ياO ربِّmy Lord ماhow أطولَlong البلاءَthe affliction وماand how
يا ربِّ ما أطولَ البلاءَ وما
أكثرَnumerous فيfor أنthat بُليتُI was afflicted لُوَّاميmy reproachers
أكثرَ في أن بُليتُ لُوَّامي
O Lord, how long this affliction—and how
O my Lord, how long the affliction is, and how
numerous, now that I am afflicted, are those who blame me!
numerous are my reproachers for my being afflicted!
يلومنيblame me الناسُthe people أنْbecause حُرِمْتُI was deprived وماand not
يلومني الناسُ أنْ حُرِمْتُ وما
ألزمنيimposed on me اللَّهُGod غيرَother than إحراميmy deprivation
ألزمني اللَّهُ غيرَ إحرامي
People blame me because I have been deprived, though
People blame me for being deprived, although
God has imposed upon me nothing but my deprivation.
God has imposed on me nothing but my deprivation.
كمhow often بكَّتونيthey rebuked me وعيَّرواand disparaged أدبيmy learning
كم بكَّتوني وعيَّروا أدبي
لمّاwhen جفانيshunned me مَحلُّthe object of إعظاميmy veneration
لمّا جفاني مَحلُّ إعظامي
How often they rebuked me and disparaged my conduct
How often they rebuked me and disparaged my learning
because the seat of my honor had shunned me.
when the object of my veneration shunned me!
قالواthey said ألاis there no شُغْلَwork يجتبيكhe chooses you لهfor it
قالوا ألا شُغْلَ يجتبيك له
وقدand already رأوْاthey had seen غُلَّتيmy burning thirst وتَحْواميand my circling about
وقد رأوْا غُلَّتي وتَحْوامي
They said, “Is there no work that would claim you for itself?”
They said: Is there no work he might choose you for?
though they had seen my burning thirst and restless circling.
And they had seen my burning thirst and my circling about.
فقلتُso I said لاdo not تَعْجَبواmarvel لأُفْهِمَكُمْso I may make you understand
فقلتُ لا تَعْجَبوا لأُفْهِمَكُمْ
وقدand perhaps يمَسُّtouches القلوبَthe hearts إفهاميmy explanation
وقد يمَسُّ القلوبَ إفهامي
I said, “Do not marvel; let me make you understand,
So I said: Do not marvel; let me make you understand,
for my explanation may yet touch hearts.”
and my explanation may touch hearts.
أجلَّنيesteemed me قاسمٌQasim وأكْرمنيand honored me
أجلَّني قاسمٌ وأكْرمني
أكْرمَهُmay he honor him منthe one who أراهُshowed him إكراميhonoring me
أكْرمَهُ من أراهُ إكرامي
Qasim exalted me and honored me;
Qasim esteemed me and honored me;
may he whom I see as the source of my honor honor him.
may the one who showed him how to honor me honor him!
همَّhe intended بشغليto employ me بمَعْملٍat a workplace فرأىthen saw
همَّ بشغلي بمَعْملٍ فرأى
أنَّthat أطْرافيmy limbs تُجِمُّmultiply آثاميmy sins
أنَّ أطْرافي تُجِمُّ آثامي
He intended to set me to some work, then saw
He meant to employ me at a workplace, but saw
that my limbs were heaping up my sins,
that my limbs would multiply my sins,
وأنَّand that دأْبِيmy persistent labor يَجُرُّbrings ليto me تَعباًweariness
وأنَّ دأْبِي يَجُرُّ لي تَعباً
يُكثِرُincreases بعدَafter الصحاحsound health أسقاميmy ailments
يُكثِرُ بعدَ الصحاح أسقامي
and that my ceaseless toil brought weariness upon me,
and that my persistent labor would bring me weariness,
multiplying my ailments after intervals of health.
multiplying my ailments after sound health.
فصانَso he protected عُمريmy lifetime عَنْfrom أنthat يُقَسِّمَهُhe divides it
فصانَ عُمري عَنْ أن يُقَسِّمَهُ
بينbetween ذنوبيmy sins وبينَand between آلاميmy pains
بين ذنوبي وبينَ آلامي
So he spared my lifetime from being divided
So he protected my life from being divided
between my sins and my pains.
between my sins and my pains.
