مذsince رأيتI saw العاصيal-ʿĀṣī ('the rebel') أطعتI obeyed لربّيto my Lord
مذ رأيت العاصي أطعت لربّي
وإليهand to Him أنبتُI turned in repentance منfrom كلّevery ذنبِsin
وإليه أنبتُ من كلّ ذنبِ
Since I saw al-ʿĀṣī, I have obeyed my Lord,
Since I saw the disobedient one obey his Lord
And to Him I have turned in repentance from every sin.
And turn to Him from every sin
قدhas صفاgrown clear كاللجينlike silver للعينto the eye يرويrecounts الthe
قد صفا كاللجين للعين يروي ال
حسنbeauty صافٍpure كصفوlike the purity قلبof the heart المحبّof the lover
حسن صافٍ كصفو قلب المحبّ
It has grown clear as silver to the eye, recounting
His heart became as clear as polished mirror
Beauty—pure as the purity of a lover's heart.
Quenching with pure beauty the lover’s thirst
بوفاقٍin harmony تجريflow المسائلthe questions فيهwithin it
بوفاقٍ تجري المسائل فيه
فيin محلthe place الخلافof disagreement منconcerning علمknowledge غيبof the unseen
في محل الخلاف من علم غيب
Within it, questions flow in harmony,
With harmony running through it
In the realm of disagreement concerning knowledge of the unseen.
Where difference dwelled in hidden knowledge
كلّماwhenever مرّit passes باللطافةwith gentleness يحلوit grows sweet
كلّما مرّ باللطافة يحلو
يهديit offers صبّاًpouring forth صافيpure الزلالlimpid water لصبّto a lovesick lover
يهدي صبّاً صافي الزلال لصبّ
Whenever it passes gently by, it grows sweet,
Whenever gentleness passes it becomes sweet
Pouring forth pure, limpid water as a gift to a lovesick lover.
Guiding a limpid, refreshing breeze to the youth
فهوfor it is شمسٌa sun قدhas أشرقgrown radiant الروضthe garden منهfrom it
فهو شمسٌ قد أشرق الروض منه
أنجمstars الزهرof the flowers قدhave توارتvanished بقربnearby
أنجم الزهر قد توارت بقرب
For it is a sun from which the garden has grown radiant;
He is a sun whose radiance lights the meadow
The flower-stars have vanished near it.
Whose stars of flowers fade in his proximity
خرّit fell prostrate للهbefore God بالصبابةin ardent love طوعاًwillingly
خرّ لله بالصبابة طوعاً
وهوand it is عاصٍa rebel فاعجبso marvel لعاصat a rebel محبّloving
وهو عاصٍ فاعجب لعاص محبّ
It fell prostrate before God, willingly, in ardent love,
He bowed to God willingly in his prime
Though it is a rebel—marvel at a loving rebel!
Yet he disobeyed, how strange is the beloved disobedient one!
وإليهand toward it خرّتbowed down غصونthe branches الروابيof the hills
وإليه خرّت غصون الروابي
حيثماwherever كانit was للأصولfor the roots المربيthe nurturer
حيثما كان للأصول المربي
And toward it the branches of the hills bowed down,
The tendrils of the meadow bowed down to him
Wherever it nurtured the roots.
Wherever he, the nurturing root, may be
كمmany a لطفلٍfor a child لهاbelonging to them يحرّكit rocks مهداًa cradle
كم لطفلٍ لها يحرّك مهداً
فغداso he became ساكناًstill برفعٍthrough lifting ونصبand setting upright
فغدا ساكناً برفعٍ ونصب
For many a child of theirs it rocks a cradle,
How gently he would rock many a cradle
So he grew still through lifting and setting upright.
To quiet the stirring babe in rhyme and rhythm
قدhas ترّبّىbeen reared فيin حجرهits lap بدلالٍwith pampering
قد ترّبّى في حجره بدلالٍ
يتهادىhe sways gracefully بالرقصin dancing تيهاًproudly بعجبwith self-admiration
يتهادى بالرقص تيهاً بعجب
He has been reared in its lap, pampered,
The child was reared tenderly in his lap
Swaying in a dance, proud and self-admiring.
