أسعفيaid me ياO ذاتEssence ربّيmy Lord بالمُنىwith wishes fulfilled
أسعفي يا ذات ربّي بالمُنى
وارأفيand have compassion بالعبدon the servant قدindeed طالhas lasted long العناsuffering
وارأفي بالعبد قد طال العنا
Come to my aid, O Essence of my Lord, with wishes fulfilled.
Grant me, my Lord, the wishes that I yearn
And pity the servant; long has his suffering lasted.
And have mercy on this slave whose sorrows burn
بَعِّديsend far away بُعديmy distance وقرْبيand my nearness قرِّبيbring close
بَعِّدي بُعدي وقرْبي قرِّبي
وصليjoin شربيmy drinking ونهليand my first draught علّناour repeated draught
وصلي شربي ونهلي علّنا
Send my distance far away, and bring my nearness closer.
Make distant my remoteness, bring me near
Join my drinking and my first draught to our draught renewed.
Quench my thirst and give me water clear
توّجينيcrown me تاجa crown عزٍّof honor ورضاand favor
توّجيني تاج عزٍّ ورضا
وامنحينيand grant me ثوبa robe فخرٍof glory وغنىand abundance
وامنحيني ثوب فخرٍ وغنى
Crown me with a crown of honor and favor.
Crown me with honor and acceptance fine
And grant me a robe of glory and abundance.
And grant me glory's dress and wealth divine
ثبّتيmake firm أقدامthe feet of إقداميmy bold advance علىupon
ثبّتي أقدام إقدامي على
حضرةthe presence of القربnearness ثبوتاًsteadfastness حسناgoodly
حضرة القرب ثبوتاً حسنا
Make firm the feet of my bold advance in
Make firm my steps towards Your presence bright
The presence of nearness, with a goodly steadfastness.
With steadfastness that fills my soul with light
جمّلينيbeautify me حمّلينيmake me bear سرّهHis secret
جمّليني حمّليني سرّه
أترفينيgive me luxurious ease عرّفينيteach me منwho أناI am
أترفيني عرّفيني من أنا
Beautify me; make me bear His secret.
Adorn me, load me with Your mystery
Grant me lavish ease; teach me who I am.
Acquaint me with myself, let me see
حكّمينيgive me authority أشتفيI recover منfrom علّتيmy ailment
حكّميني أشتفي من علّتي
واسمحيand allow ليto me بسرورٍwith joy وهناand bliss
واسمحي لي بسرورٍ وهنا
Give me authority, that I may recover from my ailment.
Govern me, heal me of my ills within
And grant me joy and bliss.
And allow me joy and bliss to win
خيّرينيlet me choose حيّرينيbewilder me سكرةًa spell of intoxication
خيّريني حيّريني سكرةً
خبّرينيtell me بالّذيabout the one who منّيto me دناdrew near
خبّريني بالّذي منّي دنا
Let me choose; bewilder me with a spell of intoxication.
Give me good choices that will guide my way
Tell me of the one who has drawn near to me.
And tell me who is coming me to sway
داوميmaintain العودthe return وداوينيand heal me بهthrough it
داومي العود وداويني به
واجعلينيand make me للحمىtoward the sanctuary لاويturning العناthe reins (apparently shortened)
واجعليني للحمى لاوي العنا
Keep up the return, and heal me through it.
Play on Your lute and heal me with its song
And make me turn the reins toward the sanctuary.
Make me withstand fever's harm lifelong
ذهّبينيgild me ذوّدينيprotect me كرماًgenerously
ذهّبيني ذوّديني كرماً
دلّلينيpamper me ذلّلينيhumble me شجناsorrow
دلّليني ذلّليني شجنا
Gild me; protect me generously.
Take me with generosity and grace
Pamper me; humble me through sorrow.
Guide me, make smooth for me this place
روّحيrefresh روحيmy spirit براحٍقدّستwith wine made holy
روّحي روحي براحٍقدّست
منfrom قديمٍof old فيin قنانيthe flasks of شربناour drinking
من قديمٍ في قناني شربنا
Refresh my spirit with wine sanctified
Immerse my soul in sacred ecstasy
From of old in the flasks of our drinking.
