مُقلةٌan eye لَمnot تَذُقْtaste مِنَbecause of الهَجرseparation غمضاsleep
مُقلةٌ لَم تَذُقْ مِنَ الهَجر غمضا
وفؤادٌand a heart قدindeed عضّهbit it السُقمُsickness عَضّاbiting
وفؤادٌ قد عضّه السُقمُ عَضّا
An eye that, through separation, has tasted no sleep,
A beloved who has not tasted the bitterness of separation,
And a heart that sickness has sorely bitten.
While my heart is afflicted with illness and pain.
كَيفَhow يَشفىheal مِنَfrom الجروحِwounds فُؤاديmy heart
كَيفَ يَشفى مِنَ الجروحِ فُؤادي
وسِهامُand the arrows اللِّحاظِglances سَيفٌa sword وَأَمضىand sharper
وسِهامُ اللِّحاظِ سَيفٌ وَأَمضى
How can my heart heal from its wounds,
How can my heart heal from such wounds,
When the arrows of glances are a sword—and sharper still?
When the glances of her eyes are swords that pierce deeply?
عَجَبيmy wonder مِنat جُفونِهاher eyelids وَهيَthough they are كَسْرىlanguid
عَجَبي مِن جُفونِها وَهيَ كَسْرى
كَيفَhow تَقوىgrow strong بِنَصرِهاthrough their victory وَهيَthough they are مَرضىailing
كَيفَ تَقوى بِنَصرِها وَهيَ مَرضى
I marvel at her eyelids, languid as they are:
I'm amazed at her eyelids, though frail,
How can they grow strong through their victory, though ailing?
How can they gain strength when she is sick?
كَيفَhow أَسلوforget الهوَىlove وَمِنهُand from it وُجوديmy existence
كَيفَ أَسلو الهوَى وَمِنهُ وُجودي
فَأَطرَحُso I cast aside العَذلَreproach عَنكَfrom you وَأَرفضهُand I reject it رَفضاutter rejection
فَأَطرَحُ العَذلَ عَنكَ وَأَرفضهُ رَفضا
How can I forget love, when my being springs from it?
How can I forget passion when my existence depends on it?
So I cast reproach away from you and reject it utterly.
So I will cast off blame from you and reject it completely.
وَحَبيبٌand a beloved أَرادَwished تَقطيعَto cut apart قَلبيmy heart
وَحَبيبٌ أَرادَ تَقطيعَ قَلبي
قُلتُI said دَعْهُleave it وَاِستَبدِلَنْand do take in exchange عَنهُin its place عَرضاgoods
قُلتُ دَعْهُ وَاِستَبدِلَنْ عَنهُ عَرضا
And a beloved wished to cut my heart to pieces;
A lover who wanted to shred my heart,
I said, 'Leave it, and take goods in exchange for it.'
I said leave it be, and replace it with something else.
فَأَبىbut he refused أَنto يَبيعَهsell it ثُمَّthen نادىhe cried out
فَأَبى أَن يَبيعَه ثُمَّ نادى
أَناI مَقصوديmy aim قرضَهa loan of it مِنكَfrom you قَرضاa loan
أَنا مَقصودي قرضَه مِنكَ قَرضا
But he refused to sell it, then cried:
But he refused to sell it, then called out,
'My aim is to borrow it from you—as a loan.'
"My intention is to take it from you piece by piece!"
مُذْsince تَبَدّىhe appeared كَالشَّمسِlike the sun فيin الحُسنِbeauty خلّىhe left
مُذْ تَبَدّى كَالشَّمسِ في الحُسنِ خلّى
بَعضَsome أَهلِpeople of الهَوىlove يُقاتِلُfight بَعضاothers
بَعضَ أَهلِ الهَوى يُقاتِلُ بَعضا
Since he appeared, sunlike in beauty, he has left
Since he appeared beautiful like the rising sun, he left
Some lovers fighting one another.
Some lovers fighting with each other.
مِنهُموamong them مَنthose who غَداbecame جَريحاًwounded وَمِنهمand among them
مِنهُمو مَن غَدا جَريحاً وَمِنهم
غَيرَnot حيٍّalive وَالبَعضُand some قَدindeed رُضَّwere crushed رضّاutter crushing
غَيرَ حيٍّ وَالبَعضُ قَد رُضَّ رضّا
Among them are those who became wounded, and among them
Among them are those who became wounded, and those
Those no longer alive; some have been utterly crushed.
Who died, while some were left satisfied.
