ياO لِواءَbanner of الحُسنِbeauty أَحزابُthe factions of الهوىlove
يا لِواءَ الحُسنِ أَحزابُ الهوى
أَيقَظواthey stirred up الفِتنةَstrife فيin ظلِّthe shade of اللِواءِthe banner
أَيقَظوا الفِتنةَ في ظلِّ اللِواءِ
O banner of beauty, the factions of love
O banner of beauty, the factions of passion
have stirred up strife in the banner's shade.
Have awakened sedition in the shadow of the banner
فَرَّفَتهُمdivided them (probable reading) فيin الهَوىlove ثاراتُهُمtheir vendettas
فَرَّفَتهُم في الهَوى ثاراتُهُم
فاجمَعيso unite الأمرَthe cause وَصونيand protect الأَبرِياءthe innocent
فاجمَعي الأمرَ وَصوني الأَبرِياء
Their vendettas have divided them in love;
Their defiance has fluttered them in passion
so restore unity, and protect the innocent.
So gather the matter and protect the innocent
إنَّindeed هذاthis الحسنَbeauty كالماءِlike water الذيwhich
إنَّ هذا الحسنَ كالماءِ الذي
فيهِin it للأَنفُسِfor souls رِيٌّquenching of thirst وَشِفاءand healing
فيهِ للأَنفُسِ رِيٌّ وَشِفاء
Indeed, this beauty is like water, which
Indeed this beauty is like the water
quenches souls' thirst and brings them healing.
In which there is pleasure and healing for the souls
لاdo not تَذوديdrive away بَعضَناsome of us عنfrom وِردهِits watering place
لا تَذودي بَعضَنا عن وِردهِ
دونَbut not بعضٍothers واعدليand be fair بينamong الظِماءthe thirsty
دونَ بعضٍ واعدلي بين الظِماء
Do not deny some of us a drink of it
Do not prevent some of us from reaching it
while allowing others; be fair among the thirsty.
Over others and be equitable between the thirsty
أنتِyou يمُّthe sea of الحُسنِbeauty فيهِin it ازدَحَمَتthronged
أنتِ يمُّ الحُسنِ فيهِ ازدَحَمَت
سُفُنُthe ships of الآمالِaspirations يُزجيهاdrives them onward الرجاءhope
سُفُنُ الآمالِ يُزجيها الرجاء
You are the sea of beauty, where throng
You are the mother of beauty in whom
the ships of aspiration, urged onward by hope.
The ships of hopes moored, driven by hope
يَقذِفُhurls الشوقُlonging بهاwith them فيinto مائجٍa surging sea
يَقذِفُ الشوقُ بها في مائجٍ
بينbetween لُجَّينِtwo depths عناءٍsuffering وَشَقاءand misery
بين لُجَّينِ عناءٍ وَشَقاء
Longing hurls them into a surging sea,
Passion hurls them into turbulent waves
between two depths—suffering and misery.
Between two deep sorrows and misery
شِدَّةٌa hardship تَمضيpasses وَتَأتيand comes شِدَّةٌa hardship
شِدَّةٌ تَمضي وَتَأتي شِدَّةٌ
تَقتَفيهاfollows it شدَّةٌa hardship هلis there منany رجاءhope
تَقتَفيها شدَّةٌ هل من رجاء
One hardship passes, and another comes,
One affliction passes and another follows
with yet another at its heels—is there any hope?
Followed by another - is there any hope?
ساعِفيfulfill آمالَthe hopes of أنضاءِthose wasted by الهَوىlove
ساعِفي آمالَ أنضاءِ الهَوى
بِقبولٍwith acceptance منfrom سجاياكِyour innate traits رُخاءgentleness
بِقبولٍ من سجاياكِ رُخاء
Fulfill the hopes of those wasted by love
Redouble the hopes of the passionate beloveds
with acceptance born of your gentle nature.
With acceptance from your serenity and comfort
وَتَجَلّىand reveal yourself واجعَليand make قومَthe people of الهوىlove
وَتَجَلّى واجعَلي قومَ الهوى
تحتbeneath عرشthe throne of الشَمسِthe sun فيin الحكمjudgment سواءequal
تحت عرش الشَمسِ في الحكم سواء
And reveal yourself, and make the people of love
And reveal yourself and make the people of passion
equal in judgment beneath the sun's throne.
Equal under the sun’s throne in ruling
أقبِليcome forth نَستَقبِلwe shall welcome الدُنياthe world وماand all that
أقبِلي نَستَقبِل الدُنيا وما
ضَمِنَتهcontains it منof مُعَدّاتthe means of الهناءhappiness
ضَمِنَته من مُعَدّات الهناء
Come forth: we shall welcome the world and all
Show yourself - we face the world and what
the means of happiness it contains.
