خليليَّmy two friends هَلْis there منany رقدةٍa sleep أستريحُهاI may rest in it
خليليَّ هَلْ من رقدةٍ أستريحُها
علىamid البيْنِseparation أمْor مِنْany عبرةٍa tear أستبيحُهاI may freely shed it
على البيْنِ أمْ مِنْ عبرةٍ أستبيحُها
My two friends, is there some spell of sleep in which I might find rest,
My two friends, is there a sleep in which I may find rest
amid separation—or some tear I might permit myself to shed?
amid separation, or a tear I may freely shed?
ألاlisten! أيهذاO you الباعثُwho sends الكتْبَletters حيلةًas a stratagem
ألا أيهذا الباعثُ الكتْبَ حيلةً
ليذْكرنيto remind me داراًof a home قريباًnear at hand نزوحُهاdeparture from it
ليذْكرني داراً قريباً نزوحُها
Lo, you who send letters as a stratagem
O you who send letters as a stratagem,
to remind me of a dwelling so recently left behind:
to remind me of a home soon to be left behind:
بداappeared كنباتِlike growth القطرِrain قَطْرdrops نباتَهاits crystallized sugar
بدا كنباتِ القطرِ قَطْر نباتَها
فأخجلنيso it embarrassed me إطراؤُهاits lavish praise ومديحُهاand its commendation
فأخجلني إطراؤُها ومديحُها
The moisture dripping from its plants looked like vegetation sprung from rain,
Its sugar-candy appeared like shoots sprung from rain,
and its praise and commendation made me blush.
so its lavish praise and commendation left me abashed.
فماfor no روضةٌgarden بالحزنِon rugged uplands باكرَهاvisited it at dawn الحياthe rain
فما روضةٌ بالحزنِ باكرَها الحيا
يمجُّexudes خزاماهاits lavender نداهُits dew وشيحُهاand its wormwood
يمجُّ خزاماها نداهُ وشيحُها
No meadow in the rugged uplands, visited at dawn by life-giving rain,
For no garden on rugged uplands, visited by rain at dawn,
whose lavender and wormwood exude its dew,
whose lavender and wormwood exude its dew,
بأطيبَany more fragrant مِنْthan أبياتِverses نظمٍof poetry بعثتُهاI sent them
بأطيبَ مِنْ أبياتِ نظمٍ بعثتُها
تجدِّدُrenew أشواقاًyearnings طوالاًlong-lasting شروحُهاtheir expositions
تجدِّدُ أشواقاً طوالاً شروحُها
is more fragrant than the verses of poetry I sent forth,
is more fragrant than the verses of poetry I sent,
renewing longings whose telling would be long.
whose expositions renew long-lasting yearnings.
وماand not فضلُthe excellence مولاناour master ببدْعٍanything unprecedented فكمْfor how many لهُare his
وما فضلُ مولانا ببدْعٍ فكمْ لهُ
مآثرِnoble deeds إحسانٍof kindness جليٍّplain وضوحُهاtheir clarity
مآثرِ إحسانٍ جليٍّ وضوحُها
Our master's excellence is nothing new—how many
Our master's excellence is nothing new; how many are his
illustrious works of beneficence are his, manifestly clear!
deeds of kindness, so plainly manifest!
جدودُكَyour forefathers أقطابُguiding poles الكلامِof speech ملوكُهُits kings
جدودُكَ أقطابُ الكلامِ ملوكُهُ
فلاso no عجبٌwonder بالمعنيينin both senses فتوحُهاits conquests
فلا عجبٌ بالمعنيين فتوحُها
Your forefathers are the pivots of speech, its kings;
Your forefathers are the poles of eloquence, its kings;
no wonder, then, at its triumphs in both its modes.
so its conquests, in both senses, are no wonder.
