إِذاif كانَis مَدحيmy praise فيكُمُof you بِقَصيدَتيwith my poem
إِذا كانَ مَدحي فيكُمُ بِقَصيدَتي
وَلِلَّهِand to God ماwhat هاجَتstirred لِتونِسَto Tunis أَوبَتيmy return
وَلِلَّهِ ما هاجَت لِتونِسَ أَوبَتي
If my praise of you in my poem—
If my praise of you in my poem
and to God belongs what my return to Tunis has stirred—
By Allah, it was not meant to appease or flatter
قَدindeed أَورَثَنيhas brought me صَداrejection وَبُعداًand distance وَجَفوَةًand estrangement
قَد أَورَثَني صَدا وَبُعداً وَجَفوَةً
فَإِنِّيso indeed I راضٍcontent عَنكُمُwith you بِالسَلامَةwith well-being
فَإِنِّي راضٍ عَنكُمُ بِالسَلامَة
has brought me rejection, distance, and estrangement,
It has led me to distance, aloofness and coldness
then I am content with you, wishing you well.
Yet I am content with you in safety
وَيُقنِعُنيand it satisfies me أَنّيthat I أَموتُdie بِهَجرِكُمthrough your abandonment
وَيُقنِعُني أَنّي أَموتُ بِهَجرِكُم
سَعيداًhappy شَهيداًa martyr لاnot أُباليI care بِمِيتَتيabout my death
سَعيداً شَهيداً لا أُبالي بِمِيتَتي
And it satisfies me to die through your abandonment,
It satisfies me to die estranged from you
happy, a martyr, not caring how I die.
Happy, a martyr, unconcerned with my death
وَإِنand if كانَis مَرضاكُمyour pleasure أَموتُI die صَبابَةًfrom longing
وَإِن كانَ مَرضاكُم أَموتُ صَبابَةً
بِهَجرِكُمُthrough your abandonment أَنجِزcarry out بِحَقِّكَby your sacred worth قِتلَتيmy killing
بِهَجرِكُمُ أَنجِز بِحَقِّكَ قِتلَتي
And if your pleasure is that I die of longing
And if your approval means I die impetuously
through your abandonment, then, by your sacred worth, bring about my death.
In estrangement from you, I fulfill my destiny
وَإِنand if كانَthere is ليfor me ذَنبٌa sin تَعَمَّدتُI deliberately undertook فِعلَهُdoing it
وَإِن كانَ لي ذَنبٌ تَعَمَّدتُ فِعلَهُ
فَليthen I have شُفَعاءٌintercessors مِنكُمُamong you بِالمَحَبَّةِthrough love
فَلي شُفَعاءٌ مِنكُمُ بِالمَحَبَّةِ
And if I have a sin I committed deliberately,
If I have intentionally committed a sin
then I have intercessors among you through love.
I have intercessors among you in love
وَإِنand if كُنتَyou are تَرضىpleased بِالوَسيلَةِwith intercession إِنَّنيindeed I
وَإِن كُنتَ تَرضى بِالوَسيلَةِ إِنَّني
دَخَلتُI entered حِمىthe sanctuary of جاهٍprestige طَويلِlong الذؤابَةِthe forelock
دَخَلتُ حِمى جاهٍ طَويلِ الذؤابَةِ
And if you accept intercession, indeed I
If you accept mediation, I have entered
have entered the sanctuary of prestige with its long forelock.
The sanctuary of great, longstanding affection
وَإِلّاand otherwise بِحَقِّby the sacred worth of الفاءِthe letter fāʾ وَالطاءِand the letter ṭāʾ بَعدَهاafter it
وَإِلّا بِحَقِّ الفاءِ وَالطاءِ بَعدَها
وَحَقِّكَand by your sacred worth مَعهاalongside it أَنthat تَمُنّyou bestow بِعَطفَةِwith a touch of tenderness
وَحَقِّكَ مَعها أَن تَمُنّ بِعَطفَةِ
Otherwise, by the letter fāʾ and the ṭāʾ after it,
Otherwise, by the right of loyalty after intimacy
and by your own sacred worth alongside it, I ask you to grant a touch of tenderness.
And your right with it to show kindness
أَياO سالِبَstealer of الأَرواحِsouls قَدindeed جِئتَyou have come شاكياًcomplaining
أَيا سالِبَ الأَرواحِ قَد جِئتَ شاكياً
إِلَيهِto him وَمِنهُand against him هَلwill تُزيلُyou remove شَكيَّتيmy grievance
إِلَيهِ وَمِنهُ هَل تُزيلُ شَكيَّتي
O stealer of souls, you have come complaining
O taker of souls, you have come complaining
to him and against him—will you remove my grievance
To him, yet does he remove my complaint?
وَتَقضيand you judge عَلَيكَagainst yourself مِنكَfrom yourself عَدلاًjustly بِلاwithout رُشىًbribes
وَتَقضي عَلَيكَ مِنكَ عَدلاً بِلا رُشىً
وَإِنand if كنتَyou are تَقضيyou rule ليfor me عَلَيكَagainst yourself بِقُبلَةِwith a kiss
وَإِن كنتَ تَقضي لي عَلَيكَ بِقُبلَةِ
and yourself judge against yourself, justly, without bribes?
And judge for you against yourself without bribery
And if you rule for me against yourself with a kiss,
And if you judge for me a kiss from you
فَياthen O حَبَّذاhow lovely الحُكمُthe judgment المُطاعُthat is obeyed وَعَزّماand how rare
فَيا حَبَّذا الحُكمُ المُطاعُ وَعَزّما
إِذاif كانَit is فيon الجِيدِthe neck الصَقيلِpolished كَفِضةِlike silver
إِذا كانَ في الجِيدِ الصَقيلِ كَفِضةِ
then oh, how lovely is the judgment obeyed—and how rare!—
Blessed is the obeyed judgment and resolve
when it is upon a neck polished like silver.
If it is from the polished, smooth cheek
Sol 6.1