أَلِفتُI grew familiar with 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 familiar with the eagle for fear of punishment.
And I shunned the watering places for fear of wolves.
وَأَبغَضتُand I hated نَفسيmy soul لِعِصيانِهاfor its disobedience
وَأَبغَضتُ نَفسي لِعِصيانِها
وَعاتَبتُهاand I reproached it بِأَشَدِّwith the sternest العِتابِrebuke
وَعاتَبتُها بِأَشَدِّ العِتابِ
And I hated my soul for its disobedience,
And reproached it with the sternest rebuke.
وَقُلتُand I said لَهاto it بانَhas departed عَنكِfrom you الصَباyouth
وَقُلتُ لَها بانَ عَنكِ الصَبا
وَجَرَّدَكِand stripped you of الشَيبُgray hair ثَوبَthe robe of الشَبابِyouth
وَجَرَّدَكِ الشَيبُ ثَوبَ الشَبابِ
And I said to it: “Youth has departed from you,
And gray hair has stripped you of youth’s robe.
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,
And dwelling in graves, and the terror of the reckoning.”
فَأَيقَظَهاso awakened it العَتبُreproach مِنfrom نَومِهاits sleep
فَأَيقَظَها العَتبُ مِن نَومِها
وَلِكَنَّهاand yet it جَمَّةُfull of الإِضطِرابِunrest
وَلِكَنَّها جَمَّةُ الإِضطِرابِ
So reproach awakened it from its sleep,
Yet it is full of unrest.
فَكَمso how often أَنشَأَتit formed 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 formed a rain cloud of piety,
And soon it became like the shimmer of a mirage.
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 promised me repentance—and how often!
Yet it never fulfilled its promise to repent.
وَكَمand how often خَدَعتِنيit deceived me عَلىdespite أَنَّنيthat I
وَكَم خَدَعتِني عَلى أَنَّني
بَصيرٌdiscerning بِطُرقِin the paths of الخَطاerror وَالصَوابِand right
بَصيرٌ بِطُرقِ الخَطا وَالصَوابِ
And how often it deceived me, although I
Am well versed in the paths of error and right.
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,
Even if it swore to me by the verses of the Book.
Sol 6.1