ألاLo أيّهاO you الميّالone turning aside عنfrom منهلthe wellspring of الوردِthe litany
ألا أيّها الميّال عن منهل الوردِ
بريحby the wind of الهوىdesire النفسيof the self الّذيwhich هبّblew بالطردِwith banishment
بريح الهوى النفسي الّذي هبّ بالطردِ
Lo, O you who turn aside from the litany's wellspring,
O you who are inclined away from the meadow of roses
swept by the wind of selfish desire that blew you into banishment.
By the breeze of whimsical passion that blew with rejection
وياand O معرضاًone turning away عنّاfrom us بجنبbeside جَنَابَةٍdefilement
ويا معرضاً عنّا بجنب جَنَابَةٍ
منfrom الظنّsuspicion إذwhen أَحْدَثْتَyou brought about حلَّكyour undoing للعقدِof the bond
من الظنّ إذ أَحْدَثْتَ حلَّك للعقدِ
And O you who turn away from us, alongside the defilement
And O you who turned away from us out of doubt
of suspicion, when you brought about the bond's undoing.
When you undid our bond for your own gain
فياso O ويحalas for ماwhat أوحىinspired غرورُكyour delusion والهوىand desire
فيا ويح ما أوحى غرورُك والهوى
إليكto you بنكسwith the overturning of العهدthe covenant ياO ناقضbreaker of العهدthe covenant
إليك بنكس العهد يا ناقض العهد
Alas for what your delusion and desire inspired
Woe to you! What did your arrogance and desire
in you: overturning the covenant, O covenant-breaker!
Whisper to you about breaking your vow, O oath-breaker!
ركبتyou rode وحقّand by the sanctity of العهدthe covenant عمياءَblind غفلةٍheedlessness
ركبت وحقّ العهد عمياءَ غفلةٍ
فأودتso brought ruin بكupon you الأدواthe afflictions بأوديةin the valleys of البعدestrangement
فأودت بك الأدوا بأودية البعد
You mounted—by the sanctity of the covenant!—blind heedlessness,
You rode the blindness of ignorance and forgot
so afflictions ruined you in the valleys of estrangement.
Your pledged word, so sorrows led you to distant places
أقمraise بالبكاwith weeping ياO ذاyou عليكover yourself مناحةًa lament
أقم بالبكا يا ذا عليك مناحةً
فإنّكfor indeed you معwith موتيthe dead of الغوايةerror فيin لحدa grave
فإنّك مع موتي الغواية في لحد
Raise a weeping lament over yourself, O you,
Stay weeping, O you who are to blame!
for you are in a grave with those dead in error.
For with my death, you lost the path in the grave
سلكتyou followed طريقthe path of الأخسرينthe greatest losers فملتso you turned aside عنfrom
سلكت طريق الأخسرين فملت عن
طريقthe path of الهدىguidance إذwhen ضلّstrayed سعيكyour striving عنfrom رشدright conduct
طريق الهدى إذ ضلّ سعيك عن رشد
You followed the path of the greatest losers and turned away from
You took the way of the most wretched, so you veered
the path of guidance, when your striving strayed from right conduct.
From the path of guidance when your efforts went astray
ورحتand you departed وإنّwhile indeed البابthe door دونكbefore you مغلقٌclosed
ورحت وإنّ الباب دونك مغلقٌ
عنfrom الوردthe litany لمّاwhen أنthat جنحتyou inclined إلىtoward الصدّrejection
عن الورد لمّا أن جنحت إلى الصدّ
And you departed, the door shut against you,
You left while the door was still closed to you
from the litany, when you inclined toward rejection.
To the roses, for you had inclined to rejection
خلعتyou cast off الحياmodesty فيin خلعcasting off خلعةthe robe of وردناour litany
خلعت الحيا في خلع خلعة وردنا
ومنand from نقضbreaking عهدa covenant قمتyou rose ترفلswaggering فيin بُردa cloak
ومن نقض عهد قمت ترفل في بُرد
You cast off modesty when you cast off the robe of our litany,
You took off the garment of our roses
and rose, swaggering in a cloak of covenant-breaking.
When you took off the garment of the pact and turned to rejection
وزيّفتand you declared counterfeit دينارthe dinar of المعاملةthe dealings الّتيwhich
وزيّفت دينار المعاملة الّتي
نقدتَyou assayed بنقضby breaking العهدthe covenant فازدانso it gained luster بالنقدthrough scrutiny
نقدتَ بنقض العهد فازدان بالنقد
And you branded counterfeit the dinar of the dealings that
You forged the golden dinar of cordiality
you assayed by breaking the covenant, so it gained luster under scrutiny.
