يا صاحب الفهم الجلي

يا صاحب الفهم الجلي

قال ابن سودون علي

قال ابن سودون علي

O possessor of clear understanding,

O you of clear understanding

Ali ibn Sudun said:

Ibn Soudan said to me

قد همتُ في غزاله

قد همتُ في غزاله

بمقلة غزّاله

بمقلة غزّاله

I have become infatuated with a gazelle,

I intended towards its gazelle

with an eye that spins;

With the blink of its gazelle

كريمة في الأصل

كريمة في الأصل

بخيله بالوصل

بخيله بالوصل

noble in origin,

Generous in origin

miserly with union.

Stingy with connection

تعبث بالقلوب

تعبث بالقلوب

بشكلها المحبوب

بشكلها المحبوب

She toys with hearts

Playing with hearts

through her beloved form.

With its beloved form

وافت لجبر كسري

وافت لجبر كسري

بالوصل بعد هجري

بالوصل بعد هجري

She came to mend my brokenness

Fulfilling to the might of Chosroes

with union after my estrangement.

With connection after my abandonment

فَقُمت بعد لثمي

فَقُمت بعد لثمي

لها وطيب لمّي

لها وطيب لمّي

Then I rose, after my kissing

So I stood up after kissing her

of her and my sweet embrace;

And the goodness of my touch

حللتُ باختلاسي

حللتُ باختلاسي

معاقد اللباس

معاقد اللباس

I stealthily untied

I analyzed with my stealth

the fastenings of the clothing.

The knots of clothing

فَخلتُ عقد عشرين

فَخلتُ عقد عشرين

يقدم عقد ستين

يقدم عقد ستين

I imagined a knot of twenty

So I untied twenty knots

preceding a knot of sixty.

Preceding sixty knots

فقلت ماذا النقل

فقلت ماذا النقل

لمَ قدّم الأقلّ

لمَ قدّم الأقلّ

So I said: What is this transposition?

So I said what is the matter

Why was the lesser put first?

Why did the fewer precede?

فقيل يا بليد

فقيل يا بليد

لأنه وَدُود

لأنه وَدُود

The reply came: O dullard,

So it was said O slow-witted one

because it is loving.

Because it is affectionate

وحب ودّ الروح

وحب ودّ الروح

والكل مَن يروح

والكل مَن يروح

And love is the soul's affection,

And the love of spirit is affection

and the whole is whoever departs.

And all is from what fades

والشطر منه حبٌّ

والشطر منه حبٌّ

وكله يُحبّ

وكله يُحبّ

And half of it is love,

And half of it is love

and all of it is loved.

And all of it loves

فهذه المُقدمه

فهذه المُقدمه

قد أوجبت تقدّمه

قد أوجبت تقدّمه

So this premise

So this introduction

has necessitated its precedence.

Necessitated its precedence

وجُملة المؤخر

وجُملة المؤخر

مُلكٌ مع التحرر

مُلكٌ مع التحرر

And the total of the latter

And the totality of the delayed

is mulk ('dominion'), together with freedom.

Is property with liberation

وهو ابتداء موعدي

وهو ابتداء موعدي

ومصدري وموردي

ومصدري وموردي

And it is the beginning of 'my tryst,'

And it is the beginning of my appointment

and of 'my source' and 'my watering place';

And my source and my refuge

لكنه يميل

لكنه يميل

لأنه كليل

لأنه كليل

but it leans,

But it inclines

because it is weary.

Because it is infirm

ومُلكُ طرفيه اجعل

ومُلكُ طرفيه اجعل

حرفاً بحُكم الجُمّل

حرفاً بحُكم الجُمّل

And make the two ends of mulk

And the possession of its sides I made

a letter, by abjad reckoning;

A letter by the judgement of beauty

واضممه للمقدّم

واضممه للمقدّم

ترى اسمه كالعلم

ترى اسمه كالعلم

and join it to the one put first:

And I incorporated it into the preceded

you will see its name, like a banner.

You see its name like a flag

وعكس تصحيف تقي

وعكس تصحيف تقي

مع طرده اسم ما بقي

مع طرده اسم ما بقي

And the reverse of re-dotted taqi ('pious'),

And the inverse of the misspelling of piety

with its forward form, is the name of what remains.

With the expulsion of the name of what remained

نشرت طيّ رمزي

نشرت طيّ رمزي

فانحلّ عقد لُغزي

فانحلّ عقد لُغزي

I have unfolded the folds of my cipher,

I disseminated the folding of my symbol

so the knot of my riddle came undone.

So the knot of the riddle was undone