طالَgrew long لَيليmy night لِسُرىbecause of the night-visit of طَيفٍa phantom أَلَمthat visited
طالَ لَيلي لِسُرى طَيفٍ أَلَم
فَنَفىso it banished النَومَsleep وَأَجدانيand brought me السَقَمsickness
فَنَفى النَومَ وَأَجداني السَقَم
My night grew long as a phantom came by night;
My friend, whose wandering ghost brought pain
it banished sleep and brought me sickness.
That stole my sleep and made illness remain,
طَيفِthe phantom of ريمٍa gazelle شَطَّهُmade it distant أَوطانُهُits homes
طَيفِ ريمٍ شَطَّهُ أَوطانُهُ
فَهيَso she لَمdid not تَدنُdraw near وَلَيسَتand she is not بِأَمَمclose at hand
فَهيَ لَم تَدنُ وَلَيسَت بِأَمَم
The phantom of a gazelle whose homes keep it far away;
Her lands have called Rim home again
so she has not drawn near, nor is she close at hand.
Yet still she does not come, forever in vain
مَنwho رَسولٌa messenger ناصِحٌsincere يُخبِرُناwill tell us
مَن رَسولٌ ناصِحٌ يُخبِرُنا
عَنof مُحِبٍّa lover مُستَهامٍdistraught with love قَدalready كَتَمconcealed
عَن مُحِبٍّ مُستَهامٍ قَد كَتَم
Who will be a sincere messenger to tell us
Is there no loyal friend who can explain
of a love-distraught lover who has concealed
The secret sorrow of this silent swain?
حُبَّهُhis love حَتّىuntil تَبَلّىwasted away جِسمُهُhis body
حُبَّهُ حَتّى تَبَلّى جِسمُهُ
وَبَراهُand wore him down طولُthe duration of أَحزانٍsorrows وَهَمand worry
وَبَراهُ طولُ أَحزانٍ وَهَم
his love until his body wasted away,
His love so strong his body lies in chains
and prolonged sorrows and worry wore him down?
Long grief and cares have brought him bane
ذاكَthat one مَنwho يَبخَلُwithholds عَنّيfrom me بَالَّذيwith what
ذاكَ مَن يَبخَلُ عَنّي بَالَّذي
لَوif بِهِwith it جادَhe gave generously شَفانيwould cure me مِنof سَقَمsickness
لَو بِهِ جادَ شَفاني مِن سَقَم
That is the one who withholds from me what,
He who denies what would end my pain
if he gave it freely, would cure me of sickness.
Though freely given would make me sane
كُلَّماwhenever ساءَلتُهُI asked him خَيراًa kindness أَبىhe refused
كُلَّما ساءَلتُهُ خَيراً أَبى
وَبِلاءٍand with 'no' شَدَّbraced ظَهراًa back وَاِعتَصَمand held fast
وَبِلاءٍ شَدَّ ظَهراً وَاِعتَصَم
Whenever I asked him for a kindness, he refused,
Whenever I ask, he refuses in disdain
and with 'no' he braced his back and held fast.
Back turned, rejecting me outright again
لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيماin what بَينَناbetween us قَولاًsaying بِلاwith 'no'
لَجَّ فيما بَينَنا قَولاً بِلا
لَيتَif only لا'no' مَنwhoever قالَهاsaid it نالَsuffered الصَمَمdeafness
لَيتَ لا مَن قالَها نالَ الصَمَم
In our dealings, he stubbornly insisted on 'no'.
Words between us that would better remain unsaid
Would that whoever said 'no' were struck deaf!
Wish they'd struck us both mute and dead
وَلَوَand if أَنّيthat I كانَwere ماwhat أَطلُبُهُI seek it
وَلَوَ أَنّي كانَ ما أَطلُبُهُ
عِندَناin our keeping يَطلُبهُhe seeks it قُلتُI would say نَعَم'yes'
عِندَنا يَطلُبهُ قُلتُ نَعَم
And if what I myself seek were
If what I ask for was here instead
in our keeping, and he sought it, I would say 'yes'.
