أينwhere ياO حاديdriver of النياقthe she-camels الخيامthe tents
أين يا حادي النياق الخيام
سكرbecame intoxicated السائرونthe travelers شوقاًwith longing وهامواand they wandered love-struck
سكر السائرون شوقاً وهاموا
Where, O driver of the she-camels, are the tents?
Where, O driver of she-camels, are the tents?
The travelers grew drunk with longing and wandered distraught.
The travelers grew drunk with longing and wandered love-struck.
اعدrepeat الصوتthe voice كيso that نرىwe may see العيسthe pale camels طارتflew
اعد الصوت كي نرى العيس طارت
نحوtoward تلكthose الخيامthe tents فالبعدfor separation سامis deadly
نحو تلك الخيام فالبعد سام
Repeat the call, that we may see the white camels take flight
Sound your voice again, that we may see the pale camels fly
toward those tents—for distance is a deadly poison.
toward those tents, for separation is deadly.
كلَّevery آنٍmoment بناwithin us منfrom الوجدyearning نارٌa fire
كلَّ آنٍ بنا من الوجد نارٌ
ولهاand it has فيin القلوبthe hearts مناof ours ضرامa blaze
ولها في القلوب منا ضرام
A passion has come upon us, a fire born of yearning,
At every moment, a fire of yearning burns within us,
and in our hearts it has kindled a blaze.
and in our hearts its blaze flares.
تتقلىseethes فلاyet not الغضاal-Ghada بقريبٍnear
تتقلى فلا الغضا بقريبٍ
بلindeed ولاnor جانبthe outskirts of الغويرal-Ghuwayr يشامcan be glimpsed
بل ولا جانب الغوير يشام
It burns fiercely: neither are the ghada trees near,
It seethes; al-Ghada is nowhere near,
nor can even the side of al-Ghuwayr be glimpsed.
nor can even the outskirts of al-Ghuwayr be glimpsed.
وتلالand the hills of الجرعاءal-Jar‘a بالبعدat a distance مناfrom us
وتلال الجرعاء بالبعد منا
والفجاجand the mountain passes الفساحthe broad والآكامand the hillocks
والفجاج الفساح والآكام
And the hills of al-Jarbāʾ lie far from us,
Al-Jar‘a’s hills lie far from us,
as do the broad mountain passes and the hillocks.
as do the broad passes and the hillocks.
هاتcome! دمدمchant resonantly بالحيِّof the encampment واحيand revive المطاياthe riding camels
هات دمدم بالحيِّ واحي المطايا
بعدafter موتٍdeath وماand no عليكupon you ملامblame
بعد موتٍ وما عليك ملام
Come, croon of the encampment, and revive the mounts
Come, chant of the encampment and revive the mounts
after their death; no blame will fall on you.
after death; no blame rests upon you.
ربَّmany a روحٍsoul بجملةٍthrough a phrase منof كلامٍspeech
ربَّ روحٍ بجملةٍ من كلامٍ
وكلامٍand speech للسمعfor the ear فيهin it مدامwine
وكلامٍ للسمع فيه مدام
How often my whole soul has been revived by mere words—
Many a soul is revived by a phrase of speech,
words that pour wine into the ear.
and many a word holds wine for the ear.
غنِّناsing to us بالكرامof the noble ones ساداتthe lords of سلعٍSal‘
غنِّنا بالكرام سادات سلعٍ
فلقدfor indeed يعشقpassionately loves الكرامthe noble الكرامthe noble
فلقد يعشق الكرام الكرام
Sing to us of the noble ones, the lords of Salʿ;
Sing to us of the noble ones, the lords of Sal‘,
for the noble surely love the noble.
for noble souls do indeed love noble souls.
واتلand recount اخبارهمtheir stories عليناto us فإناfor we
واتل اخبارهم علينا فإنا
حينwhen تتلىare recited يشبُّblazes up فيناwithin us هيامpassionate love
حين تتلى يشبُّ فينا هيام
Recite their tidings to us; for when
Recount their stories to us, for
they are recited, passion flares within us.
when they are recited, passion flares within us.
سادةlords شرَّفواennobled الوجودexistence وفيهمand in them
سادة شرَّفوا الوجود وفيهم
أشرقتshone بعدafter عتمهاtheir darkness الأيامthe days
أشرقت بعد عتمها الأيام
Masters who ennobled existence, and through whom
Lords who ennobled existence, through whom
the days shone bright after their darkness.
the days shone bright after their darkness.
هذَّبواrefined بالهدىthrough guidance الطباعnatural dispositions وعنهمand from them
هذَّبوا بالهدى الطباع وعنهم
رونقthe splendor of الحقtruth فيamong الأنامhumankind يقامis upheld
رونق الحق في الأنام يقام
They refined our natures through guidance, and from them
They refined human natures through guidance, and through them
the splendor of truth is upheld among humankind.
the splendor of truth is upheld among humankind.
دارspread فيthrough الكائناتcreated beings شرقاًeastward وغرباًand westward
دار في الكائنات شرقاً وغرباً
بانجلاءِthrough the shining forth of صيامهمtheir fasting والقيامand night prayer
بانجلاءِ صيامهم والقيام
Throughout creation, east and west, has spread
It spread through creation, east and west,
the radiance of their fasting and prayer.
through the radiance of their fasting and night prayer.
