حَتَّامَuntil when أرغبُI desire فيfor مودَّةِthe affection of زاهدٍan indifferent man
حَتَّامَ أرغبُ في مودَّةِ زاهدٍ
وأرُومُand I seek قُربَnearness الدّارِof the dwelling منfrom مُتَباعِدِone keeping his distance
وأرُومُ قُربَ الدّارِ من مُتَباعِدِ
How long shall I desire the affection of one indifferent,
Even though I yearn for an ascetic's affection
And seek to dwell near one who keeps his distance?
And seek closeness to his abode though far removed,
وإلاَمَand until when ألتزمُI uphold الوفاءَloyalty لِغادرٍto a betrayer
وإلاَمَ ألتزمُ الوفاءَ لِغادرٍ
وأُقِرُّand I consent بالعُتبيto making amends لِجَانٍto an offender جَاحِدِungrateful
وأُقِرُّ بالعُتبي لِجَانٍ جَاحِدِ
And how long shall I remain faithful to a betrayer,
Why must I keep faith with one who's left?
And consent to make amends to an ungrateful offender?
Why must I accept rebuke from an ungrateful soul?
وعلاَمَand why أُعمِلُI exert فِكرتيmy thought فيon سادِرٍone heedless
وعلاَمَ أُعمِلُ فِكرتي في سادِرٍ
سَاهٍoblivious وأُسهِرُand I keep awake مُقلتيَّmy two eyes لراقدِfor one sleeping
سَاهٍ وأُسهِرُ مُقلتيَّ لراقدِ
And why exert my thoughts on one heedless,
Why occupy my thoughts with one asleep,
Oblivious, and keep my eyes awake for one who sleeps?
While I remain awake with eyes that weep?
وأروضُand I discipline نفسيmyself فيin رِضَاpleasing مُتَجرِّمٍa faultfinder
وأروضُ نفسي في رِضَا مُتَجرِّمٍ
فَاتَتْhas eluded مودّتُهhis affection طِلاَبَthe pursuit of الناشدِthe seeker
فَاتَتْ مودّتُه طِلاَبَ الناشدِ
And school myself to win a faultfinder's favor,
Why school myself to please a criminal?
Whose affection eludes the seeker's pursuit?
Whose love the seeker of affection spurned,
وأقولُand I say هجِرتُهhis estrangement مخافَةfor fear of كاشحٍa hostile foe
وأقولُ هجِرتُه مخافَة كاشحٍ
يُغريincites بِنَاagainst us وحِذَارَand for fear of واشٍa slanderer حاسِدِenvious
يُغري بِنَا وحِذَارَ واشٍ حاسِدِ
And I say his estrangement is for fear of a foe,
And say his shunning comes from fear of slander,
Who incites others against us, and dread of an envious slanderer.
That lures but warns us of an envier's spite,
وأظُنُّهand I think he يُبديdisplays الصدودَaversion ضرورةًout of necessity
وأظُنُّه يُبدي الصدودَ ضرورةً
وإذاyet behold قطيعَتُهhis estrangement قطيعةُthe estrangement of عَامِدِone acting deliberately
وإذا قطيعَتُه قطيعةُ عَامِدِ
And I think he shows aversion out of necessity,
I think his coldness comes of necessity,
Yet his estrangement is that of one acting deliberately.
As if estrangement were his conscious plight.
مَنwho ليfor me بِنَيْلِwith obtaining مودّةٍaffection مَمْذُوقَةٍadulterated
مَن لي بِنَيْلِ مودّةٍ مَمْذُوقَةٍ
منهُfrom him يُبَهْرجُهاexposes it as counterfeit اختبارُthe test of النّاقِدِthe assayer
منهُ يُبَهْرجُها اختبارُ النّاقِدِ
Who will win me some watered-down affection
Who can obtain sincere affection
From him, which the assayer's test exposes as counterfeit?
That the critic's test cannot expose?
أَرضىI am content بباطِلهاwith its falsehood وأقْنَعُand I am satisfied بالمُنَىwith hopes
أَرضى بباطِلها وأقْنَعُ بالمُنَى
منهاfrom it وأدْفَعُand I counter غَيبَهاwhat it conceals بالشّاهِدِwith what is apparent
منها وأدْفَعُ غَيبَها بالشّاهِدِ
I would accept its falsehood and be content with hopes
I'll settle for its falsehood and be content
Of it, and counter what it conceals with what it shows.
With hopes it feeds though they're not true.
ياO ظالماًunjust one أفْنَىhas exhausted اصْطِبَارِيmy patience هجرُهhis abandonment
يا ظالماً أفْنَى اصْطِبَارِي هجرُه
وابتَزَّand stripped away ثَوبَthe robe of تَماسُكِيmy composure وتَجالُدِيand my show of fortitude
وابتَزَّ ثَوبَ تَماسُكِي وتَجالُدِي
O unjust one, whose abandonment has exhausted my patience,
O you whose absence wore away my patience
And stripped away the robe of my composure and fortitude,
And stripped my cloak of strength and fortitude!
