يَنهىmakes known محبكyour lover انَّهُthat he مشتاقis longing
يَنهى محبك انَّهُ مشتاق
وَالىand toward حماكَyour sanctuary تهزهstir him الأَشواقlongings
وَالى حماكَ تهزه الأَشواق
Your lover makes known that he longs,
Your lover complains that he longs
and longings stir him toward your sanctuary.
And toward your caress he is shaken by passions
قَدindeed كانَwas يَحسبthinking اِنَّthat حبّكloving you هَيِّنeasy
قَد كانَ يَحسب اِنَّ حبّك هَيِّن
فَاذاbut behold بِهwith it ياO غصنbough لَيسَis not يُطاقbearable
فَاذا بِه يا غصن لَيسَ يُطاق
He had thought loving you was easy,
He had thought your love would be easy
but behold, O bough, it cannot be borne.
Yet here it is, O branch, unendurable
خُذtake وَصفa description حالَتهof his condition فَأَماand as for قَلبَهhis heart
خُذ وَصف حالَته فَأَما قَلبَه
فَهوَso it is الكَئيبُsorrowful الساكِنstill الخَفّاقthrobbing
فَهوَ الكَئيبُ الساكِن الخَفّاق
Take this account of his condition: as for his heart,
Take the description of his state - as for his heart
it is sorrowful, still, yet throbbing
It is the sorrowful, calm, fluttering one
وَجداwith passion وَأَماand as for دمعهhis tears فَسحابَةthen a cloud
وَجدا وَأَما دمعه فَسحابَة
هَتانَةpouring ceaselessly جادَتpoured generously بِهاwith it الآماقthe inner eye corners
هَتانَة جادَت بِها الآماق
with passion; as for his tears, they are a cloud
And his tears are a cloud
pouring ceaselessly, lavished by the inner corners of his eyes.
Pouring with which the water-skins overflow
وَكَفاكَand enough for you is حالthe plight متيمof one enslaved by love لعبتtoyed بِهِwith him
وَكَفاكَ حال متيم لعبت بِهِ
منfrom بَعدafter هَجرِكَyour desertion لَوعَةanguish وَفُراقand separation
من بَعد هَجرِكَ لَوعَة وَفُراق
Enough for you is the plight of one enslaved by love, toyed with
And enough of the state of Mutim whom you’ve played with
after your desertion by anguish and separation.
After your estrangement - anguish and separation
يَخفىhe conceals الغَرامpassion تجلداfeigning fortitude فَيُذيعهbut reveals it
يَخفى الغَرام تجلدا فَيُذيعه
قَهراforcibly عَلَيهِagainst him دَمعُهhis tears المِهراقstreaming
قَهرا عَلَيهِ دَمعُه المِهراق
He hides his passion, feigning fortitude, but it is betrayed
He hides his love, exercising patience, but then reveals it
against his will by his streaming tears.
As his pouring tears overcome him
حاشاكَfar be it from you تنقضto break عهدa covenant وَدّof affection بَينَناbetween us
حاشاكَ تنقض عهد وَدّ بَينَنا
وَاِلَيكَand to you تنسبascribe حسنهاtheir beauty الاخلاقvirtues
وَاِلَيكَ تنسب حسنها الاخلاق
Far be it from you to break the bond of affection between us,
Far be it from you to break a bond of affection between us
and virtues ascribe their beauty to you.
And attribute its beauty to your manners
احسنbe kind فانfor indeed الحُسنbeauty ضَيفa guest راحلdeparting
احسن فان الحُسن ضَيف راحل
وَالناسand people خَيلhorses لِلذَّهابtoward departure تساقare driven
وَالناس خَيل لِلذَّهاب تساق
Be kind, for beauty is a departing guest,
Do good, for good is a departing guest
and people are horses driven toward departure.
And people are steeds kept for riding
وَلكلّand for every صبّlovesick lover لاno محالَةescape سلوةconsolation
وَلكلّ صبّ لا محالَة سلوة
وَلكلand for every بَدرfull moon قَدindeed أَضاءhas shone مُحاقa dark phase
وَلكل بَدر قَد أَضاء مُحاق
And every lover, inevitably, finds consolation,
And for every youth there is, inevitably, an infatuation
and every full moon that has shone has its dark phase.
And for every full moon there is an unveiled face
هَلis there فيin فُؤاديmy heart غَيرother than حُبِّكَyour love ساكِنa dweller
هَل في فُؤادي غَير حُبِّكَ ساكِن
أَوor غَيرother than طَيفِكَyour phantom فيin الكَرىslumber طَرّاقa night visitor
أَو غَير طَيفِكَ في الكَرى طَرّاق
Does anything but your love dwell in my heart,
Is there in my heart other than your love dwelling
or anything but your phantom come calling in sleep?
