أَتَيتُI came لِمَنto the one whom أَهواهُI love him أَعرَضَI present حاجَتيmy need
أَتَيتُ لِمَن أَهواهُ أَعرَضَ حاجَتي
فَقابَلَنيthen he met me ظُلماًunjustly بِتيهٍwith arrogance وَإِعراضِand rejection
فَقابَلَني ظُلماً بِتيهٍ وَإِعراضِ
I came to the one I love to present my need,
Then he met me unjustly with arrogance and rejection.
وَجَرَّدَand he unsheathed مِنfrom لَحظَيهِhis two glances سَيفاًa sword مُهَنَّداًof Indian steel
وَجَرَّدَ مِن لَحظَيهِ سَيفاً مُهَنَّداً
أَعوذُI seek refuge بِرَبِّin the Lord of الناسِhumankind مِنfrom حَدِّهِits edge الماضيkeen
أَعوذُ بِرَبِّ الناسِ مِن حَدِّهِ الماضي
And from his glances he unsheathed a sword of Indian steel.
I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind from its keen edge.
حَسِبتُI thought بِروقِlightning flashes of الوَصلِunion بِالفَوزِwith success وَمَضَتflashed
حَسِبتُ بِروقِ الوَصلِ بِالفَوزِ وَمَضَت
وَلَكِنَّهُbut it قَدindeed كانَwas خَلبَrainless and deceptive إيماضِa flash
وَلَكِنَّهُ قَد كانَ خَلبَ إيماضِ
I thought the lightning of union had flashed to herald success,
But it was only a rainless, deceptive flash.
وَكُنتُand I used to أَظُنُّthink البُعدَdistance يَخفِضُwould ease لَوعَتيmy burning anguish
وَكُنتُ أَظُنُّ البُعدَ يَخفِضُ لَوعَتي
وَسَفحُand the shedding of دُموعيmy tears فيهِin it تَخفيفَthe easing of أَمراضيmy ailments
وَسَفحُ دُموعي فيهِ تَخفيفَ أَمراضي
And I thought distance would ease my burning anguish,
And shedding my tears in it would relieve my ills.
فَكانَbut proved الهَوىlove فيin عَكسِthe opposite of ماwhat أَناI حاسِبُexpecting
فَكانَ الهَوى في عَكسِ ما أَنا حاسِبُ
وَزادَand increased الجَوىheartache فيin الحالَتَينِboth states عَلىbeyond الماضيwhat had passed
وَزادَ الجَوى في الحالَتَينِ عَلى الماضي
But love proved the opposite of what I expected,
And in both states heartache grew worse than before.
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I لَمّاwhen رَأَيتُI saw كِتابَكُمyour letter
وَلَكِنَّني لَمّا رَأَيتُ كِتابَكُم
عَلِمتُI knew بِأَنَّthat الدَهرَtime حاوَلَsought إِنهاضيto raise me up
عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ الدَهرَ حاوَلَ إِنهاضي
But when I saw your letter,
I knew that time had sought to raise me up.
كِتابٌa letter كَأَنَّas though النَشرَresurrection فيin نَشرِthe unfolding of طَيِّهِits folds
كِتابٌ كَأَنَّ النَشرَ في نَشرِ طَيِّهِ
تَرُدُّyou restore بِهِthrough it الأَرواحَsouls مِنfrom بَعدِafter إِغماضِthe closing of eyes
تَرُدُّ بِهِ الأَرواحَ مِن بَعدِ إِغماضِ
A letter: resurrection seemed to lie in unfolding its folds;
Through it you restore souls after their eyes have closed.
وَأَماand as for الَّذيthat which لاحَظتُموهُyou noted it فَإِنَّهُthen indeed it is
وَأَما الَّذي لاحَظتُموهُ فَإِنَّهُ
مُجَرِّدُmere دَعوىa claim لَيسَnot يُقَبِّلَهاaccepts it قاضيa judge
مُجَرِّدُ دَعوى لَيسَ يُقَبِّلَها قاضي
And as for what you noted, it is
A mere claim that no judge would accept,
وَلاand not سِيِّماthe like of (forming 'especially') دَعوىthe claim of التَهَكُّمِmockery أَنَّهاthat it is
وَلا سِيِّما دَعوى التَهَكُّمِ أَنَّها
عَجالَةَa hasty act of طَيشٍrecklessness أَوor نَتيجَةَa result of إِمعاضِvexation
عَجالَةَ طَيشٍ أَو نَتيجَةَ إِمعاضِ
Especially the charge of mockery—that it is
A rash outburst or the result of vexation.
وَلَوand if كانَthere were ليfor me وَقتٌtime لاnot (apparently misdivided) ظَهَرَتappeared (intended: I would expose) خَطَأَهاits error
وَلَو كانَ لي وَقتٌ لا ظَهَرَت خَطَأَها
وَأَدحَضَتand I would refute مَبناهاits basis وَأَيَّدَتand I would strengthen إِدحاضيmy refutation
وَأَدحَضَت مَبناها وَأَيَّدَت إِدحاضي
And had I time, I would expose its error,
And demolish its basis and strengthen my refutation.
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I مِنfrom among أَبحُرِthe seas of الشِعرِpoetry غارِقٌdrowning
وَلَكِنَّني مِن أَبحُرِ الشِعرِ غارِقٌ
بِبِحرٍin a sea وَسيعٌvast لِإيجازٍfor brevity (likely intended: not traversable) بِخَواضِby a wader
بِبِحرٍ وَسيعٌ لِإيجازٍ بِخَواضِ
But I am drowning in one of poetry's seas,
In a vast sea that no wader can cross.
وَذَلِكَand that أَنّيthat I أَبتَنيI build لِقَصيدَةٍfor an ode
وَذَلِكَ أَنّي أَبتَني لِقَصيدَةٍ
بَديعِيَّةٍrich in rhetorical figures فيin مِدحَةِpraise of المُصطَفىthe Chosen One الراضيthe well-pleased
بَديعِيَّةٍ في مِدحَةِ المُصطَفى الراضي
And that is because I am crafting an ode,
Rich in rhetorical figures, praising the Chosen One, the well-pleased.
عَلَيهِupon him صَلاةُthe blessing of اللَهِGod ماas long as ذَرَّrises شارِقٌa rising sun
عَلَيهِ صَلاةُ اللَهِ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ
وَأَحياand revives مَواتَthe dead land of الأَرضِthe earth مِدرارُcopious rain فَيّاضِoverflowing
وَأَحيا مَواتَ الأَرضِ مِدرارُ فَيّاضِ
Upon him be God's blessing as long as the sun rises,
And copious, overflowing rain revives the earth's dead soil.
Sol 6.1