جَاءَتْarrived رِسَالَةُa letter مَنْthe one whom أَهْوَىَI love وَأَسْعَدَنِيْand gladdened me
جَاءَتْ رِسَالَةُ مَنْ أَهْوَىَ وَأَسْعَدَنِيْ
عَذْبُsweet الْكَلاَمِthe words , وَمَاand what خَطَّتْهُpenned it يُمْنَاهَاher right hand
عَذْبُ الْكَلاَمِ , وَمَا خَطَّتْهُ يُمْنَاهَا
A letter came from the one I love, and I was gladdened by
The message came from the one I love and made me happy
the sweetness of its words and what her right hand had penned.
Sweet words, and what its right hand wrote
سَارَعْتُI hurried أَقْرَأُI read فَحْوَاهَاits contents , وَأَلْثُمُهَاand I kiss it
سَارَعْتُ أَقْرَأُ فَحْوَاهَا , وَأَلْثُمُهَا
عَشْرَاًten times . وَعُذْرِيْand my excuse مَاnot اسْتَوْعَبْتُI grasped مَعْنَاهَاits meaning
عَشْرَاً . وَعُذْرِيْ مَا اسْتَوْعَبْتُ مَعْنَاهَا
I hurried to read its contents and kiss it
I rushed to read its contents and kiss it
ten times; my excuse was that I had not grasped its meaning.
Ten times. And my excuse is that I did not understand its meaning
يَاO مَنْyou who ظَنَنْتَyou thought بعذريabout my excuse شابهُmarred it وَهَنٌweakness
يَا مَنْ ظَنَنْتَ بعذري شابهُ وَهَنٌ
غَيْرِيْsomeone other than me لِنَاقَةِfor the she-camel of مَنْthe one whom يَهْوَىَhe loves تَمَنَّاهَاhe wished for it
غَيْرِيْ لِنَاقَةِ مَنْ يَهْوَىَ تَمَنَّاهَا
O you who thought my excuse was marred by weakness,
O you who thought my excuse was weak and disdainful
someone other than me longed for the she-camel of the one he loves.
Someone else longing for his she-camel wished for it
مَاnot كَانَwas حَاجَتُهُhis purpose فِيin عِشْقِlove of نَاقَتِهَاher she-camel
مَا كَانَ حَاجَتُهُ فِي عِشْقِ نَاقَتِهَا
لَكِنَّbut حَاجَتُهُhis purpose فِيwithin النَّفْسِthe soul أَخْفَاهَاhe concealed it
لَكِنَّ حَاجَتُهُ فِي النَّفْسِ أَخْفَاهَا
His purpose was not to love her she-camel,
His need was not in loving his she-camel
but he concealed his purpose within his soul.
But his soul's need he concealed
وَالْعُذْرُand the excuse يُصْبِحُbecomes , مَاwhen لاَنَتْgrew weak دَعَائِمُهُits pillars
وَالْعُذْرُ يُصْبِحُ , مَا لاَنَتْ دَعَائِمُهُ
لِلْعَاشِقِيْنَfor lovers , مِنَamong الأَعْذَارِthe excuses أَقْوَاهَاthe strongest of them
لِلْعَاشِقِيْنَ , مِنَ الأَعْذَارِ أَقْوَاهَا
And an excuse, when its pillars weaken, becomes
The excuse becomes, its pillars not weakening
the strongest of excuses for lovers.
For lovers, of excuses the strongest
بيتُhouse العناكبِthe spiders فيamong البنيانِstructures أوهنُهاthe frailest of them
بيتُ العناكبِ في البنيانِ أوهنُها
وَالسِّرُand the secret فِيْin وَهْنِهَاits frailty فِيْin الغَارِthe cave قَوَّاهَاstrengthened it
وَالسِّرُ فِيْ وَهْنِهَا فِيْ الغَارِ قَوَّاهَا
The spiders' house is the frailest of structures,
The spider's house in the building is the weakest
and the secret in its frailty made it strong in the cave.
And the secret in its weakness, the cave strengthened it
هَلْwill ...? تَغْفِرُوْنَyou forgive إِذَاif الأَسْبَابُthe reasons قَدْindeed خَفِيَتْbecame hidden
هَلْ تَغْفِرُوْنَ إِذَا الأَسْبَابُ قَدْ خَفِيَتْ
لِمَwhy الرِّسَالَةُthe letter مَرَّاتٍmany times قَرَأْنَاهَاwe read it!
لِمَ الرِّسَالَةُ مَرَّاتٍ قَرَأْنَاهَا!
Will you forgive us if the reasons have been hidden?
If the causes are hidden, do you forgive
Why did we read the letter time and again?
Why the message many times did we read it!
إِنيِّindeed, I وَجَدْتُI found لِعُذْرِيْfor my excuse مَاwhat يُبَرِّرُهُjustifies it
إِنيِّ وَجَدْتُ لِعُذْرِيْ مَا يُبَرِّرُهُ
فَقَدfor indeed لَثَمْتُI kissed حُرُوفاًletters لاَمَسَتْtouched فَاهَاher mouth
فَقَد لَثَمْتُ حُرُوفاً لاَمَسَتْ فَاهَا
Indeed, I have found what justifies my excuse:
I found for my excuse what justifies it
for I kissed letters that had touched her mouth.
For I have kissed letters her mouth touched
مَنْwhoever جَرَّبَexperienced العِشْقَpassionate love . فَالأَسْبَابُthen the reasons واضِحَةٌclear
مَنْ جَرَّبَ العِشْقَ . فَالأَسْبَابُ واضِحَةٌ
لَوْلاَhad it not been for الْمَلاَمَةُreproach , مَاnot كُنَّاwe were كَشَفْنَاهَاwe revealed them
لَوْلاَ الْمَلاَمَةُ , مَا كُنَّا كَشَفْنَاهَا
For anyone who has experienced love, the reasons are clear.
Whoever tries love, the causes are clear
Had it not been for reproach, we would not have revealed them.
Were it not for blame, we would not have revealed them
Sol 6.1