الذَنبُthe fault ذَنبُthe fault of طَرفيmy gaze
الذَنبُ ذَنبُ طَرفي
فيin الحُبِّlove إِذاwhenever رَناit gazes
في الحُبِّ إِذا رَنا
The fault is my gaze's fault
in love, whenever it gazes.
فَكَمso how often أَخَذتُI took to task قَلبيmy heart
فَكَم أَخَذتُ قَلبي
ظُلماًunjustly وَماand did not جَناdo wrong
ظُلماً وَما جَنا
How often I have taken my heart to task,
unjustly, though it did no wrong.
نامَslept فيin خَفاءconcealment جِسمa body
نامَ في خَفاء جِسم
فيin البُردthe cloak ناحلِemaciated
في البُرد ناحلِ
A body slept in concealment,
wasted within the cloak.
لَمdid not يَبقَremain غيرother than رسمan outline
لَم يَبقَ غير رسم
تَحتَbeneath الغَلائِلthe thin garments
تَحتَ الغَلائِل
Nothing remained but an outline
beneath the thin garments.
وَدمعand the tears عينيَmy eye يهميstream down
وَدمع عينيَ يهمي
يَهديguides عَواذِليmy reproachers
يَهدي عَواذِلي
And the tears of my eye stream down,
guiding my reproachers.
الثِيابthe clothes تَخفيconceal
الثِياب تَخفي
ماwhat بيwithin me مِنof الضَناwasting sickness
ما بي مِن الضَنا
The clothes conceal
the wasting sickness within me;
شحوبيmy pallor
شحوبي
تَنسىthey forget فيفطناso one notices
تَنسى فيفطنا
my pallor
they forget, and so one notices.
قَدindeed لَجَّhas persisted فيin هَواهhis passion
قَد لَجَّ في هَواه
أَوor فيin نَوىseparation قَذفِfar-off
أَو في نَوى قَذفِ
He has persisted in his passion,
or in far-flung separation.
غَضبانangry ماnot رضاهُhis satisfaction
غَضبان ما رضاهُ
مِنّيfrom me سوىexcept التلفِdestruction
مِنّي سوى التلفِ
Angry, nothing satisfies him
from me but my destruction.
يُسرِفgoes to excess فيin أَذاهُhis harm
يُسرِف في أَذاهُ
لاno خَيرَgood فيin السَرَفِexcess
لا خَيرَ في السَرَفِ
He goes to excess in his cruelty;
there is no good in excess.
حِبُّa beloved يحبُّloves حَتفيmy death
حِبُّ يحبُّ حَتفي
يَجفوshuns إِذاwhen دَناhe draws near
يَجفو إِذا دَنا
A beloved who loves my death,
he shuns me when he draws near.
قَدindeed فاقَhas surpassed كُلَّall حسنbeauty
قَد فاقَ كُلَّ حسن
لَوif only كانَhe were مُحسِناkind
لَو كانَ مُحسِنا
He has surpassed all beauty—
if only he were kind.
لَوif only كانَhe were يَدريaware
لَو كانَ يَدري
لاحٍa reproacher يُعَنِّفُberates
لاحٍ يُعَنِّفُ
If only he knew—
the reproacher who berates me!
وَفيand in العِذارthe cheek-down عذريmy excuse
وَفي العِذار عذري
لَوif only كانَhe were يُنصِفُfair
لَو كانَ يُنصِفُ
And the down on his cheeks is my excuse,
if only he were fair.
يَزريputs to shame بِضوءthe light of البَدرthe full moon
يَزري بِضوء البَدر
وَاللَيلُand the night مُسدِفُis dark
وَاللَيلُ مُسدِفُ
He puts the full moon's light to shame
while the night is dark.
يَهفوsways فَوقَabove حِقفa curved dune
يَهفو فَوقَ حِقف
لَدناًsupple إِذاwhen اِنثَنىhe bends
لَدناً إِذا اِنثَنى
He sways above a curved dune,
supple whenever he bends.
