أعَاذِلَتَيَّO my two female reproachers وَيَبكمُاwoe to you both دَعَانيleave me, both of you
أعَاذِلَتَيَّ وَيَبكمُا دَعَاني
فَإنيfor I لَستُam not مِثلَlike بنيthe sons of فلانِSo-and-so
فَإني لَستُ مِثلَ بني فلانِ
O my two reproaching women, woe to you both—leave me alone.
For I am not like the sons of So-and-so.
حَلَبتُI milked الدَّهرَtime شَطرَيهِits two halves فَأناًso, at one time
حَلَبتُ الدَّهرَ شَطرَيهِ فَأناً
أمَرَّgrew bitter عَلَىَّto me وأحلَولَىand grew sweet بِأنِat a time
أمَرَّ عَلَىَّ وأحلَولَى بِأنِ
I have milked both halves of time: at one moment
it grew bitter to me, and at another it grew sweet.
وَمارَستُand I grappled with الزَّمَانَtime فَكَانَso it became هَيناًeasy
وَمارَستُ الزَّمَانَ فَكَانَ هَيناً
عَلَىَّfor me لِقَاencountering مُلِمَّاتِthe calamities of الزَّمانِtime
عَلَىَّ لِقَا مُلِمَّاتِ الزَّمانِ
And I have grappled with time, so it became easy
for me to meet time's calamities.
فَلَمso not أكُI was لِلخُطُوبِin the face of calamities ِإذَاwhen أدلَهَمَّتthey grew dark
فَلَم أكُ لِلخُطُوبِ ِإذَا أدلَهَمَّت
كَئِيبَdowncast البَالِthe mind عَضَّاضَone who repeatedly bites البَنَانِthe fingertips
كَئِيبَ البَالِ عَضَّاضَ البَنَانِ
So when calamities grew dark, I was not
downcast at heart, gnawing my fingertips.
وَلَمand did not يَخفَقtremble جَنَانيmy heart مِنfrom وَعِيدٍa threat
وَلَم يَخفَق جَنَاني مِن وَعِيدٍ
وَلَوand even if آلَىswore عَلَيهِto it الخَافِقَانِEast and West
وَلَو آلَى عَلَيهِ الخَافِقَانِ
Nor did my heart tremble at a threat,
even if East and West swore to carry it out.
ولَمand did not أفرَحrejoice لِسَّرَاءَat prosperity اعتَرَتنيthat befell me
ولَم أفرَح لِسَّرَاءَ اعتَرَتني
فَتَيلِكَfor that شِيمَةُthe disposition of اللَّحزِthe miserly person الجَبَانِthe coward
فَتَيلِكَ شِيمَةُ اللَّحزِ الجَبَانِ
Nor did I exult in prosperity that befell me;
for that is the disposition of the miserly coward.
وَكَمand how many مِنof مُخبِرٍone reporting عنيabout me بِسُوءٍwith ill reports
وَكَم مِن مُخبِرٍ عني بِسُوءٍ
ولَيسَand was not لَهُof it بِمُمتَحِنٍan examiner لَحَانيreproached me
ولَيسَ لَهُ بِمُمتَحِنٍ لَحَاني
And how many a bearer of an evil report about me,
without putting it to the test, reproached me,
وَأقلعَand desisted بِإمتِحَانيon testing me عَنهُfrom it إنيindeed, I
وَأقلعَ بِإمتِحَاني عَنهُ إني
رِضَاthe approval of مَنwhoever كَانَused to يَلحَانيreproach me امتِحَانيtesting me
رِضَا مَن كَانَ يَلحَاني امتِحَاني
then desisted after testing me! Indeed,
testing me wins the approval of whoever reproached me.
وأولانيand favored me إلهِىmy God أنthat هَدَانيHe guided me
وأولاني إلهِى أن هَدَاني
لِلإِيمَانِto faith المُثَبِّتِwhich steadies لِلجَنَانِfor the heart
لِلإِيمَانِ المُثَبِّتِ لِلجَنَانِ
And my God favored me by guiding me
to faith that steadies the heart.
