يَزيدُ ماذا دَهاكا

يَزيدُ ماذا دَهاكا

جُنِنتَ أَم ما اِعتَراكا

جُنِنتَ أَم ما اِعتَراكا

Yazid, what has befallen you?

Yazid, what has possessed you?

Yazid, what has befallen you?

Have you gone mad, or what has come over you?

Are you mad or what has stricken you?

Have you gone mad, or what has possessed you?

مُلكٌ زَها بِكَ بَعدي

مُلكٌ زَها بِكَ بَعدي

أَم صاحِبٌ أَغواكا

أَم صاحِبٌ أَغواكا

Has power made you proud in my absence,

A king allured you after me,

Has some dominion made you haughty since I left,

or has a companion led you astray?

Or a friend has misled you,

Or has a companion led you astray?

أَم غَفلَةٌ حَدَثَت في

أَم غَفلَةٌ حَدَثَت في

كَ أَم هَوىً أَضناكا

كَ أَم هَوىً أَضناكا

Or has heedlessness arisen in

Or was it an oversight from you,

Has a sudden heedlessness occurred within you,

you, or has passion worn you down?

Or a love that weakened you?

Or has passion worn you down?

أَم مِرَّةٌ وافَقَت وَق

أَم مِرَّةٌ وافَقَت وَق

تَها فَهَذا لِذاكا

تَها فَهَذا لِذاكا

Or has a fit of madness met its

Or a time coincided with its

Or did a surge of bile coincide with its season,

time, so this is due to that?

Circumstances, so that was why.

And so this is the result of that?

إِمّا بَلاكَ لَقَد أَج

إِمّا بَلاكَ لَقَد أَج

هَدَ الإِلَهُ بَلاكا

هَدَ الإِلَهُ بَلاكا

If He has afflicted you, indeed

Nay, but your ordeal, indeed

If He has tested you, then truly,

God has made your affliction grievous.

God has destined it for you.

God has made your trial severe.

أَقبِل عَلَيَّ فَقُل لي

أَقبِل عَلَيَّ فَقُل لي

لا أَبصَرَت عَيناكا

لا أَبصَرَت عَيناكا

Come to me and tell me—

Turn to me and say to me

Turn your face to me and tell me,

may your two eyes never see!

What have your eyes seen.

May your eyes lose their sight—

أَآذِنٌ أَنتَ في قَط

أَآذِنٌ أَنتَ في قَط

عِ كُلِّ مَن صافاكا

عِ كُلِّ مَن صافاكا

Do you consent to cutting off

Are you so deaf to break

Do you give permission for the cutting off

everyone who has been true to you?

Off ties with all who were close to you?

Of everyone who offered you pure friendship?

بَل ما أَظُنُّ المُعَنّى

بَل ما أَظُنُّ المُعَنّى

إِلّا اِمرَأً آخاكا

إِلّا اِمرَأً آخاكا

Rather, I think the tormented one

Nay, I reckon it is nothing

Nay, I do not deem the tormented one to be

is none but a man who made you his brother.

Except a woman has deceived you.

Anyone other than the man who befriended you.

وَإِن يَقَدِّر إِلَهُ ال

وَإِن يَقَدِّر إِلَهُ ال

عِبادِ أَن لا أَراكا

عِبادِ أَن لا أَراكا

And if the God of the

And if God, Lord of all people, intends

And if the God of all servants

servants decrees that I shall not see you—

That I never get to see you again,

Decrees that I shall see you no more,

وَطَولِ رَبٍّ عَلى الهَج

وَطَولِ رَبٍّ عَلى الهَج

رِ وَالجَفا قَوّاكا

رِ وَالجَفا قَوّاكا

and by the bounty of a Lord who, in forsaking

And the patience of the Lord against estrangement

And if the Lord's might empowers you

and harshness, has strengthened you:

and harshness strengthens you.

To endure abandonment and cruelty—

لَو أَنَّ كَفَّي عِنانٍ

لَو أَنَّ كَفَّي عِنانٍ

رُطوبَةً كَفّاكا

رُطوبَةً كَفّاكا

were the two hands of Inan,

If only my palms held the reins

Even if your palms were as soft

in softness, your own two hands,

with tenderness as your palms once held.