بسطواthey spread العدلjustice مذطوواsince they folded away ظلمةthe darkness of الظلoppression (first part)
بسطوا العدل مذطووا ظلمة الظل
مoppression (completion) ومنهمand from them فيin كلevery لبٍّmind نظامorder
م ومنهم في كل لبٍّ نظام
They spread justice when they rolled up the darkness of oppress—
They spread justice, having folded away the darkness of
—ion; from them every mind draws its order.
oppression; from them comes order to every mind.
ياO! بروحيwith my soul وروحand the soul of كلِّevery لبيبٍdiscerning person
يا بروحي وروح كلِّ لبيبٍ
عدلهمtheir justice والعلومand knowledge وand الإلهامinspiration
عدلهم والعلوم و الإلهام
May my soul, and every discerning soul, ransom
Ah, may my soul and every discerning soul ransom
their justice, their learning, and their inspiration!
their justice, knowledge, and inspiration!
علموناthey taught us سيرthe journey of القلوبthe hearts إلىto اللGod (first part)
علمونا سير القلوب إلى الل
هِGod (completion) فضاءتso they shone وانجابand lifted عنهاfrom them القتامthe murk
هِ فضاءت وانجاب عنها القتام
They taught us how hearts journey toward God,
They taught us how hearts journey to
until they became open expanses and the murk was swept away.
God; the hearts shone, and their murk lifted.
ووصلناand we reached بهمthrough them إلىto حضرةthe Presence of القدholiness (first part)
ووصلنا بهم إلى حضرة القد
سِholiness (completion) كراماًhonored زهراًradiant وطابand grew sweet المقامthe abode
سِ كراماً زهراً وطاب المقام
Through them we reached the Presence of Holi—
Through them we reached the Presence of
—ness, honored and radiant; how sweet the station!
Holiness, honored and radiant; sweet was the abode.
يسكرintoxicates العارفينthe mystic knowers منهمamong them بديواin the court (first part)
يسكر العارفين منهم بديوا
نcourt (completion) التجليself-revelation الغيبيof the unseen جامٌa cup فجامthen another cup
ن التجلي الغيبي جامٌ فجام
The mystics are intoxicated by their diwā—
The mystic knowers among them grow drunk in the court
—n of unseen revelation, cup after cup.
of unseen revelation, cup after cup.
ويطيرand sends soaring الأسرارthe innermost secrets منهمfrom them شؤنٌspiritual states
ويطير الأسرار منهم شؤنٌ
طرزهاtheir adornment الإحترامreverence والإحتشامand modesty
طرزها الإحترام والإحتشام
One state of theirs sets secrets soaring,
Their spiritual states send the innermost secrets soaring;
secrets embroidered with reverence and modesty.
their adornment is reverence and modesty.
قسماًI swear بالمشاهدby the shrines البيضradiant منهمof theirs
قسماً بالمشاهد البيض منهم
وبهمand by them قدindeed تعظَّمare ennobled الأقسامoaths
وبهم قد تعظَّم الأقسام
I swear by their radiant shrines,
I swear by their radiant shrines—
and by them—through whom oaths are made solemn—
through them, indeed, oaths are ennobled—
ماnot تغنىsang الحاديthe camel-driver بهمof them قطُّever إلاexcept that
ما تغنى الحادي بهم قطُّ إلا
قعدsat down القومthe company بالهيامin rapturous love وقامواand they rose
قعد القوم بالهيام وقاموا
never has the camel-driver sung of them
never has the camel-driver sung of them without
but the company, drunk with passion, sat down and rose.
the company sitting down in rapture and rising.
خلُّO friend خلِّset aside الوجودexistence عنكaway from you سواهمexcept them
خلُّ خلِّ الوجود عنك سواهم
فسوىfor apart from سرِّthe secret of سيرهمtheir path أوهامillusions
فسوى سرِّ سيرهم أوهام
Let go, let go all existence but them;
Friend, set all existence aside, except for them,
apart from the secret of their path, all is illusion.
for all beyond the secret of their path is illusion.
واتَّبعهمand follow them واحذرand beware تقيُّدكyour attachment to الدنthe world (first part)
واتَّبعهم واحذر تقيُّدك الدن
ياworld (completion) فآثارfor the traces of كونهاits existence أحلامdreams
يا فآثار كونها أحلام
Follow them, and beware being fettered by this wor—
Follow them, and beware your bondage to the
—ld, for the traces of its existence are dreams.
world, for the traces of its existence are dreams.
وارضand be content باللهwith God وانتظمand align yourself بهداهمwith their guidance
وارض بالله وانتظم بهداهم
نعمhow excellent ذاكthat الرضاءcontentment والإنتظامand alignment
نعم ذاك الرضاء والإنتظام
Be content with God and align yourself with their guidance;
Be content with God and align yourself with their guidance;
blessed are such contentment and such accord!
how excellent that contentment and alignment!
لاdo not تخفfear صدمةthe blow of الزمانtime إذاif كنyou are (first part)
لا تخف صدمة الزمان إذا كن
تyou are (completion) بهمin them واثقاًtrusting فلستfor you are not تضامwronged
ت بهم واثقاً فلست تضام
Do not fear the servitude of time, if you
Do not fear the blow of time if
place your trust in them; you shall not be wronged.
you trust in them, for you shall not be wronged.
همthey عصامthe safeguard of الأرواحsouls سرّاًsecretly وجهراand openly
هم عصام الأرواح سرّاً وجهرا
فعليهمso upon them منfrom السلامthe Source of Peace السلامpeace
فعليهم من السلام السلام
They are the safeguard of souls, inwardly and openly;
They are the souls’ safeguard, in secret and openly;
upon them be peace upon peace.
so upon them be peace from the Source of Peace.
