بَنَفْسِيwith my life as ransom وَمَاand not نَفْسِيmy life عَلَيَّto me بِهَيْنَةٍof little worth
بَنَفْسِي وَمَا نَفْسِي عَلَيَّ بِهَيْنَةٍ
فَيُنْزِلُنِيso it makes me part عَنْهَاwith it الْمِكَاسُhaggling بِأَثْمَانِfor prices
فَيُنْزِلُنِي عَنْهَا الْمِكَاسُ بِأَثْمَانِ
I would ransom him with my life—and my life is not so cheap to me
By myself, and my soul is not light to me,
That haggling should make me part with it for a price—
So drinking takes me down from it for prices.
حَبِيبٌa beloved نَأَىwent far away عَنِّيfrom me وَصَمَّand turned deaf لأَنَّتِيto my moaning
حَبِيبٌ نَأَى عَنِّي وَصَمَّ لأَنَّتِي
وَرَاشَand fletched سِهَامَthe arrows of الْبَيْنِparting عَمْداًdeliberately فَأَصْمانِيthen slew me outright
وَرَاشَ سِهَامَ الْبَيْنِ عَمْداً فَأَصْمانِي
A beloved who went far from me and turned deaf to my moans,
A beloved turned away from me and was silent to my groaning,
And deliberately fletched the arrows of parting, striking me dead.
And he shot the arrows of separation deliberately, so he deafened me.
وَقَدْand already كَانَwas هَمُّthe sorrow of الشَّيْبِgrey hair لاَmay it not كَانَhave existed كَافِياًenough
وَقَدْ كَانَ هَمُّ الشَّيْبِ لاَ كَانَ كَافِياً
فَقَدْfor indeed أَدنَىdrew near لَمَّاwhen تَرَحَّلَhe departed هَمَّانِtwo sorrows
فَقَدْ أَدنَى لَمَّا تَرَحَّلَ هَمَّانِ
The sorrow of grey hair—would that it had never been!—was already enough;
Though the worry of old age had been enough,
Yet when he departed, two sorrows drew near.
When he went away, he brought worries nearer.
شَرَعْتُI opened لَهُfor him مِنْfrom دَمْعِthe tears of عَيْنَيmy eyes مَوْرِداَa watering place
شَرَعْتُ لَهُ مِنْ دَمْعِ عَيْنَي مَوْرِداَ
فَكَدَّرَso he muddied شُرْبِيmy drink بِالْفِرَاقِthrough parting وَأَظْمَانِيand made me thirsty
فَكَدَّرَ شُرْبِي بِالْفِرَاقِ وَأَظْمَانِي
I opened for him a watering place from the tears of my eyes,
I opened for him from the tear of my eye a spring,
But he muddied my drink with parting and made me thirsty.
So he troubled my drinking with separation and made me thirsty.
وَأَرْعَيْتُهُand I let him graze مِنْfrom حُسْنِthe goodness of عَهْدِيmy fidelity جَمِيمَهُits lush growth
وَأَرْعَيْتُهُ مِنْ حُسْنِ عَهْدِي جَمِيمَهُ
فَأَجْدَبَso he made barren آمَالِيmy hopes وَأَوْحَشَand made desolate أَزْمَانِيmy days
فَأَجْدَبَ آمَالِي وَأَوْحَشَ أَزْمَانِي
And I let him graze on the lush growth of my loyal devotion,
And I pastured him from the goodness of my pact, its bounty,
But he made my hopes barren and my days desolate.
So he rendered my hopes barren and made my times desolate.
حَلَفْتُI swore عَلَىconcerning مَاwhat عِنْدَهُhe held لِيfor me مِنْof رِضىًgoodwill
حَلَفْتُ عَلَى مَا عِنْدَهُ لِي مِنْ رِضىً
قِيَاساًby analogy بِمَاwith what عِنْدِيI held فَأَحْنَثَso he falsified أَيْمَانِيmy oaths
قِيَاساً بِمَا عِنْدِي فَأَحْنَثَ أَيْمَانِي
I swore that he held goodwill for me,
I swore by what he had for me of consent
Taking my own as the measure; but he proved my oaths false.
Measuring by what I had, but he broke his oath.
