عينvery essence الدليلِthe proof علىfor اليقينِcertainty
عين الدليلِ على اليقينِ
الزيتُthe oil النبراسُthe lamp للناظرينfor those who gaze
الزيتُ النبراسُ للناظرين
The very proof of certainty:
The oil of guidance for those seeking certainty
the oil is the lamp for those who gaze.
Is a lantern for the beholders.
لأنهbecause he is النائبthe deputy
لأنه النائب
فيin سَترهhis veiling
في سَتره
For he is the deputy
For it is the substitute,
in his veiling,
In its veil,
وهديهand his guidance الغائبabsent
وهديه الغائب
فيin كفرهhis disbelief
في كفره
and his guidance is absent
And its absentee's guidance
in his disbelief,
In his disbelief,
وسهمهand his arrow الصائبstriking the mark
وسهمه الصائب
فيin نحرهhis throat
في نحره
and his arrow strikes true
And its piercing arrow
in his throat.
In his throat.
حقاًtruly أقولُI say ياO غافلينheedless ones
حقاً أقولُ يا غافلين
معارفُinsights الأكياسِthe discerning علىin فنونvaried forms
معارفُ الأكياسِ على فنون
Truly I say, O heedless ones:
Truly I say, O heedless ones,
the insights of the discerning take many forms.
The gnosis of the wise is manifold.
للهto God (exclamation) ماhow أحلىsweet
لله ما أحلى
طعمflavor المذاقthe taste
طعم المذاق
How sweet, by God,
How sweet is the taste
the flavor one tastes,
Of the perspective from above,
بالمنظرat the vantage الأعلىthe highest
بالمنظر الأعلى
عندat المساقthe leading onward
عند المساق
at the highest vantage,
When the course continues.
when one is led onward.
His signs are recited
آياتُهhis signs تُتلىare recited
آياتُه تُتلى
علىin اتِّساقordered sequence
على اتِّساق
His signs are recited
In succession.
in ordered sequence.
A long night, a clear morning,
ليلٌa night طويلٌlong صبحٌa dawn مبينُclear
ليلٌ طويلٌ صبحٌ مبينُ
كأنهas though he were إلياسElijah فيamong المرسلينthe messengers
كأنه إلياس في المرسلين
A long night, a clear dawn,
As if he were Elijah among the messengers.
as though he were Elijah among the messengers.
If Idris,
لوif أنّthat إدريساًIdris
لو أنّ إدريساً
إذwhen أعرضاhe turned away
إذ أعرضا
Had Idris,
When offered
when he turned away,
The Torah of Moses,
عليلهhis ailing one يوسىis tended (reading uncertain)
عليله يوسى
ماnot مرَّضاhe nursed
ما مرَّضا
had his ailing one tended [reading uncertain],
Had not fallen ill,
he would not have nursed him;
And Jesus had come to him
وجاءهand came to him عيسىJesus
وجاءه عيسى
معwith القضاthe decree
مع القضا
and Jesus came to him
With judgement,
with the decree,
On the path he would have moaned.
علىon السبيلthe path يُبديhe gives voice to الأنينmoaning
على السبيل يُبدي الأنين
منfrom عِلةthe affliction الإفلاسِdestitution معwith القرينthe companion
من عِلة الإفلاسِ مع القرين
on the path he gives voice to moaning
From the malady of destitution, along with the companion.
from the affliction of destitution, with the companion.
They both spoke,
قدindeed قالاhe said منwhoever قالاsaid
قد قالا من قالا
بعلمهthrough his knowledge
بعلمه
Whoever spoke has indeed said,
With his knowledge,
through his knowledge,
That they had attained
بأنهthat he نالاattained
بأنه نالا
منof حكمهhis judgment
من حكمه
that he attained
From his wisdom,
something of his judgment,
And ceased not
وعنهand from him ماnot زالاhe departed
وعنه ما زالا
فيin زعمهhis claim
في زعمه
and never departed from him,
In his opinion.
so he claims.
So he says, while holding assumption.
كذاthus يقولhe speaks وهوand he is الظنينsuspect
كذا يقول وهو الظنين
وساوسwhisperings الخناسthe slinking one عندamid الظنونconjectures
وساوس الخناس عند الظنون
Thus he speaks, though he is suspect:
The insinuations of the sneaky, amidst assumptions.
the whisperings of the slinking one amid conjectures.
When the critic saw
لماwhen رأىhe saw العاذلَthe reproacher
لما رأى العاذلَ
ماnot أمَّلاhe hoped
ما أمَّلا
When he saw the reproacher,
What he hoped for,
he did not hope,
And said to the questioner,
وقالand he said للسائلِto the questioner
وقال للسائلِ
هذاthis one سلاhas found solace
هذا سلا
and said to the questioner:
"This is easy."
"This one has found solace."
I recited to the speaker,
أنشدتI recited للقائلِto the speaker
أنشدت للقائلِ
إذwhen علاhe rose
إذ علا
I recited to the speaker,
When he was exalted:
when he rose:
"I have no inclusion except for yearning."
ماnot ليfor me شَمولwine إلاexcept الشُّجونsorrows
ما لي شَمول إلا الشُّجون
مزاجهاits admixture فيin الكأسthe cup دمعtears هَتونstreaming
مزاجها في الكأس دمع هَتون
"I have no wine but sorrows;
Its temperament in the cup is mellowed tears.
its admixture in the cup is streaming tears."
Partial English translation: 41 of 42 Arabic lines translated.