أَمّاas for الحَقيقَةُthe truth فَهِيَthen it is أَنّيthat I ذاهِبٌdeparting
أَمّا الحَقيقَةُ فَهِيَ أَنّي ذاهِبٌ
وَاللَهُand God يَعلَمُknows بِالَّذيof what أَناI لاقِwill encounter
وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ بِالَّذي أَنا لاقِ
As for the truth, it is that I am departing,
The truth is I am leaving
and God knows what I shall encounter.
And God knows what I have faced
وَأَظُنُّنيand I think myself مِنfrom بَعدُafterward لَستُI am not بِذاكِرٍremembering
وَأَظُنُّني مِن بَعدُ لَستُ بِذاكِرٍ
ماwhat كانَwas مِنof يُسرٍease وَمِنand of اِملاقِdestitution
ما كانَ مِن يُسرٍ وَمِن اِملاقِ
And I think that afterward I shall not remember
I think after this I will not recall
what there was of ease or destitution.
What was of ease and what was of trial
لَمnot أُلفَI was found كَالثَقَفيِّlike al-Thaqafi بَلrather عِرسيmy wife هِيَshe is السَthe black— (continued)
لَم أُلفَ كَالثَقَفيِّ بَل عِرسي هِيَ السَ
وداءُ—one (completing 'the black one') ماnot جَهَّزتُهاI sent her away بِطَلاقِwith divorce
وداءُ ما جَهَّزتُها بِطَلاقِ
I was not found like al-Thaqafi; rather, my wife is the black—
I did not grow accustomed like others
—one; I have not sent her away by divorce.
My sorrow is the blackness I have adorned with separation
عَجَباًhow wondrous لِبُردَيهاat her two mantles الدُجُنَّةِdarkness وَالضُحىand morning light
عَجَباً لِبُردَيها الدُجُنَّةِ وَالضُحى
وَوِشاحِهاand her sash مِنof نَجمِهاher star المِقلاقِever-restless
وَوِشاحِها مِن نَجمِها المِقلاقِ
How wondrous her two mantles, darkness and morning light,
Wondrous is her veiled neck at dawn
and her sash of her ever-restless star!
And her shawl of glittering stars
كَمhow many أَخلَقَwore out العَصرانِday and night مُهجَةَthe heart of مُعصِرٍa nubile maiden
كَم أَخلَقَ العَصرانِ مُهجَةَ مُعصِرٍ
وَهُماand both of them عَلىin أَمنٍsafety مِنَfrom الإِخلاقِbeing worn out
وَهُما عَلى أَمنٍ مِنَ الإِخلاقِ
How many a nubile maiden's heart have day and night worn out,
How many virtuous ones has time ruined
while both remain safe from being worn away.
While they were safe from morals being broken
دُنياكَyour world غادِرَةٌtreacherous وَإِنand even if صادَتshe ensnared فَتىًa youth
دُنياكَ غادِرَةٌ وَإِن صادَت فَتىً
بِالخَلقِwith outward appearance فَهِيَthen she is ذَميمَةُblameworthy الأَخلاقِcharacter
بِالخَلقِ فَهِيَ ذَميمَةُ الأَخلاقِ
Your world is treacherous; even if she snares a youth
Your world is fickle, and if it allures a man
with her looks, she is vile in character.
With morals, it is wretched in its ethics
يَستَمطِرُseeks rain الأَغمارَthe naive مِنfrom لَذّاتِهاher delights
يَستَمطِرُ الأَغمارَ مِن لَذّاتِها
سُحُباًclouds تُليحُshine بِمومِضٍwith flashing lightning أَلّاقِdazzling
سُحُباً تُليحُ بِمومِضٍ أَلّاقِ
The naive seek rain from her delights—
It rains pleasures from its clouds
clouds that flash with dazzling lightning.
A lightning that dazzles with flickering light
لَمnot تُلقِshed وابِلَهاtheir downpour وَلَكِنand yet خِلتُهاI imagined them
لَم تُلقِ وابِلَها وَلَكِن خِلتُها
خَيلاًhorses مُسَوَّمَةًmarked مَعَwith العُلّاقِthe clinging riders
خَيلاً مُسَوَّمَةً مَعَ العُلّاقِ
They have shed no downpour, yet I imagined them
It did not meet its rain, but its barrenness
marked horses, with riders clinging to them.
Was armies adorned with high rank
وَإِذاand whenever المُنىwishes فَتَحَتopened رِتاجَthe gate of مَعيشَةٍa livelihood
وَإِذا المُنى فَتَحَت رِتاجَ مَعيشَةٍ
بَكَرَتshe hastened early عَلَيهِupon it بِمُحكَمِwith firm الإِغلاقِclosure
بَكَرَت عَلَيهِ بِمُحكَمِ الإِغلاقِ
And whenever wishes open the gate to a livelihood,
And if hopes opened a life of comfort
she hastens to bolt it firmly shut.
It shut it off with powerful closure
وَمَتّىand whenever رَضيتَyou were content بِصاحِبٍwith a companion مِنamong أَهلِهاher people
وَمَتّى رَضيتَ بِصاحِبٍ مِن أَهلِها
فَلَقَدthen indeed مُنيتَyou were afflicted بِكاذِبٍwith a liar مَلّاقِa flatterer
فَلَقَد مُنيتَ بِكاذِبٍ مَلّاقِ
And whenever you are content with a companion among her people,
And if you accepted a companion from its people
you have indeed been afflicted with a lying flatterer.
