بَدَتshe appeared فَلَمso not يَبقَremain سِترٌa veil غَيرَnot مُنهَتِكِtorn open
بَدَت فَلَم يَبقَ سِترٌ غَيرَ مُنهَتِكِ
مِنّاamong us وَلَمand not يَبقَremain سِرٌّa secret غَيرَnot مُنهَتِكِdisclosed
مِنّا وَلَم يَبقَ سِرٌّ غَيرَ مُنهَتِكِ
She appeared, and no veil remained untorn
Her veil has lifted and naught remains concealed
among us, nor any secret left undisclosed.
Of me nor secret left unveiled
وَأَقبَلَتand she approached وَقَميصُand the shirt of اللَيلِnight قَدalready نَحَلَتhad grown thin
وَأَقبَلَت وَقَميصُ اللَيلِ قَد نَحَلَت
أَسمالُهُits tatters وَرِداءُand the cloak of الصُبحِdawn لَمnot يُحَكِbe woven
أَسمالُهُ وَرِداءُ الصُبحِ لَم يُحَكِ
She approached, while the shirt of night had worn thin
She came, and night's shirt trails
in its tatters, and dawn's cloak was not yet woven.
Its hem, while morn's cloak has not been sewn
تَبَسَّمَتshe smiled إِذwhen رَأَتshe saw مَبكايَmy weeping فَاِشتَبَهَتand so became alike
تَبَسَّمَت إِذ رَأَت مَبكايَ فَاِشتَبَهَت
مَدامِعيmy tears بِلَآليwith the pearls of الثَغرِthe mouth فيin الضَحِكِlaughter
مَدامِعي بِلَآلي الثَغرِ في الضَحِكِ
She smiled when she saw my weeping, and a likeness arose
She smiled at seeing my tears, confused
between my tears and the pearls of her mouth in laughter.
My eyes' pearls with laughter's corals interwoven
فَحِرتُso I was bewildered مِنby دُرِّthe pearls of عَبراتيmy tears وَمَبسِمِهاand her smiling mouth
فَحِرتُ مِن دُرِّ عَبراتي وَمَبسِمِها
ماwhat is بَينَbetween مُشتَبِهٍalike مِنهاamong them وَمُشتَبِكِand intertwined
ما بَينَ مُشتَبِهٍ مِنها وَمُشتَبِكِ
So I was bewildered by the pearls of my tears and her smiling mouth,
So I wavered midst the pearls of my tears and her smile
some of them alike, others intertwined.
Perplexed amidst the entangled and the intertwined
مَلَكتِyou have possessed قَلبيmy heart وَجِسميand my body فيin يَديكِyour hands هَوىًlove
مَلَكتِ قَلبي وَجِسمي في يَديكِ هَوىً
إِنif شِئتِyou wish فَاِنتَهِبيthen plunder أَوor شِئتِyou wish فَاِنتَهِكيthen violate
إِن شِئتِ فَاِنتَهِبي أَو شِئتِ فَاِنتَهِكي
You have taken my heart; my body is in your hands through love.
My heart and body are in your hands, surrendered to passion
If you wish, plunder me; or, if you wish, violate me.
Ravish or rupture as you will
أفنَتhave destroyed لِحاظُكِyour glances أَربابَthe devotees of الغَرامِpassion وَماand no
أفنَت لِحاظُكِ أَربابَ الغَرامِ وَما
عَلَيكَupon you فيfor قَتلَةِthe killing of العُشّاقِlovers مِنany دَرَكِliability
عَلَيكَ في قَتلَةِ العُشّاقِ مِن دَرَكِ
Your glances have destroyed the devotees of passion, and no
Your glances undo lovers, yet you've naught to fear
liability falls on you for killing lovers.
Among the slain of love no bloodguilt rests on you
يَذِلُّis humbled كُلَّevery عَزيزٍmighty one فيin هَواكِlove of you كَماjust as
يَذِلُّ كُلَّ عَزيزٍ في هَواكِ كَما
يَعِزُّis exalted كُلَّevery ذَليلِlowly one فيwithin حِمىthe protection of المَلِكِthe king
يَعِزُّ كُلَّ ذَليلِ في حِمى المَلِكِ
Every mighty one is humbled in love of you, just as
All the proud are humbled by passion for you
every lowly one is exalted under the king's protection.
