ياO جيرةneighbors السينthe Seine يحياlives فيin مرابعكمyour dwellings
يا جيرة السين يحيا في مرابعكم
فتىًa young man إلىto النيلthe Nile يشكوlaments غربةexile الدارhome
فتىً إلى النيل يشكو غربة الدار
O neighbors of the Seine, in your dwellings lives
O neighbor of sin, there lives in your dwellings
a youth who laments to the Nile his exile from home.
A youth who complains to the Nile of the hardship of being away from home
جنَتwronged عليهagainst him لياليهhis nights وأسلمهand handed him over
جنَت عليه لياليه وأسلمه
إلىto الحوادثcalamities صحبٌcompanions غيرnot أبرارvirtuous
إلى الحوادث صحبٌ غير أبرار
His nights have wronged him, and he was handed over
The nights have conspired against him and handed him over
to calamities by companions without virtue.
To calamities, in the company of those who are not righteous
أحالهturned him into الدهرtime فيin لأواءhardship غربتهhis exile
أحاله الدهر في لأواء غربته
روحاًa soul معنىًtormented وجسماand a body نضوworn-out أسفارjourneys
روحاً معنىً وجسما نضو أسفار
Time has turned him, amid the hardships of his exile,
Fate has tested him in the tribulations of his exile
into a tormented soul and a body worn thin by travel.
A soul of meaning and a body accustomed to voyaging afar
يسعىstrives إلىfor المجدglory ترميهpelt him مخاطرهُits perils
يسعى إلى المجد ترميه مخاطرهُ
بنافعwith something helpful منof شظاياهاtheir shards وضرّارand something harmful
بنافع من شظاياها وضرّار
He strives for glory; its perils pelt him
He strives for glory though its dangers cast him
with shards of theirs, some helpful and some harmful.
Among the shards of its usefulness and harms
عزاؤهhis consolation أنthat عقبىthe outcome كلevery عاديةadversity
عزاؤه أن عقبى كل عادية
يشقىsuffers بهاfrom it الحرّthe free man إكليلٌa wreath منof الغارlaurel
يشقى بها الحرّ إكليلٌ من الغار
His consolation is that the outcome of every adversity
His solace is that the outcome of every mundane thing
a free man suffers is a wreath of laurel.
Afflicts the free man with a crown of thorns
ياO خافقflashing البرقlightning ترتاعtremble in fear القلوبhearts لهat it
يا خافق البرق ترتاع القلوب له
كوقدةlike a blaze الغيظrage فيin أحشاءentrails جبّارa tyrant
كوقدة الغيظ في أحشاء جبّار
O flashing lightning, at which hearts tremble,
O flickering lightning, hearts tremble at the sight
like the blaze of rage in a tyrant's entrails.
Like burning rage in the belly of an arrogrant tyrant
تعالcome أهديكlet me offer you منfrom روحيmy soul بعاصفةwith a tempest
تعال أهديك من روحي بعاصفة
تردىlays low الأنامall creatures ومنand from قلبيmy heart بإعصارwith a whirlwind
تردى الأنام ومن قلبي بإعصار
Come, let me offer you from my soul a tempest
Come let me send you from my soul a storm
that lays all creatures low, and from my heart a whirlwind.
That casts down people, and from my heart a tempest
الناسpeople ماwhat are الناسpeople لاnot تدريyou know سرائرهمtheir secrets
الناس ما الناس لا تدري سرائرهم
وماand what يجنونthey perpetrate منof كيدguile ومنand of نارfire
وما يجنون من كيد ومن نار
People—what are people? You do not know their secrets,
People, what are people? You know not their inner thoughts
nor the guile and fire they wreak.
Nor what evil and fire they hatch
لوif يفصحdiscloses الغيبthe unseen يوماone day عنabout مصائرهمtheir fates
لو يفصح الغيب يوما عن مصائرهم
لأقصرwould surely desist اللؤمbaseness قومٌsome people ايّutter إقصارcessation
لأقصر اللؤم قومٌ ايّ إقصار
If the unseen one day revealed their fates,
If the unknown were to reveal one day their fates
some people would desist from baseness altogether.
The meager would be a people, oh what meagerness!
حارwere baffled النبيونthe prophets فيin تطهيرpurifying فطرتهمtheir innate nature
حار النبيون في تطهير فطرتهم
فماso what عسىcould نفعbenefit أمثاليthe likes of me وأشعاريand my poems
فما عسى نفع أمثالي وأشعاري
The prophets were at a loss to purify their nature;
The prophets were perplexed in purifying their nature
so what good could the likes of me and my poems do?
So what can the use be of the likes of me and my poetry?
رباهO my Lord آمنتI have believed لكنيbut I علىin خطرperil
رباه آمنت لكني على خطر
يغتالنيassassinates me الشكdoubt فيin جهريmy open speech وإسراريand my secrecy
يغتالني الشك في جهري وإسراري
O my Lord, I believe, yet I am in peril;
My Lord I have believed, but I am in danger
doubt strikes me down in my open speech and my secrecy.
Doubt ambushes me in my openness and secrecy
سوّيتYou fashioned فيwithin الناسpeople أخلاطاmixtures مبعثرةscattered
سوّيت في الناس أخلاطا مبعثرة
تشوكprick عشاقlovers صنعhandiwork المبدعthe Originator الباريthe Creator
تشوك عشاق صنع المبدع الباري
You have fashioned scattered mixtures within people,
Among the people I have mixed scattered traits
that prick those who love the handiwork of the Originator, the Creator.
That prick those who love the work of the Creator
أرىI see وجوهاfaces بصدقwith sincerity الودaffection واعدةًpromising
أرى وجوها بصدق الود واعدةً
ولاand not أرىI see ظلa shadow قلبa heart غيرother than ختّارtreacherous
ولا أرى ظل قلب غير ختّار
I see faces promising sincere affection,
I see faces that promise true affection
yet I see no shadow of a heart that is not treacherous.
But I see no shadow of a heart that is not fickle
كمhow many منof عشيرٍa companion أواسيهI comfort him وأنصرهand support him
كم من عشيرٍ أواسيه وأنصره
يرعىgrazes حمايmy protected pasture بقلبwith a heart جاحدٍungrateful ضارharmful
يرعى حماي بقلب جاحدٍ ضار
How many a companion I comfort and support
How many kinsmen have I consoled and supported
grazes in my preserve with an ungrateful, harmful heart!
Who secretly harbor a hostile and harmful heart?
غفرانكYour forgiveness اللَهO God هذيthis نفثةan outpouring غلبتoverwhelmed
غفرانك اللَه هذي نفثة غلبت
ألقىcast forth بهاit الشعرpoetry لمnot تسبقbe preceded بإصرارby deliberate resolve
ألقى بها الشعر لم تسبق بإصرار
Your forgiveness, O God! This is an outpouring that overwhelmed me;
May God forgive you, this outpouring has overwhelmed me
poetry cast it forth, without prior deliberate intent.
I have poured it into poetry, it was not intentional
Sol 6.1