كَيْفَhow المَفَرُّescape وَقَدْand already وَافَىhas arrived تَقَاصِينَاour separation
كَيْفَ المَفَرُّ وَقَدْ وَافَى تَقَاصِينَا
وَخَصْمُنَاand our adversary فيin دَعَاوِيlawsuits الحبlove قَاضِينَاour judge
وَخَصْمُنَا في دَعَاوِي الحب قَاضِينَا
How can we escape, now that our separation has come,
How can there be escape when our disputant
and our adversary in love's lawsuits is our judge?
In love's pleadings has overtaken us, become our judge?
يَقْضِيhe rules عَلَيْنَاagainst us فَنَقْضِيso we perish بِالجَوَىof lovesickness أسَفاًin sorrow
يَقْضِي عَلَيْنَا فَنَقْضِي بِالجَوَى أسَفاً
شَتَّانَhow far apart مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween قَاضِيكُمْyour judge وَقَاضِينَاand our judge
شَتَّانَ مَا بَيْنَ قَاضِيكُمْ وَقَاضِينَا
He rules against us, so we perish of lovesickness in sorrow.
He judges against us so we lose ourselves in passion,
How great the difference between your judge and ours!
Far different he from judges amongst you and our judge.
إنَّاindeed we إلَىto اللَّهِGod كَمْhow often نُفْضِيwe lead النُّفُوسَthe souls إلَىinto
إنَّا إلَى اللَّهِ كَمْ نُفْضِي النُّفُوسَ إلَى
أشْرَاكِsnares of تَهْلُكَةٍdestruction طَوْعًاwillingly بِأيْدِينَاwith our hands
أشْرَاكِ تَهْلُكَةٍ طَوْعًا بِأيْدِينَا
We are bound for God—how often we lead our souls into
To God, how we submit our souls
the snares of destruction, willingly, with our own hands!
To the traps of perishing, destruction by our own hands;
وَكَمْand how often تشبّblaze بِنِيرَانٍwith fires جَوَانِحُنَاour breasts
وَكَمْ تشبّ بِنِيرَانٍ جَوَانِحُنَا
كَمَاjust as تَفِيضُoverflow بِطوفَانٍwith a deluge مآقِينَاour eye corners
كَمَا تَفِيضُ بِطوفَانٍ مآقِينَا
And how often our breasts blaze with fires,
How our very souls catch fire
as the corners of our eyes overflow with a deluge.
As our tribulations overflow;
وَكَمْand how often يُعَنِّفُنَاrebukes us فيin الحبّlove حَاسِدُنَاour envier
وَكَمْ يُعَنِّفُنَا في الحبّ حَاسِدُنَا
كَمَاjust as يُهَدِّدُنَاthreatens us بِالْبَيْنِwith separation واشِينَاour slanderer
كَمَا يُهَدِّدُنَا بِالْبَيْنِ واشِينَا
And how often our envier rebukes us for love,
How in love our envier threatens us,
as our slanderer threatens us with separation.
As our intimate enemy menaces us with separation.
فِيin كَعْبَةِthe Kaaba of الحُبَlove أوْor فِيin شَوْقِlonging for معلمةa landmark
فِي كَعْبَةِ الحُبَ أوْ فِي شَوْقِ معلمة
نَحْنُwe المُصَلُّونَthose who pray أمْor نَحْنُwe المزكُّونَاthose who give alms
نَحْنُ المُصَلُّونَ أمْ نَحْنُ المزكُّونَا
In love's Kaaba, or in longing for a landmark,
In the Kaaba of love or in yearning's school
are we those who pray, or those who give alms?
Are we the praying ones or the pure?
وَفِيand in لُيَيّلاَهُhis little Layla أوْor فِيin رَبْعِthe site of مَعْهَدِهِhis familiar abode
وَفِي لُيَيّلاَهُ أوْ فِي رَبْعِ مَعْهَدِهِ
نَحْنُwe المُحِبُّونَthe lovers أمْor نَحْنُwe المَجَانينَاthe madmen
نَحْنُ المُحِبُّونَ أمْ نَحْنُ المَجَانينَا
And for his little Layla, or at the site of his familiar abode,
In its nights of communion or in its sanctum of revelation
are we lovers, or are we madmen?
