وَتَزعُمُand she claims أَنّيthat I قَدalready تَبَدَّلتُI have taken instead خُلَّةًa sweetheart
وَتَزعُمُ أَنّي قَد تَبَدَّلتُ خُلَّةً
سِواهاother than her هَذاthis الباطِلُfalsehood المُتَقَوَّلُfabricated
سِواها هَذا الباطِلُ المُتَقَوَّلُ
And she claims that I have taken a sweetheart
You claim that I have changed my love for another,
Other than her—this is a fabricated lie.
This is a falsehood, nothing more.
لَحاmay curse اللَهGod مَنwhoever باعَtraded away الحَبيبَthe beloved بِغَيرِهِfor another
لَحا اللَه مَن باعَ الحَبيبَ بِغَيرِهِ
فَقالَتso she said نَعَمyes حاشاكَfar be it from you إِنif كُنتَyou are تَعقِلُyou have sense
فَقالَت نَعَم حاشاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَعقِلُ
May God curse whoever trades the beloved for another.
May God curse whoever replaces their beloved with another,
She said, 'Yes—far be it from you, if you have sense.
She said "Yes, far be it from you, if you were reasonable."
سَتَصرِمُyou will forsake إِنساناًa person إِذاif ماemphatic particle صَرَمَتنيyou forsake me
سَتَصرِمُ إِنساناً إِذا ما صَرَمَتني
بِحُبّكَin love with you فَاِنظُرso consider بَعدَهُafter him مَنwhom تَبَدَّلُyou take instead
بِحُبّكَ فَاِنظُر بَعدَهُ مَن تَبَدَّلُ
If you forsake me, you will forsake someone
You will become heartless if you become heartless towards me
In love with you—so consider whom you will take instead.'
With your love, then look - who changed after that?
أَعَلِّلُI console نَفسيmyself مِنكِfrom you بِالوَعدِwith the promise وَالمُنىand hopes
أَعَلِّلُ نَفسي مِنكِ بِالوَعدِ وَالمُنى
فَهَلّاso why not بِيَأسٍwith despair مِنكِof you قَلبيmy heart أُعَلَّلُI console
فَهَلّا بِيَأسٍ مِنكِ قَلبي أُعَلَّلُ
I console myself with your promise and with hopes;
I blame myself for your promises and hopes
Then why not console my heart with despair of you?
Why doesn't my heart despair of you and blame itself?
وَمَوعِدكِand your promise الشَهدُhoney المُصَفّىpurified حَلاوَةًin sweetness
وَمَوعِدكِ الشَهدُ المُصَفّى حَلاوَةً
وَدونَand before نَجازِfulfillment of الوَعدِthe promise صابٌbitter sap وَحَنظَلُand colocynth
وَدونَ نَجازِ الوَعدِ صابٌ وَحَنظَلُ
And your promise is sweet as pure honey,
Your sweet promise like pure honey
But before its fulfillment lie bitter sap and colocynth.
And without fulfilling the promise - thorns and bitter colocynth.
وَأَمنَحُand I bestow طَرفَthe glance of العَينِthe eye غَيرَكِsomeone other than you رِقبَةًout of caution
وَأَمنَحُ طَرفَ العَينِ غَيرَكِ رِقبَةً
حِذارَfor fear of العِداthe enemies وَالطَرفُand the gaze نحوَكِtoward you أَميَلُmore inclined
حِذارَ العِدا وَالطَرفُ نحوَكِ أَميَلُ
I turn my gaze to another, out of caution,
And I give my eye to another, turning my neck away
For fear of enemies, though my gaze inclines more toward you.
From jealousy and yet my eye inclines towards you.
لِكَيماso that يَقولَmay say الناسُthe people إِنَّindeed أَمراًa man رَمىaccused
لِكَيما يَقولَ الناسُ إِنَّ أَمراً رَمى
رَبيعَةَRabi'a فيconcerning لَيلىLayla بِسوءٍof wrongdoing لِمُبطِلُsurely making a false claim
رَبيعَةَ في لَيلى بِسوءٍ لِمُبطِلُ
So people may say, 'Whoever accused
So people say that Rabī‘ah has maligned
Rabi'a of wrongdoing over Layla is surely lying.
Laylá in the night with evil untruth.
لَقَدindeed كَذَبَlied الواشونَthe talebearers بَغياًout of malice عَلَيهِماagainst them both
لَقَد كَذَبَ الواشونَ بَغياً عَلَيهِما
وَماand not مِنهُماof the two إِلّاexcept بَريءٌinnocent مُعَقَّلُself-restrained
وَما مِنهُما إِلّا بَريءٌ مُعَقَّلُ
The talebearers have surely lied, wronging them both;
Indeed those tale-bearers have lied in their malice against them
And both are innocent and self-restrained.'
