لأحمدٍfor Ahmad بهجَهsplendor كالقمرِlike the moon الزاهرradiant
لأحمدٍ بهجَه كالقمرِ الزاهر
فيin أبرُجِtowers السمدgood fortune (uncertain reading)
في أبرُجِ السمد
Ahmad has a splendor like the radiant moon
For Ahmed, whose radiance is like the shining moon
in the towers of good fortune [uncertain reading].
In the mansions of glory
علاؤُهاits eminence يسبىtakes captive بنورِهthrough his light الباهرdazzling
علاؤُها يسبى بنورِه الباهر
كلevery سناgleam مجدِglory
كل سنا مجدِ
Its eminence takes captive, through his dazzling light,
Its splendor is renowned for its brilliant light
every gleam of glory.
Every year new glory
فيin عالمrealm القُدسholiness قدِّسَwas hallowed علياهُhis lofty station
في عالم القُدس قدِّسَ علياهُ
ففاقَthus he excelled فيin الحمدpraise
ففاقَ في الحمد
In the realm of holiness, his lofty station was hallowed;
In the world of holiness his ascendance is sanctified
thus he excelled in praise.
Surpassing in praise
بالبدرwith the full moon والشمسand the sun يزرىputs to shame محيّاهُhis countenance
بالبدر والشمس يزرى محيّاهُ
فجلَّso he was exalted عنbeyond ندّa peer
فجلَّ عن ندّ
His countenance puts the full moon and the sun to shame,
The moon and sun pale before his brilliance
so he stands exalted beyond any peer.
He is beyond compare
للجنّto the jinn والإنسand humankind أرسلَهُsent him اللَهGod
للجنّ والإنس أرسلَهُ اللَه
يهديguides إليَtoward الرشدright conduct
يهدي إليَ الرشد
God sent him to the jinn and humankind,
God sent him as guidance for jinn and humankind
guiding them toward right conduct.
To lead to the right path
أذلّhumbled بالحجّهwith proof وأمرهِand his command القاهرoverpowering
أذلّ بالحجّه وأمرهِ القاهر
منwhoever خانbetrayed فيin العهدthe covenant
من خان في العهد
With proof and his overpowering command, he humbled
He humbled with proof all who betrayed their vows
whoever betrayed the covenant.
In East and West his sweet fragrance spreads
بالشرقِin the East والغربِand the West ثناؤهُhis praise العاطرfragrant
بالشرقِ والغربِ ثناؤهُ العاطر
أندىmore fragrant منthan الندّaromatic incense
أندى من الندّ
In the East and West, his fragrant praise
More luscious than nectar
is more fragrant than incense.
O best of messengers from the finest of people
ياO خيرَbest مرسولِmessenger منamong خيرةِthe choicest of الخلقِcreation
يا خيرَ مرسولِ من خيرةِ الخلقِ
أذانيhurt me البعدُseparation
أذاني البعدُ
O best messenger among the choicest of creation,
My longing draws me to you
separation has hurt me.
To you my wish has led my fervent desire
إليكَto you ياO سؤليmy desire قدindeed قادنيled me شوفيmy longing (probable correction)
إليكَ يا سؤلي قد قادني شوفي
فكمand how often أرىI find myself أشدوsinging
فكم أرى أشدو
To you, O my desire, my longing has led me;
How I yearn to sing your praise
how often I find myself singing
With a crazed voice relating song and passion
بصَوتِwith a voice مخبولِa madman حكىechoed غِناthe song of وُرقِgray doves
بصَوتِ مخبولِ حكى غِنا وُرقِ
هيّجَهاstirred them الوجدُardent longing
هيّجَها الوجدُ
in a madman's voice, echoing the song of gray doves
Stirred by ardent love
stirred by ardent longing.
I am drowned in agony with no savior
غرقتُI drowned فيin لجّهa deep sea وليسand there is no ليfor me ناصرhelper
غرقتُ في لجّه وليس لي ناصر
علىagainst جوىheartache البعدseparation
على جوى البعد
I have drowned in a deep sea, and I have no helper
Except you my only succor, while tears rain down my cheeks
against the heartache of separation,
If my sin prevents me from that rapture
إلاكexcept you ياO حسبيmy sufficient support وأدمعand tears الناظرthe eye
إلاك يا حسبي وأدمع الناظر
تنهَلُّpour down فيon الخدّthe cheek
تنهَلُّ في الخدّ
except you, O my sufficient support; and the eye's tears
I am rendered helpless
pour down the cheek.
How can one crazed with love come near
إنif عافنيrejects me ذنبيmy sin عنfrom ذلكthat المغنىdwelling
إن عافني ذنبي عن ذلك المغنى
فليسَthen there is no ليfor me حولُstrength
فليسَ لي حولُ
If my sin shuts me out of that dwelling,
When such distance lies between us
then I have no strength.
