إِلىto المَسجِدِthe mosque الأَقصىthe farthest مِنَfrom الحَرَمِthe sacred precinct القُدسيof Jerusalem
إِلى المَسجِدِ الأَقصى مِنَ الحَرَمِ القُدسي
سَرَيناwe journeyed by night فَوافىthen came الفَتحُthe opening مِنfrom حَضرَةthe Presence القُدسِHoliness
سَرَينا فَوافى الفَتحُ مِن حَضرَة القُدسِ
To al-Aqsa Mosque from the Holy Sanctuary,
To al-Aqsa Mosque from Jerusalem’s sacred precinct,
we journeyed by night, and triumph met us from the Presence of Holiness.
We journeyed by night, and the opening came from the Presence of Holiness.
وَجئناand we came حمىthe sanctuary of التَقديسsanctification وَاللَيلُand the night راقِدٌasleep
وَجئنا حمى التَقديس وَاللَيلُ راقِدٌ
وَقَدand indeed جُنَّhad gone mad حَتّىso that لاnot يَفيقُrecovers مِنَfrom المَسِّpossession
وَقَد جُنَّ حَتّى لا يَفيقُ مِنَ المَسِّ
We reached the precinct of sanctification while night lay sleeping,
And we came to the sanctuary of holiness while night lay asleep,
having sunk into such delirium that it could not awaken from possession.
And it had gone mad, unable to recover from possession.
طَلائِعُadvance parties أَنضاءٍworn-out riders عَلىon مِثلِهاtheir like لَهاthey have
طَلائِعُ أَنضاءٍ عَلى مِثلِها لَها
عَلىdespite الأَينfatigue إِرقالُthe swift stride of الظَليمِthe male ostrich عَلىon الحَرسِguard duty
عَلى الأَين إِرقالُ الظَليمِ عَلى الحَرسِ
A vanguard of travel-worn riders upon mounts as gaunt as themselves;
Advance parties of worn-out riders on equally worn-out mounts, which had,
despite their weariness, theirs was the male ostrich’s swift lope over stony ground.
Despite fatigue, the swift stride of a male ostrich on watch.
تُباريthey race نَعامَthe ostriches of الجَوِّthe sky طَوراًat times وَتارَةًand at other times
تُباري نَعامَ الجَوِّ طَوراً وَتارَةً
تُجاريthey keep pace with نَعامَthe ostriches of الدَوِّthe desert فيin المهمهِthe wilderness الوَعسِsoft-sanded
تُجاري نَعامَ الدَوِّ في المهمهِ الوَعسِ
Now they vied with the ostriches of the open plain,
At times they raced the ostriches of the sky, and at other times
and now kept pace with desert ostriches through the trackless soft sands,
They kept pace with the desert’s ostriches in the soft-sanded wilderness.
إِلىuntil أَنthat بَدَتappeared لِلعَينto the eye أَعلامُthe landmarks of ذيDhu طُوىTuwa
إِلى أَن بَدَت لِلعَين أَعلامُ ذي طُوى
وَبانَand appeared حِمىthe sanctuary of البَيتِthe House المُقَدَّسِsanctified عَنfrom رِجسِdefilement
وَبانَ حِمى البَيتِ المُقَدَّسِ عَن رِجسِ
until the landmarks of Dhu Tuwa appeared to the eye
Until the landmarks of Dhu Tuwa appeared to the eye,
and the precinct of the Holy House stood revealed, free of defilement.
And the sanctuary of the holy House appeared, free of defilement.
نَزَلناwe alighted مِنَof الوَاديthe valley المُقَدَّسsacred شاطِئاًa bank
نَزَلنا مِنَ الوَادي المُقَدَّس شاطِئاً
عَلىupon بُقعَةٍa spot فيهِwithin it مُبارَكَةblessed الرَمسِthe burial earth
عَلى بُقعَةٍ فيهِ مُبارَكَة الرَمسِ
We alighted on a bank of the Sacred Valley,
We alighted on a bank of the sacred valley,
upon a tract within it blessed by the grave.
