أَيوسُفُO Yusuf جِئتَyou came بِالعَجَبِwith a marvel العَجيبِastonishing
أَيوسُفُ جِئتَ بِالعَجَبِ العَجيبِ
تَرَكتَyou left الناسَpeople فيin شَكٍّdoubt مُريبِtroubling
تَرَكتَ الناسَ في شَكٍّ مُريبِ
O Yusuf, you have brought an astonishing marvel.
O Yusuf, you have come with such amazing wonders
You have left people in troubling doubt.
Leaving people in doubtful suspicion
سَمِعتُI heard بِكُلِّof every داهِيَةٍcalamity نَآدٍgrievous
سَمِعتُ بِكُلِّ داهِيَةٍ نَآدٍ
وَلَمand did not أَسمَعI hear بِسَرّاجٍof a saddler أَديبِlearned in letters
وَلَم أَسمَع بِسَرّاجٍ أَديبِ
I have heard of every grievous calamity,
I have heard every ignorant blabberer
But never of a saddler learned in letters.
But never a refined poet
أَماnow لَوif أَنَّthat جَهلَكَyour ignorance كانَwere عِلماًknowledge
أَما لَو أَنَّ جَهلَكَ كانَ عِلماً
إِذَنthen لَنَفَذتَyou would have penetrated فيinto عِلمِknowledge الغُيوبِunseen things
إِذَن لَنَفَذتَ في عِلمِ الغُيوبِ
Now, if your ignorance were knowledge,
If only your ignorance were knowledge
Then you would have penetrated the knowledge of the unseen.
You could have penetrated the unseen world
وَماand not لَكَfor you بِالغَريبِwith obscure words يَدٌskill وَلَكِنbut
وَما لَكَ بِالغَريبِ يَدٌ وَلَكِن
تَعاطيكَyour dabbling in الغَريبَobscure words هُوَit الغَريبِthe strange thing
تَعاطيكَ الغَريبَ هُوَ الغَريبِ
And you have no skill with obscure words, yet
You have no connection with the strange, but
Your dabbling in the obscure is itself what is strange.
Your bizarre behavior is the strange thing
فَلَوfor if نُبِشَwere dug up المَقابِرُthe graves عَنfor زُهَيرٍZuhayr
فَلَو نُبِشَ المَقابِرُ عَن زُهَيرٍ
لَصَرَّحَhe would cry aloud بِالعَويلِwith wailing وَبِالنَحيبِand with sobbing
لَصَرَّحَ بِالعَويلِ وَبِالنَحيبِ
For if the graves were dug up to uncover Zuhayr,
If Zuhair's tomb were dug up
He would cry aloud with wailing and sobbing.
He would wail and weep
مَتىsince when كانَتhave been قَوافيهِhis rhymes عِيالاًdependent
مَتى كانَت قَوافيهِ عِيالاً
عَلىon تَفسيرِinterpretation بُقراطِHippocrates الطَبيبِthe physician
عَلى تَفسيرِ بُقراطِ الطَبيبِ
Since when have his rhymes been dependent
When were his rhymes ever dependents
On the interpretation of Hippocrates the physician?
On the commentary of physician Buqrat
وَكَيفَand how وَلَمand has not يَزَلceased لِلشِعرِfor poetry ماءٌwater
وَكَيفَ وَلَم يَزَل لِلشِعرِ ماءٌ
يَرُفُّsways عَلَيهِover it رَيحانُsweet basil القُلوبِthe hearts
يَرُفُّ عَلَيهِ رَيحانُ القُلوبِ
And how, when poetry still has its water,
How could this be when poetry still has water
Over which the sweet basil of hearts sways?
Upon which blows the basil of hearts
تَزَحزَحَit drew back عَنfrom بَعيدِthe distant العَقلِreason حَتّىuntil
تَزَحزَحَ عَن بَعيدِ العَقلِ حَتّى
تَوَجَّهَit found its course أَنto تَوَجَّهَit turned فيin القَريبِwhat is near
تَوَجَّهَ أَن تَوَجَّهَ في القَريبِ
It drew back from the far reaches of reason until
You have strayed far from reason until
It found its course in turning toward what was near.
You turned whichever way in the near
أَرىI regard ظُلميكَmy wronging you إِنصافاًfairness وَعَدلاًand justice
أَرى ظُلميكَ إِنصافاً وَعَدلاً
وَذَنبيand my sin فيكَagainst you تَكفيرُexpiation الذُنوبِsins
وَذَنبي فيكَ تَكفيرُ الذُنوبِ
I regard my wronging you as fairness and justice,
I see your injustice as justice and right
And my sin against you is an expiation of sins.
While my sin toward you absolves sins
Sol 6.1