صافيpure العطاياthe gifts يظلُّhe keeps يمنعpreventing إخstart of 'causing me loss'
صافي العطايا يظلُّ يمنع إخ
ساريend of 'causing me loss' منfrom أنthat ينوبَreplace إغناميgranting me gain
ساري من أن ينوبَ إغنامي
Pure in his gifts, he continually keeps my loss
Pure in his gifts, he keeps preventing
from taking the place of my gain.
my loss from taking the place of my gain.
يدرُّmakes flow رزْقِيmy sustenance عليَّupon me فيin دَعَةٍease
يدرُّ رزْقِي عليَّ في دَعَةٍ
مُنَفِّليbestowing on me مالهُhis wealth وأيَّاميand my days
مُنَفِّلي مالهُ وأيَّامي
He makes my sustenance flow to me in ease,
He makes my sustenance flow to me in ease,
bestowing on me his wealth—and my own days besides.
bestowing on me his wealth and my days.
فالنفسso the soul فيin عيشةٍa life مُغفَّلةٍcarefree
فالنفس في عيشةٍ مُغفَّلةٍ
تَمُرُّpass ليfor me كالشهورِlike months أعواميmy years
تَمُرُّ لي كالشهورِ أعوامي
Thus the soul enjoys a life free from care;
So my soul lives a carefree life;
my years pass for me like months.
my years pass for me like months.
أنفِقُI spend منfrom مالهِhis wealth ومنand from عُمريmy lifetime
أنفِقُ من مالهِ ومن عُمري
فيماon whatever ترىsee fit شَهوتيmy desire وإغراميand my passion
فيما ترى شَهوتي وإغرامي
I spend from his wealth and from my lifetime
I spend of his wealth and of my lifetime
wherever, as you see, desire and passion lead me.
on whatever my desire and passion see fit.
ساميةlofty فيin مآربيmy aims همميmy aspirations
سامية في مآربي هممي
نافذةeffective فيin هوايmy desire أحكاميmy decrees
نافذة في هواي أحكامي
Lofty in my aims are my aspirations;
My aspirations are lofty in pursuing my aims,
my judgments take effect in all that I desire—
my decrees prevail in what I desire,
فيin غيرِthe absence of عيبٍa fault يعيبُthat blemishes مَنزِلتيmy standing
في غيرِ عيبٍ يعيبُ مَنزِلتي
وغيرand without ريبsuspicion يُريبُthat casts doubt on إسلاميmy Islam
وغير ريب يُريبُ إسلامي
with no fault to blemish my standing
without any fault that blemishes my standing,
and no doubt to trouble my Islam.
and without any suspicion that casts doubt on my Islam.
ياO آلhouse of وهبWahb حماةَprotectors حَوزَتِناour domain
يا آل وهب حماةَ حَوزَتِنا
نكَّبَmay he turn aside عنكُمfrom you بسهمهِwith his arrow الرَّاميthe archer
نكَّبَ عنكُم بسهمهِ الرَّامي
O House of Wahb, defenders of our domain—
O house of Wahb, protectors of our domain,
may the archer turn his arrow aside from you!
may the archer turn his arrow away from you!
كمhow often أجلِبُI bring forth العذرَthe excuse منfrom مذاقتِهits taste
كم أجلِبُ العذرَ من مذاقتِه
لكنbut وتستشعرونand you sense إتْهاميmy accusation
لكن وتستشعرون إتْهامي
How often I summon excuses from my taste of it,
How often I bring forth an excuse from its taste,
yet you sense my accusation.
yet you sense my accusation.
أضحىhas become اجتهاديmy striving لِنَفْيِto deny عيبِكُمُyour fault
أضحى اجتهادي لِنَفْيِ عيبِكُمُ
مثلlike اجتهاديmy striving لنفيto banish إعداميmy destitution
مثل اجتهادي لنفي إعدامي
My striving to deny any fault in you has become
My striving to deny your fault has become
like my striving to deny my own deprivation.
like my striving to banish my destitution.
Sol 6.1