Sol 6.1

  1. أدرها لنا صرفاً ودع مزجها عنا

    فنحن أناس لا نرى المزج مذ كنا

    Pass her round for us unmixed, and spare us her dilution.

    For we are people who have rejected dilution since we came to be.

  2. عرفنا بها كل الوجود ولم نزل

    إلى أن بها كل المعارف أنكرنا

    Through her we knew all existence, and did not cease,

    Until, through her, we disavowed every form of knowledge.

  3. هي الخمر لم تُعرف بكرم يخصها

    ولم تجلها راح ولم تعرف الدنا

    She is the wine never known by a vineyard of her own;

    No hand has unveiled her, nor has she known the wine jar.

  4. وغنّ لنا فالوقت قد طاب باسمها

    لأنا إليها قد رحلنا بها عنا

    Sing for us: the hour has grown sweet with her name,

    For through her we have journeyed away from ourselves to her.

  5. لها كل روح تعرف العهد عهدها

    وفي كل قلب جاهل للسوى معنى

    Hers is every spirit that recognizes the covenant—her covenant;

    And in every heart unknowing of all else, she has a meaning.

  6. مشعشة تكسو الجوه جمالة

    وفي كل شيء من لطافتها معنى

    Sparkling, she clothes faces in beauty,

    And in everything is a meaning of her subtlety.

  7. حضرنا وغبنا عند دورِ كئوسها

    وعدنا كأنا لا حضرنا ولا غبنا

    We were present and absent as her cups went round,

    And returned as though we had neither been present nor absent.

  8. وأبدت لنا في كل شيء إشارة

    وما احتجبت إلا بأنفسنا عنا

    She revealed to us a sign in everything,

    And was veiled from us only by our own selves.

  9. فلا تطق الأفهام تعبير كهنها

    ولكنها لاذت بألطافها الحسنى

    So no understanding can express her inmost essence,

    Yet she took refuge in her most beautiful subtle graces.

  10. نصحتك لا تقصد سوى باب حانها

    فمن وجد الأعلى فلا يطلب الأدنى

    I advise you: seek no door but that of her tavern;

    For whoever finds the higher should not seek the lower.

  11. موانعنا منها حظوظ نفوسنا

    فإن قطعت عنا إلها تواصلنا

    What bars us from her is our souls' self-interest;

    If these interests are cut away from us, we are joined to her.

  12. تجلّت دنوّاً واختفت بمظاهر

    فجلّت فما أغنى ودقّت فما أسنى

    She revealed herself in nearness and hid in outward forms.

    She is majestic—how self-sufficient!—and subtle—how sublime!

  13. وما الكون إلا مظهر لجمالها

    أرتنا به في كل شيء بدا حسنا

    The cosmos is nothing but a manifestation of her beauty;

    Through it she showed us beauty in everything that appeared.

  14. لها القدم المحض الذي شغفت به

    بقاء غدا يفنى الزمان ولا تفنى

    Hers is pure beginninglessness, with which I am enraptured:

    An abiding: time comes to perish, while she does not perish.

  15. يعيد ويبدي فعلها كل محدث

    وكل قديم فهي قد حازت المعنى

    Her action restores and brings forth every created thing,

    And every ancient thing, for she has indeed encompassed the meaning.

  16. فما وجد الآباءُ من لطف صنعتها

    عى قدم الأحيان ما أنكر الأبنا

    For what the fathers found of her subtle handiwork,

    Through ages past, is what the sons denied.

  17. أذاكرها قف عند حدك واقفاً

    بعقلك عما حيّر العقل والذّهنا

    O you who speak of her, halt at your limit, holding back

    Your reason from what has bewildered reason and mind.

  18. أتزعم فيما قلت أنك صادق

    رويدك ما العرفان قالوا ولا قلنا

    Do you claim to be truthful in what you have said?

    Easy now: gnosis is neither 'they said' nor 'we said.'

  19. لقد رمت مالا تستطيع مرامه

    وأنّىلها حد يكيفها أنى

    You have indeed aimed at what you cannot attain;

    How could she have a limit to define her—how?

  20. كفاك بأعيان الوجود مفكراً

    بكل مليح يملأ العين والأذنا

    Let existing things suffice for your contemplation,

    In every lovely thing that fills the eye and ear.

  21. فذلك عين العِز إن رمت عزّها

    فمن رام أن يحيا بها دائما يفنى

    For that is glory itself, if you seek her glory;

    For whoever seeks to live through her forever must perish.

  22. إليها جميع الكائنات مشوقةٌ

    تزيد افتقاراً وهي عنهن ما أغنا

    All beings are filled with longing for her;

    Their need increases, while she—how independent of them!

  23. لها مطلق الوجه الحسين الذي نأت

    جنايته لكنها أبدا تجنى

    Hers is the boundless, lovely face: far off

    Is its harvest, though she is forever gathered.

  24. وما العقل إلا من مواهب جودها

    غدا والهاً في أمرها طائعاً مثنى

    Reason is only one of the gifts of her generosity;

    It has become distraught over her, obedient and bent double.

  25. يقول أناس قد تملكه الهوى

    أجل لست في ليلى بأول من جنا

    People say, 'Love has taken possession of him.'

    Yes, I am not the first to go mad for Layla.

  26. خفيت بها عن كل ما علم الورى

    وأظهر لبنى والمراد سوى لبنى

    Through her I vanished from all that humankind has known;

    I speak openly of Lubna, though I mean someone other than Lubna.

