لاno والذيby Him who ياO سيديmy lord
لا والذي يا سيدي
يفنيmakes perish الأنامall creatures وأنتwhile you باقيremain
يفني الأنام وأنت باقي
No, by Him who, my lord,
No, by Him who, my lord
brings all creatures to an end while you endure,
Destroys men though you remain,
ماno للخليفةfor the caliph مثلthe like of صحنcourtyard
ما للخليفة مثل صحن
كyour (possessive suffix) والتدليand the hanging structures والرواقand the portico
ك والتدلي والرواق
the caliph has no courtyard like
No palace can compare to you,
yours, nor such hanging structures or portico.
With your grace and bowers and hall,
دارٌa house غدتbecame شرفاتهاits battlements
دارٌ غدت شرفاتها
توفيrise high علىabove السبعthe seven الطباقlayered one above another
توفي على السبع الطباق
A house whose battlements have come
A house whose balconies now
to tower above the seven layered heavens.
Rise to the seven spheres,
فقبابهاso its domes وكواكبand the stars of الجstart of 'al-Jawzaʾ' (a constellation)
فقبابها وكواكب الج
وزاءcompletion of 'al-Jawzaʾ' تسموsoar باتفاقin harmony
وزاء تسمو باتفاق
So its domes and the stars
Its domes and constellations vying
of al-Jawzaʾ soar together in harmony.
In rank, exceeding all.
ولهاand it has حصونٌfortresses تشتكيlament
ولها حصونٌ تشتكي
حيطانهاtheir walls بعدafter الفراقparting
حيطانها بعد الفراق
And it has fortresses whose
It has fortresses that lament
walls lament after parting.
Their walls, when we're apart,
ويضيعand loses his way فيهاwithin it الخضرal-Khidr وهwhile he (continued next line)
ويضيع فيها الخضر وه
وcompletion of 'he' يسيرtravels فيon ظهرthe back of البراقal-Buraq
و يسير في ظهر البراق
And al-Khidr loses his way within it while
Where greenery is lost, though it
he travels on al-Buraq's back.
Moves on Buraq's back.
لماwhen دخلتI entered أطوافهاits precincts
لما دخلت أطوافها
ومشيتand I walked فيalong طولthe length of الرواقthe portico
ومشيت في طول الرواق
When I entered its precincts
When I entered its precincts
and walked the length of the portico,
And walked its lengthy hall,
دارٌa house بهاwithin it ياO سيديmy lord
دارٌ بها يا سيدي
ماthat which بيis in me إليكtoward you منof اشتياقlonging
ما بي إليك من اشتياق
the house held within it, my lord,
A house, my lord, which fills
the same longing for you that I bear.
Me with yearning for you.