سُبحانَglory be to جَبّارِthe Almighty of السَماءِheaven
سُبحانَ جَبّارِ السَماءِ
إِنَّindeed المُحِبَّthe lover لَفيsurely in عَناءِtorment
إِنَّ المُحِبَّ لَفي عَناءِ
Glory be to the Almighty of heaven!
Truly, the lover is in torment.
مَنwhoever لَمhas not يَذُقtasted حُرَقَthe burning pains of الهَوىlove
مَن لَم يَذُق حُرَقَ الهَوى
لَمhas not يَدرِknown ماwhat جَهدُthe severity of البَلاءِaffliction
لَم يَدرِ ما جَهدُ البَلاءِ
Whoever has not tasted love's burning pains
does not know the anguish of affliction.
لَوif كُنتُI were أَحسُبُI count عَبرَتيmy tears
لَو كُنتُ أَحسُبُ عَبرَتي
لَوَجَدتُهاI would surely find them أَنهارَrivers of ماءِwater
لَوَجَدتُها أَنهارَ ماءِ
If I were to reckon up my tears,
I would find them rivers of water.
كَمhow many مِنof صَديقٍa friend ليof mine أُساI conceal … (word begins)
كَم مِن صَديقٍ لي أُسا
رِقُهُ… from him (word ends) البُكاءَweeping مِنَout of الحَياءِshame
رِقُهُ البُكاءَ مِنَ الحَياءِ
How many a friend I have from whom I hide
my weeping, out of shame.
فَإِذاand when تَفَطَّنَhe notices لامَنيhe reproaches me
فَإِذا تَفَطَّنَ لامَني
فَأَقولُso I say ماnot بيin me مِنany بُكاءِweeping
فَأَقولُ ما بي مِن بُكاءِ
And when he notices, he reproaches me,
so I say, “I am not weeping;
لَكِنbut ذَهَبتُI went لِأَرتَديto dress myself
لَكِن ذَهَبتُ لِأَرتَدي
فَأَصَبتُand I struck عَينيmy eye بِالرِداءِwith the cloak
فَأَصَبتُ عَيني بِالرِداءِ
I merely went to dress,
and struck my eye with my cloak.”
حَتّىuntil أُشَكِّكَهُI make him doubt فَيَسso he falls …
حَتّى أُشَكِّكَهُ فَيَس
كُتَ… silent عَنfrom مَلاميreproaching me وَالمِراءِand disputing
كُتَ عَن مَلامي وَالمِراءِ
Until I make him doubt, and he falls
silent, abandoning reproach and argument.
ياO عُتبَʿUtb مَنwho لَمhas not يَبكِwept ليfor me
يا عُتبَ مَن لَم يَبكِ لي
مِمّاbecause of what لَقيتُI suffered مِنَof الشَقاءِmisery
مِمّا لَقيتُ مِنَ الشَقاءِ
O ʿUtb, who has not wept for me
at the misery I have suffered?
بَكَتِwept الوُحوشُthe wild beasts لِرَحمَتيout of pity for me
بَكَتِ الوُحوشُ لِرَحمَتي
وَالطَيرُand the birds فيin جَوِّthe air of السَماءِheaven
وَالطَيرُ في جَوِّ السَماءِ
The wild beasts wept in pity for me,
and the birds in the heights of heaven.
وَالجِنُّand the jinn عُمّارُthe inhabitants of البُيوthe houses (word begins)
وَالجِنُّ عُمّارُ البُيو
تِcompletion of 'houses' بَكَواwept وَسُكانُand the inhabitants of الفَضاءِthe open spaces
تِ بَكَوا وَسُكانُ الفَضاءِ
And the jinn who dwell in houses
wept, as did the dwellers of the open wastes.
وَالناسُand people فَضلاًover and above عَنهُمُthem
وَالناسُ فَضلاً عَنهُمُ
لَمhave not تَبكِwept إِلّاexcept بِالدِماءِwith blood
لَم تَبكِ إِلّا بِالدِماءِ
And people, beyond all these,
have wept nothing but blood.
ياO عُتبُʿUtb إِنَّكِindeed you لَوif شَهِدwitnessed (word begins)
يا عُتبُ إِنَّكِ لَو شَهِد
تِyou (feminine verb ending) عَلَيَّover me وَلوَلَةَthe wailing of النِساءِwomen
تِ عَلَيَّ وَلوَلَةَ النِساءِ
O ʿUtb, had you but witnessed
the women's wailing over me,
وَمُوَجَّهاًand laid out مُستَرسِلاًsurrendered
وَمُوَجَّهاً مُستَرسِلاً
بَينَamong الأَحِبَّةِloved ones لِلقَضاءِto fate
بَينَ الأَحِبَّةِ لِلقَضاءِ
and me laid out, surrendered
among loved ones to fate,
لَجَزَيتَنيyou would surely have repaid me غَيرَother than الَّذيthat which
لَجَزَيتَني غَيرَ الَّذي
قَدalready كانَwas مِنكِfrom you مِنَby way of الجَزاءِrecompense
قَد كانَ مِنكِ مِنَ الجَزاءِ
you would have repaid me with something other
than the recompense I received from you.
أَفَماhave you not, then شَبِعتِhad your fill وَلاnor رَوَيquenched thirst (word begins)
أَفَما شَبِعتِ وَلا رَوَي
تِyou (feminine verb ending) مِنَof القَطيعَةِestrangement وَالجَفاءِand coldness
تِ مِنَ القَطيعَةِ وَالجَفاءِ
Have you not had your fill, or quenched your thirst,
with estrangement and coldness?
لِمwhy تَبخَلينَare you miserly عَلىtoward فَتاًa youth
لِم تَبخَلينَ عَلى فَتاً
مَحضَpure in المَوَدَّةِaffection وَالصَفاءِand sincerity
مَحضَ المَوَدَّةِ وَالصَفاءِ
Why are you miserly toward a youth
of pure affection and sincerity?
ياO عُتبُʿUtb سَيِّدَتيmy lady أَعيlend … (word begins)
يا عُتبُ سَيِّدَتي أَعي
ني… aid (feminine command) حُسنَthe beauty of وَجهَكِyour face بِالسَخاءِwith generosity
ني حُسنَ وَجهَكِ بِالسَخاءِ
O ʿUtb, my lady, lend
your face's beauty the aid of generosity.
مَهلاًgently عَلَيكِwith yourself وَإِنand even if بَخِلwere stingy (word begins)
مَهلاً عَلَيكِ وَإِن بَخِل
تِyou (feminine verb ending) عَلَيَّtoward me بِالحَسَنِwith kindly العَزاءِconsolation
تِ عَلَيَّ بِالحَسَنِ العَزاءِ
Be gentle with yourself, even if you withhold
from me kindly consolation.
واكُثرَoh, the abundance of أَكثَرِmost of مَنthose whom تَرىyou see
واكُثرَ أَكثَرِ مَن تَرى
وَأَقَلُهُمand the fewest among them أَهلُthe people of الوَفاءِloyalty
وَأَقَلُهُم أَهلُ الوَفاءِ
How vast the multitude of those you see,
yet the loyal are the fewest among them.
وَاليَأسُand despair مَقطَعَةُthe severing of المُنىwishes
وَاليَأسُ مَقطَعَةُ المُنى
وَالصَبرُand patience مِفتاحُthe key to الرَجاءِhope
وَالصَبرُ مِفتاحُ الرَجاءِ
And despair cuts off wishes,
while patience is the key to hope.
Sol 6.1