سلفاًformerly كلفتنيyou burdened me with شغفاًpassion
سلفاً كلفتني شغفاً
شغفاًpassion كلفتنيyou burdened me with سلفاformerly
شغفاً كلفتني سلفا
Long ago you burdened me with passion;
You burdened me with passion beforehand
with passion you burdened me long ago.
With passion you burdened me beforehand
فتحريتso I sought هواكyour love ولوeven though
فتحريت هواك ولو
إنهindeed it يعقبنيbrings upon me التلفاruin
إنه يعقبني التلفا
So I pursued your love, even though
So I sought your love even if
it brings me ruin.
It brings me to ruin afterwards
ليتwould that طرفاًan eye شحwas stingy عنregarding أربa wish
ليت طرفاً شح عن أرب
لكfor you فيهin it لمdid not يكنbe طرفاan eye
لك فيه لم يكن طرفا
Would that an eye that begrudged a wish
If only an eye missed seeing you
you had of it had never been an eye!
In which there was no eye for you
ياO أباAbu (father of) الفزعal-Faza‘ الشريفthe noble ومنand one who
يا أبا الفزع الشريف ومن
سادsurpassed فيamong أقرانهhis peers الشرفاthe nobles
ساد في أقرانه الشرفا
O noble Abu al-Faza‘, you who
O father of noble panic and he who
surpassed the nobles among your peers,
Prevailed over his peers in nobility
لمwhy لاnot تستعطفنyou appeal for kindness أباًa father
لم لا تستعطفن أباً
كلماwhenever استعطفتهyou sought his kindness عطفاhe showed kindness
كلما استعطفته عطفا
why do you not appeal to a father
Why don't you plead with a father
who shows kindness whenever you appeal to him?
Whenever you plead with him, he is kind
إنماnothing but أنتyou الصريفpure silver فلاso do not
إنما أنت الصريف فلا
تكbe فيat بابthe gate of الرجاhope خزفاearthenware
تك في باب الرجا خزفا
You are nothing but pure silver, so do not
You are the gentle one, so do not be
be earthenware at the gate of hope.
Like pottery at the door of hope
أهلmembers of بيتيmy household يبتغونseek لهمfor themselves
أهل بيتي يبتغون لهم
كلevery يومٍday منfrom يديmy hand علفاfodder
كل يومٍ من يدي علفا
My household seeks for itself
My family seeks from me
fodder from my hand each day.
Every day fodder from my hand
كمhow much أعانيI suffer فيfor معاشهمtheir livelihood
كم أعاني في معاشهم
باختلاصby wresting القرضloans والحرفاand trades
باختلاص القرض والحرفا
How much I suffer for their livelihood,
How much I suffer providing their livelihood
by wresting loans and plying trades!
By stealing loans and craft
يحسبونthey reckon الخبزbread مؤتدماًaccompanied by a relish
يحسبون الخبز مؤتدماً
بحشيشwith the greens of الهندباchicory سرقاsilk
بحشيش الهندبا سرقا
They reckon bread, eaten with
They think bread spoiled
chicory greens, as silk.
With grasshoppers is stolen
غيرyet أنthat الهمworry أنحلنيhas wasted me away
غير أن الهم أنحلني
فيamid عيالdependents عكفgathered close ضعفاweak ones
في عيال عكف ضعفا
Yet worry has wasted me away
But worries dissolved me
amid dependents, gathered close and weak.
Into a family that clung to weakness
جاعلاًmaking عبدAbd (servant of) الحسينal-Husayn لهمfor them
جاعلاً عبد الحسين لهم
شافعاًan intercessor حسبيenough for me بهin him وكفىand he suffices
شافعاً حسبي به وكفى
I make Abd al-Husayn their
Making Abd al-Husayn their
intercessor—he suffices me, and is enough.
Intercessor, sufficient for me is him
حبذاhow excellent ذاكthat الشفيعintercessor ومنand one who
حبذا ذاك الشفيع ومن
كلماwhenever استمطرتهI asked him for rain وكفاhe poured forth
كلما استمطرته وكفا
How fine that intercessor—the one who
Best is that intercessor, and he who
pours forth whenever I ask him for rain!
Whenever I called upon him, sufficed
لوif ترىcould see الألحاظthe eyes سيرتهhis course
لو ترى الألحاظ سيرته
فيin مجاريthe pathways of فلكهhis celestial sphere وكفاwould stream with tears
في مجاري فلكه وكفا
If eyes could see his course
If you could see his conduct
through his sphere’s pathways, they would weep.
In the orbits of his realm, it would suffice
ومتىand whenever نبتهتwas stirred رأفتهhis compassion
ومتى نبتهت رأفته
غمرتنيflooded over me منةfavor ووفاand fidelity
غمرتني منة ووفا
And whenever his compassion is stirred,
And whenever his kindness sprouted
favor and fidelity flood over me.
It overwhelmed me with bounty and loyalty
كنتI was أيامduring the days of التفاتتهhis regard
كنت أيام التفاتته
لمdid not أخفI fear منfrom أزمنيmy times جنفاinjustice
لم أخف من أزمني جنفا
In the days of his kindly regard,
I spent the days of his care
I feared no injustice from my times.
Not fearing whoever envied me
وبيومand on the day of الصدrejection صيرنيhe made me
وبيوم الصد صيرني
فيin نضالarchery of الدهرTime ليagainst me هدفاa target
في نضال الدهر لي هدفا
And on the day he turned away, he made me
And on the day of his indifference
a target in Time’s archery against me.
He made me aimless in the struggle of fate
كمhow often سقانيhe gave me to drink منfrom سحائبهhis clouds
كم سقاني من سحائبه
عذبsweet ماءٍwater طيباًwholesome نطفاdrops
عذب ماءٍ طيباً نطفا
How often he gave me drink from his clouds:
How much sweet gentle water
sweet water, wholesome drops!
He quenched me from his clouds
يهبhe bestows المالwealth النفيسprecious فلاso neither
يهب المال النفيس فلا
خزفاًearthenware يعطيhe gives ولاnor صدفاshells
خزفاً يعطي ولا صدفا
He bestows precious wealth, so neither
Bestowing precious wealth, not
earthenware nor shells does he give.
Giving pottery or seashells
أنعمhas blessed اللَهGod عليupon me بهwith him
أنعم اللَه علي به
وعلىand upon الناسthe people حمىa sanctuary كنفاa shelter
وعلى الناس حمى كنفا
God has blessed me with him,
God has blessed me through him
and the people with a sanctuary and shelter.
And protected people through his care
Sol 6.1