الْجَوَابُ الذي أَرَاهُ صَوَاباً

الْجَوَابُ الذي أَرَاهُ صَوَاباً

يَرْتَضِيهِ أَئِمَّةُ الاِنْتِقادِ

يَرْتَضِيهِ أَئِمَّةُ الاِنْتِقادِ

The answer that I deem correct

The answer I deem right

is approved by the masters of criticism:

Would please the critics of reproach

أنَّ قُرْبَ الأَشْباحِ في هذِهِ الدّا

أنَّ قُرْبَ الأَشْباحِ في هذِهِ الدّا

رِ هُوَ الْوَصْلُ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْوِدادِ

رِ هُوَ الْوَصْلُ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْوِدادِ

that the nearness of bodies in this abode

That the proximity of spirits in this abode

is union for those who love.

Is reunion for those of affection

لَوْ أَفادَ اتِّصالُ رُوحٍ برُوحٍ

لَوْ أَفادَ اتِّصالُ رُوحٍ برُوحٍ

في وِدادٍ وَمَعْ طَويلِ بِعادِ

في وِدادٍ وَمَعْ طَويلِ بِعادِ

If one soul's joining with another were of use

If the communion of one soul with another

in love, despite prolonged separation,

In affection despite long separation

كَانَ لَغْواً جَميعُ ما قَدْ حَكَى النّا

كَانَ لَغْواً جَميعُ ما قَدْ حَكَى النّا

سُ مِنَ الْهَجْرِ والْبُكا والسُّهادِ

سُ مِنَ الْهَجْرِ والْبُكا والسُّهادِ

all that people have recounted would be idle talk

Were nonsense, then all that people have recounted

of estrangement, weeping, and sleeplessness.

Of separation, weeping, and wakefulness by night

إنَّما أَلْهَبَ الجوَانِحَ مِنّا

إنَّما أَلْهَبَ الجوَانِحَ مِنّا

وأَسالَ الدُّموعَ سَيلَ الْوَادِي

وأَسالَ الدُّموعَ سَيلَ الْوَادِي

What alone set our ribs ablaze

It was only remoteness that inflamed our hearts

and made our tears flow like a valley's torrent

And set free a flood of tears down the valley

بُعْدُنا مِنْ مَرابِعٍ حَلَّ فيها

بُعْدُنا مِنْ مَرابِعٍ حَلَّ فيها

مَنْ أَحَلَّ الْغَرامَ بالأجْسادِ

مَنْ أَحَلَّ الْغَرامَ بالأجْسادِ

was our distance from abodes where dwelt

We are far from dwellings where she settled

one who made passion dwell within bodies.

Who inspired passion in the bodies

يا لَقَوْمِي وَهَلْ لقومي غَناءٌ

يا لَقَوْمِي وَهَلْ لقومي غَناءٌ

في تَلاقِي الأَرْواحِ والأَكْبادِ

في تَلاقِي الأَرْواحِ والأَكْبادِ

O my people! Is there any benefit for my people

Oh my people, would that my people had

in the meeting of souls and hearts?

In the meeting of souls and innermost hearts

إنَّما قَطَّعَ الْقُلوبَ بِعادٌ

إنَّما قَطَّعَ الْقُلوبَ بِعادٌ

قَطَّعَ اللهُ قَلْبَ هذا الْبِعادِ

قَطَّعَ اللهُ قَلْبَ هذا الْبِعادِ

It is separation alone that has torn hearts apart;

It was only separation that sundered hearts

may God tear apart the heart of this separation!

May God sunder the heart of this separation

فالغَريبُ الذي يَحِلُّ بِلاداً

فالغَريبُ الذي يَحِلُّ بِلاداً

وَهَواهُ في غَيْرِ تِلْكَ الْبِلادِ

وَهَواهُ في غَيْرِ تِلْكَ الْبِلادِ

For the stranger who settles in a land,

So the stranger who settles in a land

while his love is in another land,

While his passion is in other realms

والبعِيدُ الذي يُقيمُ بأَرْضٍ

والبعِيدُ الذي يُقيمُ بأَرْضٍ

قَدْ قَلَى رَبْعُها رَبيعَ الْفُؤادِ

قَدْ قَلَى رَبْعُها رَبيعَ الْفُؤادِ

and the distant one who dwells in a land

And the distant one who resides in a place

whose abode has spurned the heart's springtime—

Whose springtime seared the heart

ما تَرَى ما الّذي يُفِيدُ أنْطِوا الْقَل

ما تَرَى ما الّذي يُفِيدُ أنْطِوا الْقَل

بِ عَلَى الْحُبِّ والْهَوَى في ازْدِيادِ

بِ عَلَى الْحُبِّ والْهَوَى في ازْدِيادِ

what do you think—what good is the heart's harboring

Do you not see what availing comes

love, while passion keeps increasing?

