يَئسْتُI despaired منَof الْحَيَاةِlife وَكَانَand was يَأْسيmy despair
يَئسْتُ منَ الْحَيَاةِ وَكَانَ يَأْسي
يُريحُsoothes النَّفْسَthe soul لَوْif سَكَتَfell silent الضَّميرُconscience
يُريحُ النَّفْسَ لَوْ سَكَتَ الضَّميرُ
I despaired of life, and my despair
I despair of life, yet my despair
would soothe the soul, if conscience fell silent.
Would give my soul relief, if conscience fell silent;
وَلَكنِّيbut I أُسَامُam subjected to عَذَابَthe torment of فكْريmy thoughts
وَلَكنِّي أُسَامُ عَذَابَ فكْري
وَذلكَand that فيin الْحسَابthe reckoning هُوَit is العَسيرُthe hard part
وَذلكَ في الْحسَاب هُوَ العَسيرُ
But I am subjected to the torment of my thoughts,
But I suffer the torment of my thoughts,
and that, in the reckoning, is the hard part.
And that is the greatest agony.
فَقَدْتُI lost هَنَاءَتيmy happiness وَسُكُونَand the peace of بَاليmy mind
فَقَدْتُ هَنَاءَتي وَسُكُونَ بَالي
وَفَارَقَنيand deserted me نَعيميmy bliss وَالسُّرُورُand joy
وَفَارَقَني نَعيمي وَالسُّرُورُ
I lost my happiness and peace of mind,
I have lost my joy and peace of mind,
and my bliss and joy deserted me.
My bliss and delight have left me.
وَصِرْتُand I came إِلىto هَوَانٍhumiliation بَعْدَafter عِزٍّhonor
وَصِرْتُ إِلى هَوَانٍ بَعْدَ عِزٍّ
فَيَاso alas for حُزنيmy grief وَيَاand oh بئْسَhow wretched المَصيرُthe fate
فَيَا حُزني وَيَا بئْسَ المَصيرُ
I fell into humiliation after honor:
From glory I have sunk into degradation -
alas for my grief, and what a wretched fate!
Oh, my sorrow! Evil is my fate.
خَفرْتُI broke ذِمَامَthe covenant of زَوْجيmy wife وَهْيَthough she is أَوفَىthe most faithful
خَفرْتُ ذِمَامَ زَوْجي وَهْيَ أَوفَى
مُحَصَّنةa chaste woman بهَاin her تُزهَىtake pride الخُدُورُthe secluded chambers
مُحَصَّنة بهَا تُزهَى الخُدُورُ
I broke my covenant with my wife, though she is the most faithful
I betrayed my virtuous wife, though she
of chaste women, in whom the secluded chambers take pride.
Was my protection, and homes were made honourable through her.
وَخُنْتُand I betrayed وَليَّthe giver of نِعْمَتنَاour blessings فَذَنْبيso my sin
وَخُنْتُ وَليَّ نِعْمَتنَا فَذَنْبي
إِلَيْهِagainst him بقَدْرin proportion to نعْمَتِهِhis bounty كَبيرُgreat
إِلَيْهِ بقَدْر نعْمَتِهِ كَبيرُ
And I betrayed the giver of our blessings; my sin
I was ungrateful to my patron - my sin against him
against him is great in proportion to his bounty.
Is as great as his generosity to me was.
وَليًّa patron كَانَwas بَعَدَafter أَبيmy father كَفيليmy guardian
وَليًّ كَانَ بَعَدَ أَبي كَفيلي
عَقَقْتُI was ungrateful for جَميلَهُhis kindness وَليand mine is الثَبُورُruin
عَقَقْتُ جَميلَهُ وَلي الثَبُورُ
A patron who, after my father, was my guardian—
After my father, he was my guardian,
I was ungrateful for his kindness, and ruin is mine.
But I repaid his kindness with ingratitude - may I be ruined!
غُرِرْتُI was deceived فَمَاyet not ارْتَوَيْتُI slaked my thirst فَنَالَthen it inflicted harm منِّيon me
غُرِرْتُ فَمَا ارْتَوَيْتُ فَنَالَ منِّي
اشَدَّthe most severe مَنَالَهُof its harm ذَاكَthat الغُرُورُdeception
اشَدَّ مَنَالَهُ ذَاكَ الغُرُورُ
I was deceived, yet never slaked my thirst; I suffered
I was tempted and found no satisfaction;
the worst harm that deception could inflict.