Are we the loving ones or the crazed?
لاَnot يُعْلَمُis known الصبرُpatience الاَexcept مِنْthrough تَثَبُّتِنَاour steadfastness
لاَ يُعْلَمُ الصبرُ الاَ مِنْ تَثَبُّتِنَا
وَيَثْبُتُand is proved الوجدُpassion الاّexcept منthrough مَعَانِينَاour inner meanings
وَيَثْبُتُ الوجدُ الاّ من مَعَانِينَا
Patience is known only through our steadfastness,
Patience is known only through our perseverance,
and passion is proved only by our inward feelings.
Constancy proves itself only through our tribulations.
وَلاَand not يُضِيshines الصبحُdawn الاَexcept منthrough تَوَاصُلِنَاour union
وَلاَ يُضِي الصبحُ الاَ من تَوَاصُلِنَا
وَيُظْلِمُand grows dark اللَّيْلُnight إلاَّexcept مِنْthrough تَجَافِينَاour estrangement
وَيُظْلِمُ اللَّيْلُ إلاَّ مِنْ تَجَافِينَا
And dawn shines only through our union,
Dawn breaks only through our wakefulness,
and night grows dark only through our estrangement.
Night falls only when we turn away.
وَلَيْسَand not يُطْمَعُis hoped for الاّexcept فِيin صَبَابَتِنَاour ardent longing
وَلَيْسَ يُطْمَعُ الاّ فِي صَبَابَتِنَا
وَيُقْطَعُand is dispelled الْيَأسُdespair الاّexcept منthrough تَسَلِّينَاour finding solace
وَيُقْطَعُ الْيَأسُ الاّ من تَسَلِّينَا
And hope is placed only in our ardent longing,
There is hope only in our youth,
and despair is dispelled only by our finding solace.
Despair is cut off only by our consoling each other,
صُفْرٌyellow جَوَارِحُنَاour limbs حُمْرٌred مَدَامِعُنَاour tear ducts
صُفْرٌ جَوَارِحُنَا حُمْرٌ مَدَامِعُنَا
سُودٌblack جَوَانِحُنَاour breasts بِيضٌwhite مَوَاضِينَاour keen blades
سُودٌ جَوَانِحُنَا بِيضٌ مَوَاضِينَا
Our limbs are yellow, our tear ducts red;
Pale are our souls, red our tears,
our breasts are black, our keen blades white.
Black our souls, white our resting places.
يَكَادُalmost قَارِئُناour reciter آيَthe verses of الصَّبَابَةِardent longing أنto
يَكَادُ قَارِئُنا آيَ الصَّبَابَةِ أن
يَلْقَىfinds إلَىonto الصَّلْدِhard rock آيَthe verses of الوجدpassion تُلْقِيناcasting us
يَلْقَى إلَى الصَّلْدِ آيَ الوجد تُلْقِينا
Our reciter of longing's verses almost
Our reader of verses of youthfulness is about to
finds passion's verses casting us upon hard rock.
Cast down verses of passion, cast us down.
وَيَقْتَضِيand requires الوَجدُpassion أنthat يَغْتالَslay انفُسَنَاour souls
وَيَقْتَضِي الوَجدُ أن يَغْتالَ انفُسَنَا
آيُthe verses of الجَوَىlovesickness وَالأسَىand grief لَولاَwere it not for تَأسِّينَاour taking comfort
آيُ الجَوَى وَالأسَى لَولاَ تَأسِّينَا
And passion would have our souls slain
Passion demands that it take our souls stealthily
by the verses of lovesickness and grief, were it not for our solace.
Verses of communion and sorrow, had we not communed.
Sol 6.1