قُمrise ونادand call upon اللَهGod فيin داجيdark الغلَسpredawn twilight
قُم وناد اللَه في داجي الغلَس
تقتنيyou gain الأرباحthe profits
تقتني الأرباح
Rise and call upon God in the darkness before dawn;
Arise and call upon Allah in the darkness of nightfall,
you will reap the profits.
Seek profits and ask for forgiveness, an avid seeker,
والتمسand seek للعفوfor pardon فيهin it ملتمسan opening
والتمس للعفو فيه ملتمس
وانتبهand awaken قَدalready فاحhas spread its fragrance
وانتبه قَد فاح
And seek in it an opening for pardon.
And be aware, the fragrant blossoms of contentment have appeared,
And awaken: there has wafted
So ignite the lamp of righteous guidance that shone.
عرفُthe fragrance of أزهارِthe blossoms of الرضاcontentment ثمthen اقتبسdraw upon
عرفُ أزهارِ الرضا ثم اقتبس
نورa light of رشدguidance لاحhas shone
نور رشد لاح
the fragrance of contentment's blossoms; then draw upon
Oh you who travels souls by sorcery in the night,
a light of guidance that has shone.
What misfortune you have brought!
وانتشقand inhale ياO صاحfriend أرواحthe breezes of السحرthe predawn hour
وانتشق يا صاح أرواح السحر
ياoh! لهاfor it مشمومa scent to inhale
يا لها مشموم
And inhale, my friend, the breezes before dawn.
Recognize it if it comes after the blossoms
What a scent to breathe!
To revive the oppressed.
عرفُهits fragrance إنif هَبّwafts فيin إثرِthe wake of الزهَرthe blossoms
عرفُه إن هَبّ في إثرِ الزهَر
ينعِشُrevives المزكومone with a cold
ينعِشُ المزكوم
Its fragrance, if it wafts in the wake of the blossoms,
Rub your cheek and cry out with wailing,
revives one suffering from a cold.
Disregard your eyelids.
مرّغِrub in the dust الخدَthe cheek ونادِand cry out بالنحيبwith sobbing
مرّغِ الخدَ ونادِ بالنحيب
واهملِand let stream الأجفانthe eyelids
واهملِ الأجفان
Rub your cheek in the dust and cry out in sobs,
Stop at their melodies, hesitantly standing,
and let your eyelids stream.
As the branches swayed.
قفstand بمغناهمat their dwelling وقوفwith the stance of مستريبone beset by doubt
قف بمغناهم وقوف مستريب
حالفَhas made a pact with الأشجانsorrows
حالفَ الأشجان
Stand at their dwelling as one beset by doubt,
Weep if the healer lends an ear,
who has made a pact with sorrows.
To the illness of estrangement.
واشكand lament إنif وافقتyou encounter إصغاءthe attentive listening of الطبيبthe physician
واشك إن وافقت إصغاء الطبيب
علةَthe ailment of الهجرانestrangement
علةَ الهجران
And, if you find the physician listening, lament
Maybe through reunion you will revive what lies buried
the ailment of estrangement.
And joy will be sweetened.
فعسىso perhaps بالوصلthrough reunion تحيىyou revive ماwhat دثَرhas faded away
فعسى بالوصل تحيى ما دثَر
ويطيبand grows sweet النعيمbliss
ويطيب النعيم
So perhaps through reunion you may revive what has faded,
Intentions are not necessarily fulfilled,
and bliss may grow sweet.
And distance is painful.
فالنوىfor separation ماnot إنan emphatic particle عليهfor it مصطبَرendurance
فالنوى ما إن عليه مصطبَر
والبعادand distance أليمpainful
والبعاد أليم
For separation cannot be endured,
O Most Merciful of creation, have mercy
and distance is painful.
For I have come with a gracious welcome!
ياO رحيمMerciful One الخلقِcreation رحماكYour mercy! فقَدfor indeed
يا رحيم الخلقِ رحماك فقَد
جئتُI have come مغنىan abode رحيبspacious
جئتُ مغنى رحيب
O Merciful One to creation, Your mercy! For
No servant has a more evil servant who intends
I have come to a spacious abode.
To complain of sins.
ليسَthere is no للعبدfor the servant عبدa servant of سوءevil قدindeed قصدhas come
ليسَ للعبد عبد سوء قد قصد
يشتكىhe complains بالذنوبof sins
يشتكى بالذنوب
The servant—a sinful servant who has come—has no one,
The one who on a day will be pelted with embers
complaining of his sins.