  27. وإني كما شاء الغرام موحّد

    وإن ملت تمويها إلى الروضة الغنا

    And, as ardent love has willed, I affirm the One,

    Even if, in concealment, I turn toward the lush garden.

  28. يذكّرني مرّ النسيم بعَرفها

    ويطربني الحادي إذا باسمها غنّى

    The passing breeze reminds me of her fragrance,

    And the camel-driver enraptures me when he sings her name.

  29. ولا عجب مني الحنين وذو الهوى

    إذا شاقه إلى قصده حنّا

    No wonder at my yearning; one possessed by love,

    When longing draws him toward his goal, sighs.

  30. فلله ما أرضى فؤادي لما به

    وذو الحال ما أحلى وذو العيش ما أهنى

    By God, how content my heart is with what it bears!

    How sweet the one with such a state, how blissful the one with such a life!

  31. أوافق قوماً ضمهم مقعد الهوى

    وإن كان كل منهم قاصدا فنّا

    I join a company gathered at love's seat,

    Though each of them pursues a particular way.

  32. فهذا يورى بالغزالة غيرة

    وهذا بعين السكر يستملح الغصنا

    One speaks of the gazelle in jealous concealment;

    Another, with drunken eye, finds the bough lovely.

  33. وهذا بلين العطف يبدي صبابة

    وهذا يرى ميلا إلى المقلة الوسنا

    Another reveals ardent longing for a supple waist;

    Another feels drawn toward the drowsy eye.

  34. وذا في سرور بالدنو وذا له

    غرام وهذا بالنوى يظهر الحزنا

    One rejoices in nearness, while another has

    Consuming love; another shows sorrow at separation.

  35. وذا باسم إذ نال ما كان طالبا

    وهذا يسيل الدمع قد قرّح الجفنا

    One smiles, having won what he was seeking;

    Another sheds tears that have ulcerated his eyelid.

  36. وذا خائف من قطعه بعد وصله

    وذا بالرضى من حاله وجد الأمنا

    One fears being cut off after his union;

    Another finds safety through contentment with his state.

  37. وهذا محب بالصدود منعّم

    وذا آخذ بالصد من قربه مضنى

    One lover is made blissful by rejection;

    Another clings to rejection, worn out by his nearness.

  38. وهذا تساوى الوصل والهجر عنده

    فأنحى إلها يقطع السهل والحزنا

    For another, union and estrangement are equal;

    So he makes for her, crossing smooth and rugged ground.

  39. وهذا يرى بالسيف منها إشارة

    فيشتاق سعيا نحوها الضرب والطعنا

    Another sees in the sword a sign from her,

    And, hastening toward her, longs for blows and thrusts.

  40. وهذا يرى كل الجهات مقاصدا

    وهذا يرى مهدا على متنه يبنى

    Another sees all directions as destinations;

    Another sees a cradle being built upon his back.

  41. وما ضر هذا الخلق والقصد واحد

    إذا نحن أخلصنا إليها توجهنا

    What harm has this done to creation, when the aim is one,

    If we make our turning toward her sincere?

  42. دعا باسمها الحادي ونحن على الغضا

    فقلنا له بالله من ذكرها زدنا

    The camel-driver called her name while we were by the ghada trees,

    So we told him, 'By God, give us more remembrance of her!'

  43. فجاد إلى أن أهدت الركب نشوة

    ونحن على الأكوار من طرب ملنا

    He gave generously, until she bestowed rapture on the caravan,

    And upon the camel-saddles we swayed with ecstasy.

  44. لعمرك حتى العيس لذ لها السرى

    عجبت لشوق يشمل الركب والبدنا

    By your life, even the pale camels found the night journey sweet;

    I marveled at a longing embracing riders and camels.

  45. وحتى غصون البان مالت ترنحا

    وغنت عليها كل صادحة مثنى

    Even the ban-tree boughs leaned and swayed,

    And every songbird sang upon them, in pairs.

  46. أهل عائدُ لي رقدةٌ كي أرى بها

    خيال رسولٍ زايراً مضجعي وهنا

    Will slumber return to me, so that in it I may see

    A messenger's phantom visiting my bed late at night?

  47. فإن جاءني بالقرب منها مبشرٌ

    وهبت له سروراً وما أغنى

    For if a messenger comes to me with good news of nearness to her,

    I would give him joy and whatever might enrich him.

  48. حيينا بها دهراً وقد حكمت لنا

    ونح بها نحيا يقينا إذا متنا

    We lived through her for an age, and she has decreed for us:

    Through her we shall surely live when we die.

  49. فلست أرى عندي لحالي تغيّرا

    ولا مطرقا فكراً ولا قارعا سنا

    So I see no change in my state within myself,

    Nor am I bowed in thought or gnashing a tooth.

  50. وإني على ما أكد العهد بيننا

    مدى الدهر لا خنا العهود ولا حلنا

    And I hold to what confirmed the covenant between us,

    Throughout all time: we have neither betrayed the covenants nor changed.

  51. وأزكى صلاة اللّه ثم سلامه

    على من حوى كل المحاسن والحسنى

    And God's purest blessing, and then His peace,

    Upon him who encompassed all beauties and supreme goodness,

  52. وأصل وجود العالمين جميعهم

    هو المظهر المجلى هو المقصد الأسنى

    And the source of the existence of all the worlds—

    He is the locus of manifestation, the place of unveiling; he is the loftiest goal.