منwho لنفسfor a soul ثَناهاbowed it down
من لنفس ثَناها
بعدَهاits distance عَنfrom بَناهاits dwellings
بعدَها عَن بَناها
Who will help a soul bowed down
by its distance from its dwellings?
أَهلهاits people فيin زرودZarud
أَهلها في زرود
وَهَواهاand its love وَراهاbeyond it
وَهَواها وَراها
Its people are in Zarud,
and its love lies beyond it.
كُلَماwhenever لاحَflashed برقlightning
كُلَما لاحَ برق
منfrom جيادJiyad شَجاهاgrieved it
من جياد شَجاها
Whenever lightning flashed
from Jiyad, it stirred its sorrow,
فَبَكَتso it wept واِستَفادَتand gained
فَبَكَت واِستَفادَت
راحَةcomfort فيin بكاهاits weeping
راحَة في بكاها
so it wept and found
comfort in its weeping.
وَتَراءَتand it beheld بنجدin Najd
وَتَراءَت بنجد
رَوضَةa meadow وَمياهاand waters
رَوضَة وَمياها
And it beheld in Najd
a meadow and waters,
وَدياراand dwellings لمثلىfor one like me
وَديارا لمثلى
فاحَexhaled fragrance مسكاmusk ثَراهاtheir soil
فاحَ مسكا ثَراها
and dwellings for one like me,
whose soil exhaled musk,
وَزَماناand a time يصافىexchanges affection
وَزَمانا يصافى
رامةRamah وَلَواهاand its sandy bend
رامة وَلَواها
and a time of friendship with
Ramah and its sandy bend.
ليتwould that لَيلىLayla رعتcared for فيin
ليت لَيلى رعت في
بعدهاher absence منthe one who رَعاهاcared for her
بعدها من رَعاها
Would that Layla cared, in
her absence, for the one who cared for her,
وَتَدانَتand drew near لصبto a lovesick man
وَتَدانَت لصب
لَيسَdoes not يَهوىlove سواهاanyone but her
لَيسَ يَهوى سواها
and drew near to a lovesick man
who loves none but her.
ياO خَليليmy two friends عوجاturn aside, you two
يا خَليلي عوجا
بيwith me أُشاهِدI behold رباهاher uplands
بي أُشاهِد رباها
O my two friends, turn aside
with me, so I may behold her uplands,
وأقبلand I kiss تراباearth
وأقبل ترابا
عطراfragrant منfrom شَذاهاher scent
عطرا من شَذاها
and kiss the earth
fragrant with her scent,
واحييand I greet مَغانيdwelling-places
واحيي مَغاني
ربعabode لَيلىLayla شَفاهاits balm
ربع لَيلى شَفاها
and greet the dwelling-places
of Layla's abode—the soul's balm.
وَتَرانيand you see me أُدانيI draw near
وَتَراني أُداني
مَوضعa spot منof خباهاher tent
مَوضع من خباها
And you will see me drawing near
to a spot within her tent;
فَعَساهاso perhaps she تَرانيwill see me
فَعَساها تَراني
مَرةonce وأَراهاand I see her
مَرة وأَراها
perhaps then she will see me
once, and I will see her.
انindeed راحىmy wine وَروحيand my soul
ان راحى وَروحي
حيثwhere يحمىis guarded حماهاher sanctuary
حيث يحمى حماها
Indeed, my wine and my soul
are where her sanctuary is guarded,
وَأَمانيّand the wishes قَلبيof my heart
وَأَمانيّ قَلبي
قبلةa kiss منfrom لماهاher lips' dark hue
قبلة من لماها
and the wishes of my heart
are a kiss from her dark-hued lips.
بهجةsplendor الحسنof beauty كَمhow many منof
بهجة الحسن كَم من
عاكِفa devotee فيin قباهاher robe
عاكِف في قباها
Splendor of beauty—how many
a devotee abides within her robe!
برّدواcool, you all عَنaway from حشائيmy inward parts
برّدوا عَن حشائي
بحواشيwith the hems of رداهاher mantle
بحواشي رداها
Cool my heart
with the hems of her mantle,
وَأمرواand bid, you all الريحthe wind تهدىto bring
وَأمروا الريح تهدى
نَفحةa waft منof صباهاher east wind
نَفحة من صباها
and bid the wind bring
a waft of her east wind.
فَسَقَتهاso may they water her الغَواديthe morning rainclouds
فَسَقَتها الغَوادي
واهناتgrown slack عراهاtheir bonds
واهنات عراها
So may the morning rainclouds water her,
their bonds grown slack.
