لَمdid not تُرعنيdismay me دارa dwelling عفَتwas effaced بالجَنابِat al-Janab
لَم تُرعني دار عفَت بالجَنابِ
دارِسٌfaded آيهاits traces كخَطِّlike the writing of الكِتابِthe book
دارِسٌ آيها كخَطِّ الكِتابِ
A dwelling effaced at al-Janab did not dismay me,
The abode of chastity did not shelter me,
I was not startled by an abode effaced at al-Janab,
Its traces faded like the writing in a book.
Its resident, like the scripture’s inscription.
Its traces worn faint like the script of a book,
أَوحشتgrew desolate بعدafter آهلan inhabitant وَأَنيسand a companion
أَوحشت بعد آهل وَأَنيس
مِنfrom جَوارِyoung women خَرائِدٍbashful maidens أَترابof like age
مِن جَوارِ خَرائِدٍ أَتراب
It grew desolate after its inhabitants and companions—
I felt lonesome after family and friends
Desolate now, after being populated and full of company
Young women, bashful maidens of like age,
Nearby chatterers with shabby clothes.
By young maidens, bashful virgins of equal age,
واضِحاتِbright الخُدودthe cheeks كالبقرlike wild cows الخُذّthe snub-nosed (continued)
واضِحاتِ الخُدود كالبقر الخُذّ
سcompletes the preceding word عينlarge-eyed الحمىthe protected pasture فُروضmature cows الرَوابيthe hills
س عين الحمى فُروض الرَوابي
Bright-cheeked, like the snub-nosed wild cows—
Their cheeks as clear as the udder’s cow,
Fair of cheek, like the wild cows that lag behind
Large-eyed, of the protected pasture, mature cows of the hills.
The fever’s eye the duties of hilltops.
At the Spring of the Sanctuary, in the clefts of the hills.
إِنَّماonly راعَنيdismayed me لذكرايَbecause of my recollection حاليmy condition
إِنَّما راعَني لذكرايَ حالي
بسجستانَin Sijistan خادِمُa servant الكتابthe scribes
بسجستانَ خادِمُ الكتاب
Only my plight dismayed me when I recalled it:
What preoccupied me was remembering my state
Rather, what startled me when I remembered was my own state,
In Sijistan, a servant of the scribes.
In prison, the servant of the book.
In Sijistan, working as a mere servant of the book,
قلّdiminished عَنّيfor me عَناءُtoil عَقليmy intellect وَدينيand my faith
قلّ عَنّي عَناءُ عَقلي وَديني
وَدُخوليand my entering فيinto العلمlearning منfrom كُلِّevery بابdoor
وَدُخولي في العلم من كُلِّ باب
The toil of my intellect and faith diminished for me,
Stop blaming my mind and religion
Of little avail to me was the exertion of my intellect and faith,
As did my pursuit of learning through every door.
And my pursuit of knowledge through every door.
And my entry into knowledge through every door;
أَدركتَنيovertook me وَذاكَand that أَولthe outset of دأبيmy striving
أَدركتَني وَذاكَ أَول دأبي
بسجستانin Sijistan حرفةُill fortune الآدابliterature
بسجستان حرفةُ الآداب
I was overtaken—and that was the outset of my striving—
You knew me when that was my first pursuit
It overtook me—and such was my fate from the start—
In Sijistan, by the ill fortune of letters.
In prison, the craft of literature.
In Sijistan: the trade of literature.
Sol 6.1