أَنصَفتُهُI treated him fairly جُهديto my utmost وَليbut toward me ماnot أَنصَفاhe was fair
أَنصَفتُهُ جُهدي وَلي ما أَنصَفا
وَلَكَمand how often صَفَوتُI was sincere لَهُto him وَليbut toward me ماnot إِنemphatic particle صَفاhe was sincere
وَلَكَم صَفَوتُ لَهُ وَلي ما إِن صَفا
I treated him fairly to my utmost, but he was not fair to me.
And how often I was true to him, yet he was never true to me.
وَوَهَبتُهُand I gave him رِقّيmy servitude فَماyet not إِنemphatic particle رَقَّhe felt tenderness ليtoward me
وَوَهَبتُهُ رِقّي فَما إِن رَقَّ لي
وَوَفَيتُand I kept faith بِالعَهدِwith the covenant القَديمِthe old فَماyet not وَفىhe kept faith
وَوَفَيتُ بِالعَهدِ القَديمِ فَما وَفى
And I gave him my servitude, yet he showed me no tenderness.
And I kept the old covenant, yet he did not keep faith.
قَمَراًa moon أَرادَwished البَدرُthe full moon يَحكيto imitate وَجهَهُhis face
قَمَراً أَرادَ البَدرُ يَحكي وَجهَهُ
حُسناًin beauty فَأَمسىbut it became شاحِباًpale مُتَكَلِّفاstraining
حُسناً فَأَمسى شاحِباً مُتَكَلِّفا
A moon whose face the full moon sought to match
in beauty, but became pale and strained.
أَنويI intend السُلُوَّforgetting لَهُof him فَيَثنِيَbut turns aside عَزمَتيmy resolve
أَنوي السُلُوَّ لَهُ فَيَثنِيَ عَزمَتي
وَجهٌa face لَهُof his لَوif قابَلَit faced البَدرَthe full moon اِختَفىit would vanish
وَجهٌ لَهُ لَو قابَلَ البَدرَ اِختَفى
I intend to forget him, but my resolve is turned aside
by his face: were it to face the full moon, the moon would vanish.
هيهاتَfar from it! لاnot أَنفَكُّI cease يَجريflows ذِكرُهُmention of him
هيهاتَ لا أَنفَكُّ يَجري ذِكرُهُ
بِفَميin my mouth وَإِنand even if لامَblamed العَذولُthe reproacher وَعَنَّفاand rebuked
بِفَمي وَإِن لامَ العَذولُ وَعَنَّفا
Impossible! His name never ceases to flow
from my mouth, even if the reproacher blames and rebukes me.
طَوراًat times أُصَيِّرُهُI make it تِلاوَةَthe recitation مَنطِقيof my speech
طَوراً أُصَيِّرُهُ تِلاوَةَ مَنطِقي
شَغَفاًout of passion وَطَوراًand at times فيin يَمينيmy right hand مُصحَفاa copy of the Qur'an
شَغَفاً وَطَوراً في يَميني مُصحَفا
At times I make his name my spoken recitation,
out of passion, and at times a copy of the Qur'an in my right hand.
أَشبَهتُI have resembled يَعقوبَJacob الحَزينَthe sorrowful لِأَنَّنيbecause I
أَشبَهتُ يَعقوبَ الحَزينَ لِأَنَّني
ماnot إِنemphatic particle أَزالُI cease لُيوسُفٍfor Joseph مُتَأَسِّفاgrieving
ما إِن أَزالُ لُيوسُفٍ مُتَأَسِّفا
I have become like sorrowful Jacob, because I
never cease grieving for Joseph.
حَتّىuntil اِعتَدىassailed كُلُّall الأَنامِhumankind يَقولُsays ليto me
حَتّى اِعتَدى كُلُّ الأَنامِ يَقولُ لي
تَللَهِby God تَفتَءُyou never cease أَنتَyou تَذكُرُyou remember يوسُفاJoseph
تَللَهِ تَفتَءُ أَنتَ تَذكُرُ يوسُفا
Until all mankind assailed me, saying to me:
By God, you never cease remembering Joseph!
Sol 6.1