داووكَthey treated you مِنfor عِلَّتَيكyour two ailments حَتّىuntil
داووكَ مِن عِلَّتَيك حَتّى
تَسَلَّلواthey slipped away مِنهُماfrom both of them لِواذاunder cover
تَسَلَّلوا مِنهُما لِواذا
They treated you for your two ailments, until
Cure me of both my diseases, so they may escape from them, oh refuge!
They treated you for your two ailments until
they slipped away from both under cover.
I have tasted sorrow and tasted bereavement, pleasures became unlawful after you.
They slipped away from the task, seeking retreat.
ذُقتُI tasted حماماًdeath وَذُقتُand I tasted ثكلاًbereavement
ذُقتُ حماماً وَذُقتُ ثكلاً
حرَّمforbade مِنfrom بَعدِكَafter you اللّذاذاpleasure
حرَّم مِن بَعدِكَ اللّذاذا
I tasted death and tasted bereavement
Leave me be, for I have made my sadness a habit, not having chosen it.
I have tasted death, and I have tasted bereavement,
that forbade pleasure after you.
Death, in his hands are arrows, neither missing their mark, nor blunted.
Which has forbidden all pleasure after you were gone.
ذَرنيleave me فَإِنّيfor indeed I اِتَّخَذتُI took حُزنيmy grief
ذَرني فَإِنّي اِتَّخَذتُ حُزني
إِلفاًas a companion وَلَمand did not أَبغِهِI seek it اِتِّخاذاtaking as a companion
إِلفاً وَلَم أَبغِهِ اِتِّخاذا
Leave me, for I have taken my grief
Remind with it, do you see, did incantations protect from it, when it came as a refuge?
Leave me be, for I have taken my sorrow
as a companion, though I did not seek to take it.
I was distracted from seeking help, as if my bereavement counts the wipings - oh refuge!
As an intimate companion, though I never sought to adopt it.
ذاthis المَوتُdeath فيin كَفِّهِhis palm سِهامٌarrows
ذا المَوتُ في كَفِّهِ سِهامٌ
لاneither التُركَthe Turks أَخطَتmissed وَلاnor قُباذاQubadh
لا التُركَ أَخطَت وَلا قُباذا
This is Death, with arrows in his palm
My flowing hair has grown white from my worries - what do the generous suffer, oh refuge!
This Death holds arrows in his hand;
that missed neither the Turks nor Qubadh.
You faded, oh garden of wishes, so there is no comfort or refuge.
They missed neither the Turks nor King Qubadh.
ذكِّرremind others بِهِof it هَلdo ...? ترىyou think أَعاذَتgave protection
ذكِّر بِهِ هَل ترى أَعاذَت
مِنهُfrom it الرُقىincantations إِذwhen أَتىcame upon مُعاذاMu'adh
مِنهُ الرُقى إِذ أَتى مُعاذا
Remind them of it: do you think protection was given
You took from me all resolve, that was undoing the twisting of strands.
Remind them of him; do you see that any amulets gave protection
from it by incantations when it came upon Mu'adh?
My body melted into sickness for you, when you left the thickets, oh refuge!
Against him, when he came for Mu'adh?
ذهِلتُI lost sight عَنof إِسوَةٍconsolation كَأَنّيas though I
ذهِلتُ عَن إِسوَةٍ كَأَنّي
ثكليmy bereavement; probably 'a bereaved woman' here تعدُّshe reckons المسوحُthe sackcloth garments لاذاfine silk
ثكلي تعدُّ المسوحُ لاذا
I lost sight of consolation, as though I were
My tears poured and my patience waned, complaining - no gentle rain.
I became oblivious to patience, as if I were
a bereaved woman, reckoning sackcloth as fine silk.
My pride and pride of a loving heart, delight of my eye - do you not regard me?
A bereaved mother counting sackcloth as her only shelter.
ذَوائِبيmy locks شبنَthey turned gray مِنfrom هُموميmy cares
ذَوائِبي شبنَ مِن هُمومي
ماذاwhat يُقاسيendure الكِرامُthe noble ماذاwhat
ماذا يُقاسي الكِرامُ ماذا
My locks turned gray from my cares.
