منwho نصيريmy champion علىagainst عشيرِthe kin of نوارِNawār
من نصيري على عشيرِ نوارِ
منwho مجيريmy protector منfrom هذهthese الأكدارِtroubles
من مجيري من هذه الأكدارِ
Who will aid me against Nawar’s clan?
Who will champion me against Nawār’s kin?
Who will deliver me from these sorrows?
Who will shelter me from these troubles?
راقبوهاthey watched her فمنَّعوهاso they kept her away وماand nothing بي‘between me’ (first part)
راقبوها فمنَّعوها وما بي
ني‘between me’ (completion) وبينand between المزارthe place visited غيرother than جدارa wall
ني وبين المزار غير جدار
They watched her and barred her; yet there is nothing
They watched her and kept her away, though between me
between me and the trysting place but a wall.
and the place I visit there is only a wall.
ماnot اكتفىwas content القلبthe heart بالغرامwith love فساداًruin
ما اكتفى القلب بالغرام فساداً
ولظىًand a blaze فاستزدتهso I sought more for it بالعقارthrough wine
ولظىً فاستزدته بالعقار
My heart was not content with love’s ruin
My heart was not content with love’s ruin
and flame, so I fed it still more with wine.
and blaze, so I sought more for it through wine.
ماnot أرانيI see myself بشربيَthrough my drinking الخمرwine إلاexcept
ما أراني بشربيَ الخمر إلا
مستغيثاًseeking rescue منfrom الحسامthe keen sword بنارthrough fire
مستغيثاً من الحسام بنار
In drinking wine, I see myself only
In drinking wine, I see myself as nothing but
as one seeking rescue from the sword with fire.
one turning to fire for rescue from the keen sword.
هنتI was abased بالعشقِby love ياO معذبتيmy tormentor بع‘after’ (first part)
هنت بالعشقِ يا معذبتي بع
د‘after’ (completion) اعتزازpride بالفضلin merit واستكبارand haughtiness
د اعتزاز بالفضل واستكبار
Love has humbled me, my tormentress, after
Love has abased me, O my tormentor, after
pride in my merit and haughtiness.
pride in my merit and haughty self-regard.
وبغيضٌand hateful إليَّto me عيشيmy life وقدand already أع‘you turned away’ (first part)
وبغيضٌ إليَّ عيشي وقد أع
رضتِ‘you turned away’ (completion) عنيfrom me وسؤدديand my eminence واشتهاريand my fame
رضتِ عني وسؤددي واشتهاري
My life is hateful to me, now that you have turned
And my life is hateful to me, now that you have turned
away from me, despite my stature and renown.
away from me, my eminence, and my fame.
اضمنيguarantee ليfor me استماعَlistening to أخبارِreports قوميmy people
اضمني لي استماعَ أخبارِ قومي
بعدafter موتيmy death عنabout نكبةthe calamity of الأشعارpoetry
بعد موتي عن نكبة الأشعار
Promise me that I shall hear my people’s news
Promise me you will listen to my people’s reports
after my death—of the calamity befallen poetry.
after my death, of poetry’s calamity.
وأناand I الآنnow أشربI drink السمَّpoison مختا‘by choice’ (first part)
وأنا الآن أشرب السمَّ مختا
راً‘by choice’ (completion) وألقيand I throw بالنفسmyself تحتbeneath القطارthe train
راً وألقي بالنفس تحت القطار
And now I drink the poison of my own choosing,
And now I drink poison by my own
and cast myself beneath the train,
choice, and throw myself beneath the train.
مستهيناًdisdainful بكلof everyone منwho ظنconsidered عاراًa disgrace
مستهيناً بكل من ظن عاراً
منfrom كروبٍanguish إلىinto ذنوبٍsins فراريmy flight
من كروبٍ إلى ذنوبٍ فراري
scorning everyone who deemed it shameful—
Scorning all who saw disgrace
my flight from anguish into sin.
in my flight from anguish into sins.
لستI do not ألقىI find عنfrom الحياةlife سلوّاًsolace
لست ألقى عن الحياة سلوّاً
كحديثٍlike talk عنof فتنتيmy infatuation وانتحاريand my suicide
كحديثٍ عن فتنتي وانتحاري
I find no way to forget this life
I find no solace for parting with life
like the tale of my passion and suicide.
like talk of my infatuation and my suicide.
والحياةand life الأخرىthe other أبرkinder وأبقىand more enduring
والحياة الأخرى أبر وأبقى
بعدafter عفوpardon المهيمنthe Guardian الغفارthe All-Forgiving
بعد عفو المهيمن الغفار
The life hereafter is purer and more enduring
And the life to come is kinder and more enduring
once the All-Ruling, All-Forgiving grants pardon.
after the pardon of the Guardian, the All-Forgiving.
ربLord لاnot أستطيعI can ردَّaverting الذيwhat تق‘You decree’ (first part)
رب لا أستطيع ردَّ الذي تق
ضي‘You decree’ (completion) فهبنيso grant me صبراًpatience علىin facing الأقدارfate’s decrees
ضي فهبني صبراً على الأقدار
My Lord, I cannot avert what You decree;
Lord, I cannot avert what You
so grant me patience in the face of fate.
decree; so grant me patience in the face of fate.