When he asked, yes I would have said
وَأَراهُand I see him كُلَّevery يَومٍday يَجتَنيharvesting
وَأَراهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ يَجتَني
عِلَلاًpretexts فيin غَيرِthe absence of جُرمٍan offense يُجتَرَمis committed
عِلَلاً في غَيرِ جُرمٍ يُجتَرَم
And every day I see him harvesting
Yet still each day he finds suspect
pretexts, though no offense has been committed.
Though I've committed no crime, shows no respect
ظَنُّهاher opinion بيof me ظَنُّa suspicion of سوءٍevil فاحِشٍvile
ظَنُّها بي ظَنُّ سوءٍ فاحِشٍ
وَبِهاand of her ظَنّيmy opinion عَفافٌchastity وَكَرَمand nobility
وَبِها ظَنّي عَفافٌ وَكَرَم
She suspects me of foul wickedness,
His thoughts impugn, though mine aim to protect
while I think her chaste and noble.
When he opines, I come correct
وَإِذاand when قالَhe speaks مَقالاًa word جِئتُهُI come to him
وَإِذا قالَ مَقالاً جِئتُهُ
وَإِذاand when قُلتُI speak تَأَبّىhe refuses وَظَلَمand acts unjustly
وَإِذا قُلتُ تَأَبّى وَظَلَم
And when he says a word, I come to him;
When I speak out, he turns away in neglect
but when I speak, he refuses and wrongs me.
How can justice treat us as equal in effect?
كَيفَhow هَذاthis يَستَويis fair فيin حُكمِهِhis judgment
كَيفَ هَذا يَستَوي في حُكمِهِ
أَنَّهُthat he بَرٌّrighteous وَأَنّيand that I مُتَّهَمaccused
أَنَّهُ بَرٌّ وَأَنّي مُتَّهَم
How can this be fair in his judgment:
When he is right and I stand suspect
that he is righteous while I stand accused?
We named him judge to rule without defect
قَدindeed تَراضَيناهُwe mutually accepted him عَدلاًas just بَينَناbetween us
قَد تَراضَيناهُ عَدلاً بَينَنا
وَجَعَلناهُand we made him أَميراًa ruler وَحَكَمand he judged
وَجَعَلناهُ أَميراً وَحَكَم
We have agreed on him as a just arbiter between us,
Now he must see fit to reconnect
and made him a ruler, and he passed judgment.
And rectify where once there was defect
فَعَلَيهِso it is his duty الآنَnow أَنto يُنصِفَناtreat us fairly
فَعَلَيهِ الآنَ أَن يُنصِفَنا
وَيُجِدَّand renew اليَومَtoday ماwhat كانَhe had صَرَمsevered
وَيُجِدَّ اليَومَ ما كانَ صَرَم
So now he must deal fairly with us,
Or step down if he cannot reflect
and renew today what he had severed,
And let us judge if we intersect
أَوor يَرُدَّrelinquish الحُكمَthe authority to judge عَنهُfrom himself بِالرِضاwillingly
أَو يَرُدَّ الحُكمَ عَنهُ بِالرِضا
فَعَلَيناso binding upon us حُكمُهُhis judgment فيماin whatever اِحتَكَمhe adjudicates
فَعَلَينا حُكمُهُ فيما اِحتَكَم
or willingly relinquish his authority to judge.
Though some oppose, his word we respect
For his judgment binds us in whatever he adjudicates.
We care not if it causes them defect
وَلَهُand his is الحُكمُthe authority to judge عَلىdespite رَغمِthe displeasure of العِدىthe foes
وَلَهُ الحُكمُ عَلى رَغمِ العِدى
لاnot نُباليwe heed سُخطَthe anger of مَنwhoever فيهِwithin him رَغَمresentment
لا نُبالي سُخطَ مَن فيهِ رَغَم
And his is the right to judge, despite the foes;
we care nothing for the anger of anyone who harbors resentment.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1