ماwhat اِحتِياليmy recourse فيin كِتابٍa letter
ما اِحتِيالي في كِتابٍ
ضاقَproved too small عَمّاfor what فيin ضَميريmy inner self
ضاقَ عَمّا في ضَميري
What recourse have I in a letter
My deceit is not in a book,
too small for what I hold within?
Too narrow for what is in my conscience.
حِرتُI am bewildered لاnot أَعرِفُI know ماwhat أَشI ex- (beginning of ‘I explain’)
حِرتُ لا أَعرِفُ ما أَش
رَحُplain (completion of ‘I explain’) فيهِin it مِنof أُموريmy affairs
رَحُ فيهِ مِن أُموري
I am bewildered; I do not know what to ex-
I was perplexed, not knowing what I feel
plain in it of my affairs.
And what I should reveal of my affairs.
كادَnearly أَنto يَحتَرِقَburn القُرthe pa- (beginning of ‘the paper’)
كادَ أَن يَحتَرِقَ القُر
طاسُper (completion of ‘paper’) مِنfrom نارِthe fire of زَفيريmy sighs
طاسُ مِن نارِ زَفيري
It nearly caught fire—the pa-
The paper nearly caught fire
per—from the fire of my sighs.
From the flames of my sighs.
لَيسَdoes not يَشفيheal ماwhat بِقَلبيin my heart
لَيسَ يَشفي ما بِقَلبي
مِنكُمُbecause of you غَيرُexcept حُضوريmy presence
مِنكُمُ غَيرُ حُضوري
Nothing heals what is in my heart
None can heal my heart but you -
because of you, save my being with you.
Your presence alone can cure me.
إِنَّindeed خَطبَthe ordeal of البُعدِseparation عَنكُمfrom you
إِنَّ خَطبَ البُعدِ عَنكُم
لَيسَis not بِالخَطبِan ordeal اليَسيرِslight
لَيسَ بِالخَطبِ اليَسيرِ
Indeed, the ordeal of separation from you
Indeed, the pain of distance from you
is no slight ordeal.
Is no trivial matter.
Sol 6.1