صحتُI cried out بالكوكبِto the star المنيرradiant عشاءًat nightfall
صحتُ بالكوكبِ المنير عشاءً
ياO نظيرَcounterpart of النورِthe light بدرَfull moon of الصباحِmorning
يا نظيرَ النورِ بدرَ الصباحِ
I cried out to the radiant star at nightfall:
I woke at dawn to the radiant planet,
O counterpart of light, full moon of morning!
O peerless light, O full moon of the morn!
ياO حبيبيmy beloved وهلand is there? عليّupon me إذاif ماever (emphatic)
يا حبيبي وهل عليّ إذا ما
جئتكمI came to you (plural) عنconcerning حقيقةٍa truth منany (emphatic) جناحِblame
جئتكم عن حقيقةٍ من جناحِ
O my beloved, would I incur, if
O my love, have I any fault
I came to you concerning a truth, any blame?
If I come asking about a truth from your wing?
أينwhere سرُّthe secret of الوصالِunion باللهby God قلtell ليto me
أين سرُّ الوصالِ بالله قل لي
منكماfrom you two فيin الطلاقdivorce أوor فيin النكاحِmarriage
منكما في الطلاق أو في النكاحِ
Where is the secret of union? By God, tell me:
Where is the secret of union with God? Tell me,
Between you two—in divorce or in marriage?
Is it in divorce or in marriage?
عملٌan act هلis it? يصحis valid فيin ازدواجpairing
عملٌ هل يصح في ازدواج
أيyes وتهيامand rapturous love بالوجوهِfor the faces الصباحbeautiful
أي وتهيام بالوجوهِ الصباح
Can an act be valid in pairing?
Can a deed be valid in bigamy?
Yes—and in rapturous love for lovely faces.
Or raving deliriously at rosy-cheeked faces?
نكحwedded المغربsunset الصباحdawn فأبدىthen revealed
نكح المغرب الصباح فأبدى
ربّناour Lord عندat ذاكthat نورَthe light of الصّلاحrighteousness
ربّنا عند ذاك نورَ الصّلاح
Sunset wedded dawn, and then
The West married the dawn; thereupon
Our Lord revealed the light of righteousness.
Our Lord revealed the light of righteousness.
فأنارتthen shone أرضthe earth of الوجودِexistence وأبدتand revealed
فأنارت أرض الوجودِ وأبدت
كلَّevery شيءthing مخبأhidden فيin البطاحthe open plains
كلَّ شيء مخبأ في البطاح
Then the earth of existence shone and revealed
It illumined the land of existence and showed
Everything hidden in the open plains.
Everything hidden in the lowlands.
ثمّthen غاباthe two vanished عنfrom الوجودِexistence زماناfor a time
ثمّ غابا عن الوجودِ زمانا
حينwhen حلّتdescended عساكرُthe armies of الاقتراحsuggestion
حين حلّت عساكرُ الاقتراح
Then the two vanished from existence for a time,
Then the two were absent from existence a time
When the armies of suggestion descended.
When the armies of proposal arrived.
وأقاماand the two dwelt بربوةِon the hill of المحوeffacement حتىuntil
وأقاما بربوةِ المحو حتى
ماthat (linking particle) أهلّتappeared أهلةthe crescents of الافتتاحopening
ما أهلّت أهلة الافتتاح
And the two dwelt upon the hill of effacement until
They stayed on the hill of annihilation
The crescent moons of opening appeared.
Until the time came for inauguration.
قيلit was said ياO كوكبانtwo stars هُباarise, you two بخيرwith goodness
قيل يا كوكبان هُبا بخير
كمهبِّlike the blowing of الجنوبِthe south wind بينamong الرياحthe winds
كمهبِّ الجنوبِ بين الرياح
It was said: O two stars, arise with goodness,
It was said, “O two planets, shine with goodness
Like the south wind blowing among the winds.
Like the blowing of the south wind among the winds.”
