يَاO مُذِيقِيyou who make me taste غُصَّةَthe choking pang of الْكَمَدِgrief
يَا مُذِيقِي غُصَّةَ الْكَمَدِ
مُشْعِلاًa kindler لِلنَّارِof the fire فيin كَبِدِيmy liver
مُشْعِلاً لِلنَّارِ في كَبِدِي
O you who make me taste the choking pang of grief,
O you who taste the bitterness of sorrow,
kindling the fire in my liver,
Kindling a fire in my liver,
أَلِذَنْبٍfor a sin? كَانَwas هَجْرُكَyour abandonment لِيof me
أَلِذَنْبٍ كَانَ هَجْرُكَ لِي
أَوْor دَلاَلَthe coyness of الْغُنْجِcoquetry والْغِيَدِand supple grace
أَوْ دَلاَلَ الْغُنْجِ والْغِيَدِ
was your abandonment of me for a sin,
Was it because of a sin of mine
or for the coyness of coquetry and supple grace?
That you ignored me, or just whim and caprice?
حِيْنَwhen أَزْمَعْتَyou resolved on الرَّحِيلَdeparture ضُحىًat midmorning
حِيْنَ أَزْمَعْتَ الرَّحِيلَ ضُحىً
أَزْمَعَتْresolved رُوحِيmy soul عَنِfrom الْجَسَدِthe body
أَزْمَعَتْ رُوحِي عَنِ الْجَسَدِ
When you resolved to depart at midmorning,
When you decided to leave at dawn,
my soul resolved to leave the body.
My soul left my body.
ماnot أُبالِيI care مَاwhat يَفُوتُpasses by إِذَاif
ما أُبالِي مَا يَفُوتُ إِذَا
ظَفِرَتْhas won بِالوَصْلِunion مِنْكَfrom you يَدِيmy hand
ظَفِرَتْ بِالوَصْلِ مِنْكَ يَدِي
I care not what passes me by, if
I care not what I lose if
my hand wins union with you.
My hand attains your reunion.
قُلْsay لِخيْرِto the best of النَّاسِpeople كُلِّهِمِall of them
قُلْ لِخيْرِ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمِ
لاnot أُحاشِيI exclude فيهِin this مِنْany أَحَدِone
لا أُحاشِي فيهِ مِنْ أَحَدِ
Tell the best of all people—
Say to the best of all people,
I make no exception here for anyone—
I exclude no one from this,
الَّذِيthe one who يَرْضَىis pleased الإِلهُGod بِهِwith him
الَّذِي يَرْضَى الإِلهُ بِهِ
مُذْهِباًa dispeller لِلْغَيِّof error بِالرَّشْدِthrough right guidance
مُذْهِباً لِلْغَيِّ بِالرَّشْدِ
the one with whom God is pleased,
He with whom God is pleased,
as he banishes error through right guidance:
Dispelling harm with righteousness.
حَاسِدِيone who envies me فيfor حُسْنِthe goodness of فِعْلِكِyour treatment بِيof me
حَاسِدِي في حُسْنِ فِعْلِكِ بِي
غَيْرُnot مَعْذُولٍblamed عَلَىfor الْحَسَدِenvy
غَيْرُ مَعْذُولٍ عَلَى الْحَسَدِ
Whoever envies me for your kindness toward me
My enviers of your good deeds towards me
is not to be blamed for envy.
Are not to be blamed for their envy.
قَدْindeed دَهَتْنِيhas befallen me الآنَnow دَاهِيةٌa calamity
قَدْ دَهَتْنِي الآنَ دَاهِيةٌ
وَسْمُهَاits mark بَاقٍremaining عَلَىfor الأَبَدِeternity
وَسْمُهَا بَاقٍ عَلَى الأَبَدِ
A calamity has now befallen me;
I am now infected by a chronic disease,
its mark remains for all eternity.
Whose poison endures forever.
أَنْتَyou يَاO أَعْلَىthe highest of المُلُوكِkings يَداًin open-handedness
أَنْتَ يَا أَعْلَى المُلُوكِ يَداً
عُدَّتِيmy resource فِيهَاin it وَمُعْتَمَدِيand my reliance
عُدَّتِي فِيهَا وَمُعْتَمَدِي
You, O most open-handed of kings,
You, O highest of kings, are
are my resource in it and my reliance.
My asset therein and my reliance.
تَوْبَتِيmy repentance قَدْindeed ذَلَّhas been humbled جانِبُهاits side
تَوْبَتِي قَدْ ذَلَّ جانِبُها
بِيعَwas sold مِنْهاfrom it النَّوْمُsleep بِالسَهَدِfor sleeplessness
بِيعَ مِنْها النَّوْمُ بِالسَهَدِ
My repentance has been brought low;
My repentance is weakened,
its sleep has been sold for sleeplessness.
In it sleep is sold for wakefulness.
ضَعَّفَhas weakened الحرمَانُprivation قُوَّتَهاits strength
ضَعَّفَ الحرمَانُ قُوَّتَها
بَعْدَafter حُسْنِfine الأَيْدِstrength والجَلَدِand endurance
بَعْدَ حُسْنِ الأَيْدِ والجَلَدِ
Privation has weakened its strength,
Deprivation has weakened its strength
after fine vigor and endurance.
After the beauty of support and endurance.
