أَلَمْhave you not تَرَsee وَجْهَthe face الحُسْنِbeauty أَوْضَحَthe clearest وَاضِحِa clear thing
أَلَمْ تَرَ وَجْهَ الحُسْنِ أَوْضَحَ وَاضِحِ
بَدَاappeared فَهْوَand so it is لِلأَنْوارto the lights أَفْضَحُthe most exposing فَاضِحِan exposer
بَدَا فَهْوَ لِلأَنْوار أَفْضَحُ فَاضِحِ
Have you not seen beauty's face, the clearest of the clear?
It appeared, and is the greatest exposer of the lights.
وَلاَand no عَاتِقٌa free being مِنْfrom دُونِهِapart from it غَيْرُother than ذَاتِهِits own essence
وَلاَ عَاتِقٌ مِنْ دُونِهِ غَيْرُ ذَاتِهِ
وَمَاand there is no دُونَهُbefore it مِنْany مَانِعٍwithholder غَيْرُother than مَانِحِa giver
وَمَا دُونَهُ مِنْ مَانِعٍ غَيْرُ مَانِحِ
Nor is there any free being apart from it, save its own essence.
Nor is any withholder before it other than a giver.
إِذَاif أَنْتَyou أَعْطَتَّكَgave you العُيونُthe eyes عُيوُنَهَاtheir eyes
إِذَا أَنْتَ أَعْطَتَّكَ العُيونُ عُيوُنَهَا
سَبَتْكَcaptivated you مَرِيْضَاتُlanguid ones العُيُونِthe eyes الصَّحَائِحِthe healthy ones
سَبَتْكَ مَرِيْضَاتُ العُيُونِ الصَّحَائِحِ
If the eyes give you their own eyes,
Healthy maidens with languid eyes take you captive.
وَإِنْand if أَنْتَyou أَفْنَتْكَannihilated you المَعَانيthe meanings وَكُنْتَهَاand you became them
وَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَفْنَتْكَ المَعَاني وَكُنْتَهَا
شَهِدْتَyou witnessed المَغَانِيthe dwellings آهِلاَتِinhabited الجَوَانِحِthe breasts
شَهِدْتَ المَغَانِي آهِلاَتِ الجَوَانِحِ
And if meanings annihilate you and you become them,
You behold the dwellings, their breasts peopled.
فَشَاهِدْso behold كَثِيفَthe dense substance الكَوْنِexistence لاَnot مُتَنَقصاًdisparaging
فَشَاهِدْ كَثِيفَ الكَوْنِ لاَ مُتَنَقصاً
تَجِدْyou will find وَجْهَa face حُسْنٍbeauty لِلكَمَالاَتِfor the perfections لاَئِحِshining
تَجِدْ وَجْهَ حُسْنٍ لِلكَمَالاَتِ لاَئِحِ
So behold the dense substance of existence, without disparaging it;
You will find a face of beauty, radiant with perfections.
فَمَاso what الدَّوْحُthe great trees تَثْنيِهِbends them صَباًan east wind سَحَرَيَّةٌpredawn
فَمَا الدَّوْحُ تَثْنيِهِ صَباً سَحَرَيَّةٌ
بَكَتْwept بِالنَّدَاwith dew خَوْفَfor fear of الجَنُوبِthe south wind المُنَاوِحِblowing against it
بَكَتْ بِالنَّدَا خَوْفَ الجَنُوبِ المُنَاوِحِ
What, then, are the great trees, bent by a predawn east wind
That wept dew for fear of the opposing south wind,
وَرَدَّدَand repeated فِيهَاamong them لَحْنَهُits melody كُلُّevery مُعْرِبٍeloquent singer
وَرَدَّدَ فِيهَا لَحْنَهُ كُلُّ مُعْرِبٍ
مِنَamong الوُرْقِthe gray doves مِنْfrom مَعْنىًa meaning مُغَنٍّsinging وَنَائِحِand mourning
مِنَ الوُرْقِ مِنْ مَعْنىً مُغَنٍّ وَنَائِحِ
While every eloquent singer repeated its melody among them,
From among the gray doves, from a meaning that sings and mourns,
وَأَوْقَدَand kindled فِيهَاamong them وَامِضَthe flash البَرْقِlightning ضَوْؤُهُits light
وَأَوْقَدَ فِيهَا وَامِضَ البَرْقِ ضَوْؤُهُ
فَلاَقَىand so met الدُّجَىthe deep darkness مِنْfrom زَهْرِهِits blossoms بِالمَصَابِحِwith lamps
فَلاَقَى الدُّجَى مِنْ زَهْرِهِ بِالمَصَابِحِ
And its light kindled lightning's flash among them,
So it faced the darkness with lamps from its blossoms?
فَيَاthen O حُسْنَthe beauty وَجْهٍa face مِنْfrom كَنِيفَاتِsmall enclosures مَركَزٍa center
فَيَا حُسْنَ وَجْهٍ مِنْ كَنِيفَاتِ مَركَزٍ
هَجَاهَاreviled them غَمٍsorrow لَكِنْbut بِعَيْنِwith the very essence of المدَائحِpraises
هَجَاهَا غَمٍ لَكِنْ بِعَيْنِ المدَائحِ
Oh, the beauty of a face from a center's small enclosures!
Sorrow reviled them, yet with the very essence of praise.