Intellect and the full moon vanished from you, so I see neither this nor that.
My locks have turned grey from my cares;
What the noble endure—what they endure!
My life blamed me, died doing good, and he who hurt and wronged me lived.
Oh, what the noble ones suffer! What pain!
ذَويتِyou have withered ياO رَوضَةَgarden الأَمانيthe hopes
ذَويتِ يا رَوضَةَ الأَماني
فَلاso no مَلَذٌّsource of delight وَلاnor مَلاذاrefuge
فَلا مَلَذٌّ وَلا مَلاذا
You have withered, O garden of hopes,
My sin is great, and my request is that God make you a refuge for me.
You have withered, O garden of my hopes,
so there is no delight and no refuge.
Leaving neither pleasure nor sanctuary.
ذَهَبتyou went away مِنّيfrom me بِكُلِّwith every عَزمٍresolve
ذَهَبت مِنّي بِكُلِّ عَزمٍ
كانَused to يَفُلُّblunt الظُبىthe sword-edges نَفاذاin piercing force
كانَ يَفُلُّ الظُبى نَفاذا
You took from me every resolve
You have departed, taking with you all my resolve,
that once blunted sword-edges with its piercing force.
Resolve that once blunted sharp blades with its force.
ذابَmelted سقاماًwith sickness عَلَيكَover you جِسميmy body
ذابَ سقاماً عَلَيكَ جِسمي
لَمّاwhen تَرَكتَyou left الحَشاthe innermost heart جُذاذاin fragments
لَمّا تَرَكتَ الحَشا جُذاذا
My body melted with sickness over you,
My body has melted away in sickness over you,
when you left my innermost heart in fragments.
Since you left my heart torn into shreds.
ذَلَّتyielded readily دُموعيmy tears وَعَزَّand grew scarce صَبريmy patience
ذَلَّت دُموعي وَعَزَّ صَبري
قَوائِلاًspeaking فُضنَthey poured forth لاnot رِذاذاdrizzle
قَوائِلاً فُضنَ لا رِذاذا
My tears came readily, and my patience grew scarce;
My tears flowed freely, while my patience grew scarce,
speaking, they poured forth—not as drizzle.
Pouring down in torrents, not merely drizzling.
ذُخريmy treasure فَخريmy pride حَبيبbeloved قَلبٍa heart
ذُخري فَخري حَبيب قَلبٍ
قُرَّةَdelight عَينيmy eye أَماare ... not? تُحاذىyou are equaled
قُرَّةَ عَيني أَما تُحاذى
My treasure, my pride, heart's beloved,
My treasure, my pride, beloved of my heart,
delight of my eye—are you not equaled?
Delight of my eye—can we no longer be side by side?
ذُكاءُDhuka (the sun) وَالبَدرُand the full moon مِنكَfrom you غاباboth vanished
ذُكاءُ وَالبَدرُ مِنكَ غابا
فَلاso not أَرىI see هذِهِthis one (feminine) وَلاnor ذاthis one (masculine)
فَلا أَرى هذِهِ وَلا ذا
Dhuka (the sun) and the full moon vanished from you,
The sun and the full moon have vanished in your absence;
so I see neither the one nor the other.
I see neither the one nor the other.
ذمَّتwas condemned حَياتيmy life أَمُتَّdid you die? برّاًdutiful
ذمَّت حَياتي أَمُتَّ برّاً
وَعاشَand lived مَنone who عَقَّنيwas undutiful to me وَآذىand caused harm
وَعاشَ مَن عَقَّني وَآذى
Cursed be my life! Did you, the dutiful one, die,
My life has become hateful; you died a righteous soul,
while one who was undutiful to me and caused harm lived?
While those who disobeyed and hurt me live on.
ذَنبيmy sin عَظيمٌgreat وَسالَتيand my plea أنthat
ذَنبي عَظيمٌ وَسالَتي أن
يَجعَلَكَmake you اللَهُGod ليfor me معاذاa refuge
يَجعَلَكَ اللَهُ لي معاذا
My sin is great, and my plea is that
My sin is great, and my only prayer is that
God make you a refuge for me.
God makes you a sanctuary for my salvation.
Partial English translation: 15 of 30 Arabic lines translated.