Or other than your image in the meadows capering?
أَناI وَالَّذيby Him who أَولاكَgave you قَلبيmy heart مُغرَمenamored
أَنا وَالَّذي أَولاكَ قَلبي مُغرَم
صَبّlovelorn لِقُربِكfor nearness to you دائِماalways اِشتاقI yearn
صَبّ لِقُربِك دائِما اِشتاق
By Him who gave you my heart, I am enamored,
I who have surrendered my heart to you, am enamored
a lovelorn soul, ever yearning to be near you.
A youth longing always for your nearness
طوراat times أَرىI appear متجلداfeigning fortitude متصبراstriving for patience
طورا أَرى متجلدا متصبرا
فَتَضيقthen grow narrow بيaround me الاِقطارthe lands وَالآفاقand the horizons
فَتَضيق بي الاِقطار وَالآفاق
At times I seem to bear up and endure patiently,
At times I see myself exercising patience and endurance
yet lands and horizons close in on me.
So that the horizons narrow around me
وَأَديرand I pass around أَقداحcups التفكرof reflection تارَةat times
وَأَدير أَقداح التفكر تارَة
فَيَصيرthen there comes to be لِلاهوالِfor terrors بيaround me اِحداقan encirclement
فَيَصير لِلاهوالِ بي اِحداق
At other times I pass around the cups of reflection,
And I turn about the cups of contemplation
and terrors come to encircle me.
And dread of rejection presents itself
وَأَذوبُand I melt خَوفfor fear of الصَدّrejection لَولاwere it not اِنَّهُthat
وَأَذوبُ خَوف الصَدّ لَولا اِنَّهُ
بَينيbetween me وَبَينِكَand you فيin الهَوىlove ميثاقa covenant
بَيني وَبَينِكَ في الهَوى ميثاق
I would melt for fear of rejection, were it not that
Were it not for the pact of love between us
between you and me there is a covenant of love.
I would preserve such modesty as would bow necks
عِنديI possess كَماas شاءَwilled الغَرامُpassion صِيانَةchaste restraint
عِندي كَما شاءَ الغَرامُ صِيانَة
فيin الحُبّlove تَقصرfall short دونَهاshort of it الاِعناقnecks
في الحُبّ تَقصر دونَها الاِعناق
I possess, as passion wills, a chaste restraint
Chastity is my nature and ethos
in love, beyond the reach of craning necks.
And with its like lovers compete
وَليand mine is العفافchastity سجيةan innate disposition وَطَبيعَةand a nature
وَلي العفاف سجية وَطَبيعَة
وَبِمِثلand for the like of ذاthis يَتَنافَسvie العُشّاقlovers
وَبِمِثل ذا يَتَنافَس العُشّاق
Chastity is my disposition and my nature,
And my share of your love is the bliss of beholding you
and it is for such things that lovers vie.
But I say “Blessed is the Creator”
وَنَصيبand the share حُبّيof my love مِنكَfrom you لذةthe delight ناظِريof my gaze
وَنَصيب حُبّي مِنكَ لذة ناظِري
لكنbut أَقولI say تَبارَكَblessed be الخَلّاقthe Creator
لكن أَقول تَبارَكَ الخَلّاق
My love's share of you is the delight of my gaze,
If my fortunes turn against me
yet I say, "Blessed be the Creator!"
And the dwellings again are sweet to me
انif جادَليis generous to me دَهريmy fate الخؤنthe treacherous وَعادand returns ليto me
ان جادَلي دَهري الخؤن وَعاد لي
قُربthe nearness الدِيارof the dwellings وَطابand grows sweet مِنهُof it مَذاقa taste
قُرب الدِيار وَطاب مِنهُ مَذاق
If my treacherous fate treats me kindly, and there returns to me
I will forgive the days for disagreeing with me
the nearness of the dwellings, and its savor is sweet,
And precede them in forgiveness
لأسامِحَنّI shall surely forgive الدَهرfate فيfor اِخلافِهits broken promises
لأسامِحَنّ الدَهر في اِخلافِه
فَيَكونso there shall be منيfrom me فيin السَماحِforgiveness سباقprecedence
فَيَكون مني في السَماحِ سباق
I shall surely forgive fate for its broken promises,
And I will pardon all the sins of my fortunes
and I shall take the lead in forgiveness.