قَدindeed جَفانيhe shunned me مِنfor غَيرِno ذَنْبٍfault وَلَكِنbut
قَد جَفاني مِن غَيرِ ذَنْبٍ وَلَكِن
هوَhe سُلطانٌa sovereign كُلَّماwhenever شاءَhe wills أَمضىhe carries it out
هوَ سُلطانٌ كُلَّما شاءَ أَمضى
He has shunned me without any fault of mine, yet
He abandoned me without any fault, but
He is a sovereign: whenever he wills, his will prevails.
He is the ruler, whatever he desires, he executes.
لَهْفَyearning of قَلبيmy heart عَلىfor زَمانِa time of وِصالٍunion
لَهْفَ قَلبي عَلى زَمانِ وِصالٍ
ياO! رَعاهُmay He preserve it الإِلهُGod وَقتاًa time تقضّىthat passed
يا رَعاهُ الإِلهُ وَقتاً تقضّى
How my heart aches for a time of union!
My heart yearns for the days of union,
Ah, may God preserve it—that time now past!
Oh shepherd of God, may such days return!
كُنتُI was لاnot أَرضىI am content أَنto أَكونَbe سَماءًthe sky
كُنتُ لا أَرضى أَن أَكونَ سَماءً
فيهِin it وَاليومand today خِلتَنيyou thought me صِرْتI became أَرضاearth
فيهِ وَاليوم خِلتَني صِرْت أَرضا
I would not settle for being the sky
I would not be satisfied to be the heavens,
In those days; today you would think I had become earth.
In which he is, and today he left me to become the earth.
وَأُرانيand I see myself اِنحَطَطتI have fallen عَنfrom رَفْعِthe elevation of قَدريmy rank
وَأُراني اِنحَطَطت عَن رَفْعِ قَدري
حينَwhen وَلّىturned away الزَّمانُtime عَنِّيfrom me وَأَغضىand averted its eyes
حينَ وَلّى الزَّمانُ عَنِّي وَأَغضى
And I see myself fallen from my exalted rank,
He showed me my prestige has diminished,
When time turned away from me and averted its eyes.
When time turned away from me and abandoned me.
غَيرَexcept أَنthat شَرُفتI gained honor حينَwhen اِمتِداحيmy praise
غَيرَ أَن شَرُفت حينَ اِمتِداحي
مِنof مَديحيmy praise لِنفلِهfor his bounty صارَbecame فَرضاa duty
مِن مَديحي لِنفلِه صارَ فَرضا
Yet I was ennobled when I offered praise;
Except I was ennobled when he praised me,
My praise, in return for his bounty, became a duty:
And his praise of me became an obligation.
لَوذَعِيُّthe keen wit of الزّمانِthe age عِزُّthe glory of المَعاليlofty virtues
لَوذَعِيُّ الزّمانِ عِزُّ المَعالي
أَلمَعِيُّthe brilliant mind of الشآمِal-Sham طولاًin length وَعَرضاand breadth
أَلمَعِيُّ الشآمِ طولاً وَعَرضا
The keen wit of the age, the glory of lofty virtues,
The mighty lion of time, the glory of grandeur,
The brilliant mind of al-Sham, throughout its length and breadth,
The shining moon of Syria in length and width.
عابِدُworshipper of الرَّحمنِthe Merciful الإمامُthe imam الَّذيwho قَدindeed
عابِدُ الرَّحمنِ الإمامُ الَّذي قَد
قَبَضتhas grasped كَفُّهhis hand المَعارفَbranches of knowledge قَبضاa firm grasp
قَبَضت كَفُّه المَعارفَ قَبضا
Abid al-Rahman, the imam whose
The worshipper of the Merciful, the Imam who
Hand has firmly grasped the branches of knowledge.
Took knowledge in his grasp completely.
رُكنُa pillar of عزٍّglory بِهِthrough him جدارُthe wall of المَعاليlofty virtues
رُكنُ عزٍّ بِهِ جدارُ المَعالي
قَدindeed تَقوّىgrew strong لَوif لَمnot يَكُنhe existed لاِنفَضّاit would have crumbled
قَد تَقوّى لَو لَم يَكُن لاِنفَضّا
A pillar of glory, through whom the wall of lofty virtues
A pillar of honour, with him the walls of glory,
Has grown strong; without him it would have crumbled.
Have been strengthened, even if there is no support.
الجَوادُthe generous one السَّبوقُthe front-runner مَنthe one whom لاnot تجاريrival
الجَوادُ السَّبوقُ مَن لا تجاري
هhim كِرامُnoble الجيادِsteeds عَدْواًin running وَرَكضاand galloping
ه كِرامُ الجيادِ عَدْواً وَرَكضا
The generous front-runner: none can rival
The generous, the foremost, none can compete with him,
Him—not even noble steeds—in running or galloping.
The generosity of steeds race him in running.
