عصيتyou disobeyed مولاكyour lord ياO سعيدSaʿīd
عصيت مولاك يا سعيد
ماnot هكذاthus يفعلact العبيدthe servants
ما هكذا يفعل العبيد
You disobeyed your lord, O Saʿīd;
You disobeyed your Master, O Sa'eed
this is not how servants behave.
No slave should act this way
عبَيدَlittle servant سوءof evil عصيتَyou disobeyed جهلاin ignorance
عبَيدَ سوء عصيتَ جهلا
لمdid not ينهكrestrain you الوعدthe promise والوعيدand the threat
لم ينهك الوعد والوعيد
Wicked little servant, you disobeyed in ignorance;
Wicked slave, you disobeyed out of ignorance
neither promise nor threat restrained you.
Neither promise nor threat dissuaded you
مضتpassed لياليكyour nights فيin التصابىyouthful dalliance
مضت لياليك في التصابى
وأنتand you عنfrom رشدهاtheir right guidance بعيدfar
وأنت عن رشدها بعيد
Your nights passed in youthful dalliance,
Your nights passed in playfulness
and you are far from their right guidance.
While you remained far from the right path
واهاalas علىfor العمرthe lifetime قدalready تقضىhas passed
واها على العمر قد تقضى
ولمand did not أنلI attain منهfrom it ماwhat أريدI desire
ولم أنل منه ما أريد
Alas for a lifetime already spent,
Alas for the life passing you by
and I have not gained from it what I desire.
Before I could attain what I desire
فدمعso the tears عينيof my eye لهit has انهمالٌa streaming flow
فدمع عيني له انهمالٌ
ونارand the fire حزنيof my grief لهit has وقودfuel
ونار حزني له وقود
So the tears of my eye pour freely,
So my tears flow copiously
and the fire of my grief has fuel.
And the fire of my sorrow burns
ياO حسرةregret فيin الحشىthe inward depths استكنّتhas lodged
يا حسرة في الحشى استكنّت
ضرامهاits blaze ماno لهit has خمودdying down
ضرامها ما له خمود
O regret that has lodged within my breast—
Oh what anguish has settled in my heart
its blaze never dies down.
Its coals never cooling
تبلىwear away اللياليthe nights وحزنand the grief قلبيof my heart
تبلى الليالي وحزن قلبي
علىover الذيwhat فاتنيpassed me by جديدfresh
على الذي فاتني جديد
The nights wear away, yet my heart's grief
Nights pass and my heart's sorrow
over what has passed me by is still fresh.
For what has slipped by is renewed
ياO سادتيmy masters والنوىand separation أليمٌpainful
يا سادتي والنوى أليمٌ
والشوقand longing مستحكمdeep-rooted شديدintense
والشوق مستحكم شديد
O my masters, separation is painful,
O my lords, while the intention is painful
and longing is deep-rooted and fierce.
And fierce longing has taken grip
هلis there ليfor me إلىto وصلكمunion with you سبيلٌa way
هل لي إلى وصلكم سبيلٌ
فقدfor indeed برىwore away جسمىmy body الصدودrejection
فقد برى جسمى الصدود
Is there a way for me to union with you?
Is there a way to be united with you
For rejection has wasted my body.
Now that obstacles have emaciated my body
ماnot زالceased يهفوhe yearns وإنeven though تناءىhe grew distant
ما زال يهفو وإن تناءى
بذكركat the thought of you العميدthe love-stricken one
بذكرك العميد
He still yearns, though far away—
It continues to yearn though distant
at the thought of you, the love-stricken one.
By your noble memory
وكيفand how ينسىhe forgets أوor كيفhow يسلوhe finds solace
وكيف ينسى أو كيف يسلو
منone who قدalready تقضتhave passed لهfor him عهودformer days
من قد تقضت له عهود
And how can he forget, or how can he find solace—
How could one forget or find solace
one whose former days have passed away?
When covenants have been fulfilled
رقواhave compassion لمغرىon one enthralled by love أضحىhas become كئيباًsorrowful
رقوا لمغرى أضحى كئيباً
لهhe has بأبوابكمat your doors قعودa sitting
له بأبوابكم قعود
Pity one enthralled by love, now sorrowful,
Have mercy on a lover who has become gloomy
who remains seated at your doors.
Sitting at your gates
إنif لمdo not تجودواyou show generosity بجبرby mending كسرىmy brokenness
إن لم تجودوا بجبر كسرى
فمنthen who ترىdo you think غيركمbesides you يجودshows generosity
فمن ترى غيركم يجود
If you do not generously mend my brokenness,
If you do not mend my brokenness
then who besides you, do you think, will be generous?
Then who else can be so generous?
منّواbestow favor علىupon المدنفthe gravely ill one المعنّىthe tormented one
منّوا على المدنف المعنّى
عودواvisit عليلَthe sick one البعادseparation عودواvisit
عودوا عليلَ البعاد عودوا
Show favor to the gravely ill, tormented one;
Favor the one who complains, draw near
visit the one sick with separation—visit him!
Return to one distant, return
رحماكمyour mercy فيupon حليفa companion of حزنsorrow
رحماكم في حليف حزن
علىamid الضناwasting sickness والأسىand grief جليدُsteadfast
على الضنا والأسى جليدُ
Have mercy on sorrow's companion,
Your mercy is ally to the sorrow
steadfast amid wasting sickness and grief.
Of one shackled by misery and grief
قدindeed خدّدتhave been furrowed مذsince هجرتموهyou forsook him
قد خدّدت مذ هجرتموه
بدمعهby his tears فيكمfor you الخدودthe cheeks
بدمعه فيكم الخدود
Since you forsook him, furrows have been carved
Since you left I have shed tears
by his tears for you upon his cheeks.
Scarring my cheeks thinking of you
إنif لمdo not تلافَواyou remedy سقامthe sickness نفسىof my soul
إن لم تلافَوا سقام نفسى
فبالنوىthen through separation مهجتيmy lifeblood تبيدwill perish
فبالنوى مهجتي تبيد
If you do not remedy my soul's sickness,
If you do not heal my sick soul
then my lifeblood will perish from separation.
Then it will perish from longing
بنظرةwith a glance منكfrom you ياO مُنائيmy heart's desire
بنظرة منك يا مُنائي
تسعدgladdens آماليmy hopes السعودgood fortune
تسعد آمالي السعود
With a glance from you, O my heart's desire,
With a glance from you, my comfort
good fortune gladdens my hopes.
My hopes of bliss will be fulfilled
وبالرضاand with approval إنif منحتموهyou grant it
وبالرضا إن منحتموه
يعذبbecomes sweet للواردfor the one coming to water الورودreaching the water
يعذب للوارد الورود
And with your approval, if you grant it,
With your approval if you grant it
reaching the water grows sweet for the one who comes.
The roses will envy the one who arrives
طوبىblessedness لمنfor whoever نالgained منكfrom you أمناًsafety
طوبى لمن نال منك أمناً
فباتso he spent the night يغبطهenvies his good fortune الوجودall existence
فبات يغبطه الوجود
Blessed is whoever gains safety from you,
Blessed is he who finds refuge in you
so he spends the night envied by all existence.
All existence envies his fortune
Sol 6.1