ليI have بالأَحبةfor the loved ones ماwhat لهمthey have بيfor me انماyet
لي بالأَحبة ما لهم بي انما
شتانhow far apart بينbetween عقولهموَجنونيtheir minds and my madness
شتان بين عقولهموَجنوني
I feel for my loved ones what they feel for me; yet
My loved ones have no love for me, rather
how far apart are their reason and my madness!
There is a vast difference between their minds and my madness
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ملتI turned عنهمaway from them نَحوَtoward منone who
حَتّى إِذا ما ملت عنهم نَحوَ من
يُمليdictates عليto me جنونهhis madness حسدونيthey envied me
يُملي علي جنونه حسدوني
Until, when I turned away from them toward one
Until when I grew weary of them towards someone
who dictates his madness to me, they envied me.
Who inspires madness in me, they envied me
لبيكat your service ياO مَجنونmadman ياO هَذاyou, this one الزَميfirst part of 'the companion'
لبيك يا مَجنون يا هَذا الزَمي
لcompletion of 'the companion' وَمنصفيand my vindicator مِمّاfrom what بهwith it وَصمونيthey branded me
ل وَمنصفي مِمّا به وَصموني
At your service, madman—O companion,
I have no equal or sympathizer for what they attributed to me
and my vindicator against what they branded me with.
Why do people ridicule us when they
ماwhy لِلخَلائقwith people يَسخرونthey mock بناat us وَهمwhile they
ما لِلخَلائق يَسخرون بنا وَهم
لَوif انصفواthey were fair لثموكthey would kiss you أَوor لَثَمونيthey would kiss me
لَو انصفوا لثموك أَو لَثَموني
Why do people mock us, when they
If they were fair, they would either blame or kiss me
would kiss you or me if they were fair?
So he answered me, they work without guidance
فاجابَنيthen he answered me همthey يَعمَلونact بلاwithout هُدىguidance
فاجابَني هم يَعمَلون بلا هُدى
وَيَرونand they see لاnot بقلوبهمwith their hearts بعيونwith eyes
وَيَرون لا بقلوبهم بعيون
Then he answered me: They act without guidance,
And see not with their hearts but with their eyes
and see not with their hearts, but with eyes.
And sanctify their bodies and its pleasures
وَيقدسونand they worship جسومهمtheir bodies ومذيقهاand what gives them a taste
وَيقدسون جسومهم ومذيقها
عيشlife الخَليعthe libertine وَراحةand ease المَفتونthe infatuated one
عيش الخَليع وَراحة المَفتون
And they worship their bodies and what gives them a taste of
The life of the villain and the comfort of the tempted
the libertine's life and the infatuated one's ease.
And they crown their heads with thorns and not
وَيكللونand they crown رؤوسهمtheir heads بالشوكwith thorns والand the
وَيكللون رؤوسهم بالشوك وال
ازهارflowers تحتbeneath نعالهمtheir sandals فيin الدونthe low place
ازهار تحت نعالهم في الدون
And they crown their heads with thorns, while the
The flowers under their feet in lowness
flowers lie beneath their sandals, down below.
And they fight the daring of snakes with what
وَيحاربونand they fight جسارةboldness الافعىthe serpent بِماwith what
وَيحاربون جسارة الافعى بِما
هُوَit الحَريرsilk بلمسهin its touch وَاللونand color
هُوَ الحَرير بلمسه وَاللون
And they fight the serpent's boldness with what
Is silk to the touch and in color
is silk in touch and color.
They laugh when they meet while their insides
همthey يَضحَكونlaugh إِذاwhen تَلاقواthey meet بَينَماwhile
هم يَضحَكون إِذا تَلاقوا بَينَما
احشاؤهمtheir insides منbecause of بعضهمone another كاتونlike a furnace
احشاؤهم من بعضهم كاتون
They laugh when they meet, while
Are stoked from each other like an oven
their insides are like a furnace because of one another.
The voice of the crow is uglier and more ominous
صوتcry الغُرابthe raven شناعةugliness وَتشاؤماand ill omen
صوت الغُراب شناعة وَتشاؤما
أَبهىlovelier لهمto them منthan نغمةsong الحسونthe goldfinch
أَبهى لهم من نغمة الحسون
The raven's cry, ugly and ominous,
To them than the melody of the nightingale
is lovelier to them than the goldfinch's song.
Say what you want, however you want, for they
قلsay ماwhat تَشاءyou wish كَماhowever تَشاءyou wish فانهمfor they
قل ما تَشاء كَما تَشاء فانهم
ظَلَموكَthey wronged you ايضاalso مِثلَماjust as ظَلَمونيthey wronged me
ظَلَموكَ ايضا مِثلَما ظَلَموني
Say what you wish, however you wish, for they
Have wronged you just as they have wronged me
have wronged you too, just as they wronged me.
That was an hour between two madmen
هيَit ساعَةan hour مرتpassed عَلىover نفرينtwo men مجfirst part of 'two madmen'
هيَ ساعَة مرت عَلى نفرين مج
نونينcompletion of 'two madmen' بينamid دعابةjest وَمجونand wanton mirth
نونين بين دعابة وَمجون
It was an hour that passed over two men—
Among playfulness and madness
both mad—amid jest and wanton mirth.
And if after it I see any happiness for me
واذاand if رايتyou see سعادةhappiness ليfor me بعدهاafter it
واذا رايت سعادة لي بعدها
فأَناthen I am السَعيدthe happy one بساعةbecause of the hour of المَجنونthe madman
فأَنا السَعيد بساعة المَجنون
And if you see happiness in me afterward,
Then I am happy with the madman's hour
then I am happy because of that hour with the madman.
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.