خلَّفَleft الأسىgrief كبديmy liver
خلَّفَ الأسى كبدي
بينbetween ماfirst fragment of “two jaws” ضغيْremaining fragment of “two jaws” أَسدِa lion
بين ما ضغيْ أَسدِ
Grief has left my liver
between a lion’s jaws.
كَمْhow often أَضمُّهاI clasp it كأَبٍlike a father
كَمْ أَضمُّها كأَبٍ
مشفقٍanxious عَلَىfor وَلَدِa child
مشفقٍ عَلَى وَلَدِ
How often I clasp it like a father
anxious for his child.
كمhow often أبيتُI spend the night أربطهاI bind it
كم أبيتُ أربطها
بالذراعِwith the forearm والعضدand the upper arm
بالذراعِ والعضد
How often I spend the night binding it
with my forearm and upper arm.
واصلتْit has reached بأَلسنةٍwith tongues
واصلتْ بأَلسنةٍ
منof شواظِهاits blaze كَتَديmy upper back
من شواظِها كَتَدي
It has reached, with tongues
of its blaze, my upper back.
كلّماwhenever عمدتُI set about لتبto cool- (fragment)
كلّما عمدتُ لتب
ريدِ-ing (fragment) حرِّهاits heat
ريدِ حرِّها
Whenever I set about cool-
ing its heat,
جرحُهاits wound يظلّremains علىdespite الأtreat- (fragment)
جرحُها يظلّ على الأ
سوِ-ment (fragment) غيرnot منضمدhealed
سوِ غير منضمد
its wound remains, despite treat-
ment, unhealed.
ماwhat عَلَىupon بقيتهاwhat remains of it
ما عَلَى بقيتها
لوif وَهتْit gave way معalong with الجلدfortitude
لو وَهتْ مع الجلد
What harm to what is left of it,
if it gave way along with my fortitude?
طالماlong طلبتُI sought لهاfor it
طالما طلبتُ لها
آسياًa healer فلمbut did not أجدI find
آسياً فلم أجد
Long have I sought for it
a healer, but found none.
أَطَرَقَbowed his head الطبيبُthe physician فَلَمْand did not
أَطَرَقَ الطبيبُ فَلَمْ
يبتدئْbegin وَلمnor did يعدreturn
يبتدئْ وَلم يعد
The physician bowed his head and did not
begin, nor did he return.
ذادهdeterred him توهّجهاits blazing heat
ذاده توهّجها
أنْfrom يمسَّهاtouching it بيدwith a hand
أنْ يمسَّها بيد
Its blazing heat deterred him
from touching it with a hand.
كلall ماthat which أَشارhe recommended بهit
كل ما أَشار به
بعدafter ذاكthat لمdid not يفدhelp
بعد ذاك لم يفد
All that he prescribed
after that did no good.
ماnot يطلبهone seeks him أبداًever
ما يطلبه أبداً
عمدةas a mainstay لمعتمدfor one who relies
عمدة لمعتمد
No one ever seeks him
as a mainstay to lean upon.
ماnot لهhe has (وَقيتَmay you be spared) يَدٌpower
ما له (وَقيتَ) يَدٌ
بالأسىover grief وبالسهدand over sleeplessness
بالأسى وبالسهد
He has—may you be spared—no power
over grief and sleeplessness.
ياO ضمانةًchronic illness ضمنتْhas pledged
يا ضمانةً ضمنتْ
أنto تطيلprolong منof كمديmy anguish
أن تطيل من كمدي
O chronic illness that has pledged
to prolong my anguish,
قدalready بلغتyou have attained منيَfrom me ماwhat
قد بلغت منيَ ما
تشتهينyou desire فاقتصديso show restraint
تشتهين فاقتصدي
you have already gained from me what
you desire; so show restraint.
جرتyou were unjust فيin القضاءpassing judgment عَلَىupon
جرت في القضاء عَلَى
مهجتيmy lifeblood بلاwithout قَوَدِblood-retribution
مهجتي بلا قَوَدِ
You were unjust in passing sentence on
my lifeblood, without retribution.
لاno مجيرprotector منكfrom you سوىexcept
لا مجير منك سوى
أنْto أَقولI say واكبديalas, my liver!
أنْ أَقول واكبدي
There is no refuge from you but
to cry, “Alas, my liver!”
Sol 6.1