مَنone whose غَداbecame رَأسُthe principal مالِهِof his wealth حُسنgoodness of فِعلٍconduct
مَن غَدا رَأسُ مالِهِ حُسن فِعلٍ
فَبَداso appeared مِنهُfrom it رِبحُهhis profit حينwhen نضّاit became cash
فَبَدا مِنهُ رِبحُه حين نضّا
He whose capital has become noble conduct,
The one whose capital was good deeds,
And whose profit emerged from it when it became ready cash.
So his profits appeared when it prospered.
نَجلُthe son of شَيخيmy teacher وَسيّديand my master الكزبريّal-Kuzbari الthe
نَجلُ شَيخي وَسيّدي الكزبريّ ال
مُتساميexalted النّقيّthe pure أَصلاًin ancestry وعرضاand honor
مُتسامي النّقيّ أَصلاً وعرضا
The son of my teacher and master, al-Kuzbari, the
The son of my master and chief Al-Kazbari
Exalted one, pure in ancestry and honor.
Sublime, pure in origin and honour.
حازَhe possessed حِلماًforbearance وَهِمّةًand high resolve وَطِباعاًand qualities
حازَ حِلماً وَهِمّةً وَطِباعاً
خُلِقَتwere fashioned مِنfrom أَصلِthe essence of اللّطافَةgentleness مَحضاpurely
خُلِقَت مِن أَصلِ اللّطافَة مَحضا
He possessed forbearance, high resolve, and qualities
He gained wisdom, ambition and manners
Fashioned purely from the essence of gentleness.
Created from the essence of grace completely.
هَلis there لَهُfor him مِنany مُناظرٍdisputant مُستَطيعٍcapable
هَل لَهُ مِن مُناظرٍ مُستَطيعٍ
لِلّذيof what أَبرَمتهbound it firmly كَفَّاهُhis two hands نَقضاunraveling
لِلّذي أَبرَمته كَفَّاهُ نَقضا
Does he have any disputant capable
Does he have any equal capable
Of unraveling what his two hands have firmly bound?
Of undoing what his hands have tied firmly?
حاشَfar be it للَّهِfor God ماnot عَلِمناwe have known وَلَكِنbut
حاشَ للَّهِ ما عَلِمنا وَلَكِن
فَضلُthe bounty of رَبّيmy Lord لِمنfor whomever يَشاءُHe wills ويرضَىand He approves
فَضلُ رَبّي لِمن يَشاءُ ويرضَى
God forbid! We know of none; yet
Far be it from Allah! We do not know, but
My Lord's bounty is for whomever He chooses and favors.
My Lord's bounty is for whom He wills and is pleased with.
دامَmay it endure تُتلىbe recited آياتُverses مَدحيof my praise عَلَيهِto him
دامَ تُتلى آياتُ مَدحي عَلَيهِ
حسَناًbeautiful نظمُهاtheir composition وتُعرَضand be presented عرضاpresentation
حسَناً نظمُها وتُعرَض عرضا
May the verses of my praise always be recited to him,
As long as the verses praising him are recited,
Beautiful in their composition, and duly presented.
Eloquent in composition and ample in presentation,
وَعَلَيهاand toward them لاnever زالَmay he cease يُقبلُhe turns toward فَضلاًas a favor
وَعَلَيها لا زالَ يُقبلُ فَضلاً
غَيرَnot طاوٍfolding مِنof منِّهhis bounty الكَشحَthe flank غضّاwithholding
غَيرَ طاوٍ مِن منِّه الكَشحَ غضّا
And may he always attend to them graciously,
And as long as he continues to accept virtue upon them,
Not turning his flank away to withhold his bounty,
Without tiring of bestowing gifts or withholding.
ماas long as رَقىascended مَدحهُpraise of him نَحوَtoward المَعاليlofty heights
ما رَقى مَدحهُ نَحوَ المَعالي
بِاِبنِwith Ibn فَتحِFath اللَّهِAllah المُهيمِنِthe Guardian أَفضىled onward
بِاِبنِ فَتحِ اللَّهِ المُهيمِنِ أَفضى
As long as praise of him, rising toward lofty heights,
His praise did not rise to the heights of glory,
Leads Ibn Fath Allah—Allah the Guardian—there,
Except through the son of Fathallah, the All-Powerful.
وَتَبدَّتand appeared بِمَدحِهِthrough praise of him تَتَداوىseeking healing
وَتَبدَّت بِمَدحِهِ تَتَداوى
مُقلةٌan eye لَمnot تذقtaste مِنَbecause of الهَجرِseparation غَمضاsleep
مُقلةٌ لَم تذق مِنَ الهَجرِ غَمضا
And through praise of him there appears, seeking healing,
And through his praise they appeared cured,
An eye that, through separation, has tasted no sleep.
A beloved who had not tasted the bitterness of separation.
Sol 6.1