لقدindeed رُدَّwas restored تفويفُstriped ornamentation الكلامِof speech موشَّعاًrichly woven
لقد رُدَّ تفويفُ الكلامِ موشَّعاً
لهمto them مثلماjust as رُدَّتْwas restored ليوشَعَfor Joshua يوحُهاits sun
لهم مثلما رُدَّتْ ليوشَعَ يوحُها
Indeed, speech's variegated brocade has been restored, richly figured,
Indeed, the striped brocade of speech was restored, richly woven,
to them, just as the sun was restored to Joshua.
to them, just as the sun was restored for Joshua.
فأيُّso what زمانٍage مرَّpassed قطُّever ولمْand did not يكنْthere exist
فأيُّ زمانٍ مرَّ قطُّ ولمْ يكنْ
علىupon غصنِa bough العلياءِof lofty glory منكمْfrom among you صدوحُهاits songbird
على غصنِ العلياءِ منكمْ صدوحُها
What age has ever passed in which there was no
What age has ever passed without there being
singing bird from among you upon glory's bough?
a songbird from among you upon the bough of glory?
فأولكُمْso your earliest فيamong الأولينَthe ancients خطيبُهاits orator
فأولكُمْ في الأولينَ خطيبُها
وآخركُمْand your latest فيamong الآخرينَthe later generations فصيحُهاits eloquent speaker
وآخركُمْ في الآخرينَ فصيحُها
The earliest of you among the ancients was glory's orator;
So your earliest is its orator among the ancients,
the latest of you among later generations is her eloquent voice.
and your latest, its eloquent voice among later generations.
فقلso tell للذيthe one who يبغيseeks مداهاits utmost reach بزعمِهِby his own claim
فقل للذي يبغي مداها بزعمِهِ
نعمْyes جسداًin body لكنْbut يفوتُكَeludes you روحُهاits spirit
نعمْ جسداً لكنْ يفوتُكَ روحُها
Tell anyone who claims he can attain its furthest reach:
So tell the one who claims to seek its utmost reach:
yes, you may grasp its body—but its spirit will elude you.
'Yes, in body—but its spirit eludes you.'
وبعدُand now فليso I have سرٌّa secret إليكَto you أبوحُهُI disclose it
وبعدُ فلي سرٌّ إليكَ أبوحُهُ
وماand not كلُّevery أسرارٍsecrets عنتنيconcerned me أبوحُهاI disclose them
وما كلُّ أسرارٍ عنتني أبوحُها
And now, I have a secret to disclose to you,
And now, I have a secret to confide to you,
though I do not disclose every secret that concerns me.
and I do not disclose every secret that has concerned me.
وذلكand that is أنيthat I تجنبْتُhave shunned ماwhat الورىpeople
وذلك أني تجنبْتُ ما الورى
عليهِare intent on it منَof الدنياthe world التيwhich غرَّbeguiled ريحُهاits scent
عليهِ منَ الدنيا التي غرَّ ريحُها
It is this: I have shunned all that humankind
And that is: I have shunned what people
pursues of this world, whose beguiling breeze deceives.
pursue in the world, whose scent has beguiled them.
ولماand when تأملتُI contemplated الأمورَaffairs وبانَand became clear ليto me
ولما تأملتُ الأمورَ وبانَ لي
بتجريبِهاthrough testing them معتلُّهاtheir unsound aspects وصحيحُهاand their sound aspects
بتجريبِها معتلُّها وصحيحُها
When I considered all affairs and it became clear to me,
And when I contemplated affairs, and it became clear to me,
through trying them, what was unsound and what was sound,
through testing them, what was unsound and what was sound,
تخذْتُI took up مقاماًa residence بالمقامِat the station مقاطعاًbreaking with
تخذْتُ مقاماً بالمقامِ مقاطعاً
لأطماعِwith the cravings نفسٍof a soul حانَwas due منهاfor it ضريحُهاits grave
لأطماعِ نفسٍ حانَ منها ضريحُها
I took up the station of abiding, cutting off
I took up residence at the station, breaking with
the cravings of a soul whose grave has drawn near.
the cravings of a soul whose time for the grave had come.