As the supple leather of reins,

وَوَجنَتَي تَمتامٍ

وَوَجنَتَي تَمتامٍ

تَحكيهُما وَجنَتاكا

تَحكيهُما وَجنَتاكا

and the two cheeks of Tamtam

And my cheeks told tales

And if your cheeks mimicked the cheeks

mirrored by your two cheeks,

like your cheeks once did.

Of a bashful stammerer,

وَمُقلَتَي رَحمَةٍ في

وَمُقلَتَي رَحمَةٍ في

زِناهُما مُقلَتاكا

زِناهُما مُقلَتاكا

and the two eyes of Rahma, in

And my glances were merciful, reminded

And if your eyes, in their beauty,

their measure, your own two eyes,

by their mercy of your glances.

Were the very eyes of mercy,

وَكُنتَ في الحُسنِ فَرداً

وَكُنتَ في الحُسنِ فَرداً

لَما اِحتَمَلتُ جَفاكا

لَما اِحتَمَلتُ جَفاكا

and were you peerless in beauty,

And if you were unparalleled in beauty,

And even if you were unique in beauty,

I would not endure your harshness.

I would not have endured your harshness.

I would not have tolerated your harshness.

لا تَهوَيَنَّ يَزيداً

لا تَهوَيَنَّ يَزيداً

بَعدَ الَّذي قَد أَراكا

بَعدَ الَّذي قَد أَراكا

Never love Yazid

Do not let Yazid slip

Do not love Yazid, O my heart,

after what he has shown you.

after what you have already seen.

After all that he has shown you.

وَقَد نَهَيتُ فُؤادي

وَقَد نَهَيتُ فُؤادي

في خَلوَةٍ فَتَباكى

في خَلوَةٍ فَتَباكى

And I had forbidden my heart,

I had warned my heart

I forbade my heart,

in solitude, and it feigned tears.

in solitude, and it wept,

In solitude, and it began to weep.

فَقُلتُ لا غَرَّني مِن

فَقُلتُ لا غَرَّني مِن

كَ يا فُؤادي بُكاكا

كَ يا فُؤادي بُكاكا

So I said: May I not be beguiled by

So I said: "Do not be fooled

So I said: Let me not be deceived

your weeping, O my heart.

by his tears, O heart!"

By your weeping, O my heart!

فَكُن لَهُ قَطّاعاً

فَكُن لَهُ قَطّاعاً

وَكُن لَهُ تَرّاكا

وَكُن لَهُ تَرّاكا

So cut him off utterly,

"Cut him off, and be

Be one who cuts ties with him,

and abandon him utterly.

his adversary."

And be one who abandons him utterly.

وَإِن هَمَمتَ بِشَيءٍ

وَإِن هَمَمتَ بِشَيءٍ

مِن وُدِّهِ فَنَهاكا

مِن وُدِّهِ فَنَهاكا

And if you seek anything

"And if you are inclined towards any

And if you purpose any act

of his affection and he turns you away,

of his love, forbid it!"

Of affection for him, then desist!

فَالسَوطُ ما اِستَمسَكَتهُ

فَالسَوطُ ما اِستَمسَكَتهُ

يَمينَكَ اِستِمساكا

يَمينَكَ اِستِمساكا

then the whip—as long as it is held

For the whip whose handle

For the whip is ready, as long as

fast by your right hand!

your right hand grasped,

My right hand grips it firmly.

وَاللَهِ وَاللَهِ رَبّي

وَاللَهِ وَاللَهِ رَبّي

أَقولُهُنَّ دِراكا

أَقولُهُنَّ دِراكا

By God, by God, my Lord—

By God, by God, my Lord,

By God, by God, my Lord—

I say these oaths one after another—

I say seeking your protection,

I say these oaths in rapid succession—

لَأَقمِطَنَّكَ في عَص

لَأَقمِطَنَّكَ في عَص

بَةٍ بِفَضلِ رِداكا

بَةٍ بِفَضلِ رِداكا

I shall surely truss you in a

I will handle you forcefully

I will surely bind you tightly

binding, with the spare length of your cloak.

with my grace, although you dislike it,

With the excess fabric of your own robe.