Seduction took its strongest hold on me.
وَحَاقَand closed around بِيَme الشَّقَاءُmisery فَلَسْتُso I do not أَلْقَىencounter
وَحَاقَ بِيَ الشَّقَاءُ فَلَسْتُ أَلْقَى
سِوَاهُanything but it حَيْثُwherever أَمْكُثُI stay أَوْor أَسِيرُI travel
سِوَاهُ حَيْثُ أَمْكُثُ أَوْ أَسِيرُ
And misery closed around me; I encounter nothing
Misfortune clings to me wherever I stay or go;
but it, wherever I stay or travel.
I find only it, nothing else.
تبَدَّلَchanged عَاجِلاًswiftly مَاwhat كانَwas حُسْنِيHusni
تبَدَّلَ عَاجِلاً مَا كانَ حُسْنِي
فحُسْنِيso Husni الْيَوْمَtoday مِسْكِينٌwretched حَقِيرdespised
فحُسْنِي الْيَوْمَ مِسْكِينٌ حَقِير
What Husni once was has swiftly changed;
My beauty changed quickly into ugliness,
so today Husni is wretched and despised.
So my beauty today is miserable and despised.
تنَابذُهُcast him out الْبُيُوتُthe houses بِكُلِّin every حَيِّquarter
تنَابذُهُ الْبُيُوتُ بِكُلِّ حَيِّ
وَخيْرٌand better مِنْهُthan him مَنْthose whom تَحْوِيcontain الْقبورُthe graves
وَخيْرٌ مِنْهُ مَنْ تَحْوِي الْقبورُ
The houses in every quarter cast him out,
Homes reject me in every neighbourhood,
and better than he are those whom the graves contain.
And better than me is he who lies in the grave.
تَعَالوْاcome يَاO بَنِيsons of أُميmy mother اشْهَدونِيbehold me
تَعَالوْا يَا بَنِي أُمي اشْهَدونِي
فمَاfor there is no بَعْدَbeyond الذِيwhat أَلْقىI suffer نكِيرُpunishment
فمَا بَعْدَ الذِي أَلْقى نكِيرُ
Come, sons of my mother, behold me,
Come, my mother's sons, and witness me -
for there is no punishment beyond what I suffer.
After this, what disgrace can I suffer?
جُنِنتُI went mad بِحبِّwith love for فَاجِرَةٍa dissolute woman فهَذاso this
جُنِنتُ بِحبِّ فَاجِرَةٍ فهَذا
مِنَamong الآثَارِthe legacies مَأْثرَكyour handiwork الفجورُdebauchery
مِنَ الآثَارِ مَأْثرَك الفجورُ
I went mad with love for a dissolute woman; this
I was crazed with passion for an immoral woman, and this
is one of your legacies—your handiwork, O debauchery.
Was the trace left by your immorality.
أَبَحْتI made permissible لَهَاto her دَمِيmy blood وَجَفوْتُand I forsook أَهْلِيmy family
أَبَحْت لَهَا دَمِي وَجَفوْتُ أَهْلِي
فكانso there was الصَّدُّrejection مِنْهَاfrom her وَالنُّفورُand aversion
فكان الصَّدُّ مِنْهَا وَالنُّفورُ
I put my blood at her disposal and forsook my family,
I squandered my blood on her and neglected my family,
and from her came rejection and aversion.
So I received only rejection and aversion from her.
وَجَدْتُI found بَحْرَa sea of مَالِيmy wealth لمْdid not يَرُعنِيalarm me
وَجَدْتُ بَحْرَ مَالِي لمْ يَرُعنِي
قَلِيلٌa little ضَاعَwas lost مِنْهُfrom it وَلاَnor كثِيرُmuch
قَلِيلٌ ضَاعَ مِنْهُ وَلاَ كثِيرُ
I found my wealth a sea; I was not alarmed
I found a sea of wealth, but it did not restrain me -
by a little lost from it, nor by much.
Little was lost from it, and not much.
