وَأرسلُوهاand they cast them يَقَقاًpure white أَوْor ظُلَماًdark
وَأرسلُوها يَقَقاً أَوْ ظُلَماً
عَليّupon me فيin جُنْحِthe cover of الدُّجَىnight’s darkness المُعْتَكِرِdense and murky
عَليّ في جُنْحِ الدُّجَى المُعْتَكِرِ
Cast them forth, dazzling white or black,
And they cast them, pure white or dark,
upon me in the wing of thickening night.
upon me under cover of murky night.
تسوَّدُthey turn black أَوor تُبيضُّthey turn white لَوناًa color واحِداًsingle
تسوَّدُ أَو تُبيضُّ لَوناً واحِداً
كاللَّيلِlike the night طَوْراًat times والصَّباحِand the morning النَّيّرِradiant
كاللَّيلِ طَوْراً والصَّباحِ النَّيّرِ
They turn black or white, all one color—
They turn black or white, all one color,
now like night, now like radiant morning.
like night at times, and at others radiant morning.
وَكَمْand how many حَرامٍa forbidden deed وَحَرامٍand a forbidden deed وَقَعَاboth befell
وَكَمْ حَرامٍ وَحَرامٍ وَقَعَا
عَليَّupon me مِنfrom وَقْتِthe time of العِشَاevening لِلسَّحَرِuntil the pre-dawn hour
عَليَّ مِن وَقْتِ العِشَا لِلسَّحَرِ
And how many forbidden things, one upon another, befell
And how many a sin and another sin fell
me from suppertime until dawn.
upon me, from evening until the hour before dawn.
وَهْيَand they متَىwhenever تُرْمىare thrown علىdespite ترْبِيعهاtheir square shape
وَهْيَ متَى تُرْمى على ترْبِيعها
مُذْfrom the moment خَرَجَتْthey came out سَرِيعَةٌswift كالأُكَرِlike balls
مُذْ خَرَجَتْ سَرِيعَةٌ كالأُكَرِ
Whenever they are cast in their squared form,
And whenever they are thrown, despite their square shape,
they set forth as swiftly as balls.
from the moment they emerge, they are swift as balls.
تَدورُthey spin حتَِىuntil تَنتَهِيِthey come to an end لِمَغْرَميto my financial loss
تَدورُ حتَِى تَنتَهِيِ لِمَغْرَمي
فَتَحْتَبِيthen they sit clasping their knees فيin جِلْسَةِthe sitting posture of المُوقَّرِthe dignified man
فَتَحْتَبِي في جِلْسَةِ المُوقَّرِ
They keep turning until they end at my loss,
They spin until they end in my loss,
then draw themselves up in the seated pose of a dignitary.
then sit, knees clasped, in a dignified man’s pose.
أُفٍّfie لهاon them أُفٍّfie لهاon them منof أَعظُمٍbones
أُفٍّ لها أُفٍّ لها من أَعظُمٍ
بَاليةٍworn-out فيهاin them بَلاءُthe affliction البَشَرof humankind
بَاليةٍ فيها بَلاءُ البَشَر
Fie upon them, fie upon them—what bones,
Fie on them, fie on them—those bones,
worn away, with humankind’s affliction inside!
worn out, in which lies mankind’s affliction!
غَالتْthey ruined فَتَىthe young man الخيَّاطِal-Khayyat أَوor أَصبحَhe became فيin
غَالتْ فَتَى الخيَّاطِ أَو أَصبحَ في
أَضْيقِmore cramped عَيْشٍa life منthan خُروقthe eyes الإبرِof the needles
أَضْيقِ عَيْشٍ من خُروق الإبرِ
They brought down the tailor’s lad—or left him
They ruined young al-Khayyat, or he ended up in
in a life tighter than the holes of needles.
a life more cramped than the eyes of needles.
وَليسَand there is no لِلوَرَّاقِfor al-Warraq مَعْهاwith them حُجَّةٌa defense
وَليسَ لِلوَرَّاقِ مَعْها حُجَّةٌ
فاعطِفْso have compassion علَيناon us ياO فتَىyoung man التَّلْْعَفرِىal-Talʿafari
فاعطِفْ علَينا يا فتَى التَّلْْعَفرِى
And the copyist has no defense against them;
And al-Warraq has no defense against them;
so take pity on us, young al-Talla‘fari.
so have compassion on us, O young al-Talʿafari.
Sol 6.1