ظليmy shadow وَأَنتَand you الشَفيعُthe intercessor إِنّيindeed I
ظلي وَأَنتَ الشَفيعُ إِنّي
يَرحَمُنيwill have mercy on me مالِكُthe Master of المُلوكِthe kings
يَرحَمُني مالِكُ المُلوكِ
My shadow—and you are the intercessor—surely I
You are my shade and my intercessor—indeed I,
will receive mercy from the Master of kings.
Am granted mercy by the King of Kings.
كَلّاno بَلِrather المُصطَفىthe Chosen One شَفيعيmy intercessor
كَلّا بَلِ المُصطَفى شَفيعي
حَقّاًtruly يَقيناًcertainly بِلاwithout شُكوكِdoubts
حَقّاً يَقيناً بِلا شُكوكِ
No! Rather, the Chosen One is my intercessor,
Nay, rather the Chosen One is my intercessor,
truly, certainly, without a doubt.
In truth and certainty, devoid of any doubt.
كَبائِريmy grave sins عَنكَfrom you مُبعِداتيthose that distance me
كَبائِري عَنكَ مُبعِداتي
إِنif لَمnot أَنَلI attain رَحمَةَthe mercy of المَليكِthe Sovereign
إِن لَم أَنَل رَحمَةَ المَليكِ
My grave sins will keep me far from you
My major sins are what keep me far from you,
if I do not attain the Sovereign's mercy.
If I do not attain the mercy of the King.
كَفىsuffices بِهاwith them موبِقاًa cause of ruin وَحَسبيand sufficient for me
كَفى بِها موبِقاً وَحَسبي
رَبٌّa Lord تَعالىis exalted عَنِabove الشَريكِany partner
رَبٌّ تَعالى عَنِ الشَريكِ
They are ruin enough; and sufficient for me is
They suffice as a destructive force, and it is enough for me
a Lord exalted above having any partner.
To have a Lord exalted above any partner.
كَلِّمspeak to أَباكَyour father الَّذيwho يُناديcalls out
كَلِّم أَباكَ الَّذي يُنادي
وَهوَand he مِنَfrom السُقمِsickness فيin نُهوكِutter exhaustion
وَهوَ مِنَ السُقمِ في نُهوكِ
Speak to your father, who calls out,
Speak to your father who calls out to you,
and he is worn down by sickness.
While he is ravaged by the exhaustion of grief.
كادَnearly يَموتُdies اِشفِهِheal him بِلَفظٍwith a word
كادَ يَموتُ اِشفِهِ بِلَفظٍ
مِنfrom فَمِكَyour mouth الطَيِّبِsweet الضَحوكِlaughing
مِن فَمِكَ الطَيِّبِ الضَحوكِ
He is near death; heal him with a word
He is near death; heal him with a single utterance
from your sweet, laughing mouth.
From your sweet, smiling mouth.
كُنتَyou were شِفائيmy cure فَلاso no شِفاءٌcure
كُنتَ شِفائي فَلا شِفاءٌ
إِلّاexcept بِتَأنيبِكَthrough your rebuke المحوكِwoven
إِلّا بِتَأنيبِكَ المحوكِ
You were my cure; so there is no cure
You were my cure, so now there is no cure,
except through your woven rebuke.
Except in your firmly woven reproach.
كلَّgrew blunt حُساميmy sword وَأَنتَand you ناءٍfar away
كلَّ حُسامي وَأَنتَ ناءٍ
فَلَيسَso it is not فيinto الهامِheads بِالمَحيكِcutting through
فَلَيسَ في الهامِ بِالمَحيكِ
My sword has grown blunt, with you far away,
My sword has grown blunt while you are far away,
so it no longer cuts into heads.
So it no longer cleaves through the heads.
كَتَبتُI wrote آياتsigns ثُكلِهِbereavement at his loss فيon
كَتَبتُ آيات ثُكلِهِ في
خَدّيmy cheek بِالمَدمَعِwith tears السَفوكِstreaming
خَدّي بِالمَدمَعِ السَفوكِ
I wrote the signs of mourning him on
I have inscribed the verses of his loss upon
my cheek with streaming tears.
My cheek, using flowing tears as ink.
كَذبتُI lied لَوif كُنتُI was ذاpossessed of وَفاءٍfaithfulness
كَذبتُ لَو كُنتُ ذا وَفاءٍ
تَرَكتُI abandoned فيin طُرقِهِhis paths سُلوكيmy walking
تَرَكتُ في طُرقِهِ سُلوكي
I lied: had I been faithful,
I lied; for had I truly been faithful,
I would have given up walking along his paths.
I would have abandoned my own path to follow his.
كَمmany a مَعشَرٍcompany فَضلُهُhis superiority عَلَيهِمover them
كَم مَعشَرٍ فَضلُهُ عَلَيهِم
فَضلُthe superiority of رَقيقٍthe refined عَلىover رَكيكِthe feeble
فَضلُ رَقيقٍ عَلى رَكيكِ
His superiority over many a company
How many a crowd has he surpassed in merit,
was that of the refined over the feeble.
Like the merit of the refined over the weak.
كَلَمحَةِlike a blink of الطَرفِthe eye مُتَّyou died ياO اِبنيmy son
كَلَمحَةِ الطَرفِ مُتَّ يا اِبني
فَآهso alas مِنfor مَوتِكَyour death الوَشيكِswift
فَآه مِن مَوتِكَ الوَشيكِ
In the blink of an eye you died, my son;
Like the blink of an eye you died, O my son,
so alas for your swift death!
So alas for your death that came so soon.
كَأَنَّكَyou are like الشَمسُthe sun فيin طُلوعٍrising
كَأَنَّكَ الشَمسُ في طُلوعٍ
وَفيand in غُروبٍsetting وَفيand in دُلوكِdecline
وَفي غُروبٍ وَفي دُلوكِ
You are like the sun at its rising,
As if you were the sun in its rising,
and at its setting, and at its decline.
And in its setting, and in its decline.
كَرمتyou were noble طَبعاًby nature وَطِبتand you proved pure نَقداًwhen assayed
كَرمت طَبعاً وَطِبت نَقداً
فَأَنتَso you are كَالعَسجَدِlike gold السَبيكِcast into an ingot
فَأَنتَ كَالعَسجَدِ السَبيكِ
You were noble by nature and pure when assayed,
You were noble in nature and pure in essence,
so you are like gold cast into an ingot.
For you are like an ingot of molten gold.
كَأَنَّas though عَينيmy eye عَلَيكَover you أَمسَتhas come to
كَأَنَّ عَيني عَلَيكَ أَمسَت
تَنثُرُscatters دُرّاًpearls مِنَfrom السُلوكِthe strings
تَنثُرُ دُرّاً مِنَ السُلوكِ
It is as though my eye, mourning you, has come to
It is as though my eye, weeping for you, has begun
scatter pearls from their strings.
To scatter pearls from a broken string.
Sol 6.1