فَلَمَّاthen when اسْتنْزَفَتْshe drained وَفْرِيmy fortune أَرَتْنِيshe showed me
فَلَمَّا اسْتنْزَفَتْ وَفْرِي أَرَتْنِي
خَبِيئَةَthe hidden secret of نَفْسِهَاher soul تِلْكَthat الكُفُورُungrateful woman
خَبِيئَةَ نَفْسِهَا تِلْكَ الكُفُورُ
Then, when she had drained my fortune, she showed me
When she had drained my abundance, she showed me
her soul's hidden secret—that ungrateful woman.
The hidden baseness of her ungrateful soul.
بَدَاappeared لِيto me قُبحٌugliness مَاwhat سَترَتْconcealed حُلاَهَاher charms
بَدَا لِي قُبحٌ مَا سَترَتْ حُلاَهَا
فرُحْتُso I departed وَلَيْسَand there was no فِيin عَيْنِيَّmy eyes نورُlight
فرُحْتُ وَلَيْسَ فِي عَيْنِيَّ نورُ
The ugliness of what her charms had hidden appeared to me;
I saw the ugliness she had concealed with her beauty,
so I departed, with no light in my eyes,
And I rejoiced, though my eyes had no light.
كَرِيهاًdespised مُبْعَداًcast out وَالْبَابُthough the door بَابِيmy door
كَرِيهاً مُبْعَداً وَالْبَابُ بَابِي
كَمَاjust as يُقْصَىis dismissed وَقَدْand already كُرِهَwas disliked الأَجِيرُthe hired servant
كَمَا يُقْصَى وَقَدْ كُرِهَ الأَجِيرُ
despised and cast out, though the door was my own,
Hateful, banished, with the door barred against me,
as a hired servant is dismissed once he is disliked.
As a hired hand is dismissed once found distasteful.
أَأَحْيَاshall I live? بَعْدَafter أَنْthat رُضَّتwas crushed حَصَاتِيmy reason (literally, pebble)
أَأَحْيَا بَعْدَ أَنْ رُضَّت حَصَاتِي
وَعَمَّتand spread throughout مَاwhat يحِيْطُsurrounds بِيme الشُّرُورُevils
وَعَمَّت مَا يحِيْطُ بِي الشُّرُورُ
Shall I live after the stone of my reason has been crushed,
Can I live after my worries are gone
and evils have spread through all that surrounds me?
And ills surround me on all sides?
وَيُرضِينيand it satisfies me أَزَمَّamid the straits of الْعَيْشِlife أَنيthat I
وَيُرضِيني أَزَمَّ الْعَيْشِ أَني
إِذَنْthus فِيin غَيْرِthe absence of مَحْمِدَةٍpraise صَبُورُpatient
إِذَنْ فِي غَيْرِ مَحْمِدَةٍ صَبُورُ
And does it satisfy me, amid life's straits, that I
Will it satisfy me to endure the bitterness of life
am thus patient, without deserving praise?
If I show patience without praise?
إِذَاif أَحْجَمْتُI shrink back وَالإِقْدَامُthough bold action حَقِّيmy right
إِذَا أَحْجَمْتُ وَالإِقْدَامُ حَقِّي
وَهَانَand became easy عَلَىfor كرَامَتِيَmy dignity الْعَسِيرُhardship
وَهَانَ عَلَى كرَامَتِيَ الْعَسِيرُ
If I shrink back, though bold action is my right,
When I hesitate though boldness is my right,
and hardship becomes easy for my dignity to bear,
And the difficult path seems a disgrace to my dignity,
فَقَدْthen indeed أَبْقَىhas left alive الْجَبَانُthe coward النَّذْلُthe vile one مِنِّيof me
فَقَدْ أَبْقَى الْجَبَانُ النَّذْلُ مِنِّي
وَقَدْand indeed هَلَكَhas perished الْفَتَىthe youth الْحُرُّthe free الْجَسُورُthe courageous
وَقَدْ هَلَكَ الْفَتَى الْحُرُّ الْجَسُورُ
then the vile coward is what remains of me,
The cowardly villain remains in me
while the free, courageous youth has perished.
While the brave, noble man is destroyed.
Sol 6.1