عَلىupon ناديthe gathering أحبَّتِناour loved ones الكِرامِthe noble
عَلى نادي أحبَّتِنا الكِرامِ
سلامٌa greeting فيwithin سلامٍa greeting فيwithin سلامِa greeting
سلامٌ في سلامٍ في سلامِ
Upon the gathering of our noble loved ones,
Peace upon peace upon our noble companions,
Greeting upon greeting upon greeting.
Peace from a yearning one who now tells his tale,
سلامٌa greeting منfrom مَشُوقٍa yearning man صارَhas come to يحكيecho
سلامٌ من مَشُوقٍ صارَ يحكي
سلاماًa greeting منfrom مَشوقٍa yearning man مُستَهامِconsumed by love
سلاماً من مَشوقٍ مُستَهامِ
A greeting from a yearning man, now echoing
Peace from a passionate yearner,
A greeting from a yearning man consumed by love.
Whose youth melted away through parting,
أذابتهُmelted him الصبابةُpassionate longing منbecause of رحيلٍa departure
أذابتهُ الصبابةُ من رحيلٍ
تَضمَّنَcontained فيwithin الحَشاthe breast وَهْمَthe illusion المُقامِof staying
تَضمَّنَ في الحَشا وَهْمَ المُقامِ
Longing melted him away because of a departure
And who harbored longing while residing in the valley.
That held within his breast the illusion of staying.
Oh you who quenched our thirst with a draft of sorrow,
ألاah ياO مَنthose who سَقوناgave us to drink صابَbitter sap غَمٍّsorrow
ألا يا مَن سَقونا صابَ غَمٍّ
سقاكمmay he water you ربُّكمyour Lord صَوْبَthe downpour الغَمامِthe clouds
سقاكم ربُّكم صَوْبَ الغَمامِ
Ah, you who gave us sorrow's bitter sap to drink,
May your Lord now quench you with water from the clouds.
May your Lord water you with the clouds' downpour.
The shrine is too far for us to reach, yet we're not deprived,
نأىgrew distant عنَّاfrom us المَزَارُthe place of visiting فماyet not حُرِمناwe were denied
نأى عنَّا المَزَارُ فما حُرِمنا
زيارةَa visit طيفِكمyour phantom تحتَbeneath الظَّلامِthe darkness
زيارةَ طيفِكم تحتَ الظَّلامِ
The place we visited grew distant from us, yet we were not denied
Of visiting your phantom in the darkness.
A visit from your phantom beneath the darkness.
You kept your lifelong pact until your phantom learned
حفِظتمْyou kept عَهدَناour covenant العُمَريَّlifelong حتَّىuntil
حفِظتمْ عَهدَنا العُمَريَّ حتَّى
تَعلَّمlearned طيفُكَمyour phantom حِفظَkeeping الذِمامِpledges
تَعلَّم طيفُكَم حِفظَ الذِمامِ
You kept our lifelong covenant, until
To hold fast to reins that time's passage could not loosen.
Your phantom learned to keep faith.
May God watch over the dear nights that came to us
رَعَىmay he watch over اللهُGod اللُوَيلاتِthe little nights اللوَاتيwhich
رَعَى اللهُ اللُوَيلاتِ اللوَاتي
مَضَيْنَpassed لناfor us كحُلمٍlike a dream فيin مَنامِsleep
مَضَيْنَ لنا كحُلمٍ في مَنامِ
May God watch over those little nights
Like a dream, then vanished before dawn.
That passed for us like a dream in sleep.
We hoped they'd last, but they replied: We'll last
رَجوناwe hoped أنthat تدومَthey would last لناfor us فقالتْand they said
رَجونا أن تدومَ لنا فقالتْ
ندومُwe endure إذاif طَمعْتُمyou aspire فيto الدَّوامِpermanence
ندومُ إذا طَمعْتُم في الدَّوامِ
We hoped they would last for us, and they said:
Only if you cease hoping for permanence.
"We endure if you aspire to permanence."
For every frankincense tear there is a time
لكلِّfor every لُبانةٍdesire زَمَنٌa time نَراهُwe see it
لكلِّ لُبانةٍ زَمَنٌ نَراهُ
يَقودُleads لهاtoward it الرِّجالَmen بلاwithout زِمامِa rein
يَقودُ لها الرِّجالَ بلا زِمامِ
For every desire there is a time that we see
We see it lead men, though they have no halter.
Leading men toward it without a rein.
No chance you lost can be restored to you -
وماand no لكَfor you فُرصةٌopportunity ضاعتwas lost فرُدَّتْand then was restored
وما لكَ فُرصةٌ ضاعت فرُدَّتْ
وكيفَand how يُرَدُّis recalled مُنطلِقُone in flight السِّهامِthe arrows
وكيفَ يُرَدُّ مُنطلِقُ السِّهامِ
And no opportunity lost to you has ever been restored;
How can a loosed arrow be called back?
And how can arrows once loosed be recalled?
Yet affection may grow into faithfulness,
وقدand sometimes يَرقَىrises اللِّفاءُscant provision إلىto وفاءٍabundance
وقد يَرقَى اللِّفاءُ إلى وفاءٍ
كماjust as يَرقَىgrows الهلالُthe crescent moon إلىto التمامِfullness
كما يَرقَى الهلالُ إلى التمامِ
And scant provision may rise to abundance,
As the new moon grows to its fullness.
As the crescent moon grows to fullness.
If the beginnings of every matter are fair,
إذاif حَسنُتَْare good فواتحُthe beginnings كلِّevery أمرٍundertaking
إذا حَسنُتَْ فواتحُ كلِّ أمرٍ
رَجوناwe hope بعدَهاafter them حُسْنَgoodness الخِتامِthe ending
رَجونا بعدَها حُسْنَ الخِتامِ
If the beginnings of every undertaking are good,
We hope their endings will also be fair.
We hope for a good ending thereafter.
Partial English translation: 23 of 24 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1