غَفَرتُ زَماناً في اِنتِكاسِ مَآثِمٍ

غَفَرتُ زَماناً في اِنتِكاسِ مَآثِمٍ

وَعِندَ مَليكِ الناسِ يُلتَمَسُ الغَفرُ

وَعِندَ مَليكِ الناسِ يُلتَمَسُ الغَفرُ

I forgave time amid a relapse into sins,

I forgave for a time the relapse of sins,

and forgiveness is sought from the King of humankind.

And with the king of men forgiveness is sought,

وَفي وَحدَةِ الإِنسانِ أَصنافُ لَذَّةٍ

وَفي وَحدَةِ الإِنسانِ أَصنافُ لَذَّةٍ

وَكُلُّ صُنوفِ الوَحشِ يَجمَعُها القَفرُ

وَكُلُّ صُنوفِ الوَحشِ يَجمَعُها القَفرُ

And in human solitude are many kinds of pleasure,

In the solitude of man are kinds of pleasure,

and the wilderness gathers every kind of wild beast.

And all kinds of beasts the desert brings together.

لَعَلَّ ذُنوباً كُنَ لِلدينِ سُلَّماً

لَعَلَّ ذُنوباً كُنَ لِلدينِ سُلَّماً

وَنارُكَ دونَ الماءِ يَقدَحُها الحَفرُ

وَنارُكَ دونَ الماءِ يَقدَحُها الحَفرُ

Perhaps sins were a ladder to faith,

Perhaps sins were a ladder for religion,

and digging kindles your fire before reaching the water.

And your fire under water, digging brings it out.

تَطَلَّ بِمِسكٍ أَو تَضَمَّخ بِعَنبَرٍ

تَطَلَّ بِمِسكٍ أَو تَضَمَّخ بِعَنبَرٍ

أَرى أُمَّ دَفرٍ ما عَدانا اِبنُها دَفرُ

أَرى أُمَّ دَفرٍ ما عَدانا اِبنُها دَفرُ

Anoint yourself with musk, or perfume yourself with ambergris:

Yearning for musk or smeared with ambergris,

I see Umm Dafr (Mother Stench)—her son Dafr (Stench) has not passed us by.

I see Umm Dafar whose son did not abandon her, Dafar.

وَما القَبرُ إِلّا مَنزِلٌ نَفَرَت لَهُ

وَما القَبرُ إِلّا مَنزِلٌ نَفَرَت لَهُ

كَذوبُ المُنى ثُمَّ اِطمَأَنَّ بِها النَفرُ

كَذوبُ المُنى ثُمَّ اِطمَأَنَّ بِها النَفرُ

And the grave is only a dwelling at which she recoiled—

And what is the grave but a dwelling which

the giver of false hopes; then the people felt secure with her.

The lies of wishes then in it the people settle.