From cherishing love and passion's increase?

إِنَّما يَشْتَكي مِنَ الْبَيْنِ قَلْبٌ

إِنَّما يَشْتَكي مِنَ الْبَيْنِ قَلْبٌ

قَدْ بُلي قَبْلَ بَيْنِهِ بالوِدادِ

قَدْ بُلي قَبْلَ بَيْنِهِ بالوِدادِ

Only a heart complains of separation

Only a heart tried before its sundering

that was afflicted with love before its parting.

Complains of estrangement

وَإذا ما خَلاَ مِنَ الْحُبِّ فالبَيْ

وَإذا ما خَلاَ مِنَ الْحُبِّ فالبَيْ

نُ لَدَيْهِ كالوَصْلِ في الاِتّحادِ

نُ لَدَيْهِ كالوَصْلِ في الاِتّحادِ

And when it is empty of love, then separation

And if it is devoid of love, then estrangement

is, to it, identical with union.

Is to it like union in oneness

والنَّبيُّ الْكَريمُ صَلّى عَلَيْه

والنَّبيُّ الْكَريمُ صَلّى عَلَيْه

رَبُّنا قَدْ أَفادَنَا بالْمُرادِ

رَبُّنا قَدْ أَفادَنَا بالْمُرادِ

And the noble Prophet—may he be blessed

The noble Prophet, God's blessings upon him,

by our Lord—has made the point clear to us:

Has provided us guidance in meaning:

قَالَ لَيْسَ الإخبارُ مِثْلَ عَيانٍ

قَالَ لَيْسَ الإخبارُ مِثْلَ عَيانٍ

عِنْدَ إصْدارِ الأَمْرِ والإيرادِ

عِنْدَ إصْدارِ الأَمْرِ والإيرادِ

he said, “Being told is not like seeing firsthand,”

"Report is not like witnessing

when issuing and presenting a matter.

In issuing commands and directing."

والْخَلِيلُ الْجَلِيلُ يَطْلُبُ مَعْنىً

والْخَلِيلُ الْجَلِيلُ يَطْلُبُ مَعْنىً

مِنْ عَيانٍ يَزيدُ في الاِعْتِقادِ

مِنْ عَيانٍ يَزيدُ في الاِعْتِقادِ

And the illustrious Friend seeks understanding

And the venerable Friend demanded a meaning

from firsthand sight that strengthens belief.

From witnessing that increases faith

فالذي قَالَ إنَّ عُمرانَ رَبْعِ ال

فالذي قَالَ إنَّ عُمرانَ رَبْعِ ال

حُبِّ بالحُبِّ نافِعٌ في الْبِعادِ

حُبِّ بالحُبِّ نافِعٌ في الْبِعادِ

So whoever says that peopling the abode of

So he who said inhabiting a quarter of love

love with love is useful in separation

With love is beneficial in absence

غاَلِطٌ أَو مُغَالِطٌ عِنْدَ مَنْ كا

غاَلِطٌ أَو مُغَالِطٌ عِنْدَ مَنْ كا

نَ مِنَ الأَذْكِياءِ والنُّقّادِ

نَ مِنَ الأَذْكِياءِ والنُّقّادِ

is mistaken or deliberately misleading, in the view of anyone who

Is wrong or deceiving, by those

is among the intelligent and the discerning critics.

Who were discerning and critics

هَاكَ يا عَالِمَ الزَّمانِ جَوَاباً

هَاكَ يا عَالِمَ الزَّمانِ جَوَاباً

شَيَّدَتْ رُكْنَهُ يَدُ الاِجْتِهادِ

شَيَّدَتْ رُكْنَهُ يَدُ الاِجْتِهادِ

Take, O scholar of the age, an answer

There you have it, O sage of the age, an answer

whose pillar the hand of independent reasoning has raised.

Whose pillar was built by striving

وَسَلامُ السَّلامِ يَغْشاكَ يا فَرْ

وَسَلامُ السَّلامِ يَغْشاكَ يا فَرْ

دَ بَني الْمُصْطَفَى النَّبِيّ الهادِي

دَ بَني الْمُصْطَفَى النَّبِيّ الهادِي

And may the peace of the Source of Peace envelop you, O peerless one

And greetings of peace be upon you, O individual

among the descendants of al-Mustafa, the guiding Prophet.

Of the Mustafa's progeny, the guiding Prophet.