ألاOh! ليتَif only أُمِّيmy mother أيمٌّunmarried طولthroughout عمرِهاher life
ألا ليتَ أُمِّي أيمٌّ طول عمرِها
فلمand had not يقضِهاdestined her ربِّيmy Lord لمولىًfor a master ولاnor بَعلِa husband
فلم يقضِها ربِّي لمولىً ولا بَعلِ
Oh, if only my mother had remained unmarried all her life,
And my Lord had never destined her for a master or a husband.
وياand oh! ليتهاif only she لمّاwhen قضاهاHe destined her لسيّدٍfor a nobleman
ويا ليتها لمّا قضاها لسيّدٍ
لبيبٍwise أريبٍdiscerning طيّبِnoble الفرِعthe branch (offspring) والأَصلِand the root (ancestry)
لبيبٍ أريبٍ طيّبِ الفرِع والأَصلِ
And oh, if only, when He destined her for a nobleman,
Wise and discerning, noble in branch and root,
قضاهاHe ordained her مِنamong اللاتيthose women who خُلقنَwere created عواقِراًbarren
قضاها مِن اللاتي خُلقنَ عواقِراً
فماso never بُشّرتshe received glad tidings يوماًon any day بأُنثىof a female child ولاnor فَحلِa male child
فما بُشّرت يوماً بأُنثى ولا فَحلِ
He had ordained that she be among those created barren,
So she had never once received glad tidings of daughter or son.
وياand oh! ليتهاif only she لماwhen غَدتshe became بيwith me حاملاًpregnant
ويا ليتها لما غَدت بي حاملاً
أُصيبتshe suffered loss بماof what جتنّتshe enclosed (reading uncertain) عليهaround it مِنof الحملِthe child she carried
أُصيبت بما جتنّت عليه مِن الحملِ
And oh, if only, when she became pregnant with me,
She had suffered the loss of the child she sheltered within.
وياand oh! ليتنيif only I لمّاwhen ولِدتُI was born وأصبحتand it came about
ويا ليتني لمّا ولِدتُ وأصبحت
تُشدُّwere saddled اليَّtoward me الشّدقمياتُthe Shadqam-bred she-camels بالرَّحلِwith saddles
تُشدُّ اليَّ الشّدقمياتُ بالرَّحلِ
And oh, if only, when I was born and it came about
That Shadqam-bred she-camels were saddled for journeys to me,
لحِقتُI had joined بأسلافيmy forebears فكنتand had become ضجيعهمone lying beside them
لحِقتُ بأسلافي فكنت ضجيعهم
ولمand did not أرَI see فيin الإسلامِIslam ماwhat فيهis in it منof خبلِhavoc
ولم أرَ في الإسلامِ ما فيه من خبلِ
I had joined my forebears and lain beside them,
And never seen the havoc within Islam.
Sol 6.1