And they are both innocent and protected.
فَلَوso if كُنتَI were ذاpossessed of عَقلٍsense لَأَجمَعتُI would resolve upon صَرمَكُمsevering ties with you
فَلَو كُنتَ ذا عَقلٍ لَأَجمَعتُ صَرمَكُم
بِرَأييby my own judgment وَلَكِنّيbut I اِمرِؤٌa man لَستُI am not أَعقِلُI have sense
بِرَأيي وَلَكِنّي اِمرِؤٌ لَستُ أَعقِلُ
So if I had sense, I would resolve to part from you
If you had any reason, you would have restrained their slanderers
By my own judgment; but I am a man without sense.
With my opinion but I am not a reasonable man.
وَكَيفَand how بِصَبرِwith the patience of القَلبِthe heart لاno كَيفَhow عَنكُمُaway from you
وَكَيفَ بِصَبرِ القَلبِ لا كَيفَ عَنكُمُ
وَبابُand the door of فُؤاديmy heart دونَagainst صَرمِكِforsaking you مُقفَلُlocked
وَبابُ فُؤادي دونَ صَرمِكِ مُقفَلُ
And how can the heart endure without you? There is no way,
How can I have patience - not how can I be patient without you
When my heart's door is locked against forsaking you.
While the door of my heart is locked to your estrangement.
وَمِنand from أَينَwhere لاno مِنfrom أَينَwhere يُحرَمُis forbidden قَتلكُمkilling you
وَمِن أَينَ لا مِن أَينَ يُحرَمُ قَتلكُم
وَقَتليwhile killing me لَكُمfor you ياO أُمَّmother of لَيلىLayla مُحَلَّلُpermitted
وَقَتلي لَكُم يا أُمَّ لَيلى مُحَلَّلُ
And how—no, how—is killing you forbidden,
And how, nay from where, can killing you be unlawful
While killing me is lawful for you, O Umm Layla?
And my being killed by you, O Umm Laylá, is permissible?
أَغَرَّكِhas it emboldened you أَنthat لاno صَبرَpatience ليfor me فيin طِلابِكُمpursuing you
أَغَرَّكِ أَن لا صَبرَ لي في طِلابِكُم
وَأَنand that لَيسَthere is not ليfor me إِلّاexcept عَلَيكupon you معَوَّلُreliance
وَأَن لَيسَ لي إِلّا عَلَيك معَوَّلُ
Has it emboldened you that I have no patience in pursuing you,
Did it delude you that I have no patience in seeking you
And that I have no one to rely on but you?
And that I have no one in whom to place hope but you?
وَلَمّاand when تَبَيَّنتِyou saw clearly الَّذيthat which بيis within me مِنَof الهَوىpassion
وَلَمّا تَبَيَّنتِ الَّذي بي مِنَ الهَوى
وَأَيقَنتِand you became certain أَنّيthat I عَنكِaway from you لاnot أَتَحَوَّلُI turn
وَأَيقَنتِ أَنّي عَنكِ لا أَتَحَوَّلُ
And when you saw clearly the passion within me,
And when you realized the love that was within me
And knew for certain that I would never turn from you,
And knew that I would not change towards you.
ظَلَمتِyou acted unjustly كَذِئبِlike the wolf of السَوءِwickedness إِذاwhen قالَhe said مَرَّةًonce
ظَلَمتِ كَذِئبِ السَوءِ إِذا قالَ مَرَّةً
لِسَخلٍto a lamb رَأىhe saw وَالذِئبُwhile the wolf غَرثانُhungry مُرمِلُwithout provisions
لِسَخلٍ رَأى وَالذِئبُ غَرثانُ مُرمِلُ
You wronged me like the wicked wolf, who once said
You oppressed like the evil wolves when one of them says to a yearling calf,
To a lamb he saw—the wolf was hungry and without provisions—
Seeing the wolf with mange in its fur mangy and filthy:
أَأَنتَare you الَّذيthe one who فيin غَيرِthe absence of جُرمٍwrongdoing شَتمتَنيyou insulted me
أَأَنتَ الَّذي في غَيرِ جُرمٍ شَتمتَني
فَقالَso he said مَتىwhen ذاthat قالَhe said ذاthat عامُyear أَوَّلُprevious
فَقالَ مَتى ذا قالَ ذا عامُ أَوَّلُ
'Are you the one who insulted me without cause?'
