عَذيريmy defender منagainst الدَّيْنِthe debt الذيwhich راحَcame to rest عبؤُهits burden
عَذيري من الدَّيْنِ الذي راحَ عبؤُه
علىupon كلِّevery قلبٍheart لاnot علىupon كلِّevery عاتقِshoulder
على كلِّ قلبٍ لا على كلِّ عاتقِ
Indulge my complaint against the debt whose burden has fallen
Who will defend me against debt, whose burden has come to rest
upon every heart—though not upon every shoulder.
On every heart, not on every shoulder;
ومُرتَقِبٍand a watcher ليfor me غُدوَةًin the morning وعَشِيَّةًand in the evening
ومُرتَقِبٍ لي غُدوَةً وعَشِيَّةً
يُسائِلُinquires عنّيabout me وهوwhile he ليtoward me غيرُnot وامقِloving
يُسائِلُ عنّي وهو لي غيرُ وامقِ
And one lies in wait for me, morning and evening,
And against one who watches for me morning and evening,
asking after me, though he is no friend of mine.
Who asks after me, though he has no love for me;
ومطويَّةٍand a folded sheet كالسابِريَّةِlike Sabiri cloth أُدْرِجَتْwas rolled up
ومطويَّةٍ كالسابِريَّةِ أُدْرِجَتْ
علىover فُقَرٍclauses مثلِlike الجِبالِthe mountains الشَّواهقِtowering
على فُقَرٍ مثلِ الجِبالِ الشَّواهقِ
And a folded deed, like fine Sābirī cloth, is rolled
And against a folded sheet, like Sabiri cloth, rolled up
around clauses as massive as towering mountains;
Over clauses like towering mountains?
فباطنُهاfor its inside كالبُرْدِlike a cloak نُمِنَمwas finely patterned وَشيُهits embroidery
فباطنُها كالبُرْدِ نُمِنَم وَشيُه
وظاهِرُهاand its outside كالآلِlike a mirage بينamid السَّمالقِthe bare plains
وظاهِرُها كالآلِ بين السَّمالقِ
its inner face, like a mantle, finely figured by its embroidery,
For its inside is like a cloak whose embroidery is finely patterned,
its outer face like mirage amid the barren wastes.
And its outside like a mirage amid bare plains.
ورُبَّand many a فتىًyoung man يَلْقَىmeets السُّيوفَthe swords بوَجْهِهwith his face
ورُبَّ فتىً يَلْقَى السُّيوفَ بوَجْهِه
ويَعْجَزُand is unable عنto لُقياmeet سيوفِthe swords of الوثائقِthe legal documents
ويَعْجَزُ عن لُقيا سيوفِ الوثائقِ
Many a young man meets swords face-first,
And many a young man faces swords head-on,
yet falters at meeting the swords of binding deeds.
Yet cannot face the swords of legal documents.
أَلَنْتَyou softened لهُمfor them لَفظيmy speech ولوand if كنتُI had been آمِناًsafe
أَلَنْتَ لهُم لَفظي ولو كنتُ آمِناً
شَهادَةَtestimony خُرْسٍmute ones بالحُقوقِconcerning the rights نَواطِقِspeaking
شَهادَةَ خُرْسٍ بالحُقوقِ نَواطِقِ
I softened my words to them; but had I been safe
You softened my speech toward them; and had I been safe
from the testimony of mute witnesses that speak aloud of rights,
From the testimony of mute witnesses that speak of rights,
لَلاقَتْwould have met حقوقُclaims القَوْمِthe people حِلفَةَan oath باطلٍfalsehood
لَلاقَتْ حقوقُ القَوْمِ حِلفَةَ باطلٍ
كماjust as لاقَتِmet الشَّجراءُthe branching tree إحدىone of الصَّواعِقِthe thunderbolts
كما لاقَتِ الشَّجراءُ إحدى الصَّواعِقِ
the people's claims would have met a perjurer's oath,
The people's claims would have met a false oath,
as a wooded thicket meets one of the thunderbolts.
Just as the branching tree met one of the thunderbolts.