ماno لِنَفسيfor my soul معينa helper
ما لِنَفسي معين
عندat خطبan ordeal عناهاtroubled it
عند خطب عناها
My soul has no helper
when an ordeal troubles it,
غيرexcept بشرىglad tidings نَبيof a Prophet
غير بشرى نَبي
فيin المَعاليlofty ranks تَناهىreached the utmost
في المَعالي تَناهى
save the glad tidings of a Prophet
who reached the utmost heights:
سيدa master سادreigned over منthose who فيin
سيد ساد من في
أَرضهhis earth وَسَماهاand its heaven
أَرضه وَسَماها
a master supreme over those
on his earth and in its heaven,
هاشميa Hashimite نماهgave him descent
هاشمي نماه
مِنfrom قريشQuraysh ذراهاits highest lineages
مِن قريش ذراها
a Hashimite descended
from the highest lineages of Quraysh.
فاقَsurpassed أَهلthe people of المَعاليlofty ranks
فاقَ أَهل المَعالي
وَعَلاand rose منfrom عُلاهاtheir heights
وَعَلا من عُلاها
He surpassed the people of lofty rank
and ascended beyond their heights.
منwhoever سعىstrove خلفهbehind him فيin
من سعى خلفه في
طلبseeking الفخرglory تاهاwent astray
طلب الفخر تاها
Whoever strove behind him in
the pursuit of glory went astray.
تقصرfall short الرسلthe messengers طراall
تقصر الرسل طرا
عنهof him وَجهاin countenance وَجاهاand in standing
عنه وَجها وَجاها
All the messengers fall short
of him in countenance and standing,
وَمناand radiance (partial word) راوهدياend of 'radiance,' and guidance
وَمنا راوهديا
وَعلاand loftiness واِنتباهاand vigilance
وَعلا واِنتباها
and in radiance and guidance,
and in loftiness and vigilance.
فَلَهfor he has معجزاتmiracles
فَلَه معجزات
بحرهاtheir ocean لاnot يُضاهيis rivaled
بحرها لا يُضاهي
For he has miracles
whose ocean is beyond compare.
انindeed سبعseven المثانيthe oft-repeated verses
ان سبع المثاني
فيهin him ياO منyou who تَلاهاrecited them
فيه يا من تَلاها
Indeed, the seven oft-repeated verses
are in him, O you who recited them,
وَمَقاماتand stations صدقof truth
وَمَقامات صدق
لاnot يدانيcomes near مداهاtheir reach
لا يداني مداها
and stations of truth
whose reach none can approach.
سدرةthe Lote Tree المُنتَهىof the Utmost Boundary فيat
سدرة المُنتَهى في
مُنتَهىthe furthest limit منتهاهاof their culmination
مُنتَهى منتهاها
The Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary stands at
the very utmost of their bounds.
وَكَذاand likewise القلبthe heart حيثwhere
وَكَذا القلب حيث
ماever (with 'where') يناديcalls upon الالهاGod
ما ينادي الالها
And likewise the heart, wherever
it calls upon God.
سيديmy master هاكَtake دراpearls
سيدي هاكَ درا
فيكin your praise حالsweet حَلاهاtheir adornments
فيك حال حَلاها
My master, take these pearls,
whose adornments are sweet in your praise,
وَمَعانيand meanings حروفof letters
وَمَعاني حروف
لاdo not تَضَعabase منوَراهاthe one behind them
لا تَضَع منوَراها
and the meanings of letters:
do not abase the one behind them;
وَتجاراتand ventures مدحin praise
وَتجارات مدح
رابحprofiting منwhoever شَراهاpurchases them
رابح من شَراها
and ventures in praise—
whoever purchases them profits.
منكfrom you عَبدAbd (servant of) الرَحيمal-Rahim (the Merciful) اليَومtoday
منك عَبد الرَحيم اليَوم
يَرجوhopes for جَزاهاtheir reward
يَرجو جَزاها
From you, Abd al-Rahim today
hopes for their reward.
ياO شَفيعintercessor for البَراياall creatures
يا شَفيع البَرايا
فيon غدthe morrow منfrom لظاهاits blaze
في غد من لظاها
O intercessor for all creatures
tomorrow, against its blazing fire,
كُنbe لِنَفسيfor my soul معيناa helper
كُن لِنَفسي معينا
انif هوتit falls فيinto هَواهاits passion
ان هوت في هَواها
be a helper to my soul
if it falls prey to its passion,
وأكفهاand spare it حرنارa fire's heat
وأكفها حرنار
جرفa bank هارشفاهاcrumbling; its brink
جرف هارشفاها
and spare it the heat of a fire
whose brink is a crumbling bank,
وأرعهاand let it graze فيin جنانgardens
وأرعها في جنان
دانياتclose at hand جَناهاtheir fruit
دانيات جَناها
and let it graze in gardens
whose fruits hang close.
وَصَلاةand a blessing تحيىsalutes
وَصَلاة تحيى
خاتِمthe Seal of الرسلthe Messengers طهTa-Ha
خاتِم الرسل طه
And may a blessing salute
the Seal of the Messengers, Ta-Ha,
وَتَغشىand envelops رياضاgardens
وَتَغشى رياضا
حلهاhe dwelt in them واِرتضاهاand was pleased with them
حلها واِرتضاها
and envelop gardens
where he dwelt and with which he was pleased.