كتابي أبا نصر إليك وحالتي

كتابي أبا نصر إليك وحالتي

كحال فريس في مخالب ضيغمِ

كحال فريس في مخالب ضيغمِ

My letter is to you, Abū Naṣr—and as for my state,

My letter is for you, Abu Nasr, and my plight

it is like that of prey in the claws of a lion:

Is that of prey in a lion’s claws,

أرق من الشكوى وأدجى من النوى

أرق من الشكوى وأدجى من النوى

وأضعف من قلب المحبِ المتيمِ

وأضعف من قلب المحبِ المتيمِ

more piteous than complaint, more calamitous than separation,

Thinner than lament and darker than separation,

and frailer than the heart of a love-distraught lover.

And weaker than the heart of a lover enslaved by love.

غدوت اخا جوعٍ ولست بصائمٍ

غدوت اخا جوعٍ ولست بصائمٍ

ورحت أخا عُري ولستُ بمحرمِ

ورحت أخا عُري ولستُ بمحرمِ

At dawn I became hunger’s brother, though I was not fasting;

I rose a brother to hunger, though I was not fasting,

at evening, nakedness’s brother, though not in pilgrim consecration.

And reached evening a brother to nakedness, though not in pilgrim consecration.

وقعت بفخ الخوف في يد طاهرِ

وقعت بفخ الخوف في يد طاهرِ

وقوع سليك في حبائل خثعمِ

وقوع سليك في حبائل خثعمِ

I was caught in fear’s snare, in Ṭāhir’s hand,

I fell into fear’s trap, into Tahir’s hand,

as Sulayk fell into the nets of Khathʿam.

As Sulayk fell into Khath'am’s snares.

وما كنت في تركيك إلا كتاركٍ

وما كنت في تركيك إلا كتاركٍ

يقيناً وراضٍ بعده بالتوهمِ

يقيناً وراضٍ بعده بالتوهمِ

In leaving you, I was only like one abandoning

And in forsaking you, I was only like one who abandons

certainty, then contenting himself with conjecture;

Certainty and is then content with conjecture;

وقاطن ارض الشرك يطلب توبة

وقاطن ارض الشرك يطلب توبة

ويخرج من أرض الحطيم وزمزم

ويخرج من أرض الحطيم وزمزم

like one dwelling in a land of polytheism, seeking repentance,

And like one who dwells in the land of idolatry, seeking repentance,

while departing from the land of al-Ḥaṭīm and Zamzam;

And leaves the land of al-Hatim and Zamzam;

وذي علّة ياتي عليلاً ليشتفي

وذي علّة ياتي عليلاً ليشتفي

بها وهو جارٌ للمسيح ابن مريمِ

بها وهو جارٌ للمسيح ابن مريمِ

like a man with an ailment who comes to another sick man to be cured of it,

And like an ailing man who visits an invalid, seeking healing

though he dwells beside the Messiah, son of Mary;

Through it, though he is a neighbor of the Messiah, son of Mary;

وراوي كلامٍ مقتفٍ إتر باقلٍ

وراوي كلامٍ مقتفٍ إتر باقلٍ

ويترك قساً خائباً وابن أهتمِ

ويترك قساً خائباً وابن أهتمِ

like a transmitter of speech following in Bāqil’s tracks,

And like a reciter of speech who follows Baqil’s trail,

while leaving Quss disappointed, and Ibn Ahtam;

And leaves Quss disappointed, and Ibn Ahtam.

جناب تجنباه ليس بمجدب

جناب تجنباه ليس بمجدب

وبحرٌ تخطيناه ليس بمرزمِ

وبحرٌ تخطيناه ليس بمرزمِ

a domain we shunned, though it was not barren,

A court they both avoided is not barren,

and a sea we passed over, though it was not foaming;

And a sea we passed by is not stingy.

وماءٍ زلالٍ قد تركنا وروده

وماءٍ زلالٍ قد تركنا وروده

زلالاً وبعناه بشربة علقمِ

زلالاً وبعناه بشربة علقمِ

and limpid water whose drinking-place we forsook—

And limpid water—we have forsaken going to drink it,

limpid indeed—and sold for a draught of bitter colocynth.

Limpid as it was, yet we sold it for a draught of bitter colocynth.

لبست ثياب الصبر حتى تمزقت

لبست ثياب الصبر حتى تمزقت

جوانبها بين الجوى والتندمِ

جوانبها بين الجوى والتندمِ

I wore the garments of patience until they tore,

I wore the garments of patience until they were torn

their sides rent between consuming anguish and remorse.

At their sides, between heartache and remorse.