It has guaranteed of the trappings of bliss
واسفِريand unveil yourself تلكthose حلىًadornments ماnot خُلِقَتwere created
واسفِري تلك حلىً ما خُلِقَت
لِتُواريto be concealed بِلئامٍwith a veil (probable reading) أوor خباءa tent
لِتُواري بِلئامٍ أو خباء
And unveil yourself: those adornments were not created
And uncover - those jewels were not created
to be concealed beneath a veil or within a tent.
To hide in disgrace or shame
واخطِريand walk gracefully بينamong النَدامىthe drinking companions يَحلِفواthey will swear
واخطِري بين النَدامى يَحلِفوا
أنَّthat روضاًa garden راحwent فيin الناديthe gathering وجاءand came
أنَّ روضاً راح في النادي وجاء
And glide among the drinking companions; they will swear
And tread among the remorseful who swear
that a garden came and went within the gathering.
That a garden wandered into the club and came
وانطِقيand speak يَنثُرِwill scatter إذاwhen حدَّثتِناyou speak to us
وانطِقي يَنثُرِ إذا حدَّثتِنا
ناثِرُthe scatterer of الدُرِّpearls عليناupon us ماwhat نَشاءwe wish
ناثِرُ الدُرِّ علينا ما نَشاء
And speak: when you address us, let
And speak - let the pearl scatterer shower us,
the scatterer of pearls shower us with all we desire.
When you speak to us, with whatever we wish
وَاِبسميand smile منwhoever كانis هذاthis ثغرُهُhis mouth
وَاِبسمي من كان هذا ثغرُهُ
يَملاfills الدُنياthe world ابتِساماwith smiles وازدهاءand splendor
يَملا الدُنيا ابتِساما وازدهاء
And smile: whoever has such lips
And smile - whoever’s mouth this is
fills the world with smiles and splendor.
Fills the world with smiles and disdain
لاdo not تخافيfear شطَطاًexcess منfrom أنفُسٍsouls
لا تخافي شطَطاً من أنفُسٍ
تَعثُرُstumbles الصَبوةُpassion فيهاwithin them بالحياءover modesty
تَعثُرُ الصَبوةُ فيها بالحياء
Do not fear excess from souls
Have no fear of madness from souls
in which passion stumbles over modesty.
In which shyness stumbles, embarrassed
راضتِhas disciplined النَخوةُchivalry منsome of أخلاقِناour character traits
راضتِ النَخوةُ من أخلاقِنا
وارتَضىand has approved آدابناour manners صدقُthe sincerity of الولاءdevotion
وارتَضى آدابنا صدقُ الولاء
Chivalry has disciplined our character,
Nobleness is pleased with our characters
and sincere devotion has found our manners worthy.
And our etiquette’s honesty has consented loyalty
فلَوso even if امتدَّتreached out أمانيناour wishes إِلىtoward
فلَو امتدَّت أمانينا إِلى
ملكٍan angel ماnot كدَّرَتwould cloud ذاكَthat الصَفاءpurity
ملكٍ ما كدَّرَت ذاكَ الصَفاء
So even if our wishes reached out to
For if our hopes extended to
an angel, they would not cloud that purity.
A kingdom, they would not cloud that clarity
أنتِyou روحانِيَّةٌethereal لاdo not تدَّعيclaim
أنتِ روحانِيَّةٌ لا تدَّعي
انَّthat هذاthis الحُسنَbeauty منfrom طينٍclay وماءand water
انَّ هذا الحُسنَ من طينٍ وماء
You are ethereal—do not claim
You are spiritual - do not claim
that this beauty is made of clay and water.
That this beauty is of clay and water
وانزِعيand remove عَنfrom جِسمِكyour body الثَوبthe garment يَبنwill appear
وانزِعي عَن جِسمِك الثَوب يَبن
لِلمَلاto all تكوينُthe form of سكّانِthe dwellers of السَماءheaven
لِلمَلا تكوينُ سكّانِ السَماء
And strip the garment from your body, revealing
And remove your dress - it reveals
to all the form of heaven's dwellers.
To the angels the creation of heaven’s inhabitants
وأَرىand show الدُنياthe world جناحَيthe two wings of ملكٍan angel
وأَرى الدُنيا جناحَي ملكٍ
خَلفَbehind تِمثالٍa statue مصوغٍfashioned منfrom ضِياءlight
خَلفَ تِمثالٍ مصوغٍ من ضِياء
And show the world an angel's two wings
And I see the world as the wings of an angel
behind a statue fashioned from light.
Behind a statue forged from light