لَو بَعَثتُم في طَيِّ نَشرِ النَسيمِ

لَو بَعَثتُم في طَيِّ نَشرِ النَسيمِ

بِسَلامٍ راقٍ لِقَلبي السَليمِ

بِسَلامٍ راقٍ لِقَلبي السَليمِ

If you had sent, in the folds of the wafting breeze,

If you had sent in the breeze's gentle stir

a healing greeting for my snake-bitten heart,

A tender greeting to my serene heart,

لَاِلتَقَينا قَبولَها بِقَبولٍ

لَاِلتَقَينا قَبولَها بِقَبولٍ

وَشُفينا مِنها وَلَو بِالسُمومِ

وَشُفينا مِنها وَلَو بِالسُمومِ

we would have welcomed its east wind with acceptance,

We would have met it with acceptance,

and been healed through it, even with poisons.

And been healed, even were it poison.

وَلَوَ اَنَّ الرَسولَ جاءَ بِطِرسٍ

وَلَوَ اَنَّ الرَسولَ جاءَ بِطِرسٍ

لِمُحِبٍّ مِن بَينِكُم في جَحيمِ

لِمُحِبٍّ مِن بَينِكُم في جَحيمِ

And if the messenger had come with a written sheet

And if the messenger had brought a single ember

from your midst to a lover in hell,

To a lover among you in hellfire,

قُلتُ عِندَ الإِيابِ يا نارُ بَرداً

قُلتُ عِندَ الإِيابِ يا نارُ بَرداً

وَسَلاماً كوني لِإِبراهيمِ

وَسَلاماً كوني لِإِبراهيمِ

I would have said on the return: 'O fire, be cool

I would have said, on his return, "O fire, be cool

and peaceful for Ibrahim!'

And safe for Abraham's sake."

هُدهُدٌ هَدَّ قَوَّتي حينَ لَم يُل

هُدهُدٌ هَدَّ قَوَّتي حينَ لَم يُل

قِ إِلى العَبدِ مِن كِتابٍ كَريمِ

قِ إِلى العَبدِ مِن كِتابٍ كَريمِ

A hoopoe shattered my strength when he did not

A hoopoe guided my strength when there did not come

deliver to this servant any noble letter.

To the servant from a generous Scripture.

جاءَ يَسعى بِكُلِّ طِرسٍ نَضيدٍ

جاءَ يَسعى بِكُلِّ طِرسٍ نَضيدٍ

جاءَ مِن لَفظِهِ بِدُرٍّ نَظيمِ

جاءَ مِن لَفظِهِ بِدُرٍّ نَظيمِ

He came hastening with every well-ordered sheet;

It came hastening with every firm covenant,

he came bearing, from his words, finely strung pearls,

Came from its words with a well-ordered full moon,

بِمَعانٍ مِنَ الجَزالَةِ كَالصَخ

بِمَعانٍ مِنَ الجَزالَةِ كَالصَخ

رِ وَلَفظٍ مِن رِقَّةٍ كَالنَسيمِ

رِ وَلَفظٍ مِن رِقَّةٍ كَالنَسيمِ

with meanings as forceful as rock,

With meanings of solidity like marble

and wording as delicate as the breeze.

And words of softness like the breeze.

فَتَوَسَّمتُهُ فَكانَت مَعاني

فَتَوَسَّمتُهُ فَكانَت مَعاني

هِ لِقاحاً لِكُّلِ فِكرٍ عَقيمِ

هِ لِقاحاً لِكُّلِ فِكرٍ عَقيمِ

So I studied it, and its meanings became

So I took good omens from it, and its meanings were

pollen for every barren thought.

Pollination for every barren thought.

سَيِّدي بَل سَمِعتُ عَنكَ كَلاماً

سَيِّدي بَل سَمِعتُ عَنكَ كَلاماً

هُوَ في مُهجَتي شَبيهُ الكُلومِ

هُوَ في مُهجَتي شَبيهُ الكُلومِ

My master, yet I have heard talk about you

My master - but no! I heard talk of you

that in my heart is like wounds:

That in my mind resembles wounds.

إِنَّ مَولايَ قَد تَوَلَّعَ جَهلاً

إِنَّ مَولايَ قَد تَوَلَّعَ جَهلاً

بَعدَ سِقطِ اللَوى بِوادي الصَريمِ

بَعدَ سِقطِ اللَوى بِوادي الصَريمِ

indeed, my master has ignorantly become enamored,

For my patron has falsely supposed ignorance

after Siqt al-Liwa, of Wadi al-Sarim.

After the fall of twigs in the valley of el-Sarim.

وَرَوَوا عَنهُ أَنَّ ذاكَ زَواجٌ

وَرَوَوا عَنهُ أَنَّ ذاكَ زَواجٌ

ثابِتٌ يَقتَضي شُروطَ اللُزومِ

ثابِتٌ يَقتَضي شُروطَ اللُزومِ

And they reported of him that it was a marriage

And they reported of him that that was a lasting marriage

firmly established, entailing the conditions of binding obligation.

Demanding binding conditions.

ثُمَّ قيلَ اِهتَدى فَيالَيتَهُ دا

ثُمَّ قيلَ اِهتَدى فَيالَيتَهُ دا

مَ عَلى ذَلِكَ الضَلالِ القَديمِ

مَ عَلى ذَلِكَ الضَلالِ القَديمِ

Then it was said, 'He found guidance'—would that he

Then it was said he was guided - would that he had

had remained in that old error!

Remained in that ancient error!

فَتَنَفَّستُ حَسرَةً وَتَعَوَّذ

فَتَنَفَّستُ حَسرَةً وَتَعَوَّذ

تُ مِنَ الشَرِّ بِالسَميعِ العَليمِ

تُ مِنَ الشَرِّ بِالسَميعِ العَليمِ

So I sighed in sorrow and sought refuge

So I sighed in sorrow and sought refuge

from evil in the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

From evil with the All-hearing, All-knowing,

رَبُّ رُشدٍ مُلَقَّبٍ بِضَلالٍ

رَبُّ رُشدٍ مُلَقَّبٍ بِضَلالٍ

وَشَقاءٍ مُلَقَّبٍ بِنَعيمِ

وَشَقاءٍ مُلَقَّبٍ بِنَعيمِ

Many a right course is called error,

Lord of right guidance surnamed as error,

and misery is called bliss.

And misery surnamed as bliss.