أبَدْرَO moon الحَيِّof the quarter غَلْغَلْتَyou penetrated السِّتارَهthe veil
أبَدْرَ الحَيِّ غَلْغَلْتَ السِّتارَه
فَصَرِّحْso make plain للأحِبَّةِto the beloved ones بالإشارَهthrough the sign
فَصَرِّحْ للأحِبَّةِ بالإشارَه
O moon of the quarter, you have passed through the veil.
So make the sign plain to the beloved ones.
وطُلَّand appear علىbefore عُيونٍeyes قدْthat have تَعامَتْfeigned blindness
وطُلَّ على عُيونٍ قدْ تَعامَتْ
عنto الأغيارِall others تَرْتَقِبُawaiting البِشارَهthe good news
عن الأغيارِ تَرْتَقِبُ البِشارَه
And appear before eyes that have made themselves blind
to all others, awaiting the good news.
يقولُthey say العاشِقونَthe lovers عشِقْتَyou loved بدراًa full moon
يقولُ العاشِقونَ عشِقْتَ بدراً
وقدand you have صيَّرْتَmade منكَfrom yourself القلبَthe heart دارَهْits dwelling
وقد صيَّرْتَ منكَ القلبَ دارَهْ
The lovers say, “You have loved a full moon,”
“and you have made your heart its dwelling.”
فقلتُso I said لهمto them نعمyes وسكَتُّand I fell silent عنهمbefore them
فقلتُ لهم نعم وسكَتُّ عنهم
ورُبَّand many a عجائِبٍwonders هيare فيin عِبارَهْa phrase
ورُبَّ عجائِبٍ هي في عِبارَهْ
I said yes to them, then fell silent;
how many wonders can lie within a phrase.
رَعاهُmay He protect him اللهُGod منa بدرٍfull moon مُنيرٍshining
رَعاهُ اللهُ من بدرٍ مُنيرٍ
بَهيجٍradiant شبَّkindled فيin ضِلْعيmy ribs نَارَهْits fire
بَهيجٍ شبَّ في ضِلْعي نَارَهْ
May God protect that shining full moon,
radiant, which kindled a fire in my ribs.
رفعْتُI raised لبرْجِهِtoward its tower شُرُفاتِthe battlements قلبيof my heart
رفعْتُ لبرْجِهِ شُرُفاتِ قلبي
فصارand it became لكلِّfor every دارَتِهِits orbit سِرَارَهْan inner secret
فصار لكلِّ دارَتِهِ سِرَارَهْ
I raised the battlements of my heart toward its tower,
and every circuit of its orbit held an inner secret.
لقدindeed عَجِبَwere amazed الحَواسِدُthe envious إذْwhen تجلَّىit appeared
لقد عَجِبَ الحَواسِدُ إذْ تجلَّى
بسِرِّيwithin my secret والحواسِدُwhile the envious فيwere in خَسَارَهْloss
بسِرِّي والحواسِدُ في خَسَارَهْ
The envious were amazed when it appeared
within my secret, while they were left in loss.
أيعْجَبُwould one marvel عاقِلٌa wise person والقلبُwhen the heart عرْشٌis a throne
أيعْجَبُ عاقِلٌ والقلبُ عرْشٌ
وهذاand this الماءُwater ينْبَعُsprings منfrom حِجَارَهْstone
وهذا الماءُ ينْبَعُ من حِجَارَهْ
Would a wise person marvel, when the heart is a throne
and this water springs from stone?
فبِئْسَso wretched is تِجارَةُthe trade الأَقوامِof the people جُحْداًin denial
فبِئْسَ تِجارَةُ الأَقوامِ جُحْداً
وَنَّand indeed تِجارَتيmy trade نِعمexcellent is التِّجارَهْthe trade
وَنَّ تِجارَتي نِعم التِّجارَهْ
What a wretched trade the people make in denial;
my trade, indeed, is an excellent trade.
أَأَنْسَcould I forget يومَthe day لأْلأَit glittered فيin ضَميريmy innermost being
أَأَنْسَ يومَ لأْلأَ في ضَميري
ومنشورُand spring’s unfolding الرَّبيعِspring لهhas نَضارَهْfreshness
ومنشورُ الرَّبيعِ له نَضارَهْ
Could I forget the day it glittered in my innermost being,
while spring’s unfolding had its freshness?
وخاطَبَنيand it addressed me بقلبيthrough my heart وهوand it is رُوحيmy soul
وخاطَبَني بقلبي وهو رُوحي
وأَطْلَعَand it raised فيin سَمَواتيmy heavens مَنارَهْits beacon
وأَطْلَعَ في سَمَواتي مَنارَهْ
It spoke to me through my heart, and it is my soul,
and raised a beacon in my heavens.
فذُبْتُso I melted وقامَand it rose بيwithin me وعَجِبْتُand I marveled منِّيat myself
فذُبْتُ وقامَ بي وعَجِبْتُ منِّي
كسَبْتُI gained العزَّhonor فيin طورِa state of الحَقارَهْlowliness
كسَبْتُ العزَّ في طورِ الحَقارَهْ
I melted; it rose within me, and I marveled at myself:
I gained honor in a state of lowliness.
وظاهَرَنيand it supported me وجلْبَبَنيand clothed me جَلالاًin majesty
وظاهَرَني وجلْبَبَني جَلالاً
وأكْسَبنيand it granted me منof العلمِknowledge الأَثارَهْa trace
وأكْسَبني من العلمِ الأَثارَهْ
It supported me and clothed me in majesty,
and granted me a trace of knowledge.
فسِرْتُso I walked لهtoward it علىwith قدَمٍa step رَفيعٍelevated
فسِرْتُ له على قدَمٍ رَفيعٍ
وماand did not لَحِقَcatch العِدىthe enemies منِّيof mine غَبارَهْmy dust
وما لَحِقَ العِدى منِّي غَبارَهْ
So I walked toward it with an elevated step,
and my enemies could not catch even my dust.
وغارَand it guarded me عليَّwith kindness إحْساناًand gentleness ولُطْفاًand kindness
وغارَ عليَّ إحْساناً ولُطْفاً
وشنَّand it launched علىagainst ذَويthose who have الأَحْقادِgrudges غارَهْan assault
وشنَّ على ذَوي الأَحْقادِ غارَهْ
It guarded me with kindness and gentleness
and launched an assault on those who harbor grudges.
فقلتُso I said لرُوحيto my soul ابْتَهِجيrejoice وطِيبيand be at peace
فقلتُ لرُوحي ابْتَهِجي وطِيبي
لقدindeed كَشَفَhas lifted الحَبيبُthe beloved لكِfor you السِّتارَهْthe veil
لقد كَشَفَ الحَبيبُ لكِ السِّتارَهْ
I said to my soul, “Rejoice and be at peace:
the beloved has lifted the veil for you.”
وأُسْدِلَand were drawn منfrom سِتارَتِهِits veil سُتورٌcurtains
وأُسْدِلَ من سِتارَتِهِ سُتورٌ
وحُقِّقتِand was fulfilled الأِشارَةُthe sign والبِشارَهْand the good news
وحُقِّقتِ الأِشارَةُ والبِشارَهْ
And curtains were drawn from its veil,
and the sign and the good news came true.