Dancing playfully, wandering in awe
ويعاطيهand it offers him ثديa breast درٍّof flowing milk فياso, oh! للto God (word begins)
ويعاطيه ثدي درٍّ فيا لل
لَه[completes 'God'] درّmerit (literally, milk) الرضيعof the suckling منfor حسنthe excellence of شربdrinking
لَه درّ الرضيع من حسن شرب
And it offers him a breast of flowing milk—oh,
Given the teat of precious milk - such delight!
God bless the suckling for drinking so well!
The darling drinks the milk of his beauty
طافit circumambulated يسعىhastening صفاًin purity بأركانat the corners حمصٍof Homs
طاف يسعى صفاً بأركان حمصٍ
حرماًa sanctuary حلّهit entered it بأمنٍin safety يلبّيchanting the pilgrim's call
حرماً حلّه بأمنٍ يلبّي
It circled, hastening in purity around Homs's corners,
He circled Safa, striving in pilgrimage
A sanctuary it entered in safety, chanting the pilgrim's call.
Made the sanctuary secure, crying “Here I am!”
قائلاًsaying طيبتيmy delight علقتhas clung باذياto the hems (word begins)
قائلاً طيبتي علقت باذيا
لِ[completes 'hems'] علاهاof her glory وتلكand that is طيبيmy fragrance وطبّيand my cure
لِ علاها وتلك طيبي وطبّي
Saying, “My delight has clung to the hems
Saying, “My scent clings to my love”
Of her glory; she is my fragrance and my cure.
Hers is the most sublime, and mine the remedy
ورباهاand her hills مربىthe nursery وروديof my roses ولمand did not أحI reckon (word begins)
ورباها مربى ورودي ولم أح
سب[completes 'I reckon'] سوىother than ماwhere حللتI settled مربعa springtime abode خصبيof my fertility
سب سوى ما حللت مربع خصبي
And her hills are my roses' nursery; I have not
She raised him, and no nursery was as flowery
Reckoned any place but where I settled as my fertile springtime home.
If my lovers sought a pleasant stroll
فإذاso if رمتyou desire عاشقيmy lover نزهةa pleasure-outing الطَرthe gaze (word begins)
فإذا رمت عاشقي نزهة الطَر
ف[completes 'the gaze'] فطرthen fly فوقupon طِرفa noble steed عينٍof the eye وقلبand heart
ف فطر فوق طِرف عينٍ وقلب
So, my lover, if you seek an outing to delight the eye,
On a meadow over a tender eye and heart
Then fly upon the steed of eye and heart.
Grasping the train of Homs, clinging
وتمسكand hold fast بمسكto the musk أذيالof the hems حمصof Homs
وتمسك بمسك أذيال حمص
وتعلّقand cling مثليlike me بجنّةto a paradise قربof nearness
وتعلّق مثلي بجنّة قرب
And hold fast to the musk of Homs's hems,
To a paradise of nearness like me
And, like me, cling to a paradise of nearness.
Every disobedient one who seeks her protection
كلّevery عاصًrebel يلوذseeks refuge فيin ذيلهاher hem الطاpure (word begins)
كلّ عاصً يلوذ في ذيلها الطا
هر[completes 'pure'] طوعاًwillingly لمdid not يلقincur وصمةa stain ذنبof sin
هر طوعاً لم يلق وصمة ذنب
Every rebel seeking refuge in her pure hem,
Willingly, without stain of sin
Willingly, has incurred no stain of sin.
She is my neighbor from whom I sought refuge
جارتيmy neighbor واستجرتand I sought refuge فيهاwithin her وإنّيand indeed I
جارتي واستجرت فيها وإنّي
خيرthe best جارٍneighbor وحبّهاand her love الدهرfor all time حسبيenough for me
خير جارٍ وحبّها الدهر حسبي
She is my neighbor, and I sought refuge within her; and indeed I
His love forever suffices me
Am the best of neighbors, and her love is enough for me forever.”
Partial English translation: 33 of 34 Arabic lines translated.