غاضَebbed away إِلاexcept صَبابَةardent yearning فيin ثَناياrecesses
غاضَ إِلا صَبابَة في ثَنايا
غامِضاتobscure وَجفand dried up إِلّاexcept بَقاياremnants
غامِضات وَجف إِلّا بَقايا
It ebbed away, save for yearning in recesses
Gazing faded into creases' folds
Obscure; and it dried up, save for remnants.
Obscure, save remnants it withholds
وَاِنقَضىand ended وَاِستَرَدَand was reclaimed إِلاexcept ذماءa remnant of life
وَاِنقَضى وَاِستَرَدَ إِلا ذماء
فيin قَليبa well أَوor نُطفةa drop فيin رواياwaterskins
في قَليب أَو نُطفة في روايا
It ended and was reclaimed, save for a remnant of life
Expired, reclaimed, save bitterness
In a well, or a drop in waterskins—
In a heart or embryo in narratives
بردcoolness ذاكَthat اليَقينcertainty فيin طيبsweetness ذاكَthat
برد ذاكَ اليَقين في طيب ذاكَ
المَهدthe cradle فيin نبلهits nobility وَصدقand sincerity النَواياthe intentions
المَهد في نبله وَصدق النَوايا
The coolness of that certainty, in the sweetness of that
That certainty's chill in goodness of that
Cradle, in its nobility and the sincerity of intentions.
Cradle in its nobility and truth of intentions
غالَهُstole it away مِنfrom يَديmy hand مِنthe one who نازَعتِنيهِwrestled me for it
غالَهُ مِن يَدي مِن نازَعتِنيهِ
يَداهُhis two hands فَلَمso did not تَعنىtoil يَداياmy two hands
يَداهُ فَلَم تَعنى يَدايا
He stole it from my hand—the one who wrestled me for it
It cost me, from hands that contested me
With his hands; so my own hands did not toil.
Hands that my hands did not heed
كُنتI was بَينَamid الصِباchildhood نَعمتI enjoyed بِإِيماwith faith (continued)
كُنت بَينَ الصِبا نَعمت بِإِيما
نcompletion of 'faith' رضىcontentment وَأَينand where عَهدthe time صِباياmy childhood
ن رضى وَأَين عَهد صِبايا
In childhood, I enjoyed a faith
I was, in my youth, blessed with faith
Of contentment—where are my childhood days?
Of contentment, where is the era of my youth?
فَسَلَبتso I was deprived الهُدىguidance وَعولجتand I was grappled with فيin النُوthe light (continued)
فَسَلَبت الهُدى وَعولجت في النُو
رcompletion of 'light' وَقَدand indeed كُنتI was صادِقاًsincere فيin هداياmy guidance
ر وَقَد كُنت صادِقاً في هدايا
So I was stripped of guidance and grappled with in the light,
So guidance was robbed, and I strayed into light
Though I had been sincere in my guidance.
Yet I was truthful in my guidance
تاهَstrayed مِنيfrom me الصِباchildhood وَضَلتand went astray سُنونyears
تاهَ مِني الصِبا وَضَلت سُنون
بَعدafterward فيin مَنطقlogic كَثيرabundant in القَضاياthe propositions
بَعد في مَنطق كَثير القَضايا
Childhood strayed from me, and years went astray
My youth strayed from me and years after
Afterward, in logic crowded with propositions.
Went astray in discourse of many issues
وَمَضىand went away الشَكdoubt بِاليَقينwith certainty فَللـso to God (continued)
وَمَضى الشَك بِاليَقين فَللـ
ـهcompletion of 'God' فُؤادa heart تَأكلتهate it away الرَزاياcalamities
ـه فُؤاد تَأكلته الرَزايا
And doubt carried certainty away; so to God belongs
And doubt replaced certainty, so for God
A heart that calamities have eaten away.
A heart consumed by misery
ياO صَبياًa boy كَفنتهُI shrouded him أَمسyesterday منيof me
يا صَبياً كَفنتهُ أَمس مني
آلهيdivine الضَميرthe conscience عفpure الحَناياthe heart's recesses
آلهي الضَمير عف الحَنايا
O boy within me, whom I shrouded yesterday,
O boy I shrouded yesterday from within
Divine in conscience, pure in the heart's recesses,
My conscience, spare me the sorrow
قُدسيholy الرِداءthe robe عفpure الجَلابيـthe garments (continued)
قُدسي الرِداء عف الجَلابيـ
ـبcompletion of 'garments' حَنيفاًupright in faith منزهاًuntainted عَنfrom خَطاياsins
ـب حَنيفاً منزهاً عَن خَطايا
Holy-robed, pure in garments,
Sanctify my cloak from the garments
Upright in faith, free from sins.
Upright, immaculate of sins
أَمطَرتrained upon عَهدكyour days السَماءthe sky وَجادتـand lavished (continued)
أَمطَرت عَهدك السَماء وَجادتـ
ـكyou أَفاويقsuccessive showers رَحمةmercy مِنfrom رَضاياmy contentment
ـك أَفاويق رَحمة مِن رَضايا
May the sky rain