لِزَينَبَto Zaynab يَحلوtastes sweet جَنِيٌّfresh-picked fruit أَمَرَّturned bitter
لِزَينَبَ يَحلو جَنِيٌّ أَمَرَّ
وَقَدand already عَلِقَتhas clung كَفُّهاher palm بِالقَمَرto the moon
وَقَد عَلِقَت كَفُّها بِالقَمَر
Bitter fresh-picked fruit tastes sweet to Zaynab,
For Zainab the moon is sweet though bitter,
and her palm has clung to the moon.
Her hand clasped to its luminous sphere.
فَياso O أُفقُhorizon مِنfrom أَينَwhere تِلكَthose النُجومُthe stars
فَيا أُفقُ مِن أَينَ تِلكَ النُجومُ
وَياand O غَرسُplanted tree مِنfrom أَينَwhere ذاكَthat الزَمَرsparse growth
وَيا غَرسُ مِن أَينَ ذاكَ الزَمَر
So, O horizon, whence those stars?
O horizons, whence came those starts?
And O planted tree, whence that sparse growth?
O trees, whence came that throng?
وَياand O صاحِfriend كَيفَhow لَناfor us بِالمَماتِwith death
وَيا صاحِ كَيفَ لَنا بِالمَماتِ
عَلىin accordance with ماwhat نَهىforbade رَبُّناour Lord أَوor أَمَرcommanded
عَلى ما نَهى رَبُّنا أَو أَمَر
And, friend, how can we meet death
O crier, can we die though forbidden
in accordance with what our Lord forbade or commanded?
By all the Lord's commands and strictures?
فَهَلso, have ...? عَلِمَlearned البَدرُthe full moon وَالطالِعاتُand the rising stars
فَهَل عَلِمَ البَدرُ وَالطالِعاتُ
وَهناًat night بِأَنباءِof the tidings of هَذاthis السَمَرevening talk
وَهناً بِأَنباءِ هَذا السَمَر
So have the full moon and the rising stars learned
Has the moon or the horoscope foreseen
at night of the tidings of this evening talk?
Our languor at news of this vigil?
تَبارَكَblessed is خالِقُناour Creator فيthroughout البِلادِthe lands
تَبارَكَ خالِقُنا في البِلادِ
وَماand not زالَhas vanished عَنّاfrom us بِعِلمٍthrough knowledge خَمَرa veil
وَما زالَ عَنّا بِعِلمٍ خَمَر
Blessed is our Creator throughout the lands,
Blessed is He who made the countries,
and knowledge has lifted no veil from us.
His knowledge of us never impaired.
يَعودُreturns أَخوكَyour brother إِلىto غَيِّهِhis error
يَعودُ أَخوكَ إِلى غَيِّهِ
وَإِنand even if حَجَّperformed Hajj مِنout of نُسكِهِhis devotion وَاِعتَمرand performed Umrah
وَإِن حَجَّ مِن نُسكِهِ وَاِعتَمر
Your brother returns to his error,
Your brother will return to his folly
even if, out of his devotion, he performs Hajj and Umrah.
Though he's performed the pilgrimage, pure.
وَخالَفَكَand disagreed with you الناسُthe people فيover مَذهَبٍa doctrine
وَخالَفَكَ الناسُ في مَذهَبٍ
فَقُلتُso I said عَلِيٌّAli وَقالواand they said عُمَرUmar
فَقُلتُ عَلِيٌّ وَقالوا عُمَر
And people disagreed with you over a doctrine:
The people disputed with you over creed.
so I said 'Ali,' and they said 'Umar.'
You said "'Ali," but they said "Omar."
وَأَنّيand how يُرَجَّونَare they given hope of غَمرَthe flood of الهُدىguidance
وَأَنّي يُرَجَّونَ غَمرَ الهُدى
وَقَدand already غَرِقواthey have drowned فيin جِمامِthe brimful contents of الغُمَرthe small cup
وَقَد غَرِقوا في جِمامِ الغُمَر
And how can they be given hope of guidance's flood,
How can they hope for the flood of guidance
when they have drowned in the brimful contents of a small cup?
When they are drowned in the torrent of blindness?
يُساءُis distressed الغَبينُthe cheated man بِماby what نالَهُbefell him
يُساءُ الغَبينُ بِما نالَهُ
وَيَفرَحُand rejoices مِنout of جَهلِهِhis ignorance مَنthe one who قَمَرwon at gambling
وَيَفرَحُ مِن جَهلِهِ مَن قَمَر
The cheated man is distressed by what befell him,
The fool is harmed by what he's attained.
and, in his ignorance, the winner at gambling rejoices.
He who is ignorant is glad he shone.
أَتُدعىare you called? بِغَيرِby anything other than تُقاكَyour piety التَقيُّthe pious one
أَتُدعى بِغَيرِ تُقاكَ التَقيُّ
وَلَيسَand is not الطِمِرُّthe swift, leaping steed سِوىanything but ماthat which طَمَرhas leapt
وَلَيسَ الطِمِرُّ سِوى ما طَمَر
Are you called 'pious' for anything but your piety?
Can you be called anything but Godfearing
And a leaping steed is only one that leaps.
When clay is only what it has concealed?
فَبِتso spend the night ضامِراًlean لِطِلابِin pursuit of الثَناءِpraise
فَبِت ضامِراً لِطِلابِ الثَناءِ
فَماfor not سَبَقَoutstripped others الطِرفُthe noble steed حَتّىuntil ضَمَرgrew lean
فَما سَبَقَ الطِرفُ حَتّى ضَمَر
So spend the night lean, in pursuit of praise;
I've remained sleepless to seekers of praise
for the noble steed did not outstrip others until it grew lean.
So that wakefulness might rejuvenate me.
وَمَنand whoever يَفتَكِرreflects فيon صَنيعِthe deeds of الأَنامِhumankind
وَمَن يَفتَكِر في صَنيعِ الأَنامِ
يُبصِرsees إِذاwhen ضَلَّhe strays إِحدىone of الأَمَرthe waymarks
يُبصِر إِذا ضَلَّ إِحدى الأَمَر
And whoever reflects on humankind's deeds
Whoever reflects on the acts of mankind
sees, when astray, one of the waymarks.
Sees that when one strays the rest are astray.
وَلَوand if لَمnot يَكُنwere فيin قَضاءِthe decree of المَليكِthe Sovereign
وَلَو لَم يَكُن في قَضاءِ المَليكِ
ماthat which نَحنُwe فيin ضِبنِهِits embrace ماnot اِستَمرendured
ما نَحنُ في ضِبنِهِ ما اِستَمر
And had it not been in the Sovereign's decree,
If the decree of the King did not exist
what holds us in its embrace would not have endured.
We would not continue steadfast.
Sol 6.1