إِلَىto اللَّهِGod أَشْكُوI complain أَخَاًa brother جَافِياًunfeeling
إِلَى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو أَخَاً جَافِياً
يُضِيْعُhe squanders فَأَحْفَظُwhile I preserve فِيْهِtoward him الصَّنِيْعَهْkindness
يُضِيْعُ فَأَحْفَظُ فِيْهِ الصَّنِيْعَهْ
To God I complain of an unfeeling brother,
To God I complain of a brother estranged,
Who squanders kindness, while I preserve it toward him.
Who turns away so I cherish good will;
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle الوُشَاةُthe slanderers سَعَواmade their way نَحْوَهُtoward him
إِذَا مَا الوُشَاةُ سَعَوا نَحْوَهُ
أَصَاخَhe listened intently إِلَيْهِمْto them بِأُذْنٍwith an ear سَمِيْعَهْattentive
أَصَاخَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِأُذْنٍ سَمِيْعَهْ
Whenever the slanderers make their way to him,
When slanderers work to lead him astray,
He listens to them with an attentive ear.
He inclines his ear, attentive and keen.
وَتَظْهَرُand appear لِيto me مِنْهُfrom him فِيin كُلِّevery يَوِمٍday
وَتَظْهَرُ لِي مِنْهُ فِي كُلِّ يَوِمٍ
خَلاَئِقُcharacter traits مُسْتَنْكَرَاتٌabhorrent فَظِيْعَهْappalling
خَلاَئِقُ مُسْتَنْكَرَاتٌ فَظِيْعَهْ
And every day I see in him
Each day brings more proof of his scorn toward me—
Traits abhorrent and appalling.
Acts of contempt too unseemly to feel.
كَثُرْتُI became too much عَلَيْهِfor him فَأمْلَلْتُهُso I bored him
كَثُرْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَأمْلَلْتُهُ
وَكُلُّand every كَثِيْرٍexcess عَدُوُّthe enemy of الطَّبِيْعَهْnature
وَكُلُّ كَثِيْرٍ عَدُوُّ الطَّبِيْعَهْ
I became too much for him, and so I bored him;
I’ve lavished him with love until I’m replete,
And all excess is nature’s enemy.
For all excess is a burden to bear.
وَإِنِّيand I indeed لأَعْلَمُI surely know أَنَّthat المَلُوthe easily bored person (word continues)
وَإِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ أَنَّ المَلُو
لَcompletion of 'the easily bored person' لَيْسَis not بِمُرُضِيْهِpleasing to him إِلاَّexcept القَطِيْعَهْthe severing of ties
لَ لَيْسَ بِمُرُضِيْهِ إِلاَّ القَطِيْعَهْ
And I know full well that the easily bored person
I know that ignoring him serves me far better
Is pleased by nothing but the severing of ties.
Than bandaging wounds that will never heal.
وَلَكِنَّbut نَفْسِيmy soul إِذَwhen اسْتُكْرِهَتْis coerced
وَلَكِنَّ نَفْسِي إِذَ اسْتُكْرِهَتْ
عَلَىto الهَجْرِforsaking لِيْسَتْis not لَهُof it مُسْتَطِيْعَهْcapable
عَلَى الهَجْرِ لِيْسَتْ لَهُ مُسْتَطِيْعَهْ
But my soul, when forced
But when my soul shrinks from such bitterness,
To forsake him, is incapable of it.
I find I’m too weak to completely forswear.
Sol 6.1