جاءنيhe came to me يَحْلِفُhe swears أيthat is أنّthat
جاءني يَحْلِفُ أي أنّ
يI (attached pronoun) مُحِبٌّloving وشَفيقُand compassionate
ي مُحِبٌّ وشَفيقُ
He came to me swearing, in effect:
He came swearing that he is
“I am loving and compassionate.”
A loving and kind friend
يُظهِرhe displays البِرَّkindness وفيand in الباthe interior (first part)
يُظهِر البِرَّ وفي البا
طِنinterior (completion) خُبْثٌmalice وعُقوقُand disloyalty
طِن خُبْثٌ وعُقوقُ
He displays kindness, yet within
He shows righteousness, yet in his
lie malice and disloyalty.
Heart there is wickedness and disloyalty
مِثلماjust as يَخْدَعُكَdeceives you الضَّحْthe shallows (first part)
مِثلما يَخْدَعُكَ الضَّحْ
ضاحُshallows (completion) والبحرُand the sea عميقُdeep
ضاحُ والبحرُ عميقُ
Just as the shallows deceive you,
Just as the bright midday sun and the sea deceive you
though the sea is deep.
With their depth
كلُّهall of him مَحْلٌdrought وإنْand even if غرَّdeceived (verb stem)
كلُّه مَحْلٌ وإنْ غرَّ
تْfeminine past-tense ending رُعودٌthunderclaps وبُروقُand lightning flashes
تْ رُعودٌ وبُروقُ
He is all drought, even if
It is all a farce, even if
thunderclaps and lightning flashes beguile.
Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles
ثَمرٌfruit مرٌّbitter لجانِيهto its gatherer
ثَمرٌ مرٌّ لجانِيه
ِ وأوراقand leaves تَروقُdelight
ِ وأوراق تَروقُ
Fruit bitter to its gatherer,
A bitter fruit for its picker
and leaves that delight.
And leaves that delight
وعجيبٌand strange أنْthat زكاflourished الفرthe branch (first part)
وعجيبٌ أنْ زكا الفر
عُbranch (completion) ولمand did not تَزْكُflourish العُروقُthe roots
عُ ولم تَزْكُ العُروقُ
And strange that the branch has flourished,
Strange that the branch thrived
while the roots have not.
Yet the roots did not thrive
دِينُهhis faith دِينٌa faith رقيقُfeeble
دِينُه دِينٌ رقيقُ
ولهand he has وجهٌa face صَفيقُshameless
وله وجهٌ صَفيقُ
His faith is a flimsy faith,
His religion is tender
and he has a brazen face.
And he has a gentle face
ولهand he has لاmay not حاطهprotect him اللGod (first part)
وله لا حاطه الل
هُGod (completion) إلىto كلٍّeveryone طريقُa path
هُ إلى كلٍّ طريقُ
And he has—may God not protect him—
Yet no one but God knows
a path to everyone.
Every path to him
هوhe بالفِعلin deed عَدوٌّan enemy
هو بالفِعل عَدوٌّ
وهوand he بالقَولِin word صَديقُa friend
وهو بالقَولِ صَديقُ
In deed he is an enemy,
In action he is an enemy
and in word he is a friend.
In words he is a friend
هوhe فيin القُربِcloseness رحيقٌpure wine
هو في القُربِ رحيقٌ
وهوand he فيin البُعدِdistance حريقُa blaze
وهو في البُعدِ حريقُ
When near, he is pure wine,
In closeness he is honey
and when far, he is fire.
In distance he is fire
هوhe قُدّاميbefore me مَنْجُوa banner (first part)
هو قُدّامي مَنْجُو
قbanner (completion) وَخَلْفيand behind me مَنْجَنيقُa catapult
ق وَخَلْفي مَنْجَنيقُ
Before me he is a banner,
Before me he is a decorated horse
and behind me a catapult.
Behind me he is a catapult
وإنِand if اسْتُنطِقَhe is asked to speak بَقٌّa chatterbox
وإنِ اسْتُنطِقَ بَقٌّ
وإنِand if اسْتُكتِمَhe is asked to keep a secret بُوقُa trumpet
وإنِ اسْتُكتِمَ بُوقُ
And if asked to speak, he is a chatterbox;
If he speaks honey flows
and if asked to keep a secret, a trumpet.
If he is silent, bubbles emerge
خَلَقُthreadbare الأخلاقِmorals بالهِجfor estrangement (first part)
خَلَقُ الأخلاقِ بالهِج
رانِestrangement (completion) والتَّرْكِand abandonment خَليقُdeserving
رانِ والتَّرْكِ خَليقُ
Threadbare in morals, he deserves
The most well-mannered in mixing
estrangement and abandonment.
And abandoning manners
ففؤاديso my heart منهbecause of him فيin تيّtorrent (first part)
ففؤادي منه في تيّ
ارtorrent (completion) أفكاريmy thoughts غَريقُdrowned
ار أفكاري غَريقُ
So, because of him, my heart in the torrent
So my heart is lost
of my thoughts lies drowned.
In a maelstrom of thoughts about him
إنْif أُجانِبْهI avoid him يَقُلْhe says كاthere were (first part)
إنْ أُجانِبْه يَقُلْ كا
نتْthere were (completion) وضاعَتْand were lost ليto me حُقوقُrights
نتْ وضاعَتْ لي حُقوقُ
If I avoid him, he says: “I had
If I shun him, he says our bond
rights, and they were lost.”
And rights have been broken
أوor أُصاحِبْهI keep his company فماthen not يُلis found (first part)
أو أُصاحِبْه فما يُل
فىis found (completion) لهfor him عَقدٌa pact وثيقُfirm
فى له عَقدٌ وثيقُ
Or if I keep his company, no
Or if I accompany him, no pact or
firm pact is found with him.
Close tie satisfies him
ولهand he has منّيfrom me إنْif أَعْرَضْturn away (verb stem)
وله منّي إنْ أَعْرَضْ
تُI (verb ending) عنهfrom him الخَنْفَقيقُdire calamity
تُ عنه الخَنْفَقيقُ
And from me, if I turn away
And he has from me, if I turn
from him, a dire calamity shall be his.
Away from him, relentless pursuit
عنديَwith me النارُthe fire لهfor him فيin
عنديَ النارُ له في
هاit (attached pronoun) زَفيرٌgroaning وشهيقُand gasping
ها زَفيرٌ وشهيقُ
I have the fire for him; in it
For me he is blazing fire
are groans and gasps.
With sighing and moaning
غيرexcept أنّthat المَكرdeceit والغَدْand treachery (first part)
غير أنّ المَكر والغَدْ
رtreachery (completion) بمثليfor one like me لاnot يَليقُis fitting
ر بمثلي لا يَليقُ
Yet deceit and treachery
But cunning and betrayal do not
do not befit one like me.
Befit the likes of me
عَلَّهُperhaps he منfrom لَمّةa fit الجَهْignorance (first part)
عَلَّهُ من لَمّة الجَهْ
لignorance (completion) بتَوفيقٍthrough divine aid يُفيقُhe comes to his senses
ل بتَوفيقٍ يُفيقُ
Perhaps, from a fit of ignorance,
Perhaps from an ignorant mind
he will come to his senses through divine aid.
He will awake with guidance
Sol 6.1