ياO ليتَif only شِعريmy knowledge ماذاwhat عَداhappened وبَداand appeared
يا ليتَ شِعري ماذا عَدا وبَدا
فصارَand so became إفرِندُa sword’s patterned sheen ودِّكُمyour affection رَبَداdusky
فصارَ إفرِندُ ودِّكُم رَبَدا
Oh, if only I knew what has happened and come to light,
Oh, if only I knew what changed and passed away,
so that the patterned sheen of your affection has turned dusky.
That your affection turned to anger and went astray.
أُنزِلْتُI was lodged فيin ساحَةِcourtyard الجَفاءِestrangement وماand not
أُنزِلْتُ في ساحَةِ الجَفاءِ وما
ساخَتْsank سِماتيmy traits بجَفوةٍthrough harshness أبَداever
ساخَتْ سِماتي بجَفوةٍ أبَدا
I was lodged in the courtyard of estrangement, though
I was left in the courtyard of estrangement though
my character has never sunk through any harshness.
My traits never hardened with callousness, not a day.
ياO عَباʿAbā ماwhat الّذيthat which دُهيِتُI was afflicted بهِby it
يا عَبا ما الّذي دُهيِتُ بهِ
صِرتُI became جُفاءًcast-off scum ولمand not أَكُنI was زَبَداfoam
صِرتُ جُفاءً ولم أَكُن زَبَدا
O ʿAbā, what is it that has afflicted me?
Oh blame, whatever it was I was accused of wrong,
I have become cast-off scum, though I was not foam.
I became cold yet was never excessive or headstrong.
Sol 6.1