ياO رَبُّLord قَدindeed أَبلانيhas worn me down
يا رَبُّ قَد أَبلاني
حُبّيmy love لِذاfor this الخَوّانِthe treacherous one
حُبّي لِذا الخَوّانِ
O Lord, I have indeed been worn down
O Lord, my love for this friend has weakened me
by my love for this treacherous one.
And my tears have betrayed my secret
وَباحَand spoke openly دَمعيmy tears بِسِرّيof my secret
وَباحَ دَمعي بِسِرّي
وَخانَنيand betrayed me كِتمانيmy concealment
وَخانَني كِتماني
And my tears have disclosed my secret,
And my silence has betrayed me
and my concealment has betrayed me.
O flower of the garden
ياO زَهرَةَflower of البُستانِthe garden
يا زَهرَةَ البُستانِ
ياO نَفحَةَfragrant breath of الرَيحانِthe sweet basil
يا نَفحَةَ الرَيحانِ
O flower of the garden,
O breeze of sweet basil
O breath of sweet basil,
You are the son of the full moon and the sun
أَنتَyou اِبنُson of بَدرٍa full moon وَشَمسٍand a sun
أَنتَ اِبنُ بَدرٍ وَشَمسٍ
ماnot أَنتَyou مِنof إِنسانِa human being
ما أَنتَ مِن إِنسانِ
you are the son of a full moon and a sun;
You are not just a human
you are no human being.
Nothing compares to your mansion
ماno لِلثُرَيّاfor al-Thurayya (the Pleiades) شَبيهٌequal
ما لِلثُرَيّا شَبيهٌ
فيماamong what بَنىbuilt قَطُّever بانِa builder
فيما بَنى قَطُّ بانِ
Al-Thurayya has no equal
With walls of light
among all that any builder has ever built.
And a roof of fire
حيطانُهُits walls مِنof نورٍlight
حيطانُهُ مِن نورٍ
وَالسَقفُand the roof مِنof نيرانِflames
وَالسَقفُ مِن نيرانِ
Its walls are made of light,
And a courtyard of ruby
and its roof is made of flames.
Delighting the eyes in paradise
وَالصَحنُand the courtyard ياقوتُruby دُرٍّpearls
وَالصَحنُ ياقوتُ دُرٍّ
لِلعَينِto the eye فيin جِنانِgardens
لِلعَينِ في جِنانِ
And the courtyard is a ruby of pearls,
With water flowing over it
to the eye, amid gardens.
In a sparkling stream
وَالماءُand the water يَعدوraces عَلَيهاover them
وَالماءُ يَعدو عَلَيها
فيin جَدوَلٍa stream رَيّانِbrimming
في جَدوَلٍ رَيّانِ
And the water races across them
So live there in peace
in a brimming stream.
Caliph of the Merciful
فَعِشso live بِذاكَin that سَليماًsafe and sound
فَعِش بِذاكَ سَليماً
خَليفَةَcaliph of الرَحمَنِthe All-Merciful
خَليفَةَ الرَحمَنِ
So live there safe and sound,
And be with time, for an age
O caliph of the All-Merciful.
With a life as long as the life of the building
وَكُنand be مَعَwith الدَهرِTime دَهراًan age
وَكُن مَعَ الدَهرِ دَهراً
عُمراًa lifetime كَماlike عُمرانِtwo lifetimes
عُمراً كَما عُمرانِ
And endure alongside Time for an age,
So you both remain
a lifetime as long as two lifetimes,
While the two burdens pass
فَتَبقَيانِso you both remain جَميعاًtogether
فَتَبقَيانِ جَميعاً
وَيَنفَدُand come to an end الثُقلانِhumankind and jinn
وَيَنفَدُ الثُقلانِ
so that you both remain together
Like the approaching of two wings
while humankind and jinn pass away,
Of this and that bird constantly flying
مِثلُlike اِقتِرابِthe drawing together of جَناحَيtwo wings (continued)
مِثلُ اِقتِرابِ جَناحَي
نِword-ending completing 'two wings' ذاthis one وَذاand this one دائِبانِboth tirelessly active
نِ ذا وَذا دائِبانِ
like the drawing together of two wings—
This grieved and that fell down
this one and that, both tirelessly in motion.
In a place
أَسَفَّflew low هَذاthis one وَهَذاand this one
أَسَفَّ هَذا وَهَذا
وَوَقَعاand both alighted فيin مَكانِa place
وَوَقَعا في مَكانِ
This one flew low, and that one,
And nothing lasts forever
and both alighted in one place.
And everything perishes
وَلَيسَand not يَخلُدُendures forever شَيءٌanything
وَلَيسَ يَخلُدُ شَيءٌ
وَكُلُّand every شَيءٍthing فانِpassing away
وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ فانِ
And nothing endures forever,
and everything passes away.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.