أَعنِHelp اللّهمO God منthe one whom صوَرتهYou fashioned him منfrom حَزَنِsorrow
أَعنِ اللّهم من صوَرته من حَزَنِ
أَلِفَHe grew accustomed to الحزنَsorrow فلوso if فارقهleft him الحزنُsorrow بكاهْhe would mourn it
أَلِفَ الحزنَ فلو فارقه الحزنُ بكاهْ
Help, O God, the one You fashioned from sorrow.
He grew accustomed to sorrow; if sorrow left him, he would mourn it.
وَجفاAnd he shunned اللهوَmerriment فلوso if واصلهkept him company اللهوُmerriment شكاهْhe would complain of it
وَجفا اللهوَ فلو واصله اللهوُ شكاهْ
نفْسُهُHis soul ليسthere is not لهاfor it غيرُother than الأَسىgrief منany سَكَنِsolace
نفْسُهُ ليس لها غيرُ الأَسى من سَكَنِ
And he shunned merriment; if merriment kept him company, he would complain of it.
His soul has no solace but grief.
الأَسىGrief فيin مقلتيهِhis eyes قَدْindeed مَحاerased كلَّall ضياءِlight
الأَسى في مقلتيهِ قَدْ مَحا كلَّ ضياءِ
جاعلٌMaking فيin مسمعيهhis ears كلَّevery صوتٍsound كالبكاءِlike weeping
جاعلٌ في مسمعيه كلَّ صوتٍ كالبكاءِ
Grief has erased all light from his eyes,
Making every sound in his ears like weeping.
إِنَّIndeed ماwhatever يبصرhe sees أَوor يسمعhe hears داعيa summons to الشجنِsorrow
إِنَّ ما يبصر أَو يسمع داعي الشجنِ
دَرِجtoddled الطفلُthe child إِليهtoward him ضاحِكاًlaughing مستبشراjoyful
دَرِج الطفلُ إِليه ضاحِكاً مستبشرا
Indeed, whatever he sees or hears is a summons to sorrow.
The child toddled toward him, laughing and joyful,
ناشراًSpreading كلتاboth يديهhis hands كالمصّليlike a worshipper كبّراproclaiming God's greatness
ناشراً كلتا يديه كالمصّلي كبّرا
أَوOr كطيرٍlike a bird هَمَّwas about to بالإِسفافِto swoop low منfrom عَنْoff غُصنِa branch
أَو كطيرٍ هَمَّ بالإِسفافِ من عَنْ غُصنِ
Spreading both his hands like a worshipper proclaiming God's greatness,
Or like a bird about to swoop low from a branch.
ضمَّهclasped him المحزونُthe sorrowful man لاnot يملكcan ردّhold back العبراتthe tears
ضمَّه المحزونُ لا يملك ردّ العبرات
ذاكراًRemembering يوماًa day وَإِنْeven if طالَgrew long التراخيthe delay فهوyet it is آتcoming
ذاكراً يوماً وَإِنْ طالَ التراخي فهو آت
The sorrowful man clasped him, unable to hold back his tears,
Remembering a day that, however long delayed, will come,
تصدعُshatters الشمّلَthe union بهon it جوْراًunjustly صروفُthe vicissitudes of الزمنِtime
تصدعُ الشمّلَ به جوْراً صروفُ الزمنِ
لوIf تراهyou saw him والتيand the woman whom هامhe was madly in love بهاwith her عندat التلاقيthe meeting
لو تراه والتي هام بها عند التلاقي
When time's vicissitudes will cruelly shatter their union.
If you saw him with the woman he adored, as they met,
خلتَهُyou would think him يلفِظbreathing out روحاًa soul بلغتْhad reached منهof him التراقيthe collarbones
خلتَهُ يلفِظ روحاً بلغتْ منه التراقي
مغمضُclosing الجفنينboth eyelids للغصَّةِfrom choking grief لاnot للواسَنِfrom drowsiness
مغمضُ الجفنين للغصَّةِ لا للواسَنِ
You would think he was breathing out a soul that had reached his collarbones,
His eyelids closed from choking grief, not drowsiness.
