عجباHow strange! حللواthey made lawful عذابtorment النفوسthe souls
عجبا حللوا عذاب النفوس
فيin ربوعabodes غدتbecame بروجmansions of الشموسthe suns
في ربوع غدت بروج الشموس
How strange! They have made the torment of souls lawful
They unleashed the torment of souls
In abodes that have become the mansions of the suns.
In meadows where suns became castles
لاnot ترىyou see حولهاaround them سوىexcept مستهامone maddened by love
لا ترى حولها سوى مستهام
أوor صريعone laid low أوor مدنفone wasting away أوor بؤوسone wretched
أو صريع أو مدنف أو بؤوس
Around them you see none but one maddened by love,
You see nought but lovesick souls
Or one laid low, or wasting away, or wretched.
Or one felled, dejected or in sorrow
بينamong منone who يشتكيlaments تباريجtorments وجدpassion
بين من يشتكي تباريج وجد
ومشوقand one yearning يشكوlaments فراقparting from انيسa close companion
ومشوق يشكو فراق انيس
Among them, one laments the torments of passion,
Between those who complain of passion’s ache
And another, yearning, laments parting from a companion.
And the lovelorn bemoaning the loss of a companion
كلevery يومday لهمfor them حديثa tale جديدnew
كل يوم لهم حديث جديد
عنabout هوىlove فائقsurpassing وحظand fortune خسيسpaltry
عن هوى فائق وحظ خسيس
Every day they have a new tale
Each day they have some new tale
Of surpassing love and paltry fortune.
Of transcendent love and wretched fortune
ولهمand for them فيin الغرامpassionate love آياتverses صدقtruth
ولهم في الغرام آيات صدق
هبطتdescended منfrom مقامa station of وحيrevelation نفيسprecious
هبطت من مقام وحي نفيس
And in love they have verses of truth
And in passion they have true signs
Descended from the station of precious revelation.
Revealed from a noble revelation
فرسولso a messenger منهمfrom among them يناديproclaims بصدقwith the truth of الthe (article of 'love')
فرسول منهم ينادي بصدق ال
حبlove والحبand love شرعlaw خيرthe best رئيسleader
حب والحب شرع خير رئيس
So one messenger among them proclaims the truth of
A messenger calling out truthfully
Love—and love is the law of the best leader.
Love, and love is the greatest law
ورسولand a messenger إلىto الوفاfaithfulness راحwent forth يدعوcalls
ورسول إلى الوفا راح يدعو
ورسولand a messenger إلىto رضىcontentment بعدafter بؤسmisery
ورسول إلى رضى بعد بؤس
Another messenger went forth to call for faithfulness,
And a messenger inviting to loyalty
Another, for contentment after misery;
And a messenger to acceptance after misery
ورسولand a messenger معللoffering hope بوصالwith union
ورسول معلل بوصال
ورسولand a messenger بالبشرwith cheerfulness بعدafter عبوسfrowning
ورسول بالبشر بعد عبوس
Another messenger offers hope of union,
And a messenger justifying union
Another, cheerfulness after frowning.
And a messenger heralding glad tidings after gloom
وسواهمand others besides them إلىto سوىother than ذاكthat مماof what
وسواهم إلى سوى ذاك مما
يتبارىvie بهin it كرامthe noble النفوسsouls
يتبارى به كرام النفوس
Others call for things beyond these,
And the rest to anything but that, which
In which noble souls vie with one another.
Vies in the souls of the generous
يقنعis content الهائمthe wandering lover المتيمthe love-enslaved one بالوعwith the promise (first fragment)
يقنع الهائم المتيم بالوع
دcompletion of 'promise' وانand even if شيبis mingled بالمطالwith delay الرسيسpersistent
د وان شيب بالمطال الرسيس
The wandering, love-enslaved one is content with a promise,
Satisfying the obsessed lover with a promise
Even if it is mingled with persistent delay.
Even if the hoary weathers the vicissitudes of time
درbe bountiful (reading uncertain) ذرspare العشاقthe lovers قومa people لهمfor them سهsleeplessness (first fragment)
در ذر العشاق قوم لهم سه
دcompletion of 'sleeplessness' مقيمabiding علىover غرامpassionate love حبيسheld captive
د مقيم على غرام حبيس
Be bountiful; spare the lovers—a people whose sleeplessness
The agony of love fells the lovers each dawn
Endures over a love held captive.
That was a day of fierce battle, Lord of Thursday
صرعstruck down الوجدpassion منهمamong them كلevery صبardent lover
صرع الوجد منهم كل صب
كانwas يومon the day of النزالcombat ربlord of خميسan army
كان يوم النزال رب خميس
Passion has struck down every ardent lover among them
Have mercy, O sail, O solace of the eye
Who, on the day of combat, was lord of an army.
O miracles of the All Holy
رحمةmercy ياO ملاحbeauties ياO قرةdelight of الاعthe eyes (first fragment)
رحمة يا ملاح يا قرة الاع
ينcompletion of 'eyes' ياO معجزاتmiracles of ربa Lord قدوسmost holy
ين يا معجزات رب قدوس
Have mercy, O beauties, O delight of the
O light of the cosmos, O beauty of the world
Eyes, O miracles of a most holy Lord,
With these hearts in this gloom
ياO ضياءlight of الاكوانthe worlds ياO زينةan adornment للدfor the world (first fragment)
يا ضياء الاكوان يا زينة للد
نياcompletion of 'world' بهذيon these القلوبthe hearts فيin ذاthis الوطيسthe furnace
نيا بهذي القلوب في ذا الوطيس
O light of the worlds, O adornment of the
World, on these hearts in this furnace!
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1