صَريعُfelled هَوىًlove تُغاديهِvisit him each morning الهُمومُcares
صَريعُ هَوىً تُغاديهِ الهُمومُ
بِنَيسابورَin Nishapur لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor him حَميمُa close friend
بِنَيسابورَ لَيسَ لَهُ حَميمُ
Felled by love, with cares visiting him each morning,
Slain by passions, sorrows haunt him,
In Nishapur, he has no close friend.
In Nishapur he has no intimate friend,
غَريبٌa stranger لَيسَnot يُؤنِسُهُkeeps him company قَريبٌa kinsman
غَريبٌ لَيسَ يُؤنِسُهُ قَريبٌ
وَلاnor يَأويfeels pity لِغُربَتِهِfor his exile رَحيمُa compassionate person
وَلا يَأوي لِغُربَتِهِ رَحيمُ
A stranger, with no kinsman to keep him company,
A stranger with no kinsman to console him,
Nor does a compassionate soul pity his exile.
No shelter for a lonely man in need.
مُقيمٌdwelling فيin دِيارِlands نَوىًseparation شَطونٍfar-off
مُقيمٌ في دِيارِ نَوىً شَطونٍ
يُشافِهُهُspeaks to him face to face بِهاthere كَمَدٌgrief مُقيمُabiding
يُشافِهُهُ بِها كَمَدٌ مُقيمُ
He dwells in lands of distant exile,
He lingers still in the land of his love,
There, abiding grief speaks to him face to face.
Kept company by yearning ever-present,
يَمُدُّpulls زِمامَهُhis rein طَمَعٌhope of gain مُقيمٌpersistent
يَمُدُّ زِمامَهُ طَمَعٌ مُقيمٌ
تَدَرَّعَclothed himself in ثَوبَهُits robe رَجُلٌa man عَديمُdestitute
تَدَرَّعَ ثَوبَهُ رَجُلٌ عَديمُ
Persistent hope of gain pulls at his rein,
Spurred by persistent hopes that never cease,
A destitute man has clothed himself in its robe.
Clad by a pauper in his tattered dress.
رَجاءٌhope ماnot يُقابِلُهُmeets it رَجاءٌhope
رَجاءٌ ما يُقابِلُهُ رَجاءٌ
هُوَit اليَأسُdespair الَّذيwhich عُقباهُits outcome شومُill fortune
هُوَ اليَأسُ الَّذي عُقباهُ شومُ
A hope that meets no answering hope
A hope for which no matching hope accrues,
Is despair, whose outcome is ill fortune.
It is despair whose outcome can be none but bleak,
فَلاso no عَجَبٌwonder وَإِنand even if كَظَّتare hard-pressed رِكابيmy riding camels
فَلا عَجَبٌ وَإِن كَظَّت رِكابي
بِأَرضٍin a land طارَhas flown طائِرُهاits bird المَشومُill-omened
بِأَرضٍ طارَ طائِرُها المَشومُ
So no wonder, even if my riding camels are hard-pressed,
No wonder that my steps are plagued and hindered
In a land whose ill-omened bird has taken flight.
In a land whose fated bird is cursed and weak.
فَقَدfor indeed فارَقتُI left بِالغَربِيِّin the west داراًa home
فَقَد فارَقتُ بِالغَربِيِّ داراً
بِأَرضِin the land of الشامِal-Sham حَفَّencircled بِهاaround it النَعيمُbliss
بِأَرضِ الشامِ حَفَّ بِها النَعيمُ
For I left a home in the west,
I left the West a place I used to hold,
In the land of al-Sham, encircled by bliss.
For lands of Syria graced with comforts bounteous,
هِيَit الوَطَنُthe homeland الَّذيwhich فارَقتُI parted فيهِin it
هِيَ الوَطَنُ الَّذي فارَقتُ فيهِ
وَفارَقَنيand parted from me المُساعِدُthe supporter وَالنَديمُand the boon companion
وَفارَقَني المُساعِدُ وَالنَديمُ
It is the homeland where I parted,
The homeland that I left and parted from
And my supporter and boon companion parted from me.
And friends and loved ones left me all so grievous,
وَكُنتُand I was بِهاthere المُمَنَّعُwell-protected غَيرَnot وَغدٍa base fellow
وَكُنتُ بِها المُمَنَّعُ غَيرَ وَغدٍ
وَلاnor نَكدٍgrudging إِذاwhen حَلَّbefell العَظيمُgrave trouble
وَلا نَكدٍ إِذا حَلَّ العَظيمُ
And there I was well-protected, neither base
I lived there spoiled with favors beyond count,
Nor grudging when grave trouble struck.
No distress or gloom to me there ever drew near,
فَإِنso if أَكُI am قَدalready حَلَلتُI settled بِدارِin an abode of هونِhumiliation
فَإِن أَكُ قَد حَلَلتُ بِدارِ هونِ
صَبَوتُI yielded to youthful folly بِهاthere فَقَدfor sometimes يَصبوyields to youthful folly الحَليمُthe prudent man
صَبَوتُ بِها فَقَد يَصبو الحَليمُ
So if I have settled in an abode of humiliation,
If to a lowly abode I now am brought
I yielded there to youthful folly—for even the prudent may yield.
Even the forbearing man is tried, I fear.
أَلومُكَI blame you لاnot أَلومُI blame سِواكَanyone other than you دَهراًTime
أَلومُكَ لا أَلومُ سِواكَ دَهراً
قَضىdecreed ليfor me بِالَّذيaccording to what يَقضيdecrees سَدومُSadum
قَضى لي بِالَّذي يَقضي سَدومُ
I blame you; I blame none but you, O Time,
Blame not another, blame only time for this,
That decreed for me what Sadum decrees.
Ordaining as wicked fate is wont to do,
إِذاif أَناI لَمnot أَلُمblame عَثَراتِreversals دَهرٍTime
إِذا أَنا لَم أَلُم عَثَراتِ دَهرٍ
أُصِبتُI was afflicted بِهاby them الغَداةَthis morning فَمَنthen whom أَلومُdo I blame
أُصِبتُ بِها الغَداةَ فَمَن أَلومُ
If I do not blame the reversals of Time
If I reproach not time for its caprice,
That struck me this morning, then whom shall I blame?
Who then is there for me to blame thereto?
وَفيand in الدُنياthe world غِنىًwealth لَمnot أَنبُI turn away عَنهُfrom it
وَفي الدُنيا غِنىً لَم أَنبُ عَنهُ
وَلَكِنand yet لَيسَthere is no فيin الدُنياthe world كَريمُa generous man
وَلَكِن لَيسَ في الدُنيا كَريمُ
And there is wealth in the world; I have not turned away from it,
The world offered riches I did not refuse,
And yet there is no generous man in the world.
But in this world no honorable man exists,
Sol 6.1