لمdid not يخلُbe absent منfrom فكريmy thoughts ولاnor حِسِّيmy senses
لم يخلُ من فكري ولا حِسِّي
شَخْصُكَyour person فيin يوميmy day ولاnor أمسيmy yesterday
شَخْصُكَ في يومي ولا أمسي
Never absent from my thoughts or my senses
You have not been absent from my thoughts or feelings,
has your presence been, today or yesterday.
My dear, neither yesterday nor today.
وكيفand how أنسىcan I forget منthose whom بذكراهُمthrough remembering them
وكيف أنسى من بذكراهُم
يصخُّresounds loudly (as written) ليfor me تأديةُperformance الخمسِthe five prayers
يصخُّ لي تأديةُ الخمسِ
And how could I forget those through whose remembrance
And how could I forget those whose mere mention
the performance of the five prayers resounds for me?
Wrings out my soul's excess?
إليكto you ياO عبدَʿAbd (servant of) المليكِal-Malīk (the Sovereign) انتمىbelonged
إليك يا عبدَ المليكِ انتمى
سماحُgenerosity كعبٍKaʿb وحجىand the wisdom of قُسِّQuss
سماحُ كعبٍ وحجى قُسِّ
To you, O ʿAbd al-Malīk, belong
To you, O Abd al-Malik, I belong entirely,
Kaʿb's generosity and Quss's wisdom.
Your generosity being Kacb's, your dignity Quss's.
ياO ذاyou الذيwho ينزلُoccupies a place منin relation to هاشمٍHāshim
يا ذا الذي ينزلُ من هاشمٍ
منزلةَthe position of الروحِthe spirit منَin relation to النفسِthe soul
منزلةَ الروحِ منَ النفسِ
O you who stand in relation to Hāshim
O you who descend from Hashim
as the spirit stands in relation to the soul.
With the status of the soul vis-à-vis the self,
أقامestablished ليfor me عتبكمُyour reproach مأتماًa mourning gathering
أقام لي عتبكمُ مأتماً
يُفضيleads بهwith it العذرُthe excuse إلىto عُرسa wedding
يُفضي به العذرُ إلى عُرس
Your reproach has set up a mourning gathering for me,
Your reproach has set up a funeral for me
which my excuse turns into a wedding celebration.
Where apology leads to celebration.
فانظرْso look إلىat عذريmy excuse بعينwith the eye of الرضاapproval
فانظرْ إلى عذري بعين الرضا
تحللْyou will untie بعذريthrough my excuse عُقَدَthe knots of اللَّبسِconfusion
تحللْ بعذري عُقَدَ اللَّبسِ
So view my excuse with an approving eye;
So look upon my excuse with eyes of consent
through my excuse, you will untie the knots of confusion.
And undo with my excuse the knots of confusion.
فماfor ... is not انقباضيmy withdrawal عنكfrom you منfrom جفوةٍcoldness
فما انقباضي عنك من جفوةٍ
تعدلُturns aside بالحُرِّa noble man عنfrom الأنسcompanionship
تعدلُ بالحُرِّ عن الأنس
For my withdrawal from you is not born of coldness
For my aloofness from you springs from no disdain
that turns a noble man away from companionship.
That would make the free man shun intimacy.
بلrather حارwas bewildered فيby جودِكَyour generosity شكريmy gratitude ومَنْand who
بل حار في جودِكَ شكري ومَنْ
يملأfills عينيهِhis two eyes منَwith الشمسthe sun
يملأ عينيهِ منَ الشمس
Rather, my gratitude is bewildered by your generosity—and who
Rather, overwhelmed by your bounty, my thanks
can fill both his eyes with the sun?
Fill my eyes, as the sun fills them.
Sol 6.1