ياO مَنone who بِهِin him يَفتَخِرُtakes pride الفَخرُpride
يا مَن بِهِ يَفتَخِرُ الفَخرُ
وَمَنand one who بِهِin him يَبتَهِجُrejoices الشِعرُpoetry
وَمَن بِهِ يَبتَهِجُ الشِعرُ
O you in whom pride itself takes pride,
O you in whom pride takes pride
and in whom poetry rejoices,
And in whom poetry finds joy
ماnot طَلَبيmy request لِلإِذنِfor leave أَنthat شاقَنيstirred my longing
ما طَلَبي لِلإِذنِ أَن شاقَني
شَمسٌa sun مِنَamong الإِنسِhumankind وَلاnor بَدرُa full moon
شَمسٌ مِنَ الإِنسِ وَلا بَدرُ
I ask for leave not because my longing was stirred by
My wish for permission was not to burden me
a sun among mortals or a full moon.
A sun among men, nor a full moon
بَلىrather كِتابٌa letter أَخرَسٌmute ناطِقٌspeaking
بَلى كِتابٌ أَخرَسٌ ناطِقٌ
أَنطَقَmade speak مِنهُfrom it طَيَّهُits folded contents النَشرُunfolding
أَنطَقَ مِنهُ طَيَّهُ النَشرُ
Rather, a letter, mute yet speaking,
Rather a silent book, speaking
whose unfolding gave voice to its folded contents.
Made more eloquent by its cover's publication
فَاِنتَشَرَتthen spread حينَwhen بَداappeared طَيُّهُits folded contents
فَاِنتَشَرَت حينَ بَدا طَيُّهُ
سَرائِرٌsecrets يَكتُمُهاconceals them الجَهرُopen speech
سَرائِرٌ يَكتُمُها الجَهرُ
Then, when its folded contents appeared, there spread
So its secrets were revealed when its binding appeared
secrets that open speech conceals.
Secrets that loudness conceals
جاءَcame نَذيرُa herald الحُزنِsorrow فيwithin بَطنِهِits belly
جاءَ نَذيرُ الحُزنِ في بَطنِهِ
بِحادِثٍwith a calamity أَظهَرَهُrevealed it الظَهرُthe back
بِحادِثٍ أَظهَرَهُ الظَهرُ
Within its belly came a herald of sorrow,
The herald of sorrow came in its belly
bearing a calamity its back revealed.
With an event that daybreak revealed
فَاِنهَلَّthen poured forth فيamid أَسطُرِهِits lines أَسطُرٌlines
فَاِنهَلَّ في أَسطُرِهِ أَسطُرٌ
لِلدَمعِof tears سَطرٌa line فَوقَهُabove it سَطرُa line
لِلدَمعِ سَطرٌ فَوقَهُ سَطرُ
Then amid its lines poured forth lines
So lines streamed in its lines
of tears, one line above another.
For tears, a line above a line
فَمُنَّso graciously grant بِالإِذنِwith leave عَلىto نازِحٍone far away
فَمُنَّ بِالإِذنِ عَلى نازِحٍ
عَنfrom أَهلِهِhis family ساعَتُهُhis hour دَهرُan age
عَن أَهلِهِ ساعَتُهُ دَهرُ
So graciously grant leave to one far away
So bestow permission on one who complains
from his family, for whom an hour is an age.
Of separation from his family, his time an epoch
فَقَدfor indeed صَدَقتَyou confirmed الظَنَّthe expectation فيin كُلِّall ماthat which
فَقَد صَدَقتَ الظَنَّ في كُلِّ ما
رَجَوتُهُI hoped for it إِذwhen كَذَبَproved false القَطرُthe rain
رَجَوتُهُ إِذ كَذَبَ القَطرُ
For you proved my expectations true in all that
For you have proven true what you hoped for
I hoped for, when the rain proved false.
When the rain proved false
Sol 6.1