That in my heart of old we used to see
زوّدينيprovision me زوّدينيprovision me نظرةًa glance
زوّديني زوّديني نظرةً
أرتقيI ascend دوماًalways بهاthrough it فيin سيرناour journey
أرتقي دوماً بها في سيرنا
Provision me, provision me with a glance,
Provide me with a gaze that climbs always
That I may always ascend through it on our journey.
On our ascent through all our nights and days
سلّمينيkeep me safe سلّمينيhand me سلّماًa ladder
سلّميني سلّميني سلّماً
ياO سليميmy Salim فيin معاليthe heights of قربناour nearness
يا سليمي في معالي قربنا
Keep me safe; hand me a ladder,
Lead me safely up Your ladder tall
O my Salim, in the heights of our nearness.
My Peace, towards where we rise above all
شعّبيmake branch نورthe light of شهوديmy witnessing فيwithin الحشاthe heart's depths
شعّبي نور شهودي في الحشا
صدّرينيplace me foremost فيin دواوينthe registers of المناdesires
صدّريني في دواوين المنا
Make the light of my witnessing branch within my heart.
Expand my witnessing in empty space
Place me foremost in the registers of desire.
Make me a work of wonder and grace
صوّمينيmake me fast عنfrom شهوديmy witnessing للسوىof what is other than God
صوّميني عن شهودي للسوى
واشعليand kindle فيwithin السرّthe inner secret نيرانthe fires of السناradiance
واشعلي في السرّ نيران السنا
Make me fast from witnessing anything other than God.
Fast me from witnessing all else but You
And kindle in the inner secret the fires of radiance.
And kindle love's fire in my heart anew
ضرّعيhumble نشرthe wafting of شذاthe scent of عرفthe perfume of الحمىthe sanctuary
ضرّعي نشر شذا عرف الحمى
عطّريperfume نفحthe breeze of زواياthe corners of وِردناour litany
عطّري نفح زوايا وِردنا
Humble the wafting scent of the sanctuary's perfume.
Spread wide the rose's scent of fever's flame
Perfume the breeze in the corners of our litany.
And fill our garden's corners with its game
طهّرينيpurify me فيin بحارthe seas of الغيبthe unseen منfrom
طهّريني في بحار الغيب من
كلّevery عيبٍfault مؤذنٍportending فيin حجبناour veiling
كلّ عيبٍ مؤذنٍ في حجبنا
Purify me in the seas of the unseen from
Purify me in the unseen's oceans wide
Every fault that portends our veiling.
From every fault that hides me from Your side
ظلّلينيshade me بظلالwith the shades of القربnearness فيin
ظلّليني بظلال القرب في
روضa garden of أنسٍintimacy قطفهits harvest حلوُsweet الجنىthe gathered fruit
روض أنسٍ قطفه حلوُ الجنى
Shade me with the shades of nearness in
Give me shade in Your nearness, in the grove
A garden of intimacy whose gathered fruit is sweet.
Where sweetest fruit is plucked by hands of love
علّمينيteach me علمthe knowledge of ذوقtasting الفيضthe outpouring لاnot
علّميني علم ذوق الفيض لا
علمknowledge of رسمٍoutward form خالياًdevoid منof ذوقناour tasting
علم رسمٍ خالياً من ذوقنا
Teach me the knowledge of tasting the outpouring, not
Teach me not knowledge of form's empty ways
Knowledge of outward form, devoid of our tasting.
But taste of grace beyond all thought and praise
غيّبينيmake me vanish فيin تجلّيthe revelation of الذاتthe Essence كيso that
غيّبيني في تجلّي الذات كي
لاnot أرىI see أنّيthat I am وأدريand I know منwho أناI am
لا أرى أنّي وأدري من أنا
Make me vanish in the Essence's revelation, so that
Hide me in revelation of Your Being
I may not behold my own existence, yet know who I am.
