ليto me صديقٌa friend إذاwhen رأتit saw
لي صديقٌ إذا رأت
وجهَهُhis face العينُthe eye سرَّهاhe delighted it
وجهَهُ العينُ سرَّها
I have a friend: whenever the eye sees
I have a friend, when eyes
his face, he delights it.
See his face, they rejoice
قلتI said يوماًone day وخلتهُand I deemed him
قلت يوماً وخلتهُ
مطلَقَunfettered الكفّthe hand ثَرَّهاlavish with it
مطلَقَ الكفّ ثَرَّها
One day I said, thinking him
I said one day when we met
open-handed, lavish in giving:
With open palms that soothe
ياO جواداًa generous man إذاwhen حمتْwithheld
يا جواداً إذا حمتْ
لِقَحُmilch she-camels المزنof the rain-clouds دَرَّهاtheir flowing milk
لِقَحُ المزن دَرَّها
“O generous one, when their milk is withheld
O generous one, when the raining
by the rain-clouds’ milch camels,
Clouds water its abundance
فرَّطتْslipped out منكfrom you دعوةٌan invitation
فرَّطتْ منك دعوةٌ
تأملُhopes for النفسthe soul كرَّهاits recurrence
تأملُ النفس كرَّها
an invitation slipped from you;
You missed a prayer
my soul hopes for its return.”
That the soul hoped for
قالhe said كانتit was فُليتةًa little slip
قال كانت فُليتةً
فوَقَىso warded off اللَّهGod شرَّهاits harm
فوَقَى اللَّه شرَّها
He said, “It was a little slip,
He said it was distraction
so God warded off its harm.”
And God warded off its harm
قلتُI said واهاًAh! بجُرعةٍat a draught
قلتُ واهاً بجُرعةٍ
ذقتُهاI tasted it ماhow أمرَّهاbitter it was
ذقتُها ما أمرَّها
I said, “Ah, what a draught
I said alas with a sip
I tasted—how bitter it was!
That I tasted, so bitter
أنتyou مذsince ذقتهاyou tasted it تشكْyou complain (first part)
أنت مذ ذقتها تشكْ
كىcompletion of 'complain' إلىto اللهGod حرَّهاits burning heat
كى إلى الله حرَّها
Ever since you tasted it, you complain
Since you tasted it, you complain
to God of its burning heat.”
To God of its bitterness
قالhe said إيyes والذيby Him who قضىordained
قال إي والذي قضى
حلّthe unbinding كفيof my hand وصرَّهاand its binding shut
حلّ كفي وصرَّها
He said, “Yes, by Him who ordained
He said yes, by Him who ordained
my hand’s unbinding and its binding shut.”
My palms folded and hurt
قلتI said تبrepent توبةthe repentance امرئٍof a man
قلت تب توبة امرئٍ
عَقَّhe wronged نفساًa soul وبرَّهاand treated it kindly
عَقَّ نفساً وبرَّها
I said, “Repent as a man repents
I said the repentance of a man
who wronged a soul and treated it kindly:
Who disobeyed himself and was dutiful
كلَّفhe burdened النفسthe soul خطةa course of action
كلَّف النفس خطة
لمnot (past negation) تطقهاit could bear it وغرَّهاand deceived it
لم تطقها وغرَّها
he burdened the soul with a course
Tasked himself beyond his capacity
it could not bear, and deceived it;
And ignorantly harmed himself
ثمthen قفَّىhe followed up بتوبةٍwith repentance
ثم قفَّى بتوبةٍ
مطّhe dallied فيهاin it وجرَّهاand dragged it out
مطّ فيها وجرَّها
then followed that with repentance,
Then sincerely repented
dallying over it and dragging it out.
Bowed and dragged himself
ولقدand indeed تُنفَعare benefited النفوsouls (first part)
ولقد تُنفَع النفو
سُcompletion of 'souls' بماby what كانhad ضرَّهاharmed them
سُ بما كان ضرَّها
And indeed, souls are helped
Souls truly benefit
by what had harmed them.”
From what once harmed them
Sol 6.1