وَإِنِّيand indeed I عَلَىdespite مَاwhat نَالَنِيbefell me مِنْof قِلىًaversion
وَإِنِّي عَلَى مَا نَالَنِي مِنْ قِلىً
لأَشْتَاقُindeed I yearn مِنْfrom لُقْيَاهُmeeting him نُغْبَةَa sip ظَمْآنِof a thirsty man
لأَشْتَاقُ مِنْ لُقْيَاهُ نُغْبَةَ ظَمْآنِ
And despite the aversion that has befallen me,
And yet for what touched me of paucity
I still yearn for a thirsty man's sip of meeting him.
I will yearn from seeing him with the thirst of a thirsty man.
سَأَلْتُI asked جُفُونِيmy eyelids فِيهِconcerning him تَقْرِيبَthe bringing near of عَرْشِهِhis throne
سَأَلْتُ جُفُونِي فِيهِ تَقْرِيبَ عَرْشِهِ
فَقِستُso I compared بِجِنِّwith the jinn of الشَّوْقِlonging جِنَّthe jinn of سُلَيْمَانِSolomon
فَقِستُ بِجِنِّ الشَّوْقِ جِنَّ سُلَيْمَانِ
I asked my eyelids to bring his throne near,
I asked my eyelids concerning him to bring his throne near,
So I measured Solomon's jinn against the jinn of longing.
So I was eqyal with the jinn of passion to the jinn of Solomon.
إِذَاwhenever مَاemphatic particle دَعَاcalled out دَاعٍa caller مِنَfrom الْقَوْمِthe people بِاسْمِهِby his name
إِذَا مَا دَعَا دَاعٍ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ بِاسْمِهِ
وَثَبْتُI sprang up وَمَاand not اسْتَتَبْتُI called to repentance شِيمَةَthe nature of هَيْمَانِa lovesick man
وَثَبْتُ وَمَا اسْتَتَبْتُ شِيمَةَ هَيْمَانِ
Whenever a caller among the people called out his name,
Whenever someone of the people calls upon him by his name,
I sprang up, never asking a lovesick man's nature to repent.
I stand up, and I have not adopted the character of the indifferent.
وَتَاللهِand by God مَاnot أَصْغَيْتُI listened فِيهِconcerning him لِعَاذِلٍto a reproacher
وَتَاللهِ مَا أَصْغَيْتُ فِيهِ لِعَاذِلٍ
تَحَامَيتُهُI avoided him حَتَّىuntil ارْعَوَىhe desisted وَتَحَامَانِيand avoided me
تَحَامَيتُهُ حَتَّى ارْعَوَى وَتَحَامَانِي
And by God, I never listened to a reproacher concerning him;
By God, I do not listen concerning him to any blamer;
I avoided him until he desisted and avoided me.
I have protected him until he and I became delirious.
وَلاَnor اسْتَشْعَرَتْfelt نَفْسِيmy soul بِرَحْمَةِwith the mercy of عَابِدٍa worshipper
وَلاَ اسْتَشْعَرَتْ نَفْسِي بِرَحْمَةِ عَابِدٍ
تُظلِّلُshades يَوْماًone day مِثْلَهُone like him عَبْدَAbd (servant of) رَحْمَانِRahman (the Merciful)
تُظلِّلُ يَوْماً مِثْلَهُ عَبْدَ رَحْمَانِ
Nor has my soul felt a worshipper's mercy,
Nor has my soul felt the mercy of a worshipper
That would ever shade one like him, Abd Rahman.
Who would shade a day like it a servant of the Merciful.
وَلاَnor شَعَرَتْit felt مِنْfrom قَبْلِهِbefore him بِتَشَوُّقٍwith longing
وَلاَ شَعَرَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ بِتَشَوُّقٍ
تَخَلَّلَpervaded مِنْهَاwithin it بَيْنَbetween رُوحٍspirit وَجْثْمَانِand body
تَخَلَّلَ مِنْهَا بَيْنَ رُوحٍ وَجْثْمَانِ
Nor, before him, had it felt a longing
Nor before him did it feel a yearning
That coursed through it, between spirit and body.
That penetrated it between spirit and body.
Sol 6.1