And say, between me and time there is no contention
وَلأغفرنّand I shall surely forgive ذُنوبَthe sins دَهريof my fate كلهاall of them
وَلأغفرنّ ذُنوبَ دَهري كلها
وَأَقولand I say لَيسَthere is not منfrom الزَمانِtime شقاقdiscord
وَأَقول لَيسَ من الزَمانِ شقاق
I shall forgive all the sins of my fate,
And in either case I have no refuge
and say, "No discord comes from time."
Other than the one I embrace in intimacy
وَعلىand in كِلاboth الحالَينconditions ماnot ليfor me مَلجَأa refuge
وَعلى كِلا الحالَين ما لي مَلجَأ
اِلّاexcept الَّذيthe one whom قَدindeed خاطَبتَهُaddressed him عناقa young she-goat
اِلّا الَّذي قَد خاطَبتَهُ عناق
In either case, I have no refuge
Taha the Pure, the Most Pure, the Purifier
except him whom a young she-goat addressed:
Who is the healing for hearts and their sickness
طهTaha البَشيرthe bearer of glad tidings الطاهِرthe pure الطهرthe utterly pure الَّذيwho
طه البَشير الطاهِر الطهر الَّذي
هوhe is لِلقُلوبِfor hearts وَسَقمِهاand their sickness تِرياقan antidote
هو لِلقُلوبِ وَسَقمِها تِرياق
Taha, the pure and stainless bearer of glad tidings, who
The secret of existence and pole of its sphere
is an antidote for hearts and their sickness;
His glorious domain is sublime
سرّthe secret الوُجودِof existence وَقطبand the axis دائِرَةof the circle الشَهوof witnessing (continued)
سرّ الوُجودِ وَقطب دائِرَة الشَهو
دِ(completes 'witnessing') وَمنand he who لهfor him المَجدglory الرَفيعexalted نطاقa girdle
دِ وَمن له المَجد الرَفيع نطاق
the secret of existence, the axis of the circle of witnessing,
The most pious of creation and most majestic of those who tread earth
and he whose girdle is exalted glory;
And ascended with it to glorious heights
أَزكىthe purest الوَرىof creation وَأَجلand the noblest منof those who وطىءtrod الثَرىthe earth
أَزكى الوَرى وَأَجل من وطىء الثَرى
وَسَرىand journeyed by night بِهwith him لِلمُكرَماتto honors بَراقBuraq
وَسَرى بِه لِلمُكرَمات بَراق
the purest of creation, the noblest to tread the earth,
My shelter at distress, your palm rains heavily
whom Buraq bore by night to honors.
If anxiety befalls me and the throat constricts
ياO مَلجئيmy refuge أَضامshall I be wronged? وَغيثwhile the rain كفكof your palm هاطِلpours down
يا مَلجئي أَضام وَغيث كفك هاطِل
انif حَلّbefalls بيme كربanguish وَضاقand tightens خناقthe noose
ان حَلّ بي كرب وَضاق خناق
O my refuge, shall I be wronged while rain pours from your palm,
Far be it forever, your existence is always pouring
if anguish befalls me and the noose draws tight?
If you are pleased with me then there is no harm
حاشىfar be it أَضامthat I be wronged وَغيثwhile the rain كفكof your palm هاطِلpours down
حاشى أَضام وَغيث كفك هاطِل
أَبداforever وُجودِكَand your bounty دائِماًalways دَفّاقoverflowing
أَبدا وُجودِكَ دائِماً دَفّاق
Far be it that I suffer wrong while rain pours from your palm
And if companions and wealth of friends retreat
forever, and your bounty flows unceasingly.
May God send blessings upon you whenever dawn shone
انif كانَthere is مِنكَfrom you رِضاapproval عليّtoward me فَلاthen no اَذىharm
ان كانَ مِنكَ رِضا عليّ فَلا اَذى
وَانeven if انثَنىturn away صحبcompanions وَمالand withdraw رِفاقfriends
وَان انثَنى صحب وَمال رِفاق
If your favor rests upon me, there is no harm,
And the brilliant lightening flashed from Najd
even if companions turn away and friends withdraw.
صَلىmay bless عَلَيكَupon you اللَهُGod ماas long as هبتblows صِباthe east wind
صَلى عَلَيكَ اللَهُ ما هبت صِبا
نجدof Najd وَأومضand flashes لمعَهاits gleam البَرّاقdazzling
نجد وَأومض لمعَها البَرّاق
May God bless you as long as blows the east wind
of Najd, and its dazzling gleam flashes.
Partial English translation: 53 of 56 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1