As the abased are exalted in a king's sanctuary
مَلكٌa king لَوَif اَنَّthat يَدَthe hand of الأَقدارِthe fates تُنصِفُهُtreats him justly
مَلكٌ لَوَ اَنَّ يَدَ الأَقدارِ تُنصِفُهُ
لَماwould not أَحَلَّتهُhave placed him إِلّاexcept ذُروَةَthe summit of الفَلَكِthe celestial sphere
لَما أَحَلَّتهُ إِلّا ذُروَةَ الفَلَكِ
A king—if the hand of fate dealt justly with him,
A king whom, if Fate's hand were to treat justly,
it would place him nowhere but at the summit of heaven.
It would set nowhere but at the sky's pinnacle
يَستَعظِمُdeem immense الناسُthe people ماwhat نَحكيهِwe recount it عَنهُabout him فَإِنbut if
يَستَعظِمُ الناسُ ما نَحكيهِ عَنهُ فَإِن
لاذواthey took refuge بِهِwith him اِستَقلَلواthey deemed little ماwhat كانَwas عَنهُabout him حُكيrecounted
لاذوا بِهِ اِستَقلَلوا ما كانَ عَنهُ حُكي
People marvel at what we recount of him; yet if
Folks marvel at what we recount of him, so if
they take refuge with him, they find what was told of him too little.
They sought refuge in him, he would free what was bound
تَشارَكَshared الناسُthe people فيin إِنعامِthe bounty of راحَتِهِhis palm
تَشارَكَ الناسُ في إِنعامِ راحَتِهِ
وَمَجدُهُand his glory فيamong البَراياcreated beings غَيرُnot مُشتَرَكِshared
وَمَجدُهُ في البَرايا غَيرُ مُشتَرَكِ
People share in the bounty of his palm,
People shared in the bounty of his comfort
but his glory among created beings is shared by none.
Yet his glory in the wilds was peerless
بَحرٌa sea وَلَكِنَّهُbut he طابَتare sweet مَشارِعُهُhis watering places
بَحرٌ وَلَكِنَّهُ طابَت مَشارِعُهُ
وَالبَحرُand the sea يَجمَعُcontains مِنof طيبٍfragrance وَمِنand of سَهَكِfishy stench
وَالبَحرُ يَجمَعُ مِن طيبٍ وَمِن سَهَكِ
He is a sea, yet his watering places are sweet,
An ocean he was, yet his ports were wholesome
while the sea mingles fragrance with fishy stench.
Though the sea gathers sweet and bitter both
فيin كَفِّهِhis palm قَلَمٌa pen تَهميpour forth مَشافِرُهُits lips
في كَفِّهِ قَلَمٌ تَهمي مَشافِرُهُ
فيin نَفعِbenefiting مُعتَكَرٍa gathered throng أَوor وَقعِthe clash of مُعتَرَكِa battlefield
في نَفعِ مُعتَكَرٍ أَو وَقعِ مُعتَرَكِ
In his palm is a pen whose lips pour forth,
In his palm, a pen whose claws
to benefit a throng, or in a battlefield's clash.
Bring benefit in frays or truces
قُلsay لِلمُنَكِّبِto the one turning aside عَنُaway from كَيin order to يَنالَobtain غِنىًwealth
قُل لِلمُنَكِّبِ عَنُ كَي يَنالَ غِنىً
لَقَدindeed سَلَكتَyou have taken طَريقاًa path غَيرَnot مُنسَلِكِtraversable
لَقَد سَلَكتَ طَريقاً غَيرَ مُنسَلِكِ
Tell the one who turns away to attain wealth:
Say to one who shuns him, how to gain riches:
You have indeed taken an impassable path.
"You tread a path no foot before has trodden"
ياO قاصِديseekers of البَحرَthe sea إِنّيindeed I فيin ذَرىthe shelter of مَلِكٍa king
يا قاصِدي البَحرَ إِنّي في ذَرى مَلِكٍ
لَديهِwith him أَصبَحتُI have become جارَa neighbor of البَحرِthe sea وَالمَلِكِand the king
لَديهِ أَصبَحتُ جارَ البَحرِ وَالمَلِكِ
O seekers of the sea, I am in a king's shelter;
O you who'd sail the sea, I dwell now in a king's household
with him, I have become a neighbor to the sea and the king.
