عَمىblindness العَينِthe eye يَتلوهُfollows it عَمىblindness الدينِreligion وَالهُدىand guidance
عَمى العَينِ يَتلوهُ عَمى الدينِ وَالهُدى
فَلَيلَتِيَso my night القُصوىthe utmost ثَلاثُthree لَياليnights
فَلَيلَتِيَ القُصوى ثَلاثُ لَيالي
Blindness of the eye is followed by blindness in religion and guidance;
Blindness of the eye is followed by blindness of religion and guidance
So my uttermost night is three nights.
So my nights will reach the end, three nights
وَماand not أَزَمَتbit نَفسيmy soul البَنانَthe fingertips عَلىover الَّتيthat which
وَما أَزَمَت نَفسي البَنانَ عَلى الَّتي
إِذاwhen أَزَمَتit bites عَضَّتit bites بِشَوكِwith thorns سَيالِacacia
إِذا أَزَمَت عَضَّت بِشَوكِ سَيالِ
Nor has my soul bitten its fingertips over that which,
And my soul did not force the separation upon the one
When it bites, bites with acacia thorns.
Who when forced, bites with the thorns of outpouring
وَلاnor قَصَّرَتshortened ليfor me أُمُّmother of لَيلىLayla (Umm Layla: wine) بِشُربِهاby drinking it
وَلا قَصَّرَت لي أُمُّ لَيلى بِشُربِها
حَنادِسَdeep darknesses أَوقاتٍperiods of time عَلَيَّupon me طِيالِlong
حَنادِسَ أَوقاتٍ عَلَيَّ طِيالِ
Nor has drinking Umm Layla shortened for me
Nor did the mother of Layla shorten for me
The pitch-dark hours that drag on so long for me.
The cups of time upon me prolonged
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle اِجتَمَعناwe come together هاجَتِstirs الحُزنَsorrow أُلفَةٌaffection
إِذا ما اِجتَمَعنا هاجَتِ الحُزنَ أُلفَةٌ
مُحَدِّثَةٌspeaking عَنabout جَمعِناour gathering بِزِيالِof separation
مُحَدِّثَةٌ عَن جَمعِنا بِزِيالِ
Whenever we meet, affection stirs sorrow,
When we gather, sorrow is aroused by the companionship
Speaking of our gathering in terms of parting.
Reminiscing about our gathering with loss
لَحاmay curse اللَهُGod غاراتِthe raids of السِنينَthe years فَإِنَّهاfor indeed they
لَحا اللَهُ غاراتِ السِنينَ فَإِنَّها
مُبَدِّلَةٌreplacing ظِلمانَهاtheir male ostriches بِرِيالِwith ostrich chicks
مُبَدِّلَةٌ ظِلمانَها بِرِيالِ
May God curse the raids of the years, for they
May Allah destroy the nights of years, for they
Replace their male ostriches with ostrich chicks.
Are changing their darkness with misery
وَماand not سَرَّنيpleased me رَبُّthe possessor of الخَيالِthe phantom بِشَخصِهِin his own person
وَما سَرَّني رَبُّ الخَيالِ بِشَخصِهِ
فَيَطلُبُso seeks مِنّيfrom me النَومُsleep طَيفَan apparition خَيالِa phantom image
فَيَطلُبُ مِنّي النَومُ طَيفَ خَيالِ
Nor has the phantom’s original pleased me in person,
And the Lord of imagination did not please me with his image
That sleep should seek a phantom vision from me.
So sleep asks me for the ghost of imagination
وَهَوَّنَand eased أَرزاءَcalamities الحَوادِثِmisfortunes أَنَّنيthat I
وَهَوَّنَ أَرزاءَ الحَوادِثِ أَنَّني
وَحيدٌalone أُعانيهاI endure them بِغَيرِwithout عِيالِdependents
وَحيدٌ أُعانيها بِغَيرِ عِيالِ
And what has eased the blows of misfortune is that I
And it eased the sorrows of events that I
Am alone, enduring them without dependents.
Am lonely, suffering them without family
فَدَعنيso leave me وَأَهوالاًwith terrors أُمارِسُI grapple with ضَنكَهاtheir anguish
فَدَعني وَأَهوالاً أُمارِسُ ضَنكَها
وَإِيّاكَand you—beware عَنّيaway from me لاdo not تَقِفstand بِحِياليin front of me
وَإِيّاكَ عَنّي لا تَقِف بِحِيالي
So leave me with terrors whose anguish I grapple with;
So leave me and horrors I will endure their anguish
And you—away from me; do not stand before me.
And you, do not stand in my way
Sol 6.1