You were afflicted with a lying deceiver
شُهُبٌbright stars يُسَيِّرُهاsets them in motion القَضاءُfate وَتَحتَهاand beneath them
شُهُبٌ يُسَيِّرُها القَضاءُ وَتَحتَها
خِلَقٌcreated forms تُشاهِدُهاyou behold them بِغَيرِwithout خَلاقِa share of good
خِلَقٌ تُشاهِدُها بِغَيرِ خَلاقِ
Bright stars are driven by fate, and beneath them
Stars fate moves along under which
are creatures you behold, without a share of good.
A creation you witness without creation
ماليwhat have I وَلِلنَفرِand with the men الَّذينَwhom عَهِدتُهُمI knew them
مالي وَلِلنَفرِ الَّذينَ عَهِدتُهُم
بِالكَرخِin al-Karkh مِنfrom شاشٍShash وَمِنand from إيلاقِIlaq
بِالكَرخِ مِن شاشٍ وَمِن إيلاقِ
What have I to do with the men whom I knew
What is mine and the company I knew
in al-Karkh, from Shash and from Ilaq?
With wine of joy and intimate talk?
حَلَقٌcircles مُجادَلَةٌdisputation كَشُربِlike the drinking companions of مُهَلهِلٍMuhalhil
حَلَقٌ مُجادَلَةٌ كَشُربِ مُهَلهِلٍ
شَرِبواthey drank عَلىunder رُغمٍcompulsion بِكَأسِfrom the cup of حَلاقِDeath
شَرِبوا عَلى رُغمٍ بِكَأسِ حَلاقِ
Circles of disputation, like Muhalhil's drinking companions,
A gathering arguing is like the drinking of sweet wine
they drank unwillingly from the cup of Death.
They drank with disdain in a cup of pure wine
وَالروحُand the soul طائِرٌa bird مَحبَسٍconfined فيin سِجنِهِits prison
وَالروحُ طائِرٌ مَحبَسٍ في سِجنِهِ
حَتّىuntil يَمُنَّbestows رَداهُits death بِالإِطلاقِwith release
حَتّى يَمُنَّ رَداهُ بِالإِطلاقِ
And the soul is a captive bird within its prison,
The soul is a caged bird
until its death grants it release.
Until it is graced with release
سَيَموتُwill die مَحمودٌMahmud وَيَهلِكُand will perish آلِكٌAlik
سَيَموتُ مَحمودٌ وَيَهلِكُ آلِكٌ
وَيَدومُand endures وَجهُthe face of الواحِدِthe One الخَلّاقِthe Creator
وَيَدومُ وَجهُ الواحِدِ الخَلّاقِ
Mahmud will die, and Alik will perish,
Mahmoud will die and his lineage will perish
and the face of the One, the Creator, endures.
But the face of the One Creator will last
ياO مَرحَباًwelcome بِالمَوتِto death مِنfrom مُتَنَظِّرٍone who waits
يا مَرحَباً بِالمَوتِ مِن مُتَنَظِّرٍ
إِنif كانَexists ثُمَّthere تَعارُفٌmutual recognition وَتَلاقِand reunion
إِن كانَ ثُمَّ تَعارُفٌ وَتَلاقِ
O welcome to death, from one who waits,
O welcome death for one who awaits
if there is mutual recognition and reunion there.
If after there is acquaintance and reunion
ساعاتُناour hours تَحتَbeneath النُفوسِthe souls نَجائِبٌnoble riding-camels
ساعاتُنا تَحتَ النُفوسِ نَجائِبٌ
وَخَدَتstrode swiftly بِهِنَّwith them بَعيدَةَfar-ranging الإِطلاقِcoursing
وَخَدَت بِهِنَّ بَعيدَةَ الإِطلاقِ
Our hours are noble riding-camels beneath our souls,
Our hours underneath the souls are veiled
which have sped with them, far-ranging in their course.
And they have distanced with the unattainable
أَلقِcast الحَياةَlife إِلىtoward المَماتِdeath مُجَرَّداًstripped bare
أَلقِ الحَياةَ إِلى المَماتِ مُجَرَّداً
إِنَّindeed الحَياةَlife كَثيرَةُabundant in الأَعلاقِtreasured possessions
إِنَّ الحَياةَ كَثيرَةُ الأَعلاقِ
Cast life toward death, stripped bare,
Cast off life stripped to death
for life is full of treasured possessions.
Life is laden with burdens
ماnot زِلتِyou ceased تَجتابينَyou don حُّلَّةَa robe فارِكٍa wife who hates her husband
ما زِلتِ تَجتابينَ حُّلَّةَ فارِكٍ
حَتّىuntil رُميتِyou were consigned بِمُصلِفٍto a disdainful husband مِطلاقِa frequent divorcer
حَتّى رُميتِ بِمُصلِفٍ مِطلاقِ
You never ceased donning the robe of a wife who loathes her husband,
You continued to wear the garb of one who left
until you were consigned to a disdainful husband, much given to divorce.
Until you were cast with divorce papers
Sol 6.1