Upon a spot within it, blessed in its burial earth.
فَلاحَthen appeared لَناto us مِنfrom جانبthe side of الطُورِthe Mount لامِعاًgleaming
فَلاحَ لَنا مِن جانب الطُورِ لامِعاً
سَناthe radiance of ضَوءِthe light of نارٍa fire قَدhad جَلَتdispelled ظُلمَةَthe darkness of اللَبسِconfusion
سَنا ضَوءِ نارٍ قَد جَلَت ظُلمَةَ اللَبسِ
Then, from the side of the Mount, there flashed for us
Then from the side of the Mount there appeared to us, gleaming,
the radiance of a fire’s light, dispelling the darkness of confusion.
The radiance of a fire’s light that had dispelled the darkness of confusion.
وَماand not تِلكَthat نارٌa fire بَلbut سَناthe radiance of رَبةِthe Lady of السَناRadiance
وَما تِلكَ نارٌ بَل سَنا رَبةِ السَنا
تَجَلّىrevealed itself لِقَلبٍto a heart قَدhad تَخَلّىforsaken عَنfrom الحَدسِconjecture
تَجَلّى لِقَلبٍ قَد تَخَلّى عَن الحَدسِ
But that was no fire: it was the splendor of the Lady of Splendor,
And that was no fire, but the radiance of the Lady of Radiance,
revealed to a heart that had relinquished conjecture.
Which revealed itself to a heart that had forsaken conjecture.
أَضاءَilluminated سَناهاher radiance طُورَMount سيناءَSinai مَرَّةًonce
أَضاءَ سَناها طُورَ سيناءَ مَرَّةً
وَآنَسَهاand perceived her مِنfrom قَبلُbefore موسىMoses بِلاwithout حِسِّsense-perception
وَآنَسَها مِن قَبلُ موسى بِلا حِسِّ
Once, her radiance illumined Mount Sinai,
Her radiance once illuminated Mount Sinai,
and Moses had perceived it before, beyond the senses.
And Moses had perceived her before, without sense-perception.
سَمِعناwe heard بِطُورِon the Mount of القَلبِthe heart مِنهاfrom her نِداءَthe call of مَنOne who
سَمِعنا بِطُورِ القَلبِ مِنها نِداءَ مَن
تَنَزَّهis exalted عَنabove فَصلٍa differentia يُدانيهِapproaches Him أَوor جنسِa genus
تَنَزَّه عَن فَصلٍ يُدانيهِ أَو جنسِ
Upon the Sinai of the heart, from her we heard the call of One
On the Mount of the heart, we heard from her the call of One
exalted beyond any differentia or genus that might approximate Him.
Who transcends any differentia or genus that could approach Him.
وَنادىand called مُناديthe herald of القُربnearness مِنfrom حَضرَةَthe Presence الرِضاContentment
وَنادى مُنادي القُرب مِن حَضرَةَ الرِضا
أَلاbehold فَاِنعمواso rejoice فَالفَتحُfor the opening فَوقَbeyond جَنىthe fruit of الغَرسِplanting
أَلا فَاِنعموا فَالفَتحُ فَوقَ جَنى الغَرسِ
And the herald of nearness called from the Presence of Contentment:
And the herald of nearness called from the Presence of Contentment:
“Behold, rejoice! The opening surpasses the fruit of what was planted.”
“Behold, rejoice, for the opening surpasses the fruits of planting!”
فَطُوبىso blessedness لَناfor us مِنamong حاضِريthose present at أَيمَنِthe right-hand side of الحِمىthe sanctuary
فَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري أَيمَنِ الحِمى
وَطُوبىand blessedness لَناfor us مِنamong حاضِريthose present in حَضرَةَthe Presence القُدسِHoliness
وَطُوبى لَنا مِن حاضِري حَضرَةَ القُدسِ
Blessed are we among those present on the sanctuary’s blessed right side,
So blessed are we, among those present on the sanctuary’s right-hand side,
and blessed are we among those present in the Presence of Holiness.
And blessed are we, among those present in the Presence of Holiness.
