لَّماwhen أشاعواthey spread word بأنِّيthat I
لَّما أشاعوا بأنِّي
عجزتُI grew feeble منbecause of كبرthe advancing of سنِّيmy age
عجزتُ من كبر سنِّي
When they spread word that I
When they spread that I
Had grown feeble with advancing age,
Was weakened by my old age,
وماand not لديَّin my possession حطامٌworldly wealth
وما لديَّ حطامٌ
وماand not بنفسيin my soul تمنِّيlonging
وما بنفسي تمنِّي
And had no worldly wealth,
And I have nothing left
And no longing in my soul,
But shattered dreams,
وفاخرونيand they boasted to me بمالٍof wealth
وفاخروني بمالٍ
والمالُand wealth هيهاتِfar from it يُغنيsuffices
والمالُ هيهاتِ يُغني
And boasted to me of wealth—
And they flaunted their wealth at me,
Though wealth can never suffice—
As if wealth could fulfill me!
ضحكتُI laughed منهمat them ولكنbut
ضحكتُ منهم ولكن
عليهِمِfor them زادincreased حَزنيmy sorrow
عليهِمِ زاد حَزني
I laughed at them, but
I laughed at them, but
My sorrow for them grew.
Their sadness only increased mine.
لوif ينظرونَthey look بعينيthrough my eye
لو ينظرونَ بعيني
ويسمعونand they hear بأُذْنيwith my ear
ويسمعون بأُذْني
If they saw through my eye
If only they could see through my eyes
And heard with my ear,
And listen through my ears,
عافواthey shunned سُليمىSulayma وجاؤاand they came
عافوا سُليمى وجاؤا
ليأخذواto learn الزُّهدrenunciation عنِّيfrom me
ليأخذوا الزُّهد عنِّي
They would forsake Sulayma and come
They would excuse my simplicity and come
To learn renunciation from me.
To learn detachment from me.
لكنَّنيbut I لستُam not منهمof their kind
لكنَّني لستُ منهم
كلَّاno ولاnor همُthey منِّيof my kind
كلَّا ولا همُ منِّي
But I am not of their kind;
But I am not one of them,
No, nor are they of mine.
No, and they are not one of me.
ورحتُand I went on والشعرand poetry دأبيmy constant pursuit
ورحتُ والشعر دأبي
ومنزلُand the abode of الوحيِinspiration كنِّيmy shelter
ومنزلُ الوحيِ كنِّي
And I went on, poetry my constant pursuit,
So I went on, with poetry my habit,
And the abode of inspiration my shelter.
And revelation's abode my bosom friend.
إنif جنَّgrew dark ليليmy night أُناجيI commune
إن جنَّ ليلي أُناجي
أوor ذرَّbroke فجريmy dawn أُغنِّيI sing
أو ذرَّ فجري أُغنِّي
When my night grows dark, I commune;
When my night comes alive, I confide in it,
Or when my dawn breaks, I sing.
Or when my dawn scatters, I sing to it.
بلىyes وربَّةِby the muse of شعريmy poetry
بلى وربَّةِ شعري
كوخيmy hut كجنَّةِlike the garden of عدنِEden
كوخي كجنَّةِ عدنِ
Yes, by the muse of my poetry,
By the Lord of my poetry,
My hut is like the Garden of Eden.
My hut is like the garden of Eden!
Sol 6.1