أَرَأَيْتِhave you seen صَوْغَthe setting of الدُّرِّpearls فِيin العِقْيَانِpure gold
أَرَأَيْتِ صَوْغَ الدُّرِّ فِي العِقْيَانِ
هَذَاthis حَبَابُthe foam of الْبُنِّcoffee فِيin الْفِنْجَانِthe cup
هَذَا حَبَابُ الْبُنِّ فِي الْفِنْجَانِ
Have you seen pearls set in pure gold?
This is coffee foam within the cup:
فَلَكٌa celestial sphere تُمَثِّلُrepresent شَمْسُهُits sun وَنُجُومُهُand its stars
فَلَكٌ تُمَثِّلُ شَمْسُهُ وَنُجُومُهُ
أَفْلاكَنَاour celestial spheres فِيin السَّيْرِmotion وَالدَّوَرَانِand rotation
أَفْلاكَنَا فِي السَّيْرِ وَالدَّوَرَانِ
A celestial sphere whose sun and stars mirror
Our heavens in their motion and rotation.
لَيْلَىLayla أَجِيلِيturn الطَّرْفَthe gaze فِيهِwithin it تَنْظُرِيyou will see
لَيْلَى أَجِيلِي الطَّرْفَ فِيهِ تَنْظُرِي
سِرَّthe secret of الْكِيَانِexistence وَآيَةًand a marvel الأَزْمَانِthe ages
سِرَّ الْكِيَانِ وَآيَةً الأَزْمَانِ
Layla, turn your gaze within it, and you will see
The secret of existence and a marvel of the ages.
تَجِدِيyou will find سَمَاوَاتٍheavens وَسِعْنَhave encompassed عَوَالِماًworlds
تَجِدِي سَمَاوَاتٍ وَسِعْنَ عَوَالِماً
فَتَّانَةَenchanting الإِبْدَالِtransformation وَالإِتْقَانِand perfection
فَتَّانَةَ الإِبْدَالِ وَالإِتْقَانِ
You will find heavens encompassing worlds,
Enchanting in their transformations and perfection,
مَنْثُورَةَscattered الأَفْرَادِthe individual members مَنْظُومَةًstrung together
مَنْثُورَةَ الأَفْرَادِ مَنْظُومَةً
جَمْعاًcollectively بِمَاby what لاnot تُدْرِكُperceive الْعَيْنَانِthe two eyes
جَمْعاً بِمَا لا تُدْرِكُ الْعَيْنَانِ
Their members scattered, yet strung
Together by what the two eyes cannot perceive;
سَيَّارَةًwandering بَيْنَamong الجِهَاتِthe directions حَوَائِراًbewildered
سَيَّارَةً بَيْنَ الجِهَاتِ حَوَائِراً
مُرْتَادَةًexploring فِيin البَحْثِthe search كُلَّevery مَكَانِplace
مُرْتَادَةً فِي البَحْثِ كُلَّ مَكَانِ
Roaming from one direction to another, bewildered,
Exploring every place in their search.
كُلٌّeach يَصِيرُmoves إِلَىtoward حَبِيبٍa beloved مُرْتَجًىhoped for
كُلٌّ يَصِيرُ إِلَى حَبِيبٍ مُرْتَجًى
حَتَّىuntil يُدَانِيَهُdraws near to it فَيَلْتَصِقَانِand the two cling together
حَتَّى يُدَانِيَهُ فَيَلْتَصِقَانِ
Each moves toward a hoped-for beloved,
Until it nears that beloved, and the two cling together;
فَيَذُوبَthen melts كُلٌّeach مِنْهُمَاof the two فِيinto صِنْوِهِits twin
فَيَذُوبَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا فِي صِنْوِهِ
وَكَذَاكَand thus يَحْيَاlive بِالْهَوَىthrough love الصِّنْوَانِthe two kindred ones
وَكَذَاكَ يَحْيَا بِالْهَوَى الصِّنْوَانِ
Then each of the two melts into its twin,
And thus the two kindred ones live through love.
جِسْمَانِtwo bodies يَغْتَدِيَانِbecome جِسْماًa body وَاحِداًone
جِسْمَانِ يَغْتَدِيَانِ جِسْماً وَاحِداً
كَتَوحُّدِlike the uniting of الحَبَبَيْنِthe two bubbles يَقْتَرِنَانِthe two unite
كَتَوحُّدِ الحَبَبَيْنِ يَقْتَرِنَانِ
Two bodies become a single body,
Like two bubbles becoming one as they unite.
رُوحَانِtwo souls تَمْتَزِجَانِmingle حَتَّىuntil تُصْبِحَاthey both become
رُوحَانِ تَمْتَزِجَانِ حَتَّى تُصْبِحَا
شِبْهَlike الصَّبَاthe east wind وَالطِّيبِand perfume يَمْتَزِجَانِthe two mingle
شِبْهَ الصَّبَا وَالطِّيبِ يَمْتَزِجَانِ
Two souls mingle until they become
Like the east wind and perfume mingling.