"Was it you who insulted me without any crime?"
The lamb said, 'When was that?' The wolf said, 'Last year.'
It said "When was that?" He said "This year, the first one."
فَقالَso he said وُلِدتُI was born العامَthis year بَلrather رُمتَyou intended غَدرَةًan act of treachery
فَقالَ وُلِدتُ العامَ بَل رُمتَ غَدرَةً
فَدونَكَso here you are كُلنيeat me لاno هَناenjoyment لَكَfor you مَأكَلُa meal
فَدونَكَ كُلني لا هَنا لَكَ مَأكَلُ
It said, 'I was born this year! No, you intended treachery.
It said "I was born this year. But you attacked treacherously,
Here, then—eat me! May your meal bring you no pleasure!'
So keep away, you have no food here."
أَتَبكينَdo you weep مِنover قَتليmy killing وَأَنتِwhile you قَتَلتِنيyou killed me
أَتَبكينَ مِن قَتلي وَأَنتِ قَتَلتِني
بِحُبَّكِthrough love of you قَتلاًa killing بَيِّناًclear لَيسَis not يُشكِلُdoubtful
بِحُبَّكِ قَتلاً بَيِّناً لَيسَ يُشكِلُ
Do you weep over my death, when you yourself have killed me
Do you cry from killing me when it was you who killed me
Through love of you—a killing clear and unmistakable?
With your love, a clear killing that leaves no doubt?
فَأَنتِfor you كَذبّاحِlike a slaughterer of العَصافيرِsparrows دائِباًunceasingly
فَأَنتِ كَذبّاحِ العَصافيرِ دائِباً
وَعَيناهُand his eyes مِنfrom وَجدٍgrief عَلَيهِنَّfor them تَهمِلُstream
وَعَيناهُ مِن وَجدٍ عَلَيهِنَّ تَهمِلُ
For you are like one who ceaselessly slaughters sparrows,
You are like the persistent killer of little birds
While his eyes stream with grief for them.
While your eyes negligently shed tears over them.
فَلَوfor if كانَit were مِنfrom رَأفٍtenderness بِهِنَّtoward them وَرَحمَةٍand mercy
فَلَو كانَ مِن رَأفٍ بِهِنَّ وَرَحمَةٍ
لَكَفَّhe would restrain يَداًa hand لَيسَتis not مِنَfrom الذَبحِslaughter تَعطلُidle
لَكَفَّ يَداً لَيسَت مِنَ الذَبحِ تَعطلُ
For if it came from tenderness and mercy toward them,
If you had any pity or mercy for them
He would restrain the hand that never rests from slaughter.
Your hands would abstain from slaughter and be still.
فَلاso do not تَنظُريlook ماwhat تَهمِلُsheds العَينُthe eye وَاِنظُريand look
فَلا تَنظُري ما تَهمِلُ العَينُ وَاِنظُري
إِلىat الكَفِّthe hand ماذاwhat بِالعَصافيرِto the sparrows تَفعَلُit does
إِلى الكَفِّ ماذا بِالعَصافيرِ تَفعَلُ
So do not look at what the eye sheds; look instead
So do not look at what the eye neglects but look
At the hand—what does it do to the sparrows?
At the palm - what it does to the little birds.
هِبينيsuppose me اِمرِءاًa man أَذنَبتُI sinned ذَنباًa sin جَهِلتُهُI did not recognize it
هِبيني اِمرِءاً أَذنَبتُ ذَنباً جَهِلتُهُ
وَلَمand did not آتِهِcommit it عَمداًdeliberately وَذوand one possessed of الحِلمِforbearance يَجهَلُacts foolishly
وَلَم آتِهِ عَمداً وَذو الحِلمِ يَجهَلُ
Suppose I am a man who committed a sin unknowingly,
Bring me a man who sinned a sin in ignorance
And did not do it deliberately—even the forbearing can act foolishly.
And did not intend it, and the forbearing are ignorant.
عَفاmay pardon اللَهُGod عَمّاfor what قَدalready مَضىhas passed لَستُI am not عائِداًreturning
عَفا اللَهُ عَمّا قَد مَضى لَستُ عائِداً
وَهاand here أَناI ذاthis one منfrom سُخطِكُمyour displeasure أتَنَصَّلُI seek to excuse myself
وَها أَنا ذا من سُخطِكُم أتَنَصَّلُ
May God pardon what has passed; I shall not do it again.
God forgive what is past, I will not return
And here I am, pleading to escape your displeasure.
And here I am, freeing myself from your anger.
Sol 6.1