From the breaths of hell―
منwho لهis there for him يومon the day ترامىhurls forth بالشرَرwith sparks
من له يوم ترامى بالشرَر
زفَراتُthe gasping breaths of الجحيمHell
زفَراتُ الجحيم
Who will stand by him on the day when sparks are hurled
By the guidance of the best of creation, bless me, O Most Merciful,
by the gasping breaths of Hell?
With goodness!
فبهادىso, by the guide of الخلقَcreation منfrom among خيرthe best of البشرhumankind
فبهادى الخلقَ من خير البشر
عافنيspare me ياO رحيمMerciful One
عافني يا رحيم
So, by creation's guide, among the best of humankind,
I remain between two dwellings,
spare me, O Merciful One.
Both have brought me misery.
أناI ماwhat lies بينbetween مقامَينِtwo stations مقيمdwelling
أنا ما بين مقامَينِ مقيم
أورَثانيthey both bequeathed me شجاgrief
أورَثاني شجا
I dwell between two stations,
My heart is filled with tears that are rarely
which have both bequeathed me grief.
Comforted.
فيin فؤاديmy heart منfrom دموعيmy tears كلومwounds
في فؤادي من دموعي كلوم
قلماscarcely تُرتجىare hoped for
قلما تُرتجى
In my heart are wounds from my tears,
Yet my devotion to the Generous
whose healing is scarcely hoped for.
Makes me feel delivered!
واعتلاقىand my clinging بجنابto the presence of الكريمthe Generous One
واعتلاقى بجناب الكريم
مشعرindicative بالنجاof deliverance
مشعر بالنجا
And my clinging to the presence of the Generous One
Now in both these states I am in danger,
is a sign of deliverance.
Though my heart is sound.
هاhere أناI am فيin الحالَتينboth states فيin خطَرperil
ها أنا في الحالَتين في خطَر
والفؤادand the heart سليمsound
والفؤاد سليم
Here I am, in both states, in peril,
It has followed the path of pure monotheism,
while my heart is sound.
The ways of the Straight Path.
سلكَhas followed التوحيدbelief in God's oneness فيهwithin it بالنظرthrough reflection
سلكَ التوحيد فيه بالنظر
سبلَthe paths of نهجٍa course قويمupright
سبلَ نهجٍ قويم
Within it, faith in God's oneness has, through reflection, followed
O companion of grief complains of estrangement
the paths of an upright course.
For the glory of the Noble One.
ياO حليفcompanion of الحزنsorrow يشكوlaments بالبعادof separation
يا حليف الحزن يشكو بالبعاد
لذseek refuge بمجدin glory أثيلdeep-rooted
لذ بمجد أثيل
O companion of sorrow, lamenting separation,
In the chambers of glory, you will attain your wish
seek refuge in deep-rooted glory.
Where the love of the Prophet resides.
فيin قبابthe domes of المجدglory تحظىyou are favored بالمُرادwith the desired goal
في قباب المجد تحظى بالمُراد
حيثwhere حبُّlove for الرسولthe Messenger
حيث حبُّ الرسول
In glory's domes you will attain your desire,
There its echo will heal your heart.
where there is love for the Messenger.
Ask about the one who says:
عندهُin his presence يشفىis healed صداهits thirst الفؤادthe heart
عندهُ يشفى صداه الفؤاد
واسلand forget عمنabout whoever يقولsays
واسل عمن يقول
In his presence the heart's thirst is healed.
“Would that I were a grain of sand on the seashore,
And forget whoever says:
O my son, or flesh,
ليتنيif only I were رملةa grain of sand علىon شاطىءthe shore of البحرthe sea
ليتني رملة على شاطىء البحر
ياO ابنىmy son أوor حلومdreams
يا ابنى أو حلوم
If only I were a grain of sand on the seashore,
And that I would leave my eyes at dawn
O my son, or dreams [unclear wording],
For the land of Rome!”
وتركand leaving عينيmy eye حينwhen تغدوyou set out early سحرbefore dawn
وترك عيني حين تغدو سحر
لبلادfor the lands of الرومthe Romans (Rum)
لبلاد الروم
and leaving my eye, when you set out before dawn [unclear wording],
for the lands of Rum.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.