إلىto اللَهGod أشكوI complain عبرةًa tear قدalready أظلتhas overshadowed
إلى اللَه أشكو عبرةً قد أظلت
ونفساًand a soul إذاwhen ماfor emphasis عزهاoverpowers it الشوقlonging ذلتis humbled
ونفساً إذا ما عزها الشوق ذلت
To God I complain of a tear that has overshadowed me,
To God I lament a weeping that has shadowed me,
and a soul that is humbled whenever longing overpowers it.
And a soul that when longing exalts it, it is abased,
تحنyearns إلىfor أرضthe land of الحجازthe Hijaz ودونهاand before it
تحن إلى أرض الحجاز ودونها
تنائفdesert wastes لوif تسريtravels by night بهاthrough them الريحthe wind ظلتwould continue by day
تنائف لو تسري بها الريح ظلت
It yearns for the land of the Hijaz, but between it and that land lie
Yearning for the land of Hejaz and its environs,
wastes where, if the wind traveled by night, it would still be traveling by day.
Blowing northwards, shadows would accompany it if the wind traveled with it.
وإنيand indeed I بهاamid them لوif لاnot أمانيhopes تغرهاbeguile it
وإني بها لو لا أماني تغرها
وقدand already أرجفتhad trembled هوجheadlong المطاياthe riding-camels وكلتI would have faltered
وقد أرجفت هوج المطايا وكلت
And I, amid them, but for hopes that beguile my soul,
And truly were it not for hopes that tempted it,
would have lost heart, with the headlong riding-camels already trembling.
It would have stirred the ardour of the riding-beasts and exhausted them.
أأمنعam I to be denied? منfrom واديthe valley of زبالةZubala شربةٍa draught
أأمنع من وادي زبالة شربةٍ
وقدand already نهلتhave drunk once منهfrom it الكلابthe dogs وعلتand drunk again
وقد نهلت منه الكلاب وعلت
Am I to be denied a draught from the valley of Zubala,
Shall I be denied a draught from the valley of Thu'ban,
though dogs have drunk from it once and then again?
When dogs have lapped from it and risen sated?
سقىmay water اللَهGod رملthe sands of القاعal-Qa‘ والقاعand al-Qa‘ فاللوىthen al-Liwa
سقى اللَه رمل القاع والقاع فاللوى
فقدfor indeed عطفتhas turned نفسيmy soul إليهtoward it وحنتand yearned
فقد عطفت نفسي إليه وحنت
May God water the sands of al-Qa‘, al-Qa‘ itself, and then al-Liwa,
May God water the sands of the plain and the plain!
for my soul has turned toward it and yearned.
For I have inclined my soul to it and it has yearned.
وأسقيand may water لوىthe curving sands of جبليthe two mountains of زرودZarud ومربخاًand Murbikh
وأسقي لوى جبلي زرود ومربخاً
سحائبclouds لاdoes not يلقيencounter الظماthirst ماwhatever أظلتthey shade
سحائب لا يلقي الظما ما أظلت
And may the curving sands of Zarud's two mountains and Murbikh be watered
And I shall water the slope of my Mount Zarud and Marbakh
by clouds beneath whose shade nothing suffers thirst.
With clouds that shed no rain however much they have shadowed.
هممتI resolved فلمbut did not أربعpause علىover الفكرthe thought لحظةًfor a moment
هممت فلم أربع على الفكر لحظةً
وقدand indeed كانwas حظthe advantage of النفسthe soul أنthat لوif تأنتit had taken its time
وقد كان حظ النفس أن لو تأنت
I resolved, yet did not pause to reflect for a moment,
I resolved but did not tarry over the thought a moment,
though my soul would have fared better had it taken its time.
Since it was the soul's lot, that if it paused it would pine away.
وأصبحتand I became لهفاناًanguished علىover ماwhat أضعتهI squandered it
وأصبحت لهفاناً على ما أضعته
كذاكthus يكونis الرأيjudgment ماso long as لمnot يثبتbecomes firm
كذاك يكون الرأي ما لم يثبت
And I became anguished over what I had squandered:
And I became fretful over what I had squandered
such is judgment when it is not well grounded.
Thus shall judgment be if it is not firmly grounded.
Sol 6.1