ليالي سلمى ترتقي لي وتراقيا

ليالي سلمى ترتقي لي وتراقيا

بروقاً فليلي كالنهار رقى لِيا

بروقاً فليلي كالنهار رقى لِيا

Salma's nights rise toward me and my collarbones,

Salma's nights ascend to me and we ascend together,

in lightning flashes; my night rose for me like day.

With lightnings, so my night is illuminated for me.

ظواهر من سلمى سرتْ لبواطني

ظواهر من سلمى سرتْ لبواطني

فأصبحتُ بالساري أُباري العواليا

فأصبحتُ بالساري أُباري العواليا

Outward manifestations of Salma coursed into my inward depths,

Phenomena from Salma crept into my inner self,

so through the night-traveler I came to rival the lofty ones.

So I became, with the rising of the morning star, calling to the highlands.

وبتُّ وأحشائي تُقَطَّعُ بالهوى

وبتُّ وأحشائي تُقَطَّعُ بالهوى

ومن حُرَقِ الأشواق باتت صَوادِيا

ومن حُرَقِ الأشواق باتت صَوادِيا

And I spent the night, my inward parts torn apart by love,

I spent the night while my insides are cut up with passion,

and from the burning of yearnings they spent it parched.

And from the burning of longing my bedclothes became my companions.

وبت وقلبي من لظاها بجنة

وبت وقلبي من لظاها بجنة

وجنَّةُ ذِكراها تُذَكِّرُ ناسيا

وجنَّةُ ذِكراها تُذَكِّرُ ناسيا

And I spent the night, my heart maddened by her blaze,

I spent the night while my heart is scorched with her traits,

and the paradise of remembering her makes the forgetful remember.

And the paradise of remembering her reminds the forgetful one.

تضوّع منها نَشْرُ بنت غزالة

تضوّع منها نَشْرُ بنت غزالة

إذا الطيف أبدى نشرها والغواليا

إذا الطيف أبدى نشرها والغواليا

From her wafted the fragrance of a gazelle's daughter,

The spreading of the scent of Bint Ghazala blossomed from it,

whenever the apparition revealed her fragrance and rich perfumes.

When the phantom revealed its blossoming and the twisting.

ولو ذُقْتُ فاها قلت هذا معتق

ولو ذُقْتُ فاها قلت هذا معتق

عتيق من التجار للنفس سابيا

عتيق من التجار للنفس سابيا

And if I tasted her mouth, I would say: this is aged wine,

If I tasted her mouth I would say this is a freed

an old vintage from the merchants, taking the soul captive.

Ancient slave for the soul pacing quickly.

لها من ظباء الرمل جِيدٌ ومُقْلَةٌ

لها من ظباء الرمل جِيدٌ ومُقْلَةٌ

وحِقفٌ ثقيل في القيام كما هيا

وحِقفٌ ثقيل في القيام كما هيا

From the gazelles of the sands she has a neck and an eye,

She has from the gazelles of the sand a supple neck and a sway,

and a heavy, curving dune as she stands, just as she is.

And a heavy hind that is burdened while walking like her.

فقلت لِطَيفي إنْ سليمى سرت لنا

فقلت لِطَيفي إنْ سليمى سرت لنا

نَصِيبُ الجزا لاقت وإن أنت لاقيا

نَصِيبُ الجزا لاقت وإن أنت لاقيا

So I said to my apparition: if Sulayma comes to us by night,

So I said to my phantom, if Salima crept to us

she will receive a share of reward, even if you are the one who meets her.

Our share of reward found her even if you did not find her.

فكلّمني رأْداً فقال وكلَّمَتْ

فكلّمني رأْداً فقال وكلَّمَتْ

دُهوراً بلى أي لا سبيل له بيا

دُهوراً بلى أي لا سبيل له بيا

Then it spoke gently to me and said—and she had spoken

So speak to me gently, and it spoke

for ages—yes; that is, he has no way through me.

For ages, yes, but alas no way leads to her.

ولكن تجلَّى من قديم ظهوره

ولكن تجلَّى من قديم ظهوره

فطشتُ ولا أدري سبيلاً إلى ذيا

فطشتُ ولا أدري سبيلاً إلى ذيا

But he revealed himself from the eternity of his manifestation,

However, its ancient manifestation appeared,

so I was bewildered, knowing no way to this.

So I was perplexed and knew no way to anyone.

إذا هي روض للرواتع مرتع

إذا هي روض للرواتع مرتع

وترتاح في الأرواح تتلو المتاليا

وترتاح في الأرواح تتلو المتاليا

Suddenly she was a meadow, a pasture for those who graze,

When she is a meadow for the graceful ones, a pasture,

and she finds solace among spirits, reciting the recited verses.

And rests in the spirits reciting poetry.