وَعهدناand our experience بِالكُثُبِof dunes
وَعهدنا بِالكُثُبِ
لاnot تُنبِتُsprout القَناthe spear-shafts
لا تُنبِتُ القَنا
Yet we have known dunes
not to sprout spear-shafts.
ماليI have no يَدُstrength فَأَقوىso I might endure
مالي يَدُ فَأَقوى
بالصَدِّagainst rejection وَالنَوىand separation
بالصَدِّ وَالنَوى
I have no strength to endure
rejection and separation.
فارحمso have mercy حَليفَone bound to بلوىaffliction
فارحم حَليفَ بلوى
قَدindeed شفَّهhas worn him away الهَوىpassion
قَد شفَّه الهَوى
So pity one bound to affliction,
whom passion has worn away.
لاnot يَستَطيعُhe is able شَكوىa complaint
لا يَستَطيعُ شَكوى
مِنfrom شَدّةthe intensity of الجَوىburning heartache
مِن شَدّة الجَوى
He cannot voice a complaint,
so fierce is his burning grief.
حملburden بقدرin proportion to ضَعفيmy weakness
حمل بقدر ضَعفي
جِسميmy body مِنwith الضَناwasting sickness
جِسمي مِن الضَنا
Burden, in proportion to my weakness,
my body with wasting sickness;
ومنِّنيand give me hope بالكذبthrough lies
ومنِّني بالكذب
ياO غايَةَthe ultimate object of المُنىwishes
يا غايَةَ المُنى
and give me hope through lies,
O ultimate object of my wishes.
ياO دائِمever engaged in الجِدالِdispute
يا دائِم الجِدالِ
تَنهىyou forbid وَتأمرُand you command
تَنهى وَتأمرُ
O ceaseless disputant,
you forbid and command.
أَضحىhas become عَلىover اِبتِذاليmy lavish spending
أَضحى عَلى اِبتِذالي
وَفريmy wealth يُشاجِرُquarrels
وَفري يُشاجِرُ
Now, over my lavish spending,
my wealth quarrels with me.
إِنif قَلَّdwindles وفرabundance ماليmy wealth
إِن قَلَّ وفر مالي
فالعِرضthen honor وافِرُis abundant
فالعِرض وافِرُ
If the abundance of my wealth dwindles,
my honor remains abundant.
إِنif خيفَis feared حتفdeath
إِن خيفَ حتف
فالحَديثُthen the report مُعلَناis made public
فالحَديثُ مُعلَنا
If death is feared,
then the report is made public,
طَلائِعاًas harbingers وَحَسبيand enough for me
طَلائِعاً وَحَسبي
للخطبagainst calamity إِنif عَناit comes
للخطب إِن عَنا
as harbingers—and enough for me
against calamity, should it come.
ماnot العيدُthe feast-day فيamong الأَيامِthe days
ما العيدُ في الأَيامِ
يأَتيcomes بأوحدwith one more peerless
يأَتي بأوحد
No feast-day, among all days,
brings anyone more peerless,
ياO أَوحدَthe peerless one of الأَنامِmankind
يا أَوحدَ الأَنامِ
فيin كُلِّevery سؤدَدِeminence
في كُلِّ سؤدَدِ
O peerless one among mankind
in every kind of eminence.
لاmay not زِلتَyou cease كُلَّevery عامِyear
لا زِلتَ كُلَّ عامِ
عيدَthe feast of المعيِّدِthe celebrant
عيدَ المعيِّدِ
May you remain, every year,
the celebrant's feast.
ياO غَوثsuccor to مَنwhoever أَتاهُcomes to him
يا غَوث مَن أَتاهُ
ياO خيفKhayf ياO مُنىMina
يا خيف يا مُنى
O succor to whoever comes to him,
O Khayf, O Mina,
ياO كعبةthe Kaaba of المُلبّيthe pilgrim answering the call
يا كعبة المُلبّي
فيin حَجّكَpilgrimage to you الغِنىwealth
في حَجّكَ الغِنى
O Kaaba of the pilgrim answering the call,
in pilgrimage to you lies wealth.
Sol 6.1