مَنَعَتْنيprevented me مِنfrom الوَدَاعِfarewell أُمورُmatters
مَنَعَتْني مِن الوَدَاعِ أُمورُ
أَناI فيin بَعْضِpart of بَعْضِهاsome of them مَعْذورُexcused
أَنا في بَعْضِ بَعْضِها مَعْذورُ
Matters prevented me from saying farewell.
Circumstances have prevented my farewells,
I am excusable for some part of some of them.
In some of them I'm excused.
وَكَفاكُمْand it suffices you all مِنهاof them إذاwhen قِيلَit is said لِمْwhy لاnot
وَكَفاكُمْ مِنها إذا قِيلَ لِمْ لا
جَاءَhe came قَالَsaid المُحتجُّthe one pleading an excuse شَيخٌan old man كَبِيرُelderly
جَاءَ قَالَ المُحتجُّ شَيخٌ كَبِيرُ
And this among them should suffice you: when asked, “Why did he not
It's enough when asked "why not?"
come?” the one pleading an excuse said, “An elderly man.”
An old, respected man said as his excuse:
وَمُضَافٌand added لِذاكَto that ضَعْفٌweakness وَعَجْزٌand incapacity
وَمُضَافٌ لِذاكَ ضَعْفٌ وَعَجْزٌ
وَحِمارٌand a donkey مَاnot كادَnearly تَحْتيbeneath me يَسِيرُwalks
وَحِمارٌ مَا كادَ تَحْتي يَسِيرُ
And added to that are weakness and incapacity,
"To that is added weakness and frailty,
and a donkey that could scarcely move beneath me.
And a donkey that can barely walk under me.
كُلَّماwhenever رُضْتهُI trained him بِشِعْرِيwith my poetry نَادَىhe called out
كُلَّما رُضْتهُ بِشِعْرِي نَادَى
أَناI مَاليwhat have I to do والشِّعْرُand/with poetry إبنُson of الشّعِيرُbarley
أَنا مَالي والشِّعْرُ إبنُ الشّعِيرُ
Whenever I trained him with my verse, he cried:
Whenever I pleased him with my poetry he cried out
“What have I to do with poetry? I am a son of barley!”
'I care not for poetry, I'm the son of barley!'
وَحَمَتْهُand protected him مِنّيfrom me دَمامِلُboils أَلقَتْcast down
وَحَمَتْهُ مِنّي دَمامِلُ أَلقَتْ
نيme فَمَاso not ليfor me عنِaway from الفِراشِthe bed مَسِيرُdeparture
ني فَمَا لي عنِ الفِراشِ مَسِيرُ
And boils protected him from me, casting
And blankets have covered him from me, he threw
me down, so I have no way to leave my bed.
Me off so I cannot leave my bed.
كُلُّeach قَاسٍhard عَليَّupon me كالدَّهْرِlike Time مَاnot لاbeginning of 'softened'
كُلُّ قَاسٍ عَليَّ كالدَّهْرِ مَا لا
نَending of 'softened' وَهَيْهاتَand how unlikely أَنْthat تَلِينَsoften الصُّخُورُthe rocks
نَ وَهَيْهاتَ أَنْ تَلِينَ الصُّخُورُ
Each is hard upon me, like Time; it has not
Everyone judging me is like fate - it does not
softened—and how unlikely that rocks should soften!
Bend, and rocks will never soften.
وَعلَىand at بَابِهits door المَراهِمُthe ointments لَمْnot يُؤْbeginning of 'be permitted'
وَعلَى بَابِه المَراهِمُ لَمْ يُؤْ
ذَنْending of 'be permitted' لَهاto them والحِجابُand the barrier ثَمَّthere عَسِيرُdifficult
ذَنْ لَها والحِجابُ ثَمَّ عَسِيرُ
And at its door the ointments have not been
And at his door the solicitors have not been
admitted; the barrier there is hard to pass.
Permitted, and the veil remains difficult.
مُغْلَقُshut البَابِthe door مَاnot تَلاrecited سُوْرَةَsurah of الفَتْbeginning of 'al-Fath' (opening/victory)
مُغْلَقُ البَابِ مَا تَلا سُوْرَةَ الفَتْ
حِending of 'al-Fath' وَقَافٍand Qaf ضِunclear isolated ḍād دُونهِbelow it والطُّورُand al-Tur (the Mount)
حِ وَقَافٍ ضِ دُونهِ والطُّورُ
Its door is shut; it has not recited the surah of
The door is locked, he has not recited Surat Al-Fatiha,
al-Fath; Qaf [unclear fragment] and al-Tur fall short of it.
And an obstinate one stands in my way and the mount.
وَتَرانيand you see me فيin اللَّيْلthe night يَرْتَقِبُhe awaits الفَجْbeginning of 'the dawn'
وَتَراني في اللَّيْل يَرْتَقِبُ الفَجْ
رَending of 'the dawn' وَقَدand indeed حَالَintervened دُونَهُin its way الدَّbeginning of 'pitch-darkness' يَجورُending of 'pitch-darkness'
رَ وَقَد حَالَ دُونَهُ الدَّ يَجورُ
And you see me at night, awaiting
And you see me at night waiting for dawn,
the dawn, while pitch-darkness has barred the way to it.
While between us stands a monster.
وَأَشَدُّand the severest الآلامِthe pains لَيْلٌa night طَوِيلٌlong
وَأَشَدُّ الآلامِ لَيْلٌ طَوِيلٌ
مَاnot لَهُfor it آخِرٌan end وَجَفْنٌand an eyelid قَصِيرُshort
مَا لَهُ آخِرٌ وَجَفْنٌ قَصِيرُ
And the worst of pains is a long night,
And the greatest pain is a long night
with no end—and a short eyelid.
That has no end, and an eyelid too short."
Sol 6.1