أَلِفتُI grew accustomed to العُقابَthe eagle حِذارَfor fear of العِقابِpunishment
أَلِفتُ العُقابَ حِذارَ العِقابِ
وَعِفتُand I shunned المَوارِدَthe watering places خَوفَfor fear of الذِئابِthe wolves
وَعِفتُ المَوارِدَ خَوفَ الذِئابِ
I have grown used to the eagle for fear of punishment;
I have grown accustomed to falconry, wary of the falcon's claws,
And shunned the watering places for fear of wolves.
And kept away from watering holes, fearing the wolves.
وَأَبغَضتُand I hated نَفسيmy soul لِعِصيانِهاfor its disobedience
وَأَبغَضتُ نَفسي لِعِصيانِها
وَعاتَبتُهاand I reproached it بِأَشَدِّwith the sternest العِتابِreproach
وَعاتَبتُها بِأَشَدِّ العِتابِ
And I have hated my soul for its disobedience,
I have hated my soul for disobeying Him,
And reproached it with the sternest reproach.
And reproached her with the harshest reproach.
وَقُلتُand I said لَهاto it بانَhas departed عَنكِfrom you الصَباyouth
وَقُلتُ لَها بانَ عَنكِ الصَبا
وَجَرَّدَكِand stripped you الشَيبُgray hair ثَوبَthe garment of الشَبابِyouth
وَجَرَّدَكِ الشَيبُ ثَوبَ الشَبابِ
And I said to it, “Youth has departed from you,
I said to her, "Your youth has departed,
And gray hair has stripped you of youth’s garment.
And old age has stripped you of the garb of youth."
وَماand nothing بَعدَafter ذَلِكَthat إِلّاexcept البِلىdecay
وَما بَعدَ ذَلِكَ إِلّا البِلى
وَسُكنىand dwelling in القُبورِthe graves وَهَولُand the terror of الحِسابِthe reckoning
وَسُكنى القُبورِ وَهَولُ الحِسابِ
And after that comes nothing but decay,
After that, there is nothing left but ruin,
And dwelling in graves, and the terror of the reckoning.”
The stillness of graves and the terror of Judgement.
فَأَيقَظَهاso awakened it العَتبُreproach مِنfrom نَومِهاits sleep
فَأَيقَظَها العَتبُ مِن نَومِها
وَلِكَنَّهاbut it is جَمَّةُfull of الإِضطِرابِturmoil
وَلِكَنَّها جَمَّةُ الإِضطِرابِ
So reproach awakened it from its sleep,
Reproach awakened her from her slumber,
But it is full of turmoil.
But she is confused and disturbed.
فَكَمso how often أَنشَأَتit raised مُزنَةًa rain cloud لِلتُقىfor piety
فَكَم أَنشَأَت مُزنَةً لِلتُقى
وَعادَتand it became وَشيكاًsoon كَلَمعِlike the shimmer of السَرابِthe mirage
وَعادَت وَشيكاً كَلَمعِ السَرابِ
How often it has raised a rain cloud of piety,
How often she would act devoutly and righteously,
Yet soon it became like the shimmer of a mirage.
Only to relapse as a mirage recedes.
وَكَمand how often وَعَدتِنيit promised me بِتَوبٍto repent وَكَمand how often
وَكَم وَعَدتِني بِتَوبٍ وَكَم
وَماand not أَنجَزَتit fulfilled وَعدَهاits promise فيin المَتابِrepentance
وَما أَنجَزَت وَعدَها في المَتابِ
And how often it has promised me repentance—how often!
How often she promised me repentance, but never
Yet it has not fulfilled its promise to repent.
Fulfilled her promise in practice!
وَكَمand how often خَدَعتِنيit deceived me عَلىdespite أَنَّنيthe fact that I
وَكَم خَدَعتِني عَلى أَنَّني
بَصيرٌam discerning بِطُرقِin the paths of الخَطاerror وَالصَوابِand right
بَصيرٌ بِطُرقِ الخَطا وَالصَوابِ
And how often it has deceived me, although I
How often she deceived me into thinking
Know well the paths of wrong and right.
That I was discerning of sin and righteousness!
فَلَستُso I am not عَلىin الأَمنِsafety مِنfrom غَدرِهاits treachery
فَلَستُ عَلى الأَمنِ مِن غَدرِها
وَلَوand even if حَلَفَتit swore ليto me بِآيِby the verses of الكِتابِthe Book
وَلَو حَلَفَت لي بِآيِ الكِتابِ
So I am not safe from its treachery,
So I cannot trust her not to betray me,
Even if it swore to me by the verses of the Book.
Even if she swore to me by the verses of Scripture.
Sol 6.1