تَأَنفyou disdain صحبةcompanionship النَفسِthe soul
تَأَنف صحبة النَفسِ
سُرورjoy المبعدthe banished one المَنسيthe forgotten one
سُرور المبعد المَنسي
You disdain the soul’s companionship,
O joy of the banished, forgotten one,
عَليلٌailing قَدalready كَساهُhas clothed him الدَمtears (continued next line)
عَليلٌ قَد كَساهُ الدَم
عcompletion of “tears” أَثواباًgarments مِنof الوَرسwars, a yellow plant dye
ع أَثواباً مِن الوَرس
An ailing man whom tears have clothed
In garments of yellow wars-dye.
كَئيبdejected لاnot يَسرُّis gladdened وَلاand not even
كَئيب لا يَسرُّ وَلا
بِحالin a state of القُربcloseness وَالأُنسand companionship
بِحال القُرب وَالأُنس
Dejected, he finds no joy—not even
In closeness and companionship.
وَذاكَand that لِغَيرةbecause of jealousy أَفضَتhas led
وَذاكَ لِغَيرة أَفضَت
بيَme لِلضرto harm وَالبُؤسand misery
بيَ لِلضر وَالبُؤس
And that is because of jealousy that has led
Me to harm and misery.
أَغارَI am jealous عَلَيهِover him مِنof إِدراperceiving (continued next line)
أَغارَ عَلَيهِ مِن إِدرا
كِهِhim (completes “perceiving him”) بِالوَهمthrough imagination وَالحِسand the senses
كِهِ بِالوَهم وَالحِس
I am jealous over him, even of perceiving
Him through imagination and the senses,
وَمِنand of لَحظاتglances كاتِبِهِhis scribe
وَمِن لَحظات كاتِبِهِ
فَكَيفَthen how بِأَعيُنwith the eyes of الأُنسhumankind
فَكَيفَ بِأَعيُن الأُنس
And of his scribe’s glances;
Then what of human eyes?
بِنَفسيwith my soul as ransom مَنhim who يَجرَحis wounded خَدcheek
بِنَفسي مَن يَجرَح خَد
هhis (completes “his cheek”) بِاللَمحةby a fleeting glance الخلسfurtive
ه بِاللَمحة الخلس
My soul for him whose cheek is wounded
By a furtive glance;
وَلاand not يَقوىis strong enough لَهُof his عَضوٌa limb
وَلا يَقوى لَهُ عَضوٌ
لِرقَتِهِbecause of his delicacy عَلىfor لَمسa touch
لِرقَتِهِ عَلى لَمس
And no limb of his can bear
A touch, such is his delicacy.
وَيَفخَرand boasts قَلبُهُhis heart القاسيhard
وَيَفخَر قَلبُهُ القاسي
بِسَلبof stealing حَشاشةthe last remnant of life النَفسthe soul
بِسَلب حَشاشة النَفس
And his hard heart boasts
Of stealing the soul’s last spark of life.
وَيَهجُرand keeps away زاعِماًclaiming إِنthat الthe
وَيَهجُر زاعِماً إِن ال
لقاmeeting ضَربa kind مِنof الرَجسdefilement
لقا ضَرب مِن الرَجس
And he keeps away, claiming that the
Meeting is a kind of defilement.