هَلَمُّواcome, all of you بنيsons of أمّيmy mother إلىto جنّةthe garden of المأوىrefuge
هَلَمُّوا بني أمّي إلى جنّة المأوى
تَرَوْاyou will see حُسْنَthe beauty of ماwhat فيهاis in it منof الْمَنِّmanna والسَّلْوَىand quails
تَرَوْا حُسْنَ ما فيها من الْمَنِّ والسَّلْوَى
Come, sons of my mother, to the Garden of Refuge;
Come my dear ones to the abode of paradise
you will see the beauty of what it holds: manna and quails.
See the beauty therein of bounty and joy
إلىto مجلسٍa gathering طابتbecame pure عناصرelements of سرّهits secret
إلى مجلسٍ طابت عناصر سرّه
بفضلby the grace of الإِلهِGod عالمِKnower of السرّsecrets والنَّجْوَىand private discourse
بفضل الإِلهِ عالمِ السرّ والنَّجْوَى
To a gathering whose secret's elements have grown pure,
To a gathering whose sublime essence was perfumed
by the grace of God, Knower of secrets and private discourse.
By the grace of God, Knower of secrets and intimacy
جرتdrifted فيهwithin it منfrom فَيْضِthe overflowing bounty of الرّسولthe Messenger سحابةٌa cloud
جرت فيه من فَيْضِ الرّسول سحابةٌ
فهوso it is كماas تدريyou know حصونٌfortresses منagainst البّلْوَىaffliction
فهو كما تدري حصونٌ من البّلْوَى
A cloud from the Messenger's overflowing bounty has drifted within it;
In it flowed from the Messenger a cloud
so it is, as you know, fortresses against affliction.
As you know, it is a fortress against affliction
علىabove كلّevery ذيpossessor of شَأْوٍachievement فأصبحso it became فيamong الورىhumankind
على كلّ ذي شَأْوٍ فأصبح في الورى
عَلِيَّlofty in الذّرىthe summits لاnot يدركونthey attain لهfor it شَأْوَاa reach
عَلِيَّ الذّرى لا يدركون له شَأْوَا
Above every man of achievement, it has become among humankind
He became the foremost of all glorious ones in existence
lofty in its summits; none can attain its reach.
Ali, he of lofty lineage, their most noble dwelling
فَقُلْso say للّذيto the one who ينهاكforbids you عنfrom طيبthe sweetness of نشرهits fragrance
فَقُلْ للّذي ينهاك عن طيب نشره
ويعذلand reproaches you ماno ليfor me عنapart from محاسنهits beauties سَلْوَىsolace
ويعذل ما لي عن محاسنه سَلْوَى
So tell the one who bars you from its sweet fragrance
Long ago he ascended until he smoothed a peak
and reproaches you: 'I find no solace apart from its beauties.'
That lays prostrate the heroes of men beneath it
إلىto حضرةthe presence of الأَزْكَىthe purest المكمّلthe consummate one مَنْthe one who لهhas to his credit
إلى حضرة الأَزْكَى المكمّل مَنْ له
بَرَاهِنُproofs of فضلٍexcellence عنfrom جميعall الورىhumankind تُرْوَىare recounted
بَرَاهِنُ فضلٍ عن جميع الورى تُرْوَى
To the presence of the purest, the consummate one, whose
O son of Jesus, who equals you in rank?
proofs of excellence are recounted by all humankind.
And how can the loftiest scents be compared to foulness?
إمامimam of الهدىguidance هوhe ابْنُson of عيسىIsa محمّدٌMuhammad
إمام الهدى هو ابْنُ عيسى محمّدٌ
شريفُnoble among الورىhumankind أَصْلاًin lineage وأَكْرَمُهُمْand the noblest of them مَثْوَىin abode
شريفُ الورى أَصْلاً وأَكْرَمُهُمْ مَثْوَى
He is the imam of guidance: Muhammad ibn Isa,
Your protection cannot be attained unless through you
noble among humankind in lineage, and noblest of them in abode.
And your beauty, or all beauty, cannot be desired
قديماًlong ago عَلاَrose high حتىuntil تمهّدtook as his resting place ذروةًa summit
قديماً عَلاَ حتى تمهّد ذروةً
تُذَرّيscatters فحولَchampions of النّاسmen ماthose who are دونهاbeneath it ذروىa scattering
تُذَرّي فحولَ النّاس ما دونها ذروى
Long ago he rose until he made a summit his resting place,
And through you, otherwise no eulogy adorns
which utterly scatters the champions of men beneath it.
And from you, otherwise who answers the complainant?
ألاah ياO ابنَson of عيسىIsa مَنْwho يساويكequals you رفعةًin eminence
ألا يا ابنَ عيسى مَنْ يساويك رفعةً
وهلand can يستويbe equal أعلىthe finest of الروائحscents بالأَسْوَاto the worst
وهل يستوي أعلى الروائح بالأَسْوَا
O Ibn Isa, who can equal you in eminence?
In you are my hopes and wishes, O my purpose
And can the finest of scents be equal to the worst?
And I neglect those who find fault with me, they have no worth
حِمَاكyour sanctuary وإلاor else ماnot تُنالُis attained حمايةٌprotection
حِمَاك وإلا ما تُنالُ حمايةٌ
وحُسْنُكَand your beauty أَوْor كُلُّall المحاسنbeauties لاnot تُهوىare desired
وحُسْنُكَ أَوْ كُلُّ المحاسن لا تُهوى
Your sanctuary—or else no protection can be gained;
And I slay myself in your pleasure, O youth
and your beauty—or all beauties remain unloved.
Until I see the faces of the maidens roasted for me
وفيكand about you وإلاّor else ماnot تَوَشَّحُis adorned مِدحَةٌa eulogy
وفيك وإلاّ ما تَوَشَّحُ مِدحَةٌ
ومنكand from you وإلاّor else مَنْwho يجيبanswers بذيthe bearer of الشّكْوَىa grievance
ومنك وإلاّ مَنْ يجيب بذي الشّكْوَى
And in your praise—or else no eulogy is adorned;
Leave me and blame me for the son of Jesus, for I
and from you—or else who answers the one with a grievance?
Find his blame sweeter than bounty and joy
ففيكso in you أمانيmy hopes ياO مُنايmy desires ومنيتيand my wish
ففيك أماني يا مُناي ومنيتي
وأتركand I leave منwhoever يرويrecounts ملاميَreproaches against me لاnot يروىhas his thirst quenched
وأترك من يروي ملاميَ لا يروى
So in you rest my hopes, O my desire and my wish;
and I leave whoever recounts reproaches against me with thirst unquenched.
وأقتلand I kill نفسيmyself فيfor رضاكyour favor صبابةًpassionate longing
وأقتل نفسي في رضاك صبابةً
إلىuntil أنthat أرىI see وَجْهَthe face of العواذلthe reproachers ليon my account يُشْوَىis scorched
إلى أن أرى وَجْهَ العواذل لي يُشْوَى
And I kill myself in passionate longing for your favor,
until I see my reproachers' faces scorched on my account.
دعونيleave me ولوميand the reproach I bear فيconcerning ابنson of عيسىIsa فإنّنيfor indeed I
دعوني ولومي في ابن عيسى فإنّني
أرىI find لَوْمَهُreproach on his account أشهىmore delicious منthan المنّmanna والسّلوىand quails
أرى لَوْمَهُ أشهى من المنّ والسّلوى
Leave me to the reproach I bear for Ibn Isa, for I
find reproach on his account more delicious than manna and quails.
Partial English translation: 22 of 28 Arabic lines translated.