لاdo not تُطِعْheed فِينَاagainst us الْوُشَاةَthe slanderers فَقَدْfor indeed
لا تُطِعْ فِينَا الْوُشَاةَ فَقَدْ
جَعَلُونَاthey have made us ضُحْكَةَthe laughingstock of الْبَلَدِthe town
جَعَلُونَا ضُحْكَةَ الْبَلَدِ
Do not heed the slanderers against us, for
Do not obey those who slander about us,
they have made us the laughingstock of the town,
For they have made us the joke of the town,
حِينَwhen فَازُواthey won دُونَنَاto our exclusion بِيَدٍa favor
حِينَ فَازُوا دُونَنَا بِيَدٍ
مِنْكَfrom you واسْتَوْلَواand gained mastery عَلَىover الأَمَدِthe goal
مِنْكَ واسْتَوْلَوا عَلَى الأَمَدِ
when they won a favor, to our exclusion,
When they won against us by a hand
from you, and took the lead.
From you and took control of the term.
وَرَأَيْناهَاand we saw it مُعَايَنَةًwith our own eyes
وَرَأَيْناهَا مُعَايَنَةً
إِنَّindeed هَذَاthis مُنْتهَىthe utmost الْكَمِدِgrief
إِنَّ هَذَا مُنْتهَى الْكَمِدِ
And we saw it with our own eyes:
And we saw it in reality—
this is the utmost grief,
This is the utmost sorrow.
بَعْدَafter أَنْthat كُنَّاwe were بِفَضْلِكَthrough your bounty فِيin
بَعْدَ أَنْ كُنَّا بِفَضْلِكَ فِي
طِيبِthe pleasantness of عَيْشٍlife دُونَهُمْto their exclusion رَغِدِabundant
طِيبِ عَيْشٍ دُونَهُمْ رَغِدِ
after we had, through your bounty, lived in
After we had been, by your grace,
the sweetness of an ample life they did not share.
In a good life without them, comfortable.
فَأَنِلْناso grant us مَاwhat أَنَلْتَهُمُyou granted them
فَأَنِلْنا مَا أَنَلْتَهُمُ
خَمْسَةًfive تُوفِيexceed عَلَىabove الْعَدَدِthe count
خَمْسَةً تُوفِي عَلَى الْعَدَدِ
So grant us what you granted them:
So give us what you gave them—
five that exceed the count.
Five that fulfill the number.
أوْor فَزِدْنَاthen give us more مِثْلَlike عَادَتِناour custom
أوْ فَزِدْنَا مِثْلَ عَادَتِنا
لَيْسis not غَمْرُthe deep flood of الْجُودِgenerosity كَالثَّمَدِlike scant standing water
لَيْس غَمْرُ الْجُودِ كَالثَّمَدِ
Or give us more, as we are accustomed;
Or add to us as is your custom,
the deep flood of generosity is no scant pool.
The rain of generosity is not like the drizzle.
عِنْدَناwe have مِنْfrom فِعْلِهِمْtheir deeds تِرَةٌa grievance
عِنْدَنا مِنْ فِعْلِهِمْ تِرَةٌ
فَأَزِلْهاso remove it الْيَوْمَtoday بِالْقَوَدِthrough retaliation in kind
فَأَزِلْها الْيَوْمَ بِالْقَوَدِ
We have a grievance from what they did;
In our view their action is a blemish—
so remove it today through retaliation.
Remove it today with fire.
لَمْnot تَزَلْyou have ceased بِالْبَذْلِwith giving تَبْدَأُنَاyou begin with us
لَمْ تَزَلْ بِالْبَذْلِ تَبْدَأُنَا
فاجْعَلَنْهاso do make it الآنَnow دُونَrather than غَدِtomorrow
فاجْعَلَنْها الآنَ دُونَ غَدِ
You have always been first to give to us;
You have always begun by giving us,
so make it now, not tomorrow.
So make it now rather than tomorrow.
وَلْيَكُنْand let it be إِنْif شِئْتَyou wish مُكْتَتماًconcealed
وَلْيَكُنْ إِنْ شِئْتَ مُكْتَتماً
إِنَّناindeed we مِنْهُمْagainst them عَلَىon رَصَدِwatch
إِنَّنا مِنْهُمْ عَلَى رَصَدِ
And let it be kept secret, if you wish:
And if you wish, keep it confidential,
we are on our guard against them.
For we are watching them.
وَأَزِلْand remove نَحْساًill luck بِرُؤْيَتِهِمْfrom seeing them
وَأَزِلْ نَحْساً بِرُؤْيَتِهِمْ
طَالعاًarising مِنْهُمْfrom them بِمُفْتَقَدِwith something missed
طَالعاً مِنْهُمْ بِمُفْتَقَدِ
And dispel the ill luck of seeing them,
And remove the bad omen of seeing them,
arising from them, with what we lack.
An ascendant evil and misfortune.
وَعَلَيْهِمْand upon them لاnot عَلَيْكَupon you بِهِمْbecause of them
وَعَلَيْهِمْ لا عَلَيْكَ بِهِمْ
دابرَاتُthe calamities of السُّوءِevil وَالنَّكَدِand misery
دابرَاتُ السُّوءِ وَالنَّكَدِ
And upon them, not upon you on their account,
And upon them, not you, is the blame for them,
be the calamities of evil and misery.
The reversals of evil and sorrow.
Sol 6.1