عَبيرthe fragrance of الثَناpraise فيin الخافِقينeast and west يَفوحwafts
عَبير الثَنا في الخافِقين يَفوح
وَبَشرand the glad radiance of الهَناjoy فيin الكائِناتcreated beings يَلوحُshines
وَبَشر الهَنا في الكائِنات يَلوحُ
The fragrance of praise wafts through east and west,
The fragrance of praise permeates the pulsating veins
and the glow of joy shines throughout creation,
And the good tidings of bliss are evident in all beings
بإيجادthrough the creation of منhim who لَولاهwere it not for him ماnot كانَexisted كائنa being
بإيجاد من لَولاه ما كانَ كائن
وَلاnor عَلمتknew نَفسa soul وَلاnor نَعمتenjoyed bliss روحُa spirit
وَلا عَلمت نَفس وَلا نَعمت روحُ
through the creation of him without whom no being would have existed,
Through the existence of the one without whom nothing would exist
nor would a soul have known, nor a spirit tasted bliss,
No soul would know itself and no spirit would delight
وَلاnor حَنَّlonged مُشتاقa yearning lover وَلاnor أَنَّgroaned والهa love-struck one
وَلا حَنَّ مُشتاق وَلا أَنَّ واله
تضاجعهُshares his bed نارthe fire of الجَوىlove's anguish فَيَصيحُso he cries out
تضاجعهُ نار الجَوى فَيَصيحُ
nor a yearning lover have longed, nor a love-struck one groaned,
No ardent lover would yearn, no intimate friend would ache
with the fire of love's anguish sharing his bed, making him cry out.
Inflamed by the fire of love and cry out
وَلاnor ذَكَرواthey mentioned سلعاًSalʿ وَلاnor قَصَدواthey sought حِمىa sanctuary
وَلا ذَكَروا سلعاً وَلا قَصَدوا حِمى
بِهِin it لِخِتامfor the last of المُرسَلينthe messengers ضَريحُa tomb
بِهِ لِخِتام المُرسَلين ضَريحُ
Nor would they have spoken of Salʿ or sought a sanctuary
They would not have spoken of goods or headed for sanctuary
where the last of the messengers has his tomb.
With it as the seal of the Messengers' shrine
نَبيّa prophet لَهُhis is الفَتحthe victory المُبينmanifest وَكَمand how many أَتىcame
نَبيّ لَهُ الفَتح المُبين وَكَم أَتى
عَلىthrough يَدِهِhis hand بِالبَيناتِwith clear proofs فتوحُtriumphs
عَلى يَدِهِ بِالبَيناتِ فتوحُ
A prophet whose is manifest victory—how often there came
A Prophet to whom belongs the clear conquest, and how much
triumphs through his hand, with clear proofs!
Came through his hands of clear proofs
وَجيهhonored بِعرشat the throne of اللَّهGod فيin رَقمthe inscription of اسمهhis name
وَجيه بِعرش اللَّه في رَقم اسمه
دَليلevidence عَلىof التَّخصيصspecial distinction فيهِin it وُضوحُclarity
دَليل عَلى التَّخصيص فيهِ وُضوحُ
Honored at God's Throne; in the inscription of his name
Special in God's Throne by the numerology of his name
lies clear evidence of his special distinction.
Proof of the distinction in it is evident
وَحَسبُكَand sufficient for you مِنof بُرهانproof of علياهhis lofty rank أَنَّهُthat he
وَحَسبُكَ مِن بُرهان علياه أَنَّهُ
دنىdrew near وَتدلىand hung suspended وَالثَّباتand steadfastness رَجيحُpreeminent
دنى وَتدلى وَالثَّبات رَجيحُ
And sufficient proof for you of his lofty rank is that he
And it suffices you as proof of his sublimity that he
drew near and hung suspended, with steadfastness supreme.
Draws near and hangs low while steadfastness outweighs
وَأكرمand he was honored فيin ذاكَthat التَّدانيdrawing near بِرُتبةwith a rank
وَأكرم في ذاكَ التَّداني بِرُتبة
تَأخرheld back عَنfrom عَلياءthe lofty height of مَدخلهاits entrance الرُّوحُthe Spirit
تَأخر عَن عَلياء مَدخلها الرُّوحُ
And in that nearness he was honored with a rank
And he was honored by that humbling with a rank
from whose lofty threshold the Spirit held back.
