أَشهَدُI testify أَنّيthat I am رَجُلٌa man ناقِصٌimperfect
أَشهَدُ أَنّي رَجُلٌ ناقِصٌ
لاnot أَدَّعيI claim الفَضلَexcellence وَلاnor أَنتَحِلI falsely assume
لا أَدَّعي الفَضلَ وَلا أَنتَحِل
I testify that I am an imperfect man.
I bear witness that I'm an imperfect man
I claim no excellence, nor do I falsely assume it.
I claim no virtue, no borrowed fame
جِئتُI came كَماjust as شاءَwilled الَّذيthe One who صاغَنيfashioned me
جِئتُ كَما شاءَ الَّذي صاغَني
وَمَنand whoever يَصِفنيdescribes me بِجَميلٍwith a fine quality يُحَلspeaks absurdly
وَمَن يَصِفني بِجَميلٍ يُحَل
I came into being as the One who fashioned me willed.
I came as He who shaped me planned
And whoever describes me favorably makes an absurd claim.
And he who praises me does falsely claim
تَزَوَّجَmarried الشَيخُthe old man فَأَلفَيتُهُso I found him
تَزَوَّجَ الشَيخُ فَأَلفَيتُهُ
كَأَنَّهُas though he were مُثقَلُa heavily laden one إِبلٍof camels وَحِلmired in mud
كَأَنَّهُ مُثقَلُ إِبلٍ وَحِل
The old man married, and so I found him
The old man married, and I met him
Like a heavily laden camel mired in mud.
As if bowed down by a laden camel train
وَعِرسُهُand his wife فيin تَعَبٍtoil دائِمٍconstant
وَعِرسُهُ في تَعَبٍ دائِمٍ
لاnot تَخضُبُshe dyes الكَفَّthe palm وَلاnor تَكتَحِلshe applies kohl
لا تَخضُبُ الكَفَّ وَلا تَكتَحِل
And his wife is in constant toil;
His wedding but unending weariness
She neither dyes her palm nor applies kohl.
No henna does his hand adorn, no kohl his eyes stain
مَلَّتshe grew weary وَإِنand even if أَحسَنَhe acts kindly أَيّامَهُthroughout his days
مَلَّت وَإِن أَحسَنَ أَيّامَهُ
تَقولُshe says فيin النَفسِthe self مَتىwhen يَرتَحِلhe departs
تَقولُ في النَفسِ مَتى يَرتَحِل
She has grown weary, even if he is kind throughout his days.
She's tired of him, though good his days appear
She says to herself: When will he depart?
Her heart whispers "When will he leave again?"
لَوif ماتَhe died لَاِستَبدَلتُI would take in exchange مِنهُin his place فَتىًa young man
لَو ماتَ لَاِستَبدَلتُ مِنهُ فَتىً
إِنّيindeed I أَراهُI see him مُحرِماًin ritual consecration لاnot يَحِلّhe leaves consecration
إِنّي أَراهُ مُحرِماً لا يَحِلّ
If he died, I would take a young man in his place.
If he passed, for him I'd replace a virile youth
Indeed, I see him in ritual consecration, never released.
To me he seems forbidden, pure and chaste
وَيَثبُتُand endures اللَهُGod وَسُلطانُهُand His sovereignty
وَيَثبُتُ اللَهُ وَسُلطانُهُ
وَكُلُّand every أَمرٍthing غَيرَهُother than Him يَضمَحِلfades away
وَكُلُّ أَمرٍ غَيرَهُ يَضمَحِل
And God and His sovereignty endure,
God and His reign eternal remain
And everything other than Him fades away.
While all else fades and loses strength and fame
Sol 6.1