عُجturn aside بِشَيخِto the master of النُحاةthe grammarians وَالأدباءِand men of letters
عُج بِشَيخِ النُحاة وَالأدباءِ
وَإِمامِand leader of الأَئِمَةِthe masters الفُضَلاءِthe eminent
وَإِمامِ الأَئِمَةِ الفُضَلاءِ
Call on the master of grammarians and men of letters,
Marvel at the Sheikh of grammarians and men of letters,
and leader of the eminent masters.
And the Imam of the most virtuous Imams.
تَجِدِyou will find الريمَthe white gazelle راتِعاًgrazing فيin حِماهُhis sanctuary
تَجِدِ الريمَ راتِعاً في حِماهُ
قَدindeed حَماهُhe has protected him حَتّىeven مِنfrom الرقباءِthe watchers
قَد حَماهُ حَتّى مِن الرقباءِ
You will find the white gazelle grazing in his sanctuary;
You will find protection with Rim, sheltered in his care,
he has shielded him even from the watchers.
He has protected you even from executioners.
ياO إِماماًmaster لَمّاnot yet تَزَلyou cease مُسدِياًbestowing ليon me
يا إِماماً لَمّا تَزَل مُسدِياً لي
نِعَماًfavors قَدindeed جَلَتare too great عَنfor الإحصاءِcounting
نِعَماً قَد جَلَت عَن الإحصاءِ
O master, you have never ceased bestowing on me
O Imam, you have never ceased to bestow bounties upon me,
favors too great to be counted.
Blessings too numerous to be counted.
لَوif يحلُّwere to dwell الغَزالُthe gazelle غَيرoutside حِماكُمُyour sanctuary
لَو يحلُّ الغَزالُ غَير حِماكُمُ
لانتَصَفناwe would gain redress بِسُنَّةِby the custom of الشُعَراءِthe poets
لانتَصَفنا بِسُنَّةِ الشُعَراءِ
Were the gazelle to dwell outside your sanctuary,
If the gazelle strayed beyond your protection,
we would gain redress, following the poets' custom.
We would take revenge according to the custom of poets.
إِنif يَكُis القَلبُthe heart غَيرَnot راضٍcontent بِهَذاwith this
إِن يَكُ القَلبُ غَيرَ راضٍ بِهَذا
فَلِسانيyet my tongue عَلَيكof you رَطبُmoist with الثَناءِpraise
فَلِساني عَلَيك رَطبُ الثَناءِ
If the heart is not content with this,
If my heart is not content with this,
my tongue is still moist with praise of you.
My tongue lavishes you with juicy praise.
ضَلَّwent astray عَقليmy reason بِصَدِّat the rebuff of ريمِكyour white gazelle حَتّىuntil
ضَلَّ عَقلي بِصَدِّ ريمِك حَتّى
لكأنيindeed, as though I أَسيرُI walk فيin الظَلماءِdarkness
لكأني أَسيرُ في الظَلماءِ
My reason has strayed at your white gazelle's rebuff, till
My mind lost its way at the repulse of Rim,
I seem to be walking in darkness.
As if I wandered in the dark.
أَيُّwhat بَحرٍa sea يَفيضُpours forth مِنfrom عَبَراتيmy tears
أَيُّ بَحرٍ يَفيضُ مِن عَبَراتي
أَيُّwhat جَمرٍembers يَشُبُّblaze up مِنfrom أَحشائيmy entrails
أَيُّ جَمرٍ يَشُبُّ مِن أَحشائي
What a sea pours forth from my tears!
What sea could pour forth my expressions of grief?
What embers blaze up from my entrails!
What embers could flame within my vitals?
لَيسَis not جَمعُuniting الأَضدادِopposites عِنديto me مُحالاًimpossible
لَيسَ جَمعُ الأَضدادِ عِندي مُحالاً
إِنَّنيindeed I جامِعa uniter لِنارof fire وَماءِand water
إِنَّني جامِع لِنار وَماءِ
The union of opposites is no impossibility to me:
To me, the gathering of opposites is not impossible,
indeed, I unite fire and water.
I who can unite fire and water.
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom أَحوَرdark-eyed الجُفونِthe eyelids رَبيبٌa pampered youth
بِأَبي أَحوَر الجُفونِ رَبيبٌ
طارَtook flight عَقليmy reason بِهِbecause of him وَطالَand grew long عَنائيmy suffering
طارَ عَقلي بِهِ وَطالَ عَنائي
My father be ransom for that dark-eyed, pampered youth;
By my father Awḥur's sleepless eyes, a beloved
my reason took flight because of him, and my suffering grew long.
Who made my reason take flight and prolonged my torment.
إِنif تبدّىhe appears فَحَسبُthen enough for طَرفيmy eye مِنهُof him
إِن تبدّى فَحَسبُ طَرفي مِنهُ
نَظرَةa glance وَهيَand it لَوif تَدومwere to last شِفائيmy cure
نَظرَة وَهيَ لَو تَدوم شِفائي
If he appears, all my eye needs of him is
If he appeared, a glance from him would heal me,
a glance—which, if it lasted, would be my cure.
And if he was absent, I said to myself:
وَلَئِنand even if غابَis absent شَخصُهُhis person قُلتI say نَفسيmy soul
وَلَئِن غابَ شَخصُهُ قُلت نَفسي
اصبِريbe patient فَالبَهاءُfor beauty عِندَwith البَهاءِal-Baha (Splendor)
اصبِري فَالبَهاءُ عِندَ البَهاءِ
And even if he is out of sight, I tell my soul:
"Patience, for splendor is with the splendid."
Be patient, for beauty is with al-Baha.
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.