ياO ليتنيif only I ماnot عرفتُI had known الشعرpoetry وand الشعراthe poets
يا ليتني ما عرفتُ الشعر و الشعرا
فإنَّfor indeed باطنهمtheir inner nature غيرunlike الذيwhat ظهراappeared
فإنَّ باطنهم غير الذي ظهرا
Oh, if only I had never known poetry or poets!
For their inner nature is unlike what appears.
قلوبهمtheir hearts كالفيافيlike desert wastes كمhow often وand كمhow often جَدَبَتْgrew barren
قلوبهم كالفيافي كم و كم جَدَبَتْ
كأنهاas though they منfor قرونٍcenturies ماnot رأتhad seen مطراrain
كأنها من قرونٍ ما رأت مطرا
Their hearts are like desert wastes—how often, how often they have grown barren!
As though they had seen no rain for centuries.
فقِلُّةٌso a few منهمُof them فيin قولهمtheir words صدقواthey spoke truthfully
فقِلُّةٌ منهمُ في قولهم صدقوا
وand جُلُّهمmost of them كغُثاءlike flotsam السيلthe torrent كيفhowever جرىit flowed
و جُلُّهم كغُثاء السيل كيف جرى
So only a few of them have been truthful in their words,
And most of them are like the torrent's flotsam, however it flows.
ياO منyou who شَنَقْتمyou have hanged صفاءpurity الشعرpoetry فيin زمنٍan age
يا من شَنَقْتم صفاء الشعر في زمنٍ
قدindeed صارhas become فيهin it فؤادthe heart العُربِthe Arabs مُنكسرًاbroken
قد صار فيه فؤاد العُربِ مُنكسرًا
O you who have hanged poetry's purity in an age
In which the heart of the Arabs has become broken.
الشعرpoetry فيin لعبٍplay يلهوit plays بلاwithout تعبٍweariness
الشعر في لعبٍ يلهو بلا تعبٍ
وand الوجدpassion فيin وَصَبٍtorment منهfrom it قدindeed انْفطراhas split apart
و الوجد في وَصَبٍ منه قد انْفطرا
Poetry is at play, frolicking without weariness,
And passion, in torment from it, has split apart.
Sol 6.1