رَحِمُwomb الأُمّthe mother لَعنَةٌa curse أَنتَyou مِنهُfrom it
رَحِمُ الأُمّ لَعنَةٌ أَنتَ مِنهُ
فيin دِمائيmy blood كانَتit was وَفيand in أَعراقيmy veins
في دِمائي كانَت وَفي أَعراقي
The mother's womb—a curse from which you came,
A mother's compassion is a curse you bear
that was in my blood and in my veins,
It was in my blood and runs through my veins
أَمor عِقابa punishment لماfor what تَسَّحقَّwas crushed مِنof حُlove (beginning)
أَم عِقاب لما تَسَّحقَّ مِن حُ
بّيَmy love (completion) فيin لِذَّتيmy pleasure وَفيand in أَشواقيmy longings
بّيَ في لِذَّتي وَفي أَشواقي
or punishment for what was crushed of my
Is it punishment for the love I laid bare
love, in my pleasure and in my longings?
In my pleasure and all that remains
حمَلَتshe carried أَمكyour mother القنوطdespair إِلىto وَجface (beginning)
حمَلَت أَمك القنوط إِلى وَج
هيَmy face (completion) وَكنتَand you were الرجاءَthe hope فيin أَعماقيmy depths
هيَ وَكنتَ الرجاءَ في أَعماقي
Your mother brought despair to my
Your mother carried despair to her face
face, though you had been hope in my depths.
While you were hope sleeping in my heart
جِئتَyou came فيin سحنَةthe countenance المسوخِthe monstrosities فَلِمso why حَطَّshattered (beginning)
جِئتَ في سحنَة المسوخِ فَلِم حَطَّ
متَyou shattered (completion) حِلماًa dream نَماit grew عَلىupon أَحداقيmy pupils
متَ حِلماً نَما عَلى أَحداقي
You came with the countenance of monsters; why did you
You came while creation itself debased
shatter a dream that grew upon my pupils?
Yet gently closed your eyes as you did start
أَلِأَنّيis it because I بَذَلتI lavished حُبّيmy love وَلَمand did not أُطI feed (beginning)
أَلِأَنّي بَذَلت حُبّي وَلَم أُط
عِمكَfeed you (completion) مِنهُof it سِوىexcept الفَتاتthe crumbs الباقيremaining
عِمكَ مِنهُ سِوى الفَتات الباقي
Is it because I lavished my love and did not
Because I gave love and didn’t make you take
feed you any of it but the leftover crumbs?
More than remnants that time will erase
عِشتَyou lived فيin مُقلَتَيَّmy two eyes ساعَةan hour هَولterror
عِشتَ في مُقلَتَيَّ ساعَة هَول
حَجَرَتrestrained غَصَّتيmy choking grief عَلىupon إِشفاقيmy compassion
حَجَرَت غَصَّتي عَلى إِشفاقي
You dwelt in my eyes for an hour of horror;
You lived an hour that my mind would break
my choking grief restrained my compassion,
My care could not give your loss a place
وَأَرَتنيand it showed me كَأَنَّنيas though I were فيin جُثامa nightmare
وَأَرَتني كَأَنَّني في جُثام
عالِماًa world فيكَwithin you موحِشdesolate الآفاقِthe horizons
عالِماً فيكَ موحِش الآفاقِ
and showed me, as though I were in a nightmare,
I saw myself in the freaks’ array
a world within you, its horizons desolate.
Knowledge within you made the horizon bleak
فَرَأَيتso I saw المَسخthe monstrosity المُخيفfrightening عَلىupon أَكmost perfect (beginning)
فَرَأَيت المَسخ المُخيف عَلى أَك
مَلِmost perfect (completion) حُسنٍbeauty وَالقزمُand the dwarf فيin العملاقِthe giant
مَلِ حُسنٍ وَالقزمُ في العملاقِ
So I saw the fearsome monstrosity upon the most
On perfect beauty the frightening mask lay
perfect beauty, and the dwarf within the giant;
And the dwarf stretched atop the peak
وَلِسانَand the tongue الثُعبانِthe serpent فيin قُبلَةِthe kiss الصِthe righteous man (beginning)
وَلِسانَ الثُعبانِ في قُبلَةِ الصِ
دّيقِrighteous man (completion) وَالسمّand poison فيin الشَرابِthe drink الواقيprotective
دّيقِ وَالسمّ في الشَرابِ الواقي
and the serpent's tongue in the kiss of the
The snake's tongue in a friend's kiss stings deep
righteous man, and poison in the protective draught;
Poison in the potion we did seek
وَسمعتُand I heard الفَحيحَhissing فيin النَغَمِthe melody العَذsweet (beginning)
وَسمعتُ الفَحيحَ في النَغَمِ العَذ
بِsweet (completion) وَصَوتَand the voice العَدُوِّthe enemy فيin الميثاقِthe covenant
بِ وَصَوتَ العَدُوِّ في الميثاقِ
and I heard hissing in the sweet
In the lovely tune, the hiss did seep
melody, and the enemy's voice in the covenant.
The foe's voice sliced our pact, once meek.