كيفhow السبيلُthe way إلىto وِصَالِكَunion with you بعدماafter
كيف السبيلُ إلى وِصَالِكَ بعدما
عفّيتَyou effaced بالهِجرانِthrough estrangement سُبلَthe paths of مَقاصديmy aims
عفّيتَ بالهِجرانِ سُبلَ مَقاصدي
What path is there to union with you, now that
What path is there to union after you
You have erased through estrangement the paths to my desires?
Have barred the roads that led to my pursuit?
ويلومُنيand blames me فيfor حملِbearing ظُلمكَyour injustice جاهلٌan ignorant man
ويلومُني في حملِ ظُلمكَ جاهلٌ
يلقَىmeets جَوَىthe burning anguish of قلبيmy heart بقلبٍwith a heart باردِcold
يلقَى جَوَى قلبي بقلبٍ باردِ
And an ignorant man blames me for bearing your injustice,
Yet fools blame me for bearing your injustice,
Meeting my heart's burning anguish with a cold heart.
Whose hearts are chilled towards my agony.
يُزرِيlooks down علon جَزَعيmy distress بصبرٍwith patience مُسعدٍsustaining
يُزرِي عل جَزَعي بصبرٍ مُسعدٍ
ويصُدُّand turns away عنfrom دَمعيmy tears بطرفٍwith an eye جَامدِunweeping
ويصُدُّ عن دَمعي بطرفٍ جَامدِ
He belittles my distress with a patience that sustains him,
They ridicule my sorrow with blessed calm,
And turns from my tears with an unweeping eye.
And block my tears with stony eyes that freeze.
لِمَwhy لاnot تَرِقُّdo you feel compassion لناظرٍfor an eye أرَّقْتَهyou kept it sleepless
لِمَ لا تَرِقُّ لناظرٍ أرَّقْتَه
وحَشاand a heart حشاهُfilled it الوجدُpassionate longing جَذْوةَan ember واقِدِof a fire-kindler
وحَشا حشاهُ الوجدُ جَذْوةَ واقِدِ
Why do you not pity an eye you have kept sleepless,
Why can you not be softened by a glance
And a heart that longing has filled with a fire-kindler's ember,
Whose fires your desertion lit ablaze?
ومروَّعٍand a frightened man يلقَىfaces العواذلَreproaching women فيover الهَوىlove
ومروَّعٍ يلقَى العواذلَ في الهَوى
بفؤادِwith a heart مَوتُورٍbereft وسمعِand an ear مُعانِدِdefiant
بفؤادِ مَوتُورٍ وسمعِ مُعانِدِ
And a frightened lover facing women who reproach his love,
And by a soul whom passion's ghosts dismay
With a bereft heart and a defiant ear,
With wounded heart and ears that disobey?
قَلقِrestless الوِسادon the pillow كأنّas though تحتَbeneath مِهادِهhis bedding
قَلقِ الوِساد كأنّ تحتَ مِهادِه
أُسداًlions ومَضجَعَهُand his bed نيُوبُfangs أَساوِدِof black serpents
أُسداً ومَضجَعَهُ نيُوبُ أَساوِدِ
Restless on his pillow, as though beneath his bedding
Who tosses sleepless as if lions clawed
Were lions, and his bed were the fangs of black serpents?
Beneath his pillow with their dreadful jaws.
أَتُراكَI wonder about you يَعطِفُكsoftens you العِتابُreproach وقلّماand seldom
أَتُراكَ يَعطِفُك العِتابُ وقلّما
يَثنيturns العِتَابُreproach عِنانَthe rein of قلبٍa heart شَاردِwayward
يَثني العِتَابُ عِنانَ قلبٍ شَاردِ
Will reproach soften you, I wonder? Seldom
Does reproach affect you? Rarely does rebuke
Does reproach turn the rein of a wayward heart.
Turn back the will of one whose heart's astray.
هيهاتَfar beyond reach وصلُكَunion with you عندbeside عَنْقَاʿAnqāʾ, the mythical bird مُغْرِبٍMughrib, the far-ranging
هيهاتَ وصلُكَ عند عَنْقَا مُغْرِبٍ
ورِضَاكَand your favor أبعدُfarther منthan سُهاًSuhā, a star وفَراقِدِand the Farāqid stars
ورِضَاكَ أبعدُ من سُهاً وفَراقِدِ
Far beyond reach is union with you, beside the ʿAnqāʾ Mughrib,
Hope of your union at day's fading edge
And your favor is farther than Suhā and the Farāqid stars.
Is farther than the stars that light night's shade.
ومِنِand among العنَاءِhardships طِلابُseeking وُدٍّaffection صادقٍsincere
ومِنِ العنَاءِ طِلابُ وُدٍّ صادقٍ
منfrom مَاذِقٍa dissembler وصلاحُand the reform of قلبٍa heart فاسدِcorrupt
من مَاذِقٍ وصلاحُ قلبٍ فاسدِ
And it is toil to seek sincere affection
To seek true love from one whose heart is rot
From a dissembler, and to reform a corrupt heart.
Is weary toil that naught can ever sway.
Sol 6.1