تَطَوَّرَtook changing forms فيin أَشْكَالِهَاtheir shapes ذَلِكَthat one الذَّيwho
تَطَوَّرَ في أَشْكَالِهَا ذَلِكَ الذَّي
لَهُfor him القَيْدُlimitation وَالإِطْلاقُand absoluteness رُتْبَةُthe station لاَمِحِone who glimpses
لَهُ القَيْدُ وَالإِطْلاقُ رُتْبَةُ لاَمِحِ
That one took shape within their forms—the one
For whom limitation and absoluteness are a beholder's station.
فَإِنْso if غَلِطَتْerred عَيْنُthe eye الجَهُولِthe ignorant one فَشَاهَدَتْand so witnessed
فَإِنْ غَلِطَتْ عَيْنُ الجَهُولِ فَشَاهَدَتْ
خِلاَفاًdiscord فَفيthen in عَيْنِthe very essence of الوِفَاقِaccord المُنَاصِحِsincerely counseling
خِلاَفاً فَفي عَيْنِ الوِفَاقِ المُنَاصِحِ
So if the ignorant one's eye erred and beheld
Discord, it was within the very essence of sincere accord.
ومَاand not غَلِطَتْerred عَيْنُthe eye الجَهُولِthe ignorant one وَإِنَّهاand indeed it
ومَا غَلِطَتْ عَيْنُ الجَهُولِ وَإِنَّها
لَصَادِقَةٌsurely truthful فِيin كُلِّevery كِذْبٍlie فَسَامِحِso forgive
لَصَادِقَةٌ فِي كُلِّ كِذْبٍ فَسَامِحِ
Yet the ignorant one's eye did not err; indeed, it
Is surely truthful in every lie—so forgive.
فَإِنَّfor indeed الوُجودَexistence المَحْضَpure لَمْdid not يَأْتِbring forth بِدْعةًan innovation
فَإِنَّ الوُجودَ المَحْضَ لَمْ يَأْتِ بِدْعةً
وَمَاand not غَيْرُهُanything other than it يَأْتِيbrings بِبَدْعٍwith novelty وَصَالحِand goodness
وَمَا غَيْرُهُ يَأْتِي بِبَدْعٍ وَصَالحِ
For pure existence has brought forth no innovation,
Nor does anything other than it bring novelty or good.
هُوَit البَحْرُthe sea لاَno سَطْحٌsurface ولاَand no سَاحِلٌshore لَهُfor it
هُوَ البَحْرُ لاَ سَطْحٌ ولاَ سَاحِلٌ لَهُ
فَمِنْso among طَائِرٍa flyer فِيهِin it ومَاشٍand a walker وسَابحِand a swimmer
فَمِنْ طَائِرٍ فِيهِ ومَاشٍ وسَابحِ
It is the sea, with neither surface nor shore;
So within it are flyers, walkers, and swimmers.
شَجَتْmingled مَاءَهُits water واسْتَوْقَفَتْand halted مِنْهُfrom it فُلْكَهُits ships
شَجَتْ مَاءَهُ واسْتَوْقَفَتْ مِنْهُ فُلْكَهُ
سَرَائِرُsecrets يُبْدِيreveals صَوْنَهَاtheir concealment كُلُّevery بَائِحِrevealer
سَرَائِرُ يُبْدِي صَوْنَهَا كُلُّ بَائِحِ
Its water was mingled, and its own ships brought to a halt,
By secrets whose concealment every revealer lays bare.
عَذارىَvirgins أَبُوهَاtheir father كَانَwas مَفْعُولَthe object of action أُمِّهَاtheir mother
عَذارىَ أَبُوهَا كَانَ مَفْعُولَ أُمِّهَا
لِذَاtherefore لَمْdid not يَجيِcome فِيهَاconcerning them القَيِاسُanalogical reasoning بِوَاضِحِwith anything clear
لِذَا لَمْ يَجيِ فِيهَا القَيِاسُ بِوَاضِحِ
Virgins whose father was their mother's object of action;
Thus analogical reasoning brings no clarity concerning them.
أَياO طَارِحاُone casting تِلْكَthose الحَبَائِلَthe snares صَائِداًas a hunter
أَيا طَارِحاُ تِلْكَ الحَبَائِلَ صَائِداً
هِيَthey الصَّيْدُthe quarry فَاطْرَحْso cast طَرْحُهَاcasting them غَيْرُnot طَارِحِa caster
هِيَ الصَّيْدُ فَاطْرَحْ طَرْحُهَا غَيْرُ طَارِحِ
O you casting those snares as a hunter,
They are the quarry; cast them—their casting has no caster.
وَلاَand do not تَشْكُcomplain هَجْراًabandonment مِنْfrom حَبِيبٍa beloved مُوَاصِلٍmaintaining union
وَلاَ تَشْكُ هَجْراً مِنْ حَبِيبٍ مُوَاصِلٍ
تَنَكَّرَbecame unrecognizable إِذْwhen سَمَّيْتَهُyou named him باسْمِby the name of كَاشِحِan enemy
تَنَكَّرَ إِذْ سَمَّيْتَهُ باسْمِ كَاشِحِ
And do not lament abandonment by a beloved who maintains union;
He became unrecognizable when you called him by an enemy's name.
وَإِنْand if كُنْتَyou are مَزْكُوماًafflicted with a cold فَلَيْسَthen it is not بِلاَئقٍfitting
وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مَزْكُوماً فَلَيْسَ بِلاَئقٍ
مَقَالُكَyour saying إِنَّthat المِسْكَmusk لَيْسَis not بِفَائِحَgiving off fragrance
مَقَالُكَ إِنَّ المِسْكَ لَيْسَ بِفَائِحَ
And if you have a cold, it is not fitting
For you to say, 'Musk gives off no fragrance.'
Translation model: Sol 6.1