Which you had gained by breaking your vow, so it shone like minted gold
وقدand indeed جئتyou brought زورthe falsehood of الوزرsin بالغيبwithout knowledge راجماًhurling
وقد جئت زور الوزر بالغيب راجماً
لناat us بمقالwith words of السوءevil منfrom ظنّكyour suspicion المُرديruinous
لنا بمقال السوء من ظنّك المُردي
And indeed you brought sinful falsehood, blindly hurling
You came to me falsely accusing with slander
at us evil words from your ruinous suspicion.
Out of your pushing away, O repellant one!
أصابكstruck you مسٌّa touch of madness أمor رمتكassailed you وساوسٌwhisperings
أصابك مسٌّ أم رمتك وساوسٌ
فماfor not هذهthis إلّاexcept غشاوةُa veil ذيone possessed of جحدdenial
فما هذه إلّا غشاوةُ ذي جحد
Has a touch of madness struck you, or have whisperings assailed you?
Did some touch befall you or did doubts assault you?
For this is nothing but a denier's veil.
For this is but the delusion of one who denies truth
فأنكرتso you denied تعريفthe making known of الصفاpurity منfrom وفائناour faithfulness
فأنكرت تعريف الصفا من وفائنا
وبدّلتَand you replaced وصفthe quality of الصفوserenity فيin القلبthe heart بالحقدwith rancor
وبدّلتَ وصف الصفو في القلب بالحقد
So you denied the purity made known by our faithfulness,
You denied recognizing our loyalty and faithfulness
and replaced the heart's quality of serenity with rancor.
And changed your description of our hearts' purity to hatred
قدindeed ازددتyou have increased طغاياًin rebelliousness فياso O ويحكalas for you اتئدbe measured
قد ازددت طغاياً فيا ويحك اتئد
أسأتyou did evil فياso O سوآكyour vileness منfrom سوءthe evil of ماwhat تبديyou reveal
أسأت فيا سوآك من سوء ما تبدي
You have grown more rebellious—alas for you, be measured!
You have increased in tyranny-woe to you!
You have done evil—how vile you are in the evil you display!
You did wrong, so evil is what you put forth
أمنis there any توبةٍrepentance تدنيكthat brings you near منto عذبthe sweetness of وردناour litany
أمن توبةٍ تدنيك من عذب وردنا
أمنis there any أوبةٍreturn منfrom قبلbefore فَجئِكtaking you unawares بالفقدwith loss
أمن أوبةٍ من قبل فَجئِك بالفقد
Is there repentance to bring you near our litany's sweet draught?
Will a repentance draw you near to our sweet roses?
Is there a return before loss takes you unawares?
Or a return after your loss?
ستندمyou will regret إنif خالفتyou oppose نصحَthe counsel of ولائناour loyalty
ستندم إن خالفت نصحَ ولائنا
وتخسرand you will lose إنif حالفتyou ally yourself للعاذلfor the faultfinder الضدّthe adversary
وتخسر إن حالفت للعاذل الضدّ
You will regret it if you reject the counsel of our loyalty,
You will regret if you oppose our advice
and lose if you ally with the foe for the faultfinder's sake.
And lose if you ally with the hostile adversary
رويدكtake your time لاdo not تعجلhasten عقوبتكyour punishment اتّئدbe measured
رويدك لا تعجل عقوبتك اتّئد
وخفّضand ease عليكfor yourself الحالthe situation فيin العكسreversal والطردand advance
وخفّض عليك الحال في العكس والطرد
Take your time; do not hasten your punishment; be measured.
Calm yourself-do not hasten your punishment
And ease things for yourself, in reversal and advance.
And lower your state to reversal and rejection
وإنّand indeed لواءthe banner of الوزرsin ينشرُis unfurled فيon غدٍa coming day
وإنّ لواء الوزر ينشرُ في غدٍ
إليكtoward you كماas نرويهwe relate it ياO قاطعone cutting off الوردthe litany
إليك كما نرويه يا قاطع الورد
And the banner of sin will indeed be unfurled tomorrow
The banner of power will surely spread toward you tomorrow
before you, as we relate it, O deserter of the litany.
As we promised, O severer of roses!
وحسبكand sufficient for you مأوىًa refuge منfrom هواكyour desire بنارهin its fire
وحسبك مأوىً من هواك بناره
ونحنwhile we بذكرthrough remembrance of اللهGod فيin جنّةthe garden of الخلدeternity
ونحن بذكر الله في جنّة الخلد
And your desire's fire is refuge enough for you,
It suffices you as a refuge from your passion and its fire
while we, through remembrance of God, are in the Garden of Eternity.
