نفسيmy soul تميلُinclines إِلىtoward الْهَوىdesire فأَرُدُّهاso I turn it back
نفسي تميلُ إِلى الْهَوى فأَرُدُّها
أَتَطِيْبُcan it be content? نَفْسٌa soul فيin ضلالِthe straying of عَمَاهاits blindness؟!
أَتَطِيْبُ نَفْسٌ في ضلالِ عَمَاها؟!
My soul inclines toward desire, but I turn it back.
My soul inclines to passion, so I restrain it -
Can a soul find peace in the straying of its blindness?
Does a soul find peace in the blindness of its desire?!
كالْخيلِlike horses جامحةَheadstrong العريكةِtemperament تبتغيit seeks
كالْخيلِ جامحةَ العريكةِ تبتغي
فَكَّthe loosening of اللِّجامِthe bridle؛ فتنتشيso they grow exhilarated قَدَماهاits two feet!
فَكَّ اللِّجامِ؛ فتنتشي قَدَماها!
Like horses, headstrong in temper, it seeks
Like a mare raging in her saddle, she seeks
Release from the bridle, and its feet grow exhilarated!
To slip the reins; then her legs take off!
ماnot إِنْemphatic particle تَفِزُّit springs إِلىinto الْفَلاةِthe wilderness طليقةًunrestrained
ما إِنْ تَفِزُّ إِلى الْفَلاةِ طليقةً
حتَّىuntil تُفارِقَit parts with عِنْدَat ذاكَthat moment أَناهاits own self!!
حتَّى تُفارِقَ عِنْدَ ذاكَ أَناها!!
No sooner does it spring into the wilderness, unrestrained,
No sooner does she break free into the open wilderness
Than it parts, at that moment, with its own self!
Than she leaves behind her moaning there!
نفسٌa soul مشاكِسةٌwayward تطيبُis pleasing لصاحبٍto a master
نفسٌ مشاكِسةٌ تطيبُ لصاحبٍ
أَرْخَىloosened الْقِيادَthe reins؛ فسارَthen he marched تحتَbeneath لِواهاits banner!
أَرْخَى الْقِيادَ؛ فسارَ تحتَ لِواها!
A wayward soul delights a master
A fractious soul finds peace with an owner
Who loosened the reins, then marched beneath its banner!
Who loosens the lead; so she walked under his banner.
إِنْif تشتهيit desires لَبَّىhe responds، كَمَسْلُوبِlike one robbed of النُّهَىreason
إِنْ تشتهي لَبَّى، كَمَسْلُوبِ النُّهَى
أَوْor صَبُّone smitten with عِشْقٍpassionate love قَدْalready أُضِلَّwas led astray فَتَاهَاits young man!!
أَوْ صَبُّ عِشْقٍ قَدْ أُضِلَّ فَتَاهَا!!
If it desires, he responds, like one robbed of reason,
If she craves, she obeys, like one bereft of resolve,
Or one smitten with love—its young man already led astray!
Or a torrent of love that has lost its way.
أَمَّارةٌever inciting بالسُّوءِto evil إِنْif هيَit أُتْرِعَتْis filled to the brim
أَمَّارةٌ بالسُّوءِ إِنْ هيَ أُتْرِعَتْ
كَأْسَthe cup of الْهَوَىdesire فيin غِرَّةٍheedlessness؛ فَرَوَاهاso it slaked its thirst!
كَأْسَ الْهَوَى في غِرَّةٍ؛ فَرَوَاها!
Ever inciting evil, if it is filled to the brim
Led astray to evil, if she drinks deep
With desire's cup in heedlessness, which then slakes its thirst!
The wine of passion in foolishness and drains it!
قَدْindeed طَوَّحَتْcast down شُمَّlofty العمائمِturbans بَلْقَعٌa barren waste
قَدْ طَوَّحَتْ شُمَّ العمائمِ بَلْقَعٌ
بِمُجُونِهاthrough its wantonness، مَنْthose who يَقْتَفُونَfollow خُطَاهاits footsteps
بِمُجُونِها، مَنْ يَقْتَفُونَ خُطَاها
A barren waste has cast down the lofty-turbaned
With her debauchery the crowns of turbans were tossed -
Through its wantonness—those who follow its footsteps.
Those who follow in her footsteps.
ناسٌpeople هُمُthey الأَعلامُthe luminaries فيamong أَقوامِهِمْtheir peoples؛
ناسٌ هُمُ الأَعلامُ في أَقوامِهِمْ؛
لكنَّهمbut they مَرِغُواwallowed بِطِينِin the mud of ثَرَاهاits earth!
لكنَّهم مَرِغُوا بِطِينِ ثَرَاها!
People who are luminaries among their peoples,
They are the benchmarks among their people;
Yet they have wallowed in the mud of its earth!
Yet they wallowed in the mire of her wantonness!
فإِذاand when أَفاقُواthey came to their senses فيin قَنِيصِthe catch of شِراكِهاits snares
فإِذا أَفاقُوا في قَنِيصِ شِراكِها
لمdid not يَنْبِسُواutter a word –ياO للخزيَّةِwhat shame! فَاهَاits mouth
لم يَنْبِسُوا –يا للخزيَّةِ فَاهَا
And when they awaken, prey caught in its snares,
When they wake in the shirt of her snares,
They utter nothing—oh, the shame!—through its mouth.
They do not speak - O what disgraceful silence!
أَمَّاas for الذيthe one who مَلَكَheld الْقِيَادَthe reins أَثابَهاrewarded it
أَمَّا الذي مَلَكَ الْقِيَادَ أَثابَها
لمَّاwhen عَصَتْهُالرُّشْدَit disobeyed him; right guidance حينَwhen عَصَاهَاhe disobeyed it
لمَّا عَصَتْهُالرُّشْدَ حينَ عَصَاهَا
But the one who held the reins rewarded it
As for him who held the reins and corrected her
With right guidance when it defied him—when he defied it.
When she rebelled against rectitude and disobeyed him,
ماnot النَّصْرُvictory فيin سَاحِthe field of الْوَغَىbattle لكنَّهُbut it is؛
ما النَّصْرُ في سَاحِ الْوَغَى لكنَّهُ؛
نفسٌa soul تُجاهِدُstrives فيamid نُزوعِthe pull of هَواهاits desire!
نفسٌ تُجاهِدُ في نُزوعِ هَواها!
Victory is not on the field of battle; rather, it is
Victory is not in the battleground of desire, but rather:
A soul that strives against the pull of its desire!
A soul that struggles against the inclination of its passion!
فَاظْفِرْso win إِباءَكَyour dignity إِنْif أَمِنْتَyou felt secure with قِيَادَهاits reins
فَاظْفِرْ إِباءَكَ إِنْ أَمِنْتَ قِيَادَها
أَمْنَwith the assurance of الْجَسُورِthe bold؛ فَقَدْthen indeed ضَمِنْتَyou have ensured هُدَاهاits guidance
أَمْنَ الْجَسُورِ؛ فَقَدْ ضَمِنْتَ هُدَاها
So gain your dignity, if you feel secure with its reins,
So master your refusal if you can guide her,
With the assurance of the bold; then you have ensured its guidance.
With the firmness of the valiant; then you will ensure her guidance.
Sol 6.1