أَساكِنَO dweller in حُفْرَةٍa pit وقَرارِand the depths of لَحْدِa burial niche
أَساكِنَ حُفْرَةٍ وقَرارِ لَحْدِ
مُفَارِقَparted from خُلّةٍclose friendship مِنْfrom بعدِafter عَهْدِa bond
مُفَارِقَ خُلّةٍ مِنْ بعدِ عَهْدِ
O dweller in a pit and the depths of a burial niche,
I dwell in the hollow of a grave, a final resting place,
parted from close friendship after a bond,
Parted from a dear companion after our time together.
أَجبنيanswer me إِنْif قدرتَyou are able علىto جَوابيanswering me
أَجبني إِنْ قدرتَ على جَوابي
بحَقِّfor the sake of الوُدِّlove كَيفَhow ظَلِلْتَyou have fared بَعْديafter me
بحَقِّ الوُدِّ كَيفَ ظَلِلْتَ بَعْدي
answer me, if you can answer me.
Answer me, if you can, in truth of love:
For love’s sake, how have you fared since leaving me?
How did you live on after me?
وأَينَand where حَلَلْتَyou settled بعدَafter حُلولِdwelling in قَلْبيmy heart
وأَينَ حَلَلْتَ بعدَ حُلولِ قَلْبي
وأَحْشائيand my entrails وأَضْلاعيand my ribs وكِبْدِيand my liver
وأَحْشائي وأَضْلاعي وكِبْدِي
And where have you settled after dwelling in my heart,
Where did you settle after I left my heart,
and my entrails and my ribs and my liver?
And my guts, ribs and liver behind?
أَمَاindeed واللّهِby God لوif عايَنْتَyou had witnessed وَجْدِيmy anguish
أَمَا واللّهِ لو عايَنْتَ وَجْدِي
إذاwhen اسْتَعْبَرْتُI wept فيin الظّلْماءِthe darkness وَحْدِيby myself
إذا اسْتَعْبَرْتُ في الظّلْماءِ وَحْدِي
Indeed, by God, if you had witnessed my anguish
By God, if you could see my torment
when I wept alone in the darkness,
When I weep alone in the dark,
وَجَدَّand grew intense تَنَفُّسِيmy breathing وعَلاand rose زَفيريmy sighing
وَجَدَّ تَنَفُّسِي وعَلا زَفيري
وفَاضَتْand overflowed عَبْرَتِيmy tear فيon صَحْنِthe surface of خَدِّيmy cheek
وفَاضَتْ عَبْرَتِي في صَحْنِ خَدِّي
and my breathing grew intense and my sighing rose,
Hear my ragged breath and bitter crying
and my tears overflowed across the surface of my cheek,
Overflowing, wetting my cheek,
إِذَنْthen لَعَلِمْتَyou would surely have known أَنِّيthat I عَنْin قَرِيبٍa short while
إِذَنْ لَعَلِمْتَ أَنِّي عَنْ قَرِيبٍ
سَتُحْفَرُwill be dug حُفْرَتيmy pit ويُشَقُّand will be cut لَحْدِيmy burial niche
سَتُحْفَرُ حُفْرَتي ويُشَقُّ لَحْدِي
then you would have known that, before long,
Then you would know that soon
my pit would be dug and my burial niche cut.
My grave will be dug and coffin lid nailed shut.
ويَعْذِلُنيand reproaches me السّفِيهُthe fool علىfor بُكائيmy weeping
ويَعْذِلُني السّفِيهُ على بُكائي
كأَنِّيas though I مُبْتَلىًafflicted بالحزنِwith grief وَحدِيْI alone
كأَنِّي مُبْتَلىً بالحزنِ وَحدِيْ
And the fool reproaches me for my weeping,
And the fool will rebuke me for my tears
as though I alone were afflicted with grief.
As if grief alone has made me ill,
يقولُhe says قَتَلْتَهاyou killed her سَفَهاًout of folly وجهلاًand ignorance
يقولُ قَتَلْتَها سَفَهاً وجهلاً
وتَبْكيهاand you weep for her بكاءًweeping ليسَdoes not يُجْدِيavail
وتَبْكيها بكاءً ليسَ يُجْدِي
He says, “You killed her out of folly and ignorance,
Saying, “You killed her, fool that you were,
and you weep for her with tears that do no good,
And weep, but weeping will not avail.”
كَصَيّادِlike a hunter of الطُّيورِbirds لهُhe has انْتِحابٌsobbing
كَصَيّادِ الطُّيورِ لهُ انْتِحابٌ
عليهاover them وهوَwhile he يَذْبَحُهاhe slaughters them بِحَدwith a cutting edge
عليها وهوَ يَذْبَحُها بِحَد
like a hunter of birds who sobs
Like a bird catcher who with blade in hand
over them while he slaughters them with a blade.”
Then weeps for the birds he slaughtered.
Sol 6.1