كَتَبتُI wrote إِلىto مَولايَmy lord عَنabout سِرِّthe secret of لَوعَةٍburning anguish
كَتَبتُ إِلى مَولايَ عَن سِرِّ لَوعَةٍ
عَتاgrew defiant سِرُّهاits secret عَنbeyond أَنto يُكاثَرَbe overwhelmed بِاللَثمِwith kisses
عَتا سِرُّها عَن أَن يُكاثَرَ بِاللَثمِ
I wrote to my lord about the secret of a burning anguish,
whose secret grew too fierce to be overwhelmed with kisses.
كَأَنّيas though I وَحاشىand far be it from منthe one whom أُخاطِبُهُI address him بِهِwith it
كَأَنّي وَحاشى من أُخاطِبُهُ بِهِ
مِنَof الكَلِمِthe words المُملاةِdictated مِنfrom خاطِرِthe mind of الهَمِّgrief
مِنَ الكَلِمِ المُملاةِ مِن خاطِرِ الهَمِّ
As though I—far be it from him whom I address
with words dictated by the mind of grief—
ضَللتُI went astray عَلىin جَهليmy ignorance زَماناًfor a time بِغَيرِهِthrough someone other than him
ضَللتُ عَلى جَهلي زَماناً بِغَيرِهِ
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I فيهِconcerning him ضَللتُI went astray عَلىwith عِلمِknowledge
وَلَكِنَّني فيهِ ضَللتُ عَلى عِلمِ
had strayed awhile, in my ignorance, through another,
yet concerning him, I strayed knowingly.
لِذَلِكَfor that reason ماhow أَسمىsublime الضَلالَgoing astray بِهِthrough him هُدىًas guidance
لِذَلِكَ ما أَسمى الضَلالَ بِهِ هُدىً
كَماjust as سَفَهيmy folly فيهِover him يُتَرجِمُspeaks عَنof حِلميmy good sense
كَما سَفَهي فيهِ يُتَرجِمُ عَن حِلمي
Thus, what sublime guidance it is to stray through him,
just as my folly over him speaks of my good sense.
وَياand oh لَيتَنيwould that I لَوif كُنتُI were فيinside دَرجِa scroll دُرجِهِhis writing-case
وَيا لَيتَني لَو كُنتُ في دَرجِ دُرجِهِ
وَيُطمِعُنيand makes me hope فيfor ذاكَthat ماwhat بيis within me مِنَof السُقمِsickness
وَيُطمِعُني في ذاكَ ما بي مِنَ السُقمِ
And oh, if only I were inside a scroll in his writing-case!
And the sickness within me gives me hope of that.
Sol 6.1