لَقَدindeed عَلِمَknows اللَهُGod رَبُّLord of الكَمالِperfection
لَقَد عَلِمَ اللَهُ رَبُّ الكَمالِ
بِقِلَّةِof the scantness of عِلميmy knowledge وَدينيand my faith وَماليand my wealth
بِقِلَّةِ عِلمي وَديني وَمالي
God, Lord of perfection, surely knows
The Lord of Perfection, God, knew well
how scant are my knowledge, my faith, and my wealth,
My lack of knowledge, faith and wealth,
وَأَنَّand that التَجَمُّلَself-adornment قَدalready ضاقَhas become difficult بيfor me
وَأَنَّ التَجَمُّلَ قَد ضاقَ بي
فَكَيفَhow, then أُنافِسُI rival أَهلَpeople of الجَمالِbeauty
فَكَيفَ أُنافِسُ أَهلَ الجَمالِ
and that self-adornment has become difficult for me;
That to put on a show has wearied me,
how, then, can I rival those endowed with beauty?
So how can I compete with the graceful and beautiful?
أُريدُI wish الإِناخَةَmaking camels kneel فيin مَنزِلٍa resting place
أُريدُ الإِناخَةَ في مَنزِلٍ
وَقَدand already حُدِيَتwere urged by song لِسِواهُtoward somewhere other than it جِماليmy camels
وَقَد حُدِيَت لِسِواهُ جِمالي
I wish to make my camels kneel at a resting place,
I want a simple house to rest within,
yet my camels have already been urged by song toward another.
Yet my beauty is confined to others.
لَقَدindeed خابَhas failed مَنwhoever يَبتَغيseeks نُصرَتيmy aid
لَقَد خابَ مَن يَبتَغي نُصرَتي
وَعاجِزَةٌand powerless عَنwith regard to يَمينيmy right hand شِماليmy left hand
وَعاجِزَةٌ عَن يَميني شِمالي
Surely, whoever seeks my aid has failed,
Disappointed is he who seeks my support,
and my left hand is powerless to help my right.
For my left hand is helpless without the right.
فَمَنwho, then مُخبِريone who tells me أَغَريقَas one drowned? البِحاthe seas (first part)
فَمَن مُخبِري أَغَريقَ البِحا
رِcompletion of 'the seas' أَلقىI meet الرَدىdeath أَمor دَفينَone buried الوِصالِunion
رِ أَلقى الرَدى أَم دَفينَ الوِصالِ
Who, then, can tell me: drowned in the seas,
Who will tell me, did the drowned at sea
shall I meet death, or buried in union?
Find peace, or those joined with their loved ones?
هَويتُI loved اِنفِرادِيَmy solitude كَيماso that يَخِفَّit may lessen
هَويتُ اِنفِرادِيَ كَيما يَخِفَّ
عَمَّنfrom those whom أُعاشِرُI keep company with ثِقلُthe burden of احتِماليbearing me
عَمَّن أُعاشِرُ ثِقلُ احتِمالي
I have loved my solitude, so as to lighten
I long for solitude, to lighten the burden
the burden of bearing me for those I keep company with.
Of those whose company weighs heavily on me.
فَماذاwhat, then أَقولُI say وَبَينَand among الأَناhumankind (first part)
فَماذا أَقولُ وَبَينَ الأَنا
مِcompletion of 'humankind' خُلفٌdiscord عَلىdespite جَهلِهِمtheir ignorance أَوor تَماليcollusion
مِ خُلفٌ عَلى جَهلِهِم أَو تَمالي
What, then, shall I say, when among humankind
What can I say, when among people
there is discord despite their ignorance, or collusion?
There is ignorance or pretense?
أَماis there no لِيَfor me فيماin what أَرىI see راحَةٌrespite
أَما لِيَ فيما أَرى راحَةٌ
مَدىthroughout الدَهرِtime مِنfrom هَذَيانِthe delirium of الأَمالِhopes
مَدى الدَهرِ مِن هَذَيانِ الأَمالِ
Is there no respite for me, as I see it,
Only, as I see it, is there comfort for me
for all time, from the delirium of hopes?
Away from the delusions of hope.
Sol 6.1