ياO قاتليmy slayer إنْif كنتَyou are تَرْbe content (word begins)
يا قاتلي إنْ كنتَ تَرْ
ضىbe content (word ends) منfrom وداديmy love بالمحالِwith the impossible
ضى من ودادي بالمحالِ
O my slayer, if you are content
O my killer, if you are pleased with my love for the impossible
With the impossible from my love,
Then I will be content with seeing your ghost in my dreams
فلَسوفَthen surely will أقنعI be content منinstead of لِقاmeeting (word begins)
فلَسوفَ أقنع من لِقا
ئكyour meeting (word ends) لِيwith me بطيفٍwith a phantom منof خيالِan apparition
ئك لِي بطيفٍ من خيالِ
Then I shall settle, instead of your meeting
An illusion matches another
With me, for a phantom apparition.
Like the copy to the original
زَوْرٌa visit بزَوْرٍfor a visit مثلِهِlike it
زَوْرٌ بزَوْرٍ مثلِهِ
حذْوَcutting to match الأديمِthe leather علىaccording to مثالِa pattern
حذْوَ الأديمِ على مثالِ
One visit for another just like it,
How could you demand sincerity from me in my withdrawal
Like leather cut to a pattern.
Yet give false promises in our union?
كَيفhow اِستَجزتَyou deemed permissible الصّدقَtruthfulness فيin
كَيف اِستَجزتَ الصّدقَ في
هجريforsaking me وكذباًand falsehood فيin وصاليunion with me
هجري وكذباً في وصالي
How could you deem truth permissible in
You made your refusal in the morning
Forsaking me, and falsehood in union with me?
And left your kindness for the nights
وجعلتَand you made منعكyour withholding فيin الضّحىthe forenoon
وجعلتَ منعك في الضّحى
وتركتَand you left بِرَّكyour kindness فيfor اللّياليthe nights
وتركتَ بِرَّك في اللّيالي
And reserve your withholding for daylight,
We only meet as you claimed, an unlikely refuge
And leave your kindness for the nights?
You are the beloved, so why did you protect yourself from me?
ماnot نلتقيwe meet إلّاexcept كماas
ما نلتقي إلّا كما
زعمتْclaimed أمانٍhopes فيin الكرىsleep لِيto me
زعمتْ أمانٍ في الكرى لِي
We meet only as
Your giving resembles only teasing
Hopes have claimed to me in sleep.
And I see your gifts in my hands as difficult to attain
أنتَyou الحبيبthe beloved فلِمْso why صنيconduct (word begins)
أنتَ الحبيب فلِمْ صني
عكyour conduct (word ends) لِيtoward me شبيهٌsimilar بالتَّقالِيto mutual aversion
عك لِي شبيهٌ بالتَّقالِي
You are the beloved—why, then, is your
While everything worthless is easy for you
Treatment of me like mutual aversion?
And truth remains expensive
وأرىand I see نَوالَكyour bounty فيin يديmy hand
وأرى نَوالَك في يدي
إنْif رمتُهI sought it صَعْبَhard النّوالِto obtain
إنْ رمتُه صَعْبَ النّوالِ
And I see your bounty in my hand,
If I seek it, hard to obtain.
والرُّخصُand cheapness عندكwith you كلُّهall of it
والرُّخصُ عندك كلُّه
فيin باطلٍfalsehood والحقُّand truth غالِcostly
في باطلٍ والحقُّ غالِ
And all that comes cheaply with you
Is falsehood, while truth is dear.
Partial English translation: 14 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1