Grief melts the resolute and maddens the sober
وكيفَand how بالقربwith nearness للهائمfor the love-stricken wanderer المضنىexhausted
وكيفَ بالقرب للهائم المضنى
وبينناand between us سبلُroads
وبيننا سبلُ
And how can the love-stricken, exhausted wanderer draw near,
I turn my face toward you
while roads lie between us
Tears flowing like rain, my heart sighing
تذيبُmelt بالكَربِthrough anguish حسماa body (probable correction) ذوىwithered حزناfrom sorrow
تذيبُ بالكَربِ حسما ذوى حزنا
وشفهand wasted it الخبلُmadness
وشفه الخبلُ
that melt, through anguish, a body withered by sorrow
Ablaze with fiery longing
and wasted away by madness?
O hearer of whispers, to you I confess
إليكمُtoward you all وجّهhe turned وجهاًa face غداbecame حائرbewildered
إليكمُ وجّه وجهاً غدا حائر
والدمعُand tears فيon الخدthe cheek
والدمعُ في الخد
Toward you he turned a face grown bewildered,
Complaining of my state
while tears on the cheek
Forsaken, I seek refuge at your door
ينهَلُّpour down كالسحبlike clouds وزفرةًand a sigh الخاطرthe heart
ينهَلُّ كالسحب وزفرةً الخاطر
تُلهَبُis set aflame بالوقدwith burning heat
تُلهَبُ بالوقد
pour down like clouds; and the heart's sigh
Tormented by worries
is set aflame with burning heat.
If with trials from long neglect of me
ياO سامعَhearer of النجوىwhispered prayers إليكto you أوصابيmy afflictions
يا سامعَ النجوى إليك أوصابي
تشكوcomplain بأوحاليof my mires
تشكو بأوحالي
O hearer of whispered prayers, to you my afflictions
You have darkened my days
complain of the mire I am in.
Then such is the agony in which I see myself losing
تركتنيthey left me نضواemaciated ألوذُI seek refuge بالبابat the door
تركتني نضوا ألوذُ بالباب
مقَسَّمَdivided البالِin mind
مقَسَّمَ البالِ
They have left me wasted, seeking refuge at the door,
Unless you are my rescuer
with a divided mind.
I take refuge in love from your supreme command
إنif كانit was بالبلوىthrough affliction لطولِbecause of the length of إغبانيmy [unclear term]
إن كان بالبلوى لطولِ إغباني
أسأتمُyou worsened (plural) حاليmy condition
أسأتمُ حالي
If it was through affliction, because of my prolonged [unclear term],
That keeps me far from you
that you worsened my condition,
With the love of him whose noble grave
فتلكمthen that (addressing you all) رجّهa shock بهاthrough it أرىI see خاسِرa loser
فتلكم رجّه بها أرى خاسِر
إنif لمnot تكنit is رفدىmy support
إن لم تكن رفدى
then that is a shock in which I see myself as a loser,
Defied time, O virtuous one
unless it proves to be my support.
Yearning and passion are always in my heart
أعوذُI seek refuge بالحبin love منfrom أمركَyour command الآمرcommanding
أعوذُ بالحب من أمركَ الآمر
بالبعدto keep distant للعَبدfor the servant
بالبعد للعَبد
I seek refuge in love from your commanding decree
Do not disregard my plea
of separation for the servant.
One whose love seared his heart cannot say
بحبِّthrough love of منhim who تحدىare driven with song لقَبرهto his grave النجبthe noble camels
بحبِّ من تحدى لقَبره النجب
السيدthe master الطاهِرpure
السيد الطاهِر
Through love of him to whose grave the noble camels are driven with song,
Words that will fade
the pure master,
The exquisite rapture, the feast for the eyes
همwander in passion دائماًalways وجداin longing يأيّهاO you الصبardent lover
هم دائماً وجدا يأيّها الصب
وعدand turn away عنfrom خاطرthe thought
وعد عن خاطر
wander forever in longing, O lovesick one,
The eternal garden
and turn away from the thought
The heart's quest, the soul's peace
منone who قالsaid إذwhen أودىdestroyed بقلبهhis heart الحبlove
من قال إذ أودى بقلبه الحب
قولاa saying غداbecame سائرwidely repeated
قولا غدا سائر
of one who said, when love destroyed his heart,
In that cheek's bloom
a saying that became widely repeated:
بدائعmarvels of البهجةsplendor ونزهةُand delight for الناظرthe beholder
بدائع البهجة ونزهةُ الناظر
وجنةand the garden of الخلدeternity
وجنة الخلد
The marvels of splendor and the beholder's delight,
and the garden of eternity,
وبغيةand the desire of القلبthe heart وراحةand the repose of الخاطرthe mind
وبغية القلب وراحة الخاطر
فيin ذاكthat الخدّcheek
في ذاك الخدّ
and the heart's desire and the mind's repose,
are in that cheek.
Partial English translation: 49 of 54 Arabic lines translated.