within the ribs and entrails
They stayed up while you slept, and in their hearts and breasts
Are embers from which you see the livers melt.
Were embers that melted their livers.
باتواthey spent the night وثغرُwhile the mouth of الدمعtears يبسمsmiles كلماwhenever
باتوا وثغرُ الدمع يبسم كلما
قدindeed طالgrew prolonged منon وجهthe face of الظلامdarkness قطوبa frown
قد طال من وجه الظلام قطوب
They spent the night while the mouth of tears smiled whenever
They spent the night while the tears' mouths smiled whenever
The frown on the face of darkness grew long.
The darkness' cheek grew long.
غسلواthey washed away سوادthe blackness of أديمهits skin بمدامعwith tears
غسلوا سواد أديمه بمدامع
تهمىstream down سحائبthe clouds of وبلهاtheir downpour وتصوبand pour down
تهمى سحائب وبلها وتصوب
They washed away its skin’s blackness with tears,
They washed the blackness of their skins with tears
Whose clouds of torrential rain stream and pour down.
That grieved clouds and moistened and poured.
فأعيدso was transformed ليلهمtheir night نهاراًday مشرقاًradiant
فأعيد ليلهم نهاراً مشرقاً
لماwhen أضاءتshone بالحبيبwith the Beloved قلوبhearts
لما أضاءت بالحبيب قلوب
So their night was turned into radiant day,
So their night was restored to a shining day
When hearts shone with the Beloved.
When their hearts were illuminated by the Beloved.
سلمواthey surrendered فصارتso became حربهمtheir war سلماpeace وكمand how many
سلموا فصارت حربهم سلما وكم
كانتthere had been لهمfor them عندwithin النفوسthe souls حروبُwars
كانت لهم عند النفوس حروبُ
They surrendered, so their war became peace; how many
They surrendered, so their war became peace, and how much
Battles they had faced within their souls!
War they had with souls!
هصرواthey bent down بروضin the garden of الغربthe West أغصانthe boughs of الصفاpurity
هصروا بروض الغرب أغصان الصفا
فسرَتso drifted شمالٌa north wind بالمنىbearing hopes وجنوبand a south wind
فسرَت شمالٌ بالمنى وجنوب
They bent down purity’s boughs in the garden of the West,
They shed with the meadow of the west the branches of purity
So a north wind and a south wind drifted, bearing hopes.
So the north blew with purpose and south.
هلis there فيin البكاءweeping معwith النحيبsobbing مساعدa companion
هل في البكاء مع النحيب مساعد
فيجيبنيso he answers me فيin نوحهhis lament وأجيبand I answer
فيجيبني في نوحه وأجيب
Is there a companion in weeping and sobbing,
Is there, with crying and moaning, any helper
Who will answer me in his lament, as I answer him?
Who will answer me in his weeping as I answer?
أسفاًin sorrow علىover ماwhat قدmay نرىwe see منof غفلةheedlessness
أسفاً على ما قد نرى من غفلة
وسهامwhile the arrows of أسبابthe causes of المنونdeath تُصيبstrike
وسهام أسباب المنون تُصيب
In sorrow over the heedlessness we may see,
Alas for what we see of heedlessness
While the arrows of death’s causes strike.
And arrows of deadly causes that strike!
هلis there رجعةa return أوor أوبةrepentance منfrom قبلbefore أنthat
هل رجعة أو أوبة من قبل أن
يأتيكcomes to you يومa day للحسابfor reckoning عصيبُharrowing
يأتيك يوم للحساب عصيبُ
Is there a return, or repentance, before
Is there any return or repentance before
A harrowing day of reckoning comes upon you?
A difficult day of judgment comes upon you?
كنbe لائذاًseeking refuge بالصالحينin the righteous وجاههمand their standing
كن لائذاً بالصالحين وجاههم
فبهمfor through them ستكشفwill be dispelled فيin المآلthe final outcome خطوبcalamities
فبهم ستكشف في المآل خطوب
Seek refuge in the righteous and their standing,
Seek refuge with the righteous and their prestige
For through them, calamities will be dispelled in the end.
For through them hidden perils will be uncovered in the end.
إنif لمnot تكنyou are منهمof them فحالفهمthen ally with them فقَدfor perhaps
إن لم تكن منهم فحالفهم فقَد
يرعىis protected الحليفthe ally فيخلصso is saved المسلوبthe despoiled one
يرعى الحليف فيخلص المسلوب
If you are not one of them, ally with them, for perhaps
If you are not one of them, then befriend them, for the
The ally is protected, and so the despoiled one is saved.
Ally may protect the despoiled.
لازمهمkeep close to them فعساكso perhaps you will تنشقُbreathe in نفحةa fragrant waft
لازمهم فعساك تنشقُ نفحة
فلنشرfor surely the fragrance of أرواحthe spirits of القلوبhearts هيوبtimid
فلنشر أرواح القلوب هيوب
Stay close to them; perhaps you will breathe in a fragrant waft,
Keep company with them, and may you inhale a breeze
For the fragrance of hearts’ spirits is shy indeed.
To revive the spirits of hearts.
Sol 6.1