وَأولانيand granted me التَّفَصِّىescape مِنfrom يُدِىٍّhands
وَأولاني التَّفَصِّى مِن يُدِىٍّ
مِنَof التَّقلِيدِuncritical imitation كُنتِyou were (feminine; context suggests 'I was') بِهِنَّby them عَانِcaptive
مِنَ التَّقلِيدِ كُنتِ بِهِنَّ عَانِ
And He granted me escape from the hands
of blind imitation, in whose grasp I was captive.
وِإنand if لُوfirst fragment of 'I was treated gently' بِنتُlast fragment of 'I was treated gently' لِنتُI softened وكَنتُand I was صَعباًunyielding
وِإن لُو بِنتُ لِنتُ وكَنتُ صَعباً
وِإنand if خُوشِنتُI am treated roughly لَستُI am not بِهَيَّبَانِeasily frightened
وِإن خُوشِنتُ لَستُ بِهَيَّبَانِ
And if treated gently, I soften, though I was unyielding;
and if treated roughly, I am not easily cowed.
تَرانيyou see me بِالبَرَاهِينِin proofs إعتِصَامِىmy taking refuge
تَراني بِالبَرَاهِينِ إعتِصَامِى
إذَاwhen مَاever (emphatic) طارِقُthe night visitor of الشُّبَهِdoubts أَعتَرَانيbesets me
إذَا مَا طارِقُ الشُّبَهِ أَعتَرَاني
You see that I take refuge in proofs
whenever the night visitor of doubts assails me.
وَلِىand I have شَيخٌa shaykh يَذُبُّwards off الشَّرَّevil عنيfrom me
وَلِى شَيخٌ يَذُبُّ الشَّرَّ عني
فَمِمَّاso from what كُنتُI was مُختَشِياًfearing حَمَانيhe protected me
فَمِمَّا كُنتُ مُختَشِياً حَمَاني
And I have a shaykh who wards evil off from me;
so he protected me from what I feared.
بِيُمنِby the blessing of تَعَلُّقٍattachment منيon my part إلَيهِto him
بِيُمنِ تَعَلُّقٍ مني إلَيهِ
تَأَلَّقَflashed بَرقُthe lightning of إِيمَانيmy faith اليَمَامنِاunclear; perhaps 'Yemeni'
تَأَلَّقَ بَرقُ إِيمَاني اليَمَامنِا
Through the blessing of my attachment to him,
the lightning of my [Yemeni?] faith flashed forth.
وَبينيand between me وَالمَخَاوِفَand fears جَعَلتُI placed حِرزاًa safeguard
وَبيني وَالمَخَاوِفَ جَعَلتُ حِرزاً
لَهُbelonging to him فيin كُلِّevery مَيدَانٍarena يُدَانيdraws near
لَهُ في كُلِّ مَيدَانٍ يُدَاني
And between myself and fears I placed a safeguard
of his, drawing near in every arena.
وَمَاand never أمَّتaimed toward يَدُthe hand of الحَدَثَانِfate إِلاَّexcept
وَمَا أمَّت يَدُ الحَدَثَانِ إِلاَّ
ثَنىturned aside عَنِّىfrom me يَدَthe hand of الجَدَثَانِthe two graves ثَانِone who turns aside
ثَنى عَنِّى يَدَ الجَدَثَانِ ثَانِ
And the hand of fate never reached out without
someone turning the two graves' hand away from me.
ولاand no عَجَبwonder فَشيخُfor the shaykh of القُطرِthe land شيخيmy shaykh
ولا عَجَب فَشيخُ القُطرِ شيخي
مَدَىthroughout الأزمَانِthe ages فيin العِرفَانِgnosis فَانِself-effaced
مَدَى الأزمَانِ في العِرفَانِ فَانِ
And no wonder: the shaykh of the land is my shaykh,
throughout the ages, self-effaced in gnosis.
Sol 6.1