That I see not myself, all thought fleeing
فرّقيdisperse فرقانthe distinctions of فرقيmy separation واجمعيand unite
فرّقي فرقان فرقي واجمعي
جمعthe union of جمعيmy union فيin بقاءٍsubsistence وفَناand annihilation
جمع جمعي في بقاءٍ وفَنا
Disperse the distinctions of my separation, and unite
Distinguish, unite my dispersion, my separation
The union of my union, in subsistence and annihilation.
In lasting being, in annihilation
قدّمينيbring me forward فيamong مجاليthe manifestations of الحيّthe Living One كيso that
قدّميني في مجالي الحيّ كي
أسمعI hear الغاداتthe maidens تشدوwarble بالغِناin song
أسمع الغادات تشدو بالغِنا
Bring me forward among the manifestations of the Living One, that
Bring me to fields where the Eternal sings
I may hear the maidens warbling in song.
That I may hear the song Her presence brings
كحّلينيanoint me with kohl بجلاwith the brightening of عينthe eye of الحشاthe heart
كحّليني بجلا عين الحشا
كمّلينيperfect me بِحُلَىwith the ornaments of رضوانناour contentment
كمّليني بِحُلَى رضواننا
Anoint me with kohl to brighten the eye of the heart.
Line my eyes with the collyrium of vision
Perfect me with the ornaments of our contentment.
And perfect me with gifts of Your provision
لبّسينيclothe me in خلعةthe robe of honor of الصدقtruthfulness الّتيwhich
لبّسيني خلعة الصدق الّتي
منfrom غيوبthe unseen mysteries of الفيضthe outpouring أضحتhas become مِنناbounties
من غيوب الفيض أضحت مِننا
Clothe me in the robe of truthfulness that
Dress me in the cloak of truth, a wonder
Has become a bounty from the unseen mysteries of the outpouring.
That comes to us from Your treasure under
ملّكيgive possession to الصبّthe lovesick lover مقاليدthe keys of الحمىthe sanctuary
ملّكي الصبّ مقاليد الحمى
فبهand through it يغدوit becomes لكلّيfor my whole being موطناa home
فبه يغدو لكلّي موطنا
Give the lovesick lover the keys of the sanctuary,
Give me dominion, make me wise and great
And thereby it becomes a home for my whole being.
That for all, my heart may be soul's estate
نادمينيbe my drinking companion بحديثwith talk of السرّthe secret فيwithin
نادميني بحديث السرّ في
سرّthe secret of سرّيmy secret وانعشينيand revive me منfrom ضنىwasting illness
سرّ سرّي وانعشيني من ضنى
Be my drinking companion, speaking of the secret within
Remind me with Your secret words, for in
The secret of my secret, and revive me from wasting illness.
Your hidden mystery make me dwell within
هيّمينيdrive me mad with love عندماwhen الشاديthe singer غداhas begun
هيّميني عندما الشادي غدا
يطربdelights الركبَthe caravan الحجازيHijazi معلناproclaiming aloud
يطرب الركبَ الحجازي معلنا
Drive me mad with love when the singer begins
When the beloved comes, make my soul dance and sing
To delight the Hijazi caravan, singing aloud.
And bring down to this earth my every longing
وأناديand I call to النفسthe soul طيبيrejoice واشطحيand speak ecstatically
وأنادي النفس طيبي واشطحي
وانزليand alight هذيthese أمانيكyour wishes هناhere
وانزلي هذي أمانيك هنا
And I call to the soul: rejoice and speak in ecstasy,
O my soul, redeem that one to whom
And alight—these wishes of yours are here.
By the sapling we have pledged love's kingdom
ياOh بروحيwith my soul افتديI ransom ذاكthat البهاsplendor
يا بروحي افتدي ذاك البها
حيثsince أضحىhas come to be منهfrom it بالصبّfor the lovesick lover اعتِناcare
حيث أضحى منه بالصبّ اعتِنا
Oh, with my soul I ransom that splendor,
Since from it has come care for the lovesick lover.
Partial English translation: 54 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1