لقدindeed آنthe time has come منfrom أزهارblossoms روضgarden الوفاfidelity القطفplucking
لقد آن من أزهار روض الوفا القطف
ونمّand made itself known لكمto you منfrom نشرِdiffusing fragrance مسكmusk الرضاcontentment عرفُscent
ونمّ لكم من نشرِ مسك الرضا عرفُ
The time has come to pluck blossoms from the garden of fidelity.
The time has come to pluck roses from the garden of loyalty,
And a waft of contentment's fragrant musk has made itself known to you.
And to spread for you the musk-scent of acceptance.
سرتblew للوفاfor fidelity عندىaround me جنوبa south wind وشمالand a north wind
سرت للوفا عندى جنوب وشمال
فهزتso they shook غصونboughs العطفِaffection واتصلand continued unbroken اللطفgrace
فهزت غصون العطفِ واتصل اللطف
The south and north winds of fidelity have blown around me.
North and south, I have set out in loyalty,
So they shook affection's boughs, and grace continued unbroken.
Shaking the branches of kindness, connecting graciousness.
وطافand went round بكاسwith the cup الوصلunion ساقىcupbearer ودادهhis love
وطاف بكاس الوصل ساقى وداده
ودرُّand pearls حبابbubbles الأنسintimacy منfrom فوقهاabove it يطفوfloat
ودرُّ حباب الأنس من فوقها يطفو
And the cupbearer of his love went round with the cup of union.
The cupbearer of affection circulates the chalice of reunion,
And the pearly bubbles of intimacy float upon it.
The pearls of intimacy spill over its brim.
ألاtake heed فاشربواso drink صرفاunmixed ووالواand keep up دؤوبهاunceasing drinking of it
ألا فاشربوا صرفا ووالوا دؤوبها
فبالصرفfor through unmixed wine والتدآبand perseverance ينكشفis unveiled الكشفunveiling
فبالصرف والتدآب ينكشف الكشف
Come, drink it unmixed, and keep drinking it without ceasing.
Drink the pure wine and be constant in your fervor,
For through unmixed wine and perseverance, unveiling is unveiled.
With wine and perseverance all is unveiled.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle صفَتgrow pure أورادallotted draughts شربكyour drinking فيin الهوىlove
إذا ما صفَت أوراد شربك في الهوى
وغيّبand is kept away واشيهاits talebearer وواصلكand unites with you الإلفthe beloved
وغيّب واشيها وواصلك الإلف
When your allotted draughts grow pure in love,
When you have completed the litanies of passion’s drinking,
And its talebearer is kept away, and the beloved unites with you,
Vanishing in ecstasy as intimacy embraces you.
ونادمتand you share a cup with منthe one whom تهوىyou love وأخلصتand are sincere فيin الهوىlove
ونادمت من تهوى وأخلصت في الهوى
فملكthen dominion الوردىunclear; possibly humankind حتماًsurely عليكupon you إذاthen وقفُan endowment
فملك الوردى حتماً عليك إذا وقفُ
And you share a cup with the one you love and are sincere in love,
Communing with the beloved and true in passion,
Then dominion over [humankind?] is surely an endowment for you.
Then the rose-tinted kingdom is surely yours.
توارتhave hidden themselves شموسsuns الكشفunveiling عنfrom أعينeyes الورىhumankind
توارت شموس الكشف عن أعين الورى
ومانعهاand what keeps them عنfrom دركِperceiving أنوارهاtheir lights الضعفُweakness
ومانعها عن دركِ أنوارها الضعفُ
The suns of unveiling have hidden themselves from humankind's eyes,
Visions of unveiling vanish from the eyes of creation,
And weakness keeps those eyes from perceiving their lights.
Veiled by the weakness that hinders their perception.
ودونand before ظهورmanifestation الأمرthe matter سجفa veil غياهبdepths of darkness
ودون ظهور الأمر سجف غياهب
سيظهرwill appear ذاكthat السرsecret إنif رفعis lifted السَجفُthe veil
سيظهر ذاك السر إن رفع السَجفُ
And a veil of deep darkness stands before the matter's manifestation.
Beyond the arising of things, gloom of confusion,
That secret will appear if the veil is lifted.
That mystery appears when confusion lifts.
وجودexistence لهbelonging to it سرّa secret عجيبٌwondrous مغيّبٌhidden
وجود له سرّ عجيبٌ مغيّبٌ
يجلis too sublime خفاءin concealment أنfor يحيطto encompass بهaround it الوصفdescription
يجل خفاء أن يحيط به الوصف
Existence has a wondrous, hidden secret,
Its being has a wondrous, hidden secret,
Too profoundly concealed for description to encompass it.
Too lofty for description to encompass.
أجلlet roam طرفthe gaze أفكارthoughts اعتباركyour contemplation دائماًcontinually
أجل طرف أفكار اعتبارك دائماً
بساحاتthrough the courtyards ربعabode الحبlove إنif ساعدassists الطرفthe eye
بساحات ربع الحب إن ساعد الطرف
Let the gaze of your reflective thoughts roam continually
Lift your thoughts to the horizons of the abode of love,
Through the courtyards of love's abode, if sight will serve.
If your eyes are helped by subtlety of perception.
ففيfor in ساحةcourtyard الأحبابloved ones للقلبfor the heart راحةٌrest
ففي ساحة الأحباب للقلب راحةٌ
وفيand in الخيفal-Khayf إيناسcomfort إذاwhen ذكرis mentioned الخيفُal-Khayf
وفي الخيف إيناس إذا ذكر الخيفُ
For in the courtyard of loved ones the heart finds rest,
In the abode of beloveds, the heart finds repose,
And in al-Khayf lies comfort whenever al-Khayf is mentioned.
Solace in seclusion, if seclusion is recalled.
وعلّلand soothe بوصلthrough union with الطيفthe dream-phantom نفساًa soul عليلةailing
وعلّل بوصل الطيف نفساً عليلة
ومنand who للمعنّىfor the love-tormented one أنthat يساعدهwill help him الطيفُthe dream-phantom
ومن للمعنّى أن يساعده الطيفُ
And soothe an ailing soul through union with the dream-phantom,
Heal a languishing soul with the specter of a phantom,
But who can assure the love-tormented one that the dream-phantom will help him?
If meaning is aided by a phantom’s help.
ألاtake heed فاعزمواso resolve firmly فالأمرfor the matter جدserious مؤكّدٌcertain
ألا فاعزموا فالأمر جد مؤكّدٌ
وجدّواand strive earnestly فإنfor indeed الوقتtime فيin حكمهits judgment سيفa sword
وجدّوا فإن الوقت في حكمه سيف
Come, resolve firmly: the matter is serious and certain.
Resolve and be resolute, for the matter is assured,
And strive earnestly, for time is a sword in its judgment.
And dedicate yourself, for time’s rule is a sword.
فيالهفso alas for نفسٍa soul ضيعتsquandered جدّearnestness عزمهاits resolve
فيالهف نفسٍ ضيعت جدّ عزمها
وأنىand how وهلand can يعنىbe of use (reading uncertain) علىover فائتٍwhat is gone لهفُregret
وأنى وهل يعنى على فائتٍ لهفُ
So alas for a soul that squandered the earnestness of its resolve!
Oh regret of a soul that wasted its firm resolve!
But how? Can regret help with what is gone?
How can what is lost be mourned when it cannot be regained?
Sol 6.1