ونزَّهْتُand I kept above نفسيmy soul منْfrom زحامِthe jostling الورىof people علىover
ونزَّهْتُ نفسي منْ زحامِ الورى على
ركيٍّwells بكيٍّscant of water لاnot يبضُّseeps شحيحُهاtheir meager supply
ركيٍّ بكيٍّ لا يبضُّ شحيحُها
I kept my soul aloof from humankind's crowding around
And I kept my soul above the people's jostling over
a miserly, scant-yielding well whose meager water does not seep.
water-poor wells whose meager supply will not seep.
إلىfor كمْhow long وكمْand how long إذلالُabasement نفسٍof a soul إلىuntil متىwhen
إلى كمْ وكمْ إذلالُ نفسٍ إلى متى
فخيرٌso better منَthan الإذلالِabasement موتٌdeath يريحُهاthat gives it rest
فخيرٌ منَ الإذلالِ موتٌ يريحُها
How long—how long—must a soul be abased? Until when?
How long, how long this abasement of a soul—until when?
Better than abasement is a death that brings it rest.
For death that gives it rest is better than abasement.
سلامٌfarewell علىto الدنياthe world فهلْso is there مِنْany موافقٍone who agrees
سلامٌ على الدنيا فهلْ مِنْ موافقٍ
علىto تركِabandoning دنياa world ليسَdo not تبراheal جروحُهاits wounds
على تركِ دنيا ليسَ تبرا جروحُها
Farewell, world! Is there anyone who will join me
Farewell to the world! Is there anyone who agrees
in forsaking a world whose wounds never heal?
to abandon a world whose wounds do not heal?
فإنْso if رنَّحتْit sways عطفاًa flank فلاthen he does not يستميلُهاseek its favor
فإنْ رنَّحتْ عطفاً فلا يستميلُها
وإنْand if سمحتit gives generously لطفاًgraciously قلاso he does not (apparent misprint for فلا) يستميحُهاask its bounty
وإنْ سمحت لطفاً قلا يستميحُها
Though the world seeks to sway my soul with tenderness, she will not win it over;
For if it sways its flank, he does not seek its favor;
and though she gives with gracious favor, my soul will not beg from her.
and if it graciously gives, he does not beg its bounty.
فلاso do not تُخْلِنيdeprive me مِنْof دعوةٍa prayer أُخْرويَّةٍfor the hereafter
فلا تُخْلِني مِنْ دعوةٍ أُخْرويَّةٍ
عسىperhaps توبةٌrepentance يُرضيpleases الإلهَGod نصوحُهاits sincerity
عسى توبةٌ يُرضي الإلهَ نصوحُها
So do not leave me without a prayer for the life to come,
So do not deprive me of a prayer for the hereafter;
that perhaps there may be repentance whose sincerity pleases God.
perhaps repentance, in its sincerity, will please God.
فأنتَfor you are أخٌa brother فيin اللهِGod يُرجىis hoped for دعاؤُهُhis prayer
فأنتَ أخٌ في اللهِ يُرجى دعاؤُهُ
إذاwhen استنصحَتْseeks counsel نفسٌa soul فأنتَthen you are نصيحُهاits sincere adviser
إذا استنصحَتْ نفسٌ فأنتَ نصيحُها
For you are a brother in God, whose prayer is looked to;
For you are a brother in God whose prayer is hoped for;
when a soul seeks counsel, you are its sincere counselor.
when a soul seeks counsel, you are its sincere adviser.
سقىmay water عهدَthe memory of دارٍa home قَدْalready حللتَyou inhabited سفوحَهاits slopes
سقى عهدَ دارٍ قَدْ حللتَ سفوحَها
عهادُreturning showers سحابٍof clouds مستهلٍّstreaming rain سفوحُهاtheir copious outpourings
عهادُ سحابٍ مستهلٍّ سفوحُها
May the remembered haunts of a dwelling whose slopes you once inhabited be watered
May the memory of a home whose slopes you once inhabited be watered
by successive rain-clouds, their cascading outpourings streaming down.
by returning showers from clouds whose outpourings stream forth.