تِلْكَthat الْحَيَاةُlife عَتِيدُهَاits present state وَمَصِيرُهَاand its destiny
تِلْكَ الْحَيَاةُ عَتِيدُهَا وَمَصِيرُهَا
حَتَّىuntil يَكُونَbecomes الحُبُّlove آخِرَthe last فَانِيto perish
حَتَّى يَكُونَ الحُبُّ آخِرَ فَانِي
Such is life—its present state and its destiny—
Until love is the last to perish,
إِذْwhen تُنْثَرُare scattered الشُّهُبُthe meteors المُنِيرَةُshining مِثْلَمَاjust as
إِذْ تُنْثَرُ الشُّهُبُ المُنِيرَةُ مِثْلَمَا
تَنْهَلُّpour down أَدْمُعُthe tears of عَاشِقٍa lover وَلْهَانِdistraught with love
تَنْهَلُّ أَدْمُعُ عَاشِقٍ وَلْهَانِ
When the shining meteors are scattered, just as
The tears of a lover distraught with love pour down;
وَتَذُوبُand melt فِيin لَهَبِthe flames of الشُّمُوسِthe suns هَوَانِئاًblissful
وَتَذُوبُ فِي لَهَبِ الشُّمُوسِ هَوَانِئاً
وَبِهَاand through them الشُّمُوسُthe suns تَذُوبُmelt وَهْيَand they are هَوَانِيblissful
وَبِهَا الشُّمُوسُ تَذُوبُ وَهْيَ هَوَانِي
And melt blissfully in the suns' flames,
And through them the suns melt, blissful too;
وَيَكُونُand will be يَوْمَئِذٍon that day شِفَاءُthe quenching of غَلِيلِهَاtheir burning thirst
وَيَكُونُ يَوْمَئِذٍ شِفَاءُ غَلِيلِهَا
وَمَتَاعُهَاand their pleasure وَفَنَاؤُهَاand their extinction فِيin آنِone instant
وَمَتَاعُهَا وَفَنَاؤُهَا فِي آنِ
And on that day the quenching of their burning thirst,
Their pleasure and their extinction will come in the same instant.
قَالَتْshe said أَذَاكَis that مَصِيرُنَاour destiny فَأَجَبْتُهَاso I answered her
قَالَتْ أَذَاكَ مَصِيرُنَا فَأَجَبْتُهَا
أَلسَّعْدُhappiness آخِرُthe end of شِقْوَةِthe misery of الإِنْسَانِhumankind
أَلسَّعْدُ آخِرُ شِقْوَةِ الإِنْسَانِ
She said, "Is that our destiny?" I answered her:
Happiness is the end of human misery.
وَهُوَand it is الْحَيَاةُlife نَعِيشُهَاwe live it فِيin لَحْظَةٍa moment
وَهُوَ الْحَيَاةُ نَعِيشُهَا فِي لَحْظَةٍ
مَجْمُوعَةَgathered together الأَفْرَاحِthe joys وَالأَحْزَانِand the sorrows
مَجْمُوعَةَ الأَفْرَاحِ وَالأَحْزَانِ
And it is life, which we live in a single moment,
With all its joys and sorrows gathered together.
عُودِيreturn إِلَىto الفِنْجَانِthe cup أَيْنَwhere شُمُوسُهُits suns
عُودِي إِلَى الفِنْجَانِ أَيْنَ شُمُوسُهُ
وَالطَّائِفَاتُand those circling بِهَاaround them مِنَamong الأَكْوَانِthe worlds
وَالطَّائِفَاتُ بِهَا مِنَ الأَكْوَانِ
Return to the cup: where are its suns
And the worlds that circle them?
عَاشَتْthey lived عَلَىin شَوْقٍlonging فَلَمَّاand when أَدْرَكَتْthey attained
عَاشَتْ عَلَى شَوْقٍ فَلَمَّا أَدْرَكَتْ
أَوْطَارَهَاtheir desires مِنْfor مُلْتَقًىmeeting وَقِرَانِand union
أَوْطَارَهَا مِنْ مُلْتَقًى وَقِرَانِ
They lived in longing, and when they attained
Their desires for meeting and union,
زَالَتْthey vanished وَمَاand not أَبْقَىleft behind الْهَوَىlove مِنْهَاof them سِوَىexcept
زَالَتْ وَمَا أَبْقَى الْهَوَى مِنْهَا سِوَى
عِطْرٍa fragrance يَضُوعُwafts هُنَيْهَةًfor a brief moment وَدُخَانِand smoke
عِطْرٍ يَضُوعُ هُنَيْهَةً وَدُخَانِ
They vanished, and love left nothing of them but
A fragrance wafting for a moment, and smoke.
Sol 6.1