While we are in God's remembrance in the gardens of eternity
وذاand this عزّناour glory بالذلّthrough humility فيهbefore Him وحصنناand our fortress
وذا عزّنا بالذلّ فيه وحصننا
دخلناwe entered حماهits sanctuary نعمexcellent is حصنa fortress منof المجدglory
دخلنا حماه نعم حصن من المجد
And this is our glory through humility before Him, and our fortress:
And though you debased us, with God we have honor
we have entered its sanctuary—what a fortress of glory!
We entered His protection-indeed, a fortress of glory!
فإنso if شئتyou wish حاربwage war أوor فسالمthen make peace فإنّناfor indeed we
فإن شئت حارب أو فسالم فإنّنا
سواءٌall the same عليناto us لاnot نعيدwe repeat ولاnor نبديwe begin
سواءٌ علينا لا نعيد ولا نبدي
So wage war if you wish, or make peace; for us,
If you wish for war or make peace, we are equal to it
it is all the same; we neither repeat nor initiate.
We do not repeat or initiate
وربّكand your Lord بالمرصادlies in wait بالغارةwith the assault الّتيwhich
وربّك بالمرصاد بالغارة الّتي
لنجدتناto aid us فيin فتكslaying منwhoever قدhas بغىtransgressed تجديavails
لنجدتنا في فتك من قد بغى تجدي
And your Lord lies in wait, with the assault that
And your Lord is watching in ambush
aids us in striking down whoever has transgressed.
For our raiding party against any transgressor
ونحنand we علىin accordance with ماwhat نحنwe are فيin ذكرremembrance of ربّناour Lord
ونحن على ما نحن في ذكر ربّنا
بغيرwithout شعورٍawareness لاnot بزيدof Zayd ولاnor هندHind
بغير شعورٍ لا بزيد ولا هند
And we remain as we are, in remembrance of our Lord,
As for us, we are as we are, remembering our Lord
unaware of either Zayd or Hind.
Without consciousness or increase or decrease
وعروتناand our handhold الوثقىfirmest تمسُّكُناour holding fast بماto what
وعروتنا الوثقى تمسُّكُنا بما
رويناهwe transmitted it عنfrom شرعthe sacred law of الّذيthe one who جائناcame to us يهديguides
رويناه عن شرع الّذي جائنا يهدي
And our firmest handhold is our holding fast to what
Our secure bond holds us fast to what
we have transmitted from the law of the one who came to us as a guide.
We have narrated from the Law that came to guide
وسنّتُهand his tradition الغرّاءradiant قبلةthe prayer-direction of نهجناour path
وسنّتُه الغرّاء قبلة نهجنا
وقدوتناand our exemplar وهوand he الوسيلةthe means للقصدto the goal
وقدوتنا وهو الوسيلة للقصد
And his radiant tradition is the prayer-direction of our path,
Its brilliant way is our path's direction
and our exemplar; he is the means to the goal.
And our example-it is the means to the goal
عليهupon him صلاةthe blessing of اللهGod ثمّthen سلامُهHis peace
عليه صلاة الله ثمّ سلامُه
وآلٍand family وصحبٍand companions أنجمِstars of الهديِguidance والرشدand right conduct
وآلٍ وصحبٍ أنجمِ الهديِ والرشد
Upon him be God's blessing, then His peace,
Upon it, may God send His prayers and peace
and upon his family and companions, stars of guidance and right conduct,
And upon the Family and Companions, the stars of guidance and righteousness
مدىthroughout الدهرtime ماas long as طابتgrew sweet بذكراهwith remembrance of him نسمةٌa breeze
مدى الدهر ما طابت بذكراه نسمةٌ
بمجلسِin a gathering of ذكرremembrance of اللهGod فيin الصدرdeparture from water والوردand approach to water
بمجلسِ ذكر الله في الصدر والورد
throughout the ages, as long as a breeze grows sweet with remembrance of him
As long as the ages, whenever a breeze blows
in a gathering of God's remembrance, in going and coming,
In a gathering of remembrance of God, in breasts and on meadows
وماand as long as دارcirculated كأسthe cup of الأنسintimacy منfrom قدسthe sanctity of حضرةٍa presence
وما دار كأس الأنس من قدس حضرةٍ
بمسكwith the musk of شذاthe fragrance of ختمsealing الجلالةthe Divine Name بالحمدwith praise
بمسك شذا ختم الجلالة بالحمد
and as long as the cup of intimacy circulates from a holy presence,
And the cup of companionship is passed around
with the musky scent of sealing the Divine Name with praise.
In the sanctity of a presence sealed with praise of Majesty