رتعت ودوني رَوحٌ ريحان روحه

رتعت ودوني رَوحٌ ريحان روحه

لعل الذي اشتاق يدني بذاتيا

لعل الذي اشتاق يدني بذاتيا

I grazed, and before me was solace, the sweet basil of his spirit,

She grazed while next to me is a soul like a basil plant, its breath

perhaps the one I yearn for will draw my very being near.

Perhaps the one who longed will come near to me.

فقلت جواباً والجواب معمّمٌ

فقلت جواباً والجواب معمّمٌ

دعا نَفْسَ حِبٍّ للحبيب تناجيا

دعا نَفْسَ حِبٍّ للحبيب تناجيا

So I spoke in answer—and the answer embraced all:

So I replied while the reply is ambiguous:

it called a lover's soul to commune with the beloved.

A soul of love called its beloved whispering.

تناجي شكوراً في منامي وَيقْظَتي

تناجي شكوراً في منامي وَيقْظَتي

بعهد وثيق لا يناقض باديا

بعهد وثيق لا يناقض باديا

It communes with the Grateful One in my sleep and waking,

It whispers gratefully in my sleep and my wakefulness

under a firm covenant that does not contradict what is manifest.

With a strong covenant that does not contradict the remote one.

خطابُ ألست الله من نال عنده

خطابُ ألست الله من نال عنده

عنايته نال الجواب جوابيا

عنايته نال الجواب جوابيا

The address, 'Am I not God?'—whoever gained, in his presence,

Doesn't the speech say: the one who gained His care gained a response to his speech?

his favor attained the reply—my reply.

The events altogether already answered before:

أجابت به قبلُ الحوادثُ كلُّها

أجابت به قبلُ الحوادثُ كلُّها

فقامت على ما كان قبلُ وجائيا

فقامت على ما كان قبلُ وجائيا

All created beings had answered with it before,

So it stood on what was before, coming.

and so they stood upon what had been before and what was to come.

So He clothed her with bounty, a gown, and honored her,

فألبَسها فضلاً رداء وعزها

فألبَسها فضلاً رداء وعزها

فعزت وبزَّتْ من سواه محاشيا

فعزت وبزَّتْ من سواه محاشيا

Then, graciously, he clothed them in a mantle and exalted them,

So she was honored and surpassed those other than her.

so they grew mighty and wrested my inward self from all but him.

And He gave the manifestation of the essence sleep out of bounty,

وأعطى تجلِّي الذات نوماً تفضُّلاً

وأعطى تجلِّي الذات نوماً تفضُّلاً

فشاهدته فرداً بجمعي فانيا

فشاهدته فرداً بجمعي فانيا

And graciously he granted the Essence's self-revelation in sleep,

So I saw Him alone with my collected self, vanishing.

so, self-effaced in my union, I witnessed him as One.

So He returned my witnessing in my existence through His bounty,

فردَّ شهودي في وجودي بجوده

فردَّ شهودي في وجودي بجوده

فلا أين أدري لا له مَعْ ولا ليا

فلا أين أدري لا له مَعْ ولا ليا

Then, through his generosity, he restored my witnessing within my existence,

So I do not know where I am, neither for Him nor for me.

so I know no 'where'—no 'with,' for him or for me.

And if it were not for the unseen of the secret and love preventing

ولولا غيوب السر والحب مانع

ولولا غيوب السر والحب مانع

وسر غيوب من حواضر عافيا

وسر غيوب من حواضر عافيا

Were it not for the mystery's unseen depths, with love a barrier,

And the secret of the unseen from the sights being chaste,

and a mystery of unseen realms, fading from things present,

I would say no, no, no, yes, and my reality

لَقُلْتُ فلا لا لا نعم وحقيقتي

لَقُلْتُ فلا لا لا نعم وحقيقتي

شريعة من أحمى بوحيٍ حمائيا

شريعة من أحمى بوحيٍ حمائيا

I would have said: then no, no, no—yes; and my reality

Is a law from the most ardent in inspiration protecting me.

is the law of the one who, by revelation, protected my sanctuaries.

And I am all for You from my ancient and recent past,

وكلِّي لَكُنْ لي من قديمي وحادثي

وكلِّي لَكُنْ لي من قديمي وحادثي

ولست أُنادي غير من لي مناديا

ولست أُنادي غير من لي مناديا

And all of me is surely 'Be!' for me, from my eternal and created being;

And I do not call but the one who calls to me.

and I call upon none but the one who calls to me.

But rather my Lord wanted what I wanted,

ولكنما ربي أراد أرَدْتُهُ

ولكنما ربي أراد أرَدْتُهُ

وعن ذكر ما يخفى صرفت عنانيا

وعن ذكر ما يخفى صرفت عنانيا

But what my Lord willed, I willed,

And I turned away my rein from mentioning what is hidden.

and I turned my reins away from mentioning what is hidden.