كَمhow many نُفوسٍsouls رَأَيتُهاI saw them تَلفظspit out الأَثsin (beginning)
كَم نُفوسٍ رَأَيتُها تَلفظ الأَث
مَsin (completion) فَيَرقىso it rises مِنهاfrom them إِلىto الأَرياقِsaliva
مَ فَيَرقى مِنها إِلى الأَرياقِ
How many souls I saw spit out
How many souls did vomit vice?
sin, only for it to rise from them into their saliva!
As sin from them to heavens did leap
لَذَّةthe pleasure الإِثمِsin كَيفَhow تَمقَتهاit loathes it النَفthe soul (beginning)
لَذَّة الإِثمِ كَيفَ تَمقَتها النَف
سُsoul (completion) وَيَحلوand it is sweet عَصيرُهاits juice فيin المَذاقِthe taste
سُ وَيَحلو عَصيرُها في المَذاقِ
The pleasure of sin—how it is loathed by the
How the self craves what is not nice!
soul, yet its juice tastes sweet!
Evil tastes sweet and poisons seep
كَمhow many فَتىa youth يَسعرhe kindles الجَحيمhell بِعَينَيwith both eyes
كَم فَتى يَسعر الجَحيم بِعَينَي
هِhis وَفيand in القَلبِthe heart لِلسَّماءِto heaven مَراقِstairways
هِ وَفي القَلبِ لِلسَّماءِ مَراقِ
How many a youth kindles hell with his
What eye kindles hell while the heart flies
eyes, while in his heart are stairways to heaven!
To heaven, though still this life does reap
وَلَقَدand indeed يَنصُرhe supports الجَحيمhell فَيرديand so destroys
وَلَقَد يَنصُر الجَحيم فَيردي
بَعضُهُpart of him ماwhatever بِبَعضِهِin part of him مِنof خلاقِvirtue
بَعضُهُ ما بِبَعضِهِ مِن خلاقِ
And he may indeed champion hell, so that
Hell takes its own, no ally denies
one part of him destroys the virtue in another.
It consumes its ilk in one fell sweep
وَسَمِعتُand I heard الحَياةَlife تَهتِفُit cries out فيin نَفself (beginning)
وَسَمِعتُ الحَياةَ تَهتِفُ في نَف
سيmy self (completion) فَيصديso it echoes الهتافthe cry فيin أَبواقيmy trumpets
سي فَيصدي الهتاف في أَبواقي
And I heard life cry out within my
And I heard life cry out from within
soul, and the cry echoed in my trumpets:
Echoing through bones, my frame asleep
أَهلكdestroyed المائِتونَmortals فيin رَحَميmy womb الحُlove (beginning)
أَهلك المائِتونَ في رَحَمي الحُ
بَّlove (completion) وَسَمّواand they poisoned الزَلالpure water فيin تِرياقيmy antidote
بَّ وَسَمّوا الزَلال في تِرياقي
In my womb, mortals destroyed
Born to love me, you died by their sin
love, and poisoned the pure water in my antidote;
They poisoned my drink, no secret to keep
فَطرحتُso I cast الأَقزامَthe dwarfs فيin أَسواقيmy marketplaces
فَطرحتُ الأَقزامَ في أَسواقي
عَبراًcautionary examples لِلدمارِof destruction فيamong العُشاقِlovers
عَبراً لِلدمارِ في العُشاقِ
so I cast the dwarfs into my marketplaces,
I cast the freaks out into the streets
as warnings of the ruin among lovers.
As a lesson to lovers who promises break
وَرَأَيتُand I saw الفِردَوسِParadise لَفَّتthey coiled around أَفاعيserpents
وَرَأَيتُ الفِردَوسِ لَفَّت أَفاعي
هِits غُصونيmy branches وَكَمَّشتand they shriveled أَوراقيmy leaves
هِ غُصوني وَكَمَّشت أَوراقي
And I saw Paradise; its serpents coiled around
And saw that paradise itself deceits
my branches and shriveled my leaves.
Snakes twisting my arms, my limbs ache
وَتَراءَتand it appeared ليَto me الطَبيعَةُnature دُنياa world
وَتَراءَت ليَ الطَبيعَةُ دُنيا
مِنof كَمالperfection نسيقَةharmoniously ordered الأَذواقِthe tastes
مِن كَمال نسيقَة الأَذواقِ
And nature appeared to me as a world
Nature seemed so ugly in the ways
of perfection, harmonious in its tastes.
It caters to each taste, however weak
فَرَأَيتُso I saw الجَمادinanimate matter شَبعانsated حُبّاًwith love
فَرَأَيتُ الجَماد شَبعان حُبّاً
كلُّevery صَدرٍchest عَلَيهِupon it ثديٌa breast ساقِgiving drink
كلُّ صَدرٍ عَلَيهِ ثديٌ ساقِ
So I saw inanimate matter sated with love,
Saw inanimate things crave love for days
every chest bearing a breast that gives drink.
All breasts and hips, no mind left to seek
إِنَّindeed فيin الحُبِّlove صورَةَthe image اللَهِGod لكِنbut
إِنَّ في الحُبِّ صورَةَ اللَهِ لكِن
أَينَwhere فيin الخَلقِcreation صورَةُthe image الخَلّاقِthe Creator
أَينَ في الخَلقِ صورَةُ الخَلّاقِ
Truly, in love is the image of God, but
God's image is in every ounce of love
where in creation is the image of the Creator?
But where in this world is the maker seen?
Sol 6.1