ماwhat ليfor me ولِلاْفتقارand with poverty فيin بَلَديmy homeland
ما لي ولِلاْفتقار في بَلَدي
أُفٍّfie! لِدهرِيon my fate وعيشيَand my life النَكِدِwretched
أُفٍّ لِدهرِي وعيشيَ النَكِدِ
What have I to do with poverty in my own land?
Why must I suffer in my homeland,
Fie on my fate and my wretched life!
Sighing for my wretched life?
قَدْindeed ركبتنيَhave mounted upon me الديونُthe debts واشْتملَتْand enveloped
قَدْ ركبتنيَ الديونُ واشْتملَتْ
عَلَىaround فؤاديmy heart بالهَمِّwith worry والكمدِand grief
عَلَى فؤادي بالهَمِّ والكمدِ
Debts have ridden upon me and enveloped
Debts have overburdened me,
my heart in worry and grief.
My heart is gripped with toil and grief.
وكانand was صَدْريmy breast منfrom قبلbefore ذَاpossessed of سِعةٍspaciousness
وكان صَدْري من قبل ذَا سِعةٍ
فَضَاقَso grew tight صَدريmy breast لِضيقِbecause of the scantness of ذَاتِwhat is in يديmy hand
فَضَاقَ صَدري لِضيقِ ذَاتِ يدي
My breast was once spacious,
Once my chest had ample space,
but my breast grew tight as my means grew scant.
Now it's tight, my means depleted.
قَالواthey said تَلَطّفْact tactfully واحْتَلْand devise a stratagem فقلتُso I said لهمْto them
قَالوا تَلَطّفْ واحْتَلْ فقلتُ لهمْ
قَلَّhas dwindled اصْطِباريmy patience وخاننيand has betrayed me جَلَديmy endurance
قَلَّ اصْطِباري وخانني جَلَدي
They said, “Be tactful and devise a stratagem”; I told them:
"Be gentle," they advised, "negotiate."
“My patience has dwindled, and my endurance has betrayed me.”
I've scant endurance, nerve defeated.
وليسand does not يُغْنيavail شَيئاًanything دَهَاcunning ثُعَلٍa fox’s
وليس يُغْني شَيئاً دَهَا ثُعَلٍ
والمالُand wealth مِنّيfrom me فيon جَبْهةٍthe brow of الأسدِthe lion
والمالُ مِنّي في جَبْهةٍ الأسدِ
And a fox’s cunning avails nothing,
No good mere fox holes can provide,
while wealth lies beyond my reach, on the lion’s brow.
Wealth from me the lions did snatch.
وبعدand after ذَاthis كلَّهall of it فَليthen I have ثقَةٌtrust
وبعد ذَا كلَّه فَلي ثقَةٌ
وحُسنُand goodness of ظنٍّexpectation بالواحدِin the One الصَّمدِthe Eternal Refuge
وحُسنُ ظنٍّ بالواحدِ الصَّمدِ
Yet after all this, I still have trust,
Yet still in the One God I confide,
and hope for good from the One, the Eternal Refuge.
His mercy for all does match.
فَهوfor He الَّذيthe One who بالأنَامِtoward creatures قاطِبةًwithout exception
فَهو الَّذي بالأنَامِ قاطِبةً
أَشْفقُmore compassionate مِنthan والدٍa father علىtoward ولَدٍa child
أَشْفقُ مِن والدٍ على ولَدٍ
For He is the One who, toward all creatures,
For people universally,
is more compassionate than a father toward his child.
He cares more than dad for a lad.
Sol 6.1