A neighbor to both sea and glorious king
ياO ناصِرَdefender of الدينِthe faith ياO مَنone whose شُهبُthe meteors of عَزمَتِهِhis resolve
يا ناصِرَ الدينِ يا مَن شُهبُ عَزمَتِهِ
مُنيرَةٌradiant فيin سَماءِthe sky of المَجدِglory وَالحُبُكِand the interwoven paths
مُنيرَةٌ في سَماءِ المَجدِ وَالحُبُكِ
O Nasir al-Din, O you whose meteors of resolve
O defender of the faith, whose will's meteors
shine in the sky of glory and its interwoven paths.
Light the sky of glory and love
لاnot يُقدِمُdares الدَهرُTime يَوماًon any day أَنto يَميلَturn عَلىagainst
لا يُقدِمُ الدَهرُ يَوماً أَن يَميلَ عَلى
عَبدٍa servant بِحَبلِto a cord of وَلاءٍallegiance مِنكَfrom you مُمتَسِكِholding fast
عَبدٍ بِحَبلِ وَلاءٍ مِنكَ مُمتَسِكِ
Time never dares, on any day, to turn against
Fate brings no day when it would tilt
a servant holding fast to a cord of allegiance from you.
Against a servant clinging to your bond
ماnot إِنindeed حَطَطتُI set down رِحاليmy traveling gear فيin رُبوعِكُمُyour dwellings
ما إِن حَطَطتُ رِحالي في رُبوعِكُمُ
إِلّاexcept وَكُنتُمand you were لَناto us كَالماءِlike water لِلسَمَكِto fish
إِلّا وَكُنتُم لَنا كَالماءِ لِلسَمَكِ
No sooner had I set down my traveling gear in your dwellings
No sooner have I pitched tent in your lands
than you were to us as water is to fish.
Than you become as water to the fish
ماnot زِلتَyou ceased تَمنَحُنيyou grant me وُدّاًaffection وَتَرفَعُنيand you raise me
ما زِلتَ تَمنَحُني وُدّاً وَتَرفَعُني
حَتّىuntil ظَنَنتُI thought مَحَلّيmy station ذُروَةَthe summit of الفَلَكِthe celestial sphere
حَتّى ظَنَنتُ مَحَلّي ذُروَةَ الفَلَكِ
You have never ceased granting me affection and raising me,
You've never ceased granting me affection and raising me high
until I thought my station was the summit of heaven.
Till I fancied myself at the sky's pinnacle
وَدَّعتُI bade farewell to مَجدَكَyour glory وَالأَقدامُand the feet تَنكُصُrecoil بيwith me
وَدَّعتُ مَجدَكَ وَالأَقدامُ تَنكُصُ بي
كَأَنَّنيas though I حافِياًbarefoot أَمشيwalk عَلىupon حَسَكِthorns
كَأَنَّني حافِياً أَمشي عَلى حَسَكِ
I bade farewell to your glory as my feet drew me back,
I bid farewell to your glory, feet stumbling backwards,
as though I walked barefoot upon thorns.
As if barefoot I walked on jagged glass
وَكَيفَand how تَدرُجُadvance بيwith me عَنaway from ظِلِّكُمyour shade قَدَمٌa foot
وَكَيفَ تَدرُجُ بي عَن ظِلِّكُم قَدَمٌ
أَمسىhas become لَهاfor it جودُكُمyour bounty مِنamong أَوثَقِthe firmest الشَرَكِsnares
أَمسى لَها جودُكُم مِن أَوثَقِ الشَرَكِ
And how can a foot carry me away from your shade,
How could any foot lead me from your shade?
when your bounty has become for it one of the firmest snares?
By your grace it has the strongest fetters
فَاِسلَمso remain safe عَلىupon قُلَلِthe peaks of العَلياءِeminence مُرتَفِعاًexalted
فَاِسلَم عَلى قُلَلِ العَلياءِ مُرتَفِعاً
عِزّاًin glory وَشانِئُكُمand your hater فيin أَسفَلِthe lowest part of الدَرَكِthe depths
عِزّاً وَشانِئُكُم في أَسفَلِ الدَرَكِ
So remain safe upon the peaks of eminence, exalted
So climb the heights, rising high,
in glory, while your hater lies in the lowest depths.
Honored, while your detractor is in the pit's lowest abyss
Sol 6.1