وانعماand delight, you two بالشهودِin witnessing حالاًin state وعلماًand in knowledge
وانعما بالشهودِ حالاً وعلماً
واسعياand hasten, you two للصلاةِto prayer عندat الرَّواحِevening
واسعيا للصلاةِ عند الرَّواحِ
And delight in witnessing, in state and knowledge,
Delight in witnessing, now and learnedly,
And hasten to prayer at evening.
And strive for prayer at the time of spirits.
ثمthen لماwhen مَنَّbestowed favor الكريمُthe Generous One عليهمupon them
ثم لما مَنَّ الكريمُ عليهم
باتصالِwith the union of الذواتِthe essences بعدafter انتزاحِseparation
باتصالِ الذواتِ بعد انتزاحِ
Then, when the Generous One favored them
Then when the Generous One favored them
With union of essences after separation,
With the union of essences after separation,
قلتI said ليتwould that الإلهGod يشرحexpands صدريmy breast
قلت ليت الإله يشرح صدري
لعلومٍfor kinds of knowledge تُنالُare attained دونwithout تلاحيquarrelling
لعلومٍ تُنالُ دون تلاحي
I said: Would that God would expand my breast
I said, “Would that God expand my breast
For knowledge attained without quarrelling.
For sciences to be got without contention.”
جاءنيcame to me الكوكبُthe star العليُّlofty رسولاًas a messenger
جاءني الكوكبُ العليُّ رسولاً
منfrom حكيمٍwise مهيمنٍwatchful guardian فتَّاحever-opening
من حكيمٍ مهيمنٍ فتَّاح
The lofty star came to me as a messenger
The Supreme Planet came to me as a messenger
From One wise, watchful, ever-opening.
From a Wise One, All-disposing, All-unlocking.
قالhe said ياO سائلَyou who ask الكريمthe Generous One علوماًknowledge
قال يا سائلَ الكريم علوماً
ماnot علىupon عالمٍone who knows بهاabout it منany (emphatic) جُناحblame
ما على عالمٍ بها من جُناح
He said: O you who ask the Generous One for knowledge,
He said, “O asker of the Generous One for sciences
There is no blame upon one who knows it.
That no knower has power over,
إنif تكنyou are تحسنskilled in استماعَlistening to خطابيmy speech
إن تكن تحسن استماعَ خطابي
خُذreceive حباكmay He endow you الإلهGod بالانشراحِwith openness of heart
خُذ حباك الإله بالانشراحِ
If you are skilled at listening to my speech,
If you are good at listening to my discourse,
Receive it—may God grant you openness of heart.
Take the love your God gives with composure.
فعلُthe action of أشباحناour bodily forms علىupon الروحthe spirit يبدوis manifest
فعلُ أشباحنا على الروح يبدو
وكذاand likewise فعلهits action علىupon الأشباحthe bodily forms
وكذا فعله على الأشباح
The action of our bodily forms upon the spirit is manifest,
The deeds of our bodies appear in the spirit
And likewise its action upon the bodily forms.
And so His deed appears in bodies.”
حكمةa wisdom مهَّدprepared الحكيمُthe Wise One ثَراهاits soil
حكمة مهَّد الحكيمُ ثَراها
وبَناand built سقفهاits roof لأمرٍfor a purpose مُتاحordained
وبَنا سقفها لأمرٍ مُتاح
A wisdom whose soil the Wise One prepared,
The Wise One prepared its groundwork, wisdom,
And whose roof He built for an ordained purpose.
And built its ceiling for an accessible thing.
ياO أخيmy brother قمrise ترyou will see حبيبكyour beloved عيناًdirectly
يا أخي قم تر حبيبك عيناً
فاعلاًacting فيin الجسومِthe bodies والأرواحand the spirits
فاعلاً في الجسومِ والأرواح
O my brother, rise and see your beloved directly,
O brother, rise and see your love with an eye
Acting in bodies and spirits.
Acting in bodies and spirits.
Sol 6.1