قالHe said: لاnot آسيI grieve إِذاif لاقيتُI meet يوماًone day مصرعيmy death
قال: لا آسي إِذا لاقيتُ يوماً مصرعي
إِنماOnly أَخشىI fear عَلَىfor حبيَmy love أَنْthat يوديit may perish معيwith me
إِنما أَخشى عَلَى حبيَ أَنْ يودي معي
He said: I shall not grieve if one day I meet my death;
I only fear for my love, lest it perish with me.
فاحفظِSo preserve اللَّهمO God هذاthis الحبَّlove واحرسْand guard وَصُنِand protect
فاحفظِ اللَّهم هذا الحبَّ واحرسْ وَصُنِ
وَإِذاAnd if قبليَbefore me ماتتْshe dies ماwhat عسانيmight I أَصنعُdo؟
وَإِذا قبليَ ماتتْ ما عساني أَصنعُ؟
So preserve this love, O God; guard and protect it.
And if she dies before me, what am I to do?
هلCan يؤديfulfill حقّthe due of حزنيmy grief أَنْthat تفيضَoverflow الأَدمعُthe tears؟
هل يؤدي حقّ حزني أَنْ تفيضَ الأَدمعُ؟
لاNo وَربّيby my Lord دونshort of أَنthat نمسيwe come to be معاًtogether فيin كفنِa shroud
لا وَربّي دون أَن نمسي معاً في كفنِ
Can overflowing tears do justice to my grief?
No, by my Lord—not unless we lie together in a shroud.
ورأَىAnd he saw الظالمَthe oppressor لاnot يرقُبُhonor فيtoward المظلومthe oppressed ذِمَّهْan obligation
ورأَى الظالمَ لا يرقُبُ في المظلوم ذِمَّهْ
فبكىSo he wept حزناًin sorrow لمنfor whoever عُرّيwas stripped عنof عدلِjustice وَرحمهْand mercy
فبكى حزناً لمن عُرّي عن عدلِ وَرحمهْ
And he saw the oppressor honor no obligation toward the oppressed;
So he wept in sorrow for those stripped of justice and mercy,
وعَلَىAnd for منwhoever بشديدِwith severe الجورِinjustice والظلمand oppression مِنيwas afflicted
وعَلَى من بشديدِ الجورِ والظلم مِني
قالHe said: ياO ذاpossessor of المالِwealth ماthere is no فيin المالwealth ليfor me منany مطمعdesire
قال: يا ذا المالِ ما في المال لي من مطمع
And for those afflicted with harsh injustice and oppression.
He said: O man of wealth, I have no desire for riches.
أيّWhat شيءٍthing هوit أغلىmore precious منthan لآليthe pearls of الأدمعtears؟
أيّ شيءٍ هو أغلى من لآلي الأدمع؟
هلHave رأَتْseen عيناكyour eyes دراًpearls غيرهاother than them فيin الأعينthe eyes
هل رأَتْ عيناك دراً غيرها في الأعين
What is more precious than the pearls of tears?
Have your eyes seen pearls other than these within the eyes?
فأناFor I أَملكpossess منهاof them ثروَةًa fortune لاnot تَنفَدُruns out
فأنا أَملك منها ثروَةً لا تَنفَدُ
وَأَناAnd I إِلاّexcept بهاin them فيin كلevery مالٍwealth أَزهدُI shun
وَأَنا إِلاّ بها في كل مالٍ أَزهدُ
For I possess a fortune of them that never runs out,
And I shun all wealth except for these.
