أُمَّO mother of دَفرٍDafr (stench) جُزيتِmay you be repaid شَرّاًwith evil فَدَيّاfor the ruler (continued)
أُمَّ دَفرٍ جُزيتِ شَرّاً فَدَيّا
نُكِyour (completing 'ruler') يَغدوgoes forth كَالضَيغَمِlike the lion الهَمّاسِsoft-treading
نُكِ يَغدو كَالضَيغَمِ الهَمّاسِ
Umm Dafr, may evil be your reward; for your ruler
O mother of misfortune, may you be repaid with evil instead of good
goes forth like a stealthy lion.
Your morning comes gloomy like gloomy clouds
أَقرِضيناlend us فيin المَحلِfamine مُدّاًa mudd (grain measure) بِصاعٍfor a saʿ (grain measure)
أَقرِضينا في المَحلِ مُدّاً بِصاعٍ
وَاِترُكيناand spare us مِنfrom فَرطِthe excess of هَذاthis الشَمّاسِunruliness
وَاِترُكينا مِن فَرطِ هَذا الشَمّاسِ
Lend us a mudd in famine in return for a saʿ,
Lend us plentifully at the shop and leave us because of this obstinate priest
and spare us this excessive unruliness.
Do you suffer grief or hold fast to grief and fulfill persistent sorrows
أَتَضَحّىI breakfast بِالهَمِّon sorrow أَوor أَتَمَسّىI sup
أَتَضَحّى بِالهَمِّ أَو أَتَمَسّى
وَتَقَضّىand has run its course مِنَfrom الخُطوبِcalamities التَماسيmy quest
وَتَقَضّى مِنَ الخُطوبِ التَماسي
I breakfast on sorrow, or sup on it,
Wasting my lifetime between two nights, one deserted and the other gloomy
and my quest has run its course amid calamities,
The ignorant clouds did not understand, and do not gather except for the old man’s sake
مُفنِياًwearing away بَينَbetween لَيلَتَينِtwo nights زَمانيmy time
مُفنِياً بَينَ لَيلَتَينِ زَماني
لَيلَةٍa night طَلقَةٍclear and serene وَأُخرىand another عَماسِdark and grim
لَيلَةٍ طَلقَةٍ وَأُخرى عَماسِ
as I wear away my time between two nights:
May God ordain you see the disbelief of Tabi surrounded by the disobedient or the aberrant
one clear night, and another dark and grim.
They claimed I would return consoled, how could I, how could I when that is my reques
جَهَّلَتproved ignorant هُرمُسَHermes الغُيومُthe clouds وَماand not تُنarise (continued)
جَهَّلَت هُرمُسَ الغُيومُ وَما تُن
جَمُcompletion of 'arise' إِلّاexcept عَنfrom جِريَةِthe current of الهِرماسِthe Hirmas
جَمُ إِلّا عَن جِريَةِ الهِرماسِ
The clouds have proved Hermes ignorant, and they arise
And I visit the gardens, fascinated there after long gloom in the sands
only from the current of the Hirmas.
And eyes turn from me when the eye of life is immersed then in death
يَقدِرُis able اللَهُGod أَنthat تَرىyou see كِفرَKafr طابٍTab
يَقدِرُ اللَهُ أَن تَرى كِفرَ طابٍ
حَولَهاaround it العاصيal-Asi أَوor المَيّاسِal-Mayyas
حَولَها العاصي أَو المَيّاسِ
God can let you see Kafr Tab
O you who is visited by any visitor, the visitor who touched you for the sake of the absent one
with al-Asi or al-Mayyas around it.
The supplicant’s religion is lost so you intend the religion with the priest and the deacon
زَعَمواthey claimed أَنَّنيthat I سَأَرجِعُI shall return شَرخاًyoung
زَعَموا أَنَّني سَأَرجِعُ شَرخاً
كَيفَhow ليfor me كَيفَhow ليfor me وَذاكَand that اِلتِماسيmy wish
كَيفَ لي كَيفَ لي وَذاكَ اِلتِماسي
They claimed I would return in youthful prime—
Do you modernize the Bible on a day of sweeping after keeping the weeks and the fifths?
how can I, how can I? Yet that is my wish—
وَأَزورُand I visit الجِنانَthe gardens أُحبَرُI am gladdened فيهاin them
وَأَزورُ الجِنانَ أُحبَرُ فيها
بَعدَafter طولِthe long duration of الهُمودِlifeless stillness فيin الأَرماسِthe graves
بَعدَ طولِ الهُمودِ في الأَرماسِ
and visit the gardens, made glad there,
after long lifeless stillness in the graves.
وَتَزولُand depart العُيونُthe eyes عَنّيfrom me إِذاif حُمَّis ordained
وَتَزولُ العُيونُ عَنّي إِذا حُمَّ
بِعَينِin the spring of الحَياةِlife ثُمَّthen اِنغِماسيmy immersion
بِعَينِ الحَياةِ ثُمَّ اِنغِماسي
And the eyes will depart from me, if it is ordained
that I then immerse myself in the Spring of Life.
أَيَّماwhat طارِقٍaffliction أَصابَكَstruck you ياO طاTariq (continued)
أَيَّما طارِقٍ أَصابَكَ يا طا
رِقُcompletion of 'Tariq' حَتّىto the point that مَساكَlured you لِلغَيِّinto error ماسيa tempter
رِقُ حَتّى مَساكَ لِلغَيِّ ماسي
What affliction struck you, O Tariq,
that a tempter lured you into error?
ضاعَwas lost دينُthe faith of الداعيthe preacher فَرُحتَso you went تَرومَseeking
ضاعَ دينُ الداعي فَرُحتَ تَرومَ
الدينَreligion عِندَwith القِسّيسِthe priest وَالشَمّاسِand the deacon
الدينَ عِندَ القِسّيسِ وَالشَمّاسِ
The preacher's faith was lost, so you went seeking
religion with the priest and the deacon.
أَتَهِدُّdo you rapidly recite الإِنجيلَthe Gospel فيon يَومِa day of كَنسٍchurchgoing
أَتَهِدُّ الإِنجيلَ في يَومِ كَنسٍ
بَعدَafter حِفظِmemorizing الأَسباعِthe seventh-portions وَالأَخماسِand the fifth-portions
بَعدَ حِفظِ الأَسباعِ وَالأَخماسِ
Do you rapidly recite the Gospel on a day of churchgoing,
after memorizing the sevenths and fifths?
هاbehold هُناhere ماwhat تُريدُyou want قَدindeed ظَهَرَhas come to light الأَمthe matter (continued)
ها هُنا ما تُريدُ قَد ظَهَرَ الأَم
رُcompletion of 'the matter' الَّذيwhich كانَwas قَبلُbefore فيin الديماسِthe dark vault
رُ الَّذي كانَ قَبلُ في الديماسِ
Here is what you want: the matter has come to light,
which once lay in the dark vault.
Partial English translation: 13 of 26 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1