To which the Spirit admits after the lofty
مقامa station يَلوذseek refuge العارِفونthe gnostics بِظلِّهin its shade
مقام يَلوذ العارِفون بِظلِّه
فَيرجحso grows greater حَظa share أَوor يَطيبfinds healing جَريحُa wounded one
فَيرجح حَظ أَو يَطيب جَريحُ
A station in whose shade the gnostics seek refuge,
A station to which the gnostics resort for its shade
so fortune grows greater, or a wounded one finds healing.
Where a lot prospers or a wound heals
وَماذاand what عَسىmight أُحصيI enumerate وَبَحرand the sea of اختِصاصهhis special distinction
وَماذا عَسى أُحصي وَبَحر اختِصاصه
محيطall-encompassing وبرand the land of القَولdiscourse فيهِabout him فَسيحُvast
محيط وبر القَول فيهِ فَسيحُ
And what could I enumerate, when the sea of his distinction
What more can I recount when the sea of his distinction
is all-encompassing, and the land of discourse about him is vast?
Is endless and speech about it copious
وَكُلand every كِتابscripture منزلrevealed فيهِin it ذكرهmention of him
وَكُل كِتاب منزل فيهِ ذكره
وَكُلand every نَبيprophet بِالمَديحin praise فَصيحُeloquent
وَكُل نَبي بِالمَديح فَصيحُ
And every revealed scripture contains mention of him,
And every revealed Book mentions him
and every prophet is eloquent in praise.
And every Prophet proclaims with praise
بِتَفضيلهwith his preeminence التَّوراةthe Torah جاءَتcame وَكَمand how many أَتَتcame
بِتَفضيله التَّوراة جاءَت وَكَم أَتَت
بِإِنجيلin the Gospel of عيسىJesus فيin البَيانexplanation شروحُexpositions
بِإِنجيل عيسى في البَيان شروحُ
The Torah came proclaiming his preeminence—how often there came
The Torah came with his precedence and how much
expositions in Jesus' Gospel, making it plain!
The Gospel of Jesus clarified in explanation
وَفيand in الصُّحفthe scrolls الأُولىthe earlier صِفاتattributes of كَمالهhis perfection
وَفي الصُّحف الأُولى صِفات كَماله
تَوالَتfollowed in succession وَبُرهانand the proof of الكَمالperfection صَحيحُsound
تَوالَت وَبُرهان الكَمال صَحيحُ
And in the earlier scrolls, the attributes of his perfection
And in the ancient scriptures his attributes of perfection
followed one another, and the proof of perfection is sound.
Came in succession, and the proof of perfection is valid
وَآدمand Adam مُذsince أَضحىbecame بِهِthrough him مُتَوَسِلاًseeking mediation
وَآدم مُذ أَضحى بِهِ مُتَوَسِلاً
أجيبwas answered وداودٌand David وَمِنand from قَبلِهِbefore him نُوحُNoah
أجيب وداودٌ وَمِن قَبلِهِ نُوحُ
And Adam, once he sought favor through him,
And Adam, since he became an intercessor through him
was answered, as were David and, before him, Noah.
Was answered, and David before him, and Noah
وَنَجّىand saved مِنfrom النارthe fire الخَليلthe Friend لِأَجلِهِfor his sake
وَنَجّى مِن النار الخَليل لِأَجلِهِ
وَاسعفand was aided مِنّاfrom us بِالفِداءwith ransom ذَبيحُone destined for sacrifice
وَاسعف مِنّا بِالفِداء ذَبيحُ
And the Friend was saved from the fire for his sake,
And for his sake the Friend was saved from the fire
and one of us marked for sacrifice was aided with a ransom.
And the Sacrifice ransomed us
وَكَمand how many بشرglad tidings بِالمُصطَفىof the Chosen One قَدindeed تَتابَعَتfollowed in succession
وَكَم بشر بِالمُصطَفى قَد تَتابَعَت
وَأَفصَحهمand the most eloquent of them نُطقاًin speech بِتِلكَof those مَسيحُthe Messiah
وَأَفصَحهم نُطقاً بِتِلكَ مَسيحُ
And how many glad tidings of the Chosen One followed in succession,
And how many continuously gave good tidings of the Chosen One
and the most eloquent of them in voicing those was the Messiah.