وَحدهاThey alone كمhow often كشفتْlifted عنيfrom me ظلالَthe shadows of المحنِtrials
وَحدها كم كشفتْ عني ظلالَ المحنِ
لاDo not تردْseek مِنّيfrom me شعراًpoetry وَلوeven though أَنَّthat الشعرَpoetry سحرُmagic
لا تردْ مِنّي شعراً وَلو أَنَّ الشعرَ سحرُ
How often they alone have lifted from me the shadows of affliction!
Ask no poetry of me, though poetry is magic;
كلماWhenever أَنشدتُI recite شطراًa half-line فاضَpours out منfrom روحيmy soul شطرُa half
كلما أَنشدتُ شطراً فاضَ من روحي شطرُ
ياAlas لروحٍfor a soul بينamong أَبياتverses لهof his مرتهنِheld captive
يا لروحٍ بين أَبيات له مرتهنِ
Whenever I recite a half-line, half my soul pours out.
Alas for a soul held captive among his verses!
نبذَHe rejected الأَديانَreligions يعتدُّtakes pride بهاin them كلَّevery غبيfool
نبذَ الأَديانَ يعتدُّ بها كلَّ غبي
وجفاand would have shunned الإسلامIslam لوif لمnot يكit were دينَthe religion of العربِthe Arabs
وجفا الإسلام لو لم يك دينَ العربِ
He rejected the religions in which every fool takes pride,
And would have shunned Islam had it not been the Arabs' faith.
فَهُمُFor they لوif عبدواthey had worshipped الأَوثانidols أَمسىhe would have become وَثنيan idolater
فَهُمُ لو عبدوا الأَوثان أَمسى وَثني
ماnot أَحبَّhe loved العربَthe Arabs إِلاّexcept منذsince لاقواthey encountered المحناordeals
ما أَحبَّ العربَ إِلاّ منذ لاقوا المحنا
For had they worshipped idols, he would have become an idolater.
He came to love the Arabs only when they met with adversity;
فَهُمُFor they قدindeed زرعواthey sowed لكنْbut سواهمothers besides them قدindeed جنىreaped
فَهُمُ قد زرعوا لكنْ سواهم قد جنى
كمHow often لقواthey encountered سوءاًharm بصنعٍfor a deed قدَّموهthey offered it حسنِgood
كم لقوا سوءاً بصنعٍ قدَّموه حسنِ
For they had sown, but others had reaped.
How often they suffered ill in return for the good they had done!
ضاقَHe felt constrained بالأَحزانِby sorrows ذرعاًin endurance فانتحىso he withdrew to الروضthe garden النضيرْverdant
ضاقَ بالأَحزانِ ذرعاً فانتحى الروض النضيرْ
يتغنىSinging بنشيدٍwith a song مثلlike أَسجاعِthe cadences of الطيورbirds
يتغنى بنشيدٍ مثل أَسجاعِ الطيور
Overwhelmed by sorrows, he withdrew to the verdant garden,
Singing a song like the cadences of birds.
نفسُهُHis soul قدhad نشزتْgrown discordant معْهwith him ولمّاand had not yet تنثنِyielded
نفسُهُ قد نشزتْ معْه ولمّا تنثنِ
وَهزارٍAnd a nightingale معwith وَرقاءَa gray dove عليهover him عكفاthey both lingered
وَهزارٍ مع وَرقاءَ عليه عكفا
His soul had grown discordant with him and had not yet yielded.
And a nightingale and a gray dove lingered over him;
قالHe said للورقاءِto the gray dove ماWhat بالis the matter with أَخيthe brother of البلوىaffliction غفىhas dozed off؟
قال للورقاءِ ما بال أَخي البلوى غفى؟
قالتِShe said الورقاءُthe gray dove: بلNo, rather، يرحمهmay He have mercy on him اللهُGod فنيhe has perished
قالتِ الورقاءُ: بل، يرحمه اللهُ فني
He said to the gray dove: Why has affliction's brother dozed off?
The gray dove said: No—may God have mercy on him—he has perished.
Sol 6.1