سَلامٌpeace عَلىupon النازِحِthe faraway one المُغتَرِبthe exile
سَلامٌ عَلى النازِحِ المُغتَرِب
تَحِيَّةَa greeting صَبٍّa lovesick lover بِهِfor him مُكتَئِبsorrowful
تَحِيَّةَ صَبٍّ بِهِ مُكتَئِب
Peace upon the distant exile,
Greetings to the displaced expatriate
A greeting from a lover, heartsick for him.
A morning greeting while he is gloomy
غَزالٌa gazelle مَراتِعُهُhis grazing grounds بِالبَليخِby the Balikh
غَزالٌ مَراتِعُهُ بِالبَليخِ
إِلىto دَيرِthe monastery of زَكّىZakka وَقَصرِand the palace of الخَشَبthe wood
إِلى دَيرِ زَكّى وَقَصرِ الخَشَب
A gazelle whose grazing grounds lie by the Balikh,
A gazelle whose pastures are in al-Balikh
As far as Dayr Zakka and Qasr al-Khashab.
To the monastery of Zakky and the wooden palace
فَياso, O مَنone who أَعانَhelped عَلىagainst نَفسِهِhimself
فَيا مَن أَعانَ عَلى نَفسِهِ
بِتَخليفِهِby his leaving behind طائِعاًwillingly مَنthe one whom يُحِبّhe loves
بِتَخليفِهِ طائِعاً مَن يُحِبّ
So, O you who helped bring harm upon yourself,
So oh you who helped himself
By willingly leaving behind the one you love:
By replacing willingly whom he loves
أَتاكَcame to you بِماwith what لَمdid not تُرِدهُyou want it القَضاfate
أَتاكَ بِما لَم تُرِدهُ القَضا
فَقَلبُكَso your heart مِنfrom حُكمِهِits decree فيin تَعَبweariness
فَقَلبُكَ مِن حُكمِهِ في تَعَب
Fate has brought you what you did not desire,
Fate brought you what you did not want
So your heart is weary from its decree.
So your heart is tired of its rule
وَنَخشىand we fear الوُشاةَthe talebearers فَماso not نَستَطيعُwe are able
وَنَخشى الوُشاةَ فَما نَستَطيعُ
نُهاديwe exchange as gifts الَّذيthat which بَينَناbetween us فيin الكُتُبletters
نُهادي الَّذي بَينَنا في الكُتُب
And we fear the talebearers, so we cannot
And we fear the slanderers, so we cannot
Exchange what lies between us in letters.
Guide properly what is between us in the books
سَأَستُرُI shall conceal وَالسَترُand concealment مِنpart of شيمَتيmy nature
سَأَستُرُ وَالسَترُ مِن شيمَتي
هَوىlove مَنthe one whom أُحِبُّI love بِمَنwith one whom لاnot أُحِبّI love
هَوى مَن أُحِبُّ بِمَن لا أُحِبّ
I shall conceal—and concealment is in my nature—
I will conceal and concealing is part of my manners
My love for the one I love behind a show of love for one I do not.
The love of those I love with those I do not love
وَلاand no بُدَّescape مِنfrom كَذِبٍlying فيin الهَوىlove
وَلا بُدَّ مِن كَذِبٍ في الهَوى
إِذاwhen كانَis دَفعُwarding off الأَذىharm بِالكَذِبby lying
إِذا كانَ دَفعُ الأَذى بِالكَذِب
And lying is unavoidable in love
And lying is inevitable in love
When harm is warded off by lying.
If avoiding harm is by lying
Sol 6.1