The clearest speaker of them being the Messiah
وَكَمand how often أَضحَتbecame الأَحبارthe rabbis تَهتفcall out باسمهwith his name
وَكَم أَضحَت الأَحبار تَهتف باسمه
وَتُعربand express عَنabout مَجدthe glory of العُلاthe heights وَتَبوحُand proclaim openly
وَتُعرب عَن مَجد العُلا وَتَبوحُ
And how often the rabbis came to proclaim his name,
And how the Rabbis cried out his name
and voice the glory of the heights, proclaiming it openly.
And expressed the glory of the Most High, confessing
وَكَمand how often أَنشأcomposed الكهانthe soothsayers سجعاًrhymed prose بِبَعثِهِabout his mission
وَكَم أَنشأ الكهان سجعاً بِبَعثِهِ
وَأبدعand excelled شَقShiqq فيin الحليembellishment وَسَطيحُand Satih
وَأبدع شَق في الحلي وَسَطيحُ
And how often the soothsayers composed rhymed prose about his mission,
And how many soothsayers poetically prophesized his mission
and Shiqq and Satih excelled in embellishment.
And were eloquently inspired in their rhymes
لعمريَby my life هَذاthis المَجدglory مَجدa glory بِجاهِهِthrough its prestige
لعمريَ هَذا المَجد مَجد بِجاهِهِ
يلاذrefuge is sought وَفيand in قَلبيmy heart إِلَيهِtoward it ركوحُinclination
يلاذ وَفي قَلبي إِلَيهِ ركوحُ
By my life, this glory is glory through whose prestige
By my life, this glory is glory through his status
refuge is sought; my heart inclines toward it—
To which I cling, and in my heart inclination anchors
لأَحمدbelonging to Ahmad طَهTaha النورthe Light ياسينYasin مَنhe of whom أَتىcame
لأَحمد طَه النور ياسين مَن أَتى
بِنُونin Nun مِنfrom الرَّحمَنthe All-Merciful فيهِabout him مَديحُpraise
بِنُون مِن الرَّحمَن فيهِ مَديحُ
the glory of Ahmad, Taha, the Light, Yasin, of whom there came
For Ahmad Taha, the light, O beauty that came
praise in Nun from the All-Merciful.
With an inscription from the Merciful, his praise
إِذاif شئتyou wish أَنto تَرقىrise إِلىto ذُروةthe summit of العُلاexaltation
إِذا شئت أَن تَرقى إِلى ذُروة العُلا
وَيشملand encompasses فَيضan outpouring لِلحِجابthe veil يزيحُdraws aside
وَيشمل فَيض لِلحِجاب يزيحُ
If you wish to rise to the summit of exaltation
If you wish to ascend to the pinnacle of glory
and be enfolded by an outpouring that draws aside the veil,
And be included in the outpouring that removes barriers
تَمسكhold fast بِهِto him وَافنىand lose yourself غَراماًin passion بِحُبِهِin love for him
تَمسك بِهِ وَافنى غَراماً بِحُبِهِ
فَإِنَّfor indeed التَّفانيlosing oneself فيin المَليحthe beautiful one مَليحُbeautiful
فَإِنَّ التَّفاني في المَليح مَليحُ
hold fast to him and lose yourself in ardent love for him,
Hold fast to him, annihilate your passion in loving him
for losing oneself in the beautiful one is beautiful.
For to be lost in the Beautiful is beautiful
عَلَيهِupon him مِنfrom المَولىthe Lord أجلّthe most exalted صلاتهِHis blessing
عَلَيهِ مِن المَولى أجلّ صلاتهِ
صَلاةa blessing بِهاthrough it نَشرthe fragrance of القُبولacceptance يَفوحُwafts
صَلاة بِها نَشر القُبول يَفوحُ
Upon him be the Lord's most exalted blessing,
Upon him from the Master be His most excellent prayers
a blessing through which the fragrance of acceptance wafts,
With which He brought about acceptance's diffusion
مَدىthroughout الدَّهرall time ماas long as دامَتcontinue كُؤوسcups براحةin a palm
مَدى الدَّهر ما دامَت كُؤوس براحة
جَماليةof beauty تَنفيdispel العَناweariness وَتريحُand bring repose
جَمالية تَنفي العَنا وَتريحُ
throughout all time, as long as cups in a palm
For all time, for as long as the cups of comfort bring
of beauty dispel weariness and bring repose.
Aesthetic joy, dispelling distress and providing rest