حَتّى إِذا ما جَدَلنا

حَتّى إِذا ما جَدَلنا

كَ جانِباً جِئناكا

كَ جانِباً جِئناكا

Until, once we have thrown

Until we have disciplined you

Until, when we have wrestled you

you aside, we come at you:

on all sides, and then come to you,

To the ground, we shall descend upon you.

مِن آخِذٍ لَكَ نَعلاً

مِن آخِذٍ لَكَ نَعلاً

وَآخِذٍ مِسواكا

وَآخِذٍ مِسواكا

one taking a sandal to you,

One seizing your shoes,

One grabbing a sandal to strike you,

and another taking a tooth-stick,

another your toothstick,

Another wielding a stick.

وَذا عِناناً وَهَذا

وَذا عِناناً وَهَذا

سَوطاً وَذاكَ مَداكا

سَوطاً وَذاكَ مَداكا

and this one a bridle, and this one

Another the reins, another

One holds a rein, another

a whip, and that one a pestle.

the whip, and another the poles,

A whip—and that shall be your undoing.

حَتّى إِذا ما سَلَخنا

حَتّى إِذا ما سَلَخنا

سَلخَ النَشوطِ قَفاكا

سَلخَ النَشوطِ قَفاكا

Until, when we have flayed

Until we have peeled your skin

Until, when we have flayed

your nape as a wild ass is flayed,

like peeling off soft bark,

The skin of your nape like a pulled rope,

وَقَد أَتى بَعدُ قَومٌ

وَقَد أَتى بَعدُ قَومٌ

يُقَطِّعونَ الشِباكا

يُقَطِّعونَ الشِباكا

and others have come afterward,

And then people will come

And a group of people come later

cutting the nets apart,

who will cut through even thickets,

To cut apart the snares,

حَتّى تَقولُ لِإِنكا

حَتّى تَقولُ لِإِنكا

رِ ما بِهِ أَغشاكا

رِ ما بِهِ أَغشاكا

until you say, in protest at

Until you say to remorse: "It

Until you cry out, denying

what I overwhelm you with:

overwhelmed me, I know not by what."

The punishment I have overwhelmed you with:

يا أَرحَمَ الناسِ لي كا

يا أَرحَمَ الناسِ لي كا

نَ مَرَّةً ما دَهاكا

نَ مَرَّةً ما دَهاكا

O most merciful of people to me

"O most merciful of people to me!

"O you who were once the most merciful

once—what has befallen you?

If only it had never possessed me!"

Of men to me—what has befallen you?"

وَقَد أَمَرتَ مِنَ الجِن

وَقَد أَمَرتَ مِنَ الجِن

نِ حَوقَلاً وَضِناكا

نِ حَوقَلاً وَضِناكا

And you have commanded, from among the jinn,

And you have ordered from the jinni

And I have commanded the Jinn,

Hawqal and Dinak,

Hawaqal and Dhinak

Hauqal and Dhinak,

أَن يَصفِناكَ عَلى أَر

أَن يَصفِناكَ عَلى أَر

بَعٍ وَأَن يُبرِكاكا

بَعٍ وَأَن يُبرِكاكا

to make you stand on

To line you up in four ranks

To shackle you on all fours,

all fours, and make you kneel,

and to bless you,

And force you to your knees.

حَتّى إِذا لَم تُطِق مِن

حَتّى إِذا لَم تُطِق مِن

وَقعِ الصَفيرِ حَراكا

وَقعِ الصَفيرِ حَراكا

until, when you can no longer

Until when you cannot endure

Until, unable to make a move

stir beneath the impact of the whistling,

the impact of the hissing uproar,

From the stinging crack of the lash,

اِستَعتَباكَ فَإِن عُد

اِستَعتَباكَ فَإِن عُد

تَ بَعدَها صَلَباكا

تَ بَعدَها صَلَباكا

they both ask you to make amends; and if you return

You will plead for forgiveness, but if

They demand your repentance; but if you return,

to it afterward, they both will crucify you.

you return to it, they will crucify you.

They shall crucify you thereafter.