ياO أَخاbrother of الحارِثِal-Harith بنِson of كَعبِKaʿb بنِson of عَمرٍʿAmr
يا أَخا الحارِثِ بنِ كَعبِ بنِ عَمرٍ
أَشُهوراًfor months? تَصومُyou fast أَمor أَيّاماfor days
أَشُهوراً تَصومُ أَم أَيّاما
O brother of al-Harith ibn Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr,
O brother of Al-Harith bin Ka'b bin 'Umar
Do you fast for months, or for days?
Do you fast months or just days?
طالَhas grown long هَذاthis الشَهرُthe month المُبارَكُblessed حَتّىso much that
طالَ هَذا الشَهرُ المُبارَكُ حَتّى
قَدindeed خَشيناwe have feared بِأَنthat يَكونَit might become لِزاماinescapable
قَد خَشينا بِأَن يَكونَ لِزاما
This blessed month has dragged on so long
This blessed month has been so long
that we have feared it might become inescapable.
That we feared it would be binding
لَقَّبوهُthey dubbed him بِخاتِمٍas Khatim ('Seal') حَسنُfine الأَمthe affair (start of الأمر)
لَقَّبوهُ بِخاتِمٍ حَسنُ الأَم
رِend of الأمر ('affair') وَلَوand if أَنصَفواthey had been fair لَكانَhe would have been لِجاماa bridle
رِ وَلَو أَنصَفوا لَكانَ لِجاما
They dubbed him Khatim, 'Seal'—a fine affair—
They titled it the seal of beauty
yet, had they been fair, he would have been a bridle.
Though if they were fair it would be a cup
كَمhow many a صَحيحٍhealthy man قَدِindeed اِدَّعىclaimed السُقمَsickness فيهِin it
كَم صَحيحٍ قَدِ اِدَّعى السُقمَ فيهِ
وَعَليلٍand a sick man لَيلَهُhis night يَنيكُhe fucks قِياماstanding up
وَعَليلٍ لَيلَهُ يَنيكُ قِياما
How many a healthy man has claimed sickness in it,
How many healthy claimed illness in it
and many a sick man spends his night fucking standing up!
And how many sick, their nights standing in prayer
ظَلَّhe kept on فيin يَومِهِhis day يُصَلّيhe prays قُعوداًseated
ظَلَّ في يَومِهِ يُصَلّي قُعوداً
وَسَرىand went on by night لَيلَهُhis night يَنيكُhe fucks قِياماstanding up
وَسَرى لَيلَهُ يَنيكُ قِياما
He spent his day praying seated,
Staying sitting to pray by day
and passed his night fucking standing up.
And spending their nights standing in devotion
وَلَخَيرٌand indeed better مِنَthan السَلامَةِgood health عِنديin my view
وَلَخَيرٌ مِنَ السَلامَةِ عِندي
عِلَّةٌan illness لِلفَتىfor a young man تُحِلُّmakes lawful الحَراماthe forbidden
عِلَّةٌ لِلفَتى تُحِلُّ الحَراما
And indeed better than health, in my view,
And better to me than safety
is an illness that makes the forbidden lawful for a young man.
Is an illness for the youth permitting the unlawful
قَدalready مَضَتhave passed سَبعَةٌseven وَعُشرونَand twenty يَوماًdays
قَد مَضَت سَبعَةٌ وَعُشرونَ يَوماً
ماnot نَزورُwe visit اللَذّاتِpleasures إِلّاexcept لِماماoccasionally
ما نَزورُ اللَذّاتِ إِلّا لِماما
Twenty-seven days have already passed;
Twenty seven days have passed
we visit pleasures only now and then.
Where we only visit pleasures occasionally
ماwhat عَلىupon الوَردِthe rose لَوif أَقامَit stayed عَلَيناwith us
ما عَلى الوَردِ لَو أَقامَ عَلَينا
أَوor يَراناit sees us مِنَbecause of الصِيامِfasting صِياماabstinent
أَو يَرانا مِنَ الصِيامِ صِياما
What harm would it do the rose if it stayed with us,
The roses wouldn't reproach us if they stayed
or saw us abstinent because of fasting?
Or saw us fasting and fasting
جازَناit passed us by مُعرِضاًturning away كَأَنّاas though we لَقيناwe had found
جازَنا مُعرِضاً كَأَنّا لَقينا
دونَهُwithout it اللَهوَamusement أَوor شَرِبناwe had drunk المُداماwine
دونَهُ اللَهوَ أَو شَرِبنا المُداما
It passed us by, turning away, as though we had found
They'd pass by us distractedly as though we'd met
amusement without it, or had drunk wine.
Beyond them only frivolity or drinking wine
أَخَذَmay take اللَهُGod مِنكَfrom you ثَأرَvengeance for خَلِيٍّa man free of love
أَخَذَ اللَهُ مِنكَ ثَأرَ خَلِيٍّ
لَمdid not تَدَعهُyou leave him حَتّىuntil غَداhe became مُستَهاماlove-crazed
لَم تَدَعهُ حَتّى غَدا مُستَهاما
May God take vengeance on you for a man once free of love,
God has taken vengeance on you for a friend
whom you did not leave alone until he became love-crazed.
You didn't leave him until he became disgraced
أَنتَyou أَعدَيتَهُyou infected him بِحوبِّwith love for سُعادٍSuʿad
أَنتَ أَعدَيتَهُ بِحوبِّ سُعادٍ
وَكَريمُand one noble in الأَهواءِpassions يُعديinfects الكِراماnoble men
وَكَريمُ الأَهواءِ يُعدي الكِراما
You infected him with love for Suʿad,
You wronged him with the love of Su'ad
and a man of noble passions infects noble men.
And the noble passions wrong even the noble
قَدindeed عَشِقناwe have loved كَماjust as عَشِقتَyou loved وَماand did not دُمremain constant (start of دمت)
قَد عَشِقنا كَما عَشِقتَ وَما دُم
تَyou (suffix completing دمت) وَدُمناand we remained constant وَالحُبُّand love لَوif دُمتَyou remained constant داماlasted
تَ وَدُمنا وَالحُبُّ لَو دُمتَ داما
We have loved as you loved; you did not remain constant,
We loved as you loved though our love and your love
but we did; had you stayed constant, love would have lasted.
Would have remained had you remained faithful
أَفطِرواbreak your fast راشِدينَrightly guided إِنّيindeed I أَعُدُّcount الthe (prefix of الفطر)
أَفطِروا راشِدينَ إِنّي أَعُدُّ ال
فِطرَbreaking of the fast فيduring هَجرِseparation from مَنthe one whom أُحِبُّI love أَثاماa sin
فِطرَ في هَجرِ مَن أُحِبُّ أَثاما
Break your fast, rightly guided; I count
Break your fast prosperously, I consider
breaking the fast while parted from the one I love a sin.
Breaking the fast in separation from one I love a sin
وَأَرىand I regard الدَهرَall time كُلَّهُall of it رَمَضاناًRamadan
وَأَرى الدَهرَ كُلَّهُ رَمَضاناً
واحِداًsingle أَوunless يَكونَit is فِطريmy breaking of the fast غَراماpassionate love
واحِداً أَو يَكونَ فِطري غَراما
And I see all time as Ramadan,
I see this whole lifetime as one Ramadan
a single one—unless my breaking of the fast is passionate love.
Or my breaking the fast will be lovesickness
Sol 6.1