اذاwhen حاولتseeks to وخزpierce الضُّلوعthe ribs وجيعةٌan ache
اذا حاولت وخز الضُّلوع وجيعةٌ
منَfrom الهمworry أمضىsharper منthan صِعانthrusts (reading uncertain) اللَّهاذِمِkeen spears
منَ الهم أمضى من صِعان اللَّهاذِمِ
When an ache seeks to pierce my ribs,
If you try to pierce my ribs, the pain
Born of worry, sharper than the thrusts of keen spears,
More intense than the blows of fate,
لبستُI donned اليهاagainst it جُنَّةًprotective armor زيْنَبيَّةٍZaynabī
لبستُ اليها جُنَّةً زيْنَبيَّةٍ
بنسْجَينwith two weaves منfrom بأسَيْthe twin strengths of سُطاَmight ومكارمِand noble deeds
بنسْجَين من بأسَيْ سُطاَ ومكارمِ
I put on Zaynabī armor against it,
I will wear a Zainab dress,
Double-woven from the twin strengths of might and noble deeds.
Woven with my might and virtues.
فلاso not المحلُdrought فيin الشهبgray years الشِّدادharsh بعارقيgnawing away at me
فلا المحلُ في الشهب الشِّداد بعارقي
ولاnor الخطبcalamity فيamid دُهْمthe dark ones of الرزاياmisfortunes بظالميwronging me
ولا الخطب في دُهْم الرزايا بظالمي
So drought in the harsh, gray years does not gnaw me away,
Neither disgrace in the shooting stars,
Nor does calamity amid dark misfortunes wrong me.
Nor sorrow in the tears of misfortune.
وكنتand I used to متىwhenever أخصصI single out عليّاًʿAlī بمدْحةٍwith a praise-poem
وكنت متى أخصص عليّاً بمدْحةٍ
سننْتُI sprinkled فتيتَcrumbled fragments المِسكmusk ليلاًby night لِراثمِfor a sniffer (sense uncertain)
سننْتُ فتيتَ المِسك ليلاً لِراثمِ
And whenever I singled out ʿAlī with a praise-poem,
Whenever I dedicate a poem to Ali,
I sprinkled powdered musk by night for one who sniffed it.
I spread musk at night on the carpet.
أكَرِّمهاI hold it too noble عنfor مسمعٍan ear غيرِnot أصْمعٍkeen
أكَرِّمها عن مسمعٍ غيرِ أصْمعٍ
وأرغَبُand I refrain عنfrom اِنشادهاreciting it فيat المَواسمِfestivals
وأرغَبُ عن اِنشادها في المَواسمِ
I deem it too noble for an undiscerning ear,
I honor it beyond any deaf ear,
And refrain from reciting it at festivals.
And recite it not at social gatherings.
ولوand if لمnot يُمزْbe distinguished دُرُّpearls النحورthe necks بصونهِby safeguarding it
ولو لم يُمزْ دُرُّ النحور بصونهِ
لهانَit would surely be cheap هوانَas cheap as الجزْعِonyx فيto سالكa threader ناظمa stringer of beads
لهانَ هوانَ الجزْعِ في سالك ناظم
And if pearls adorning necks were not distinguished by being safeguarded,
Had the pearl necklaces not been adorned,
They would be as cheap as onyx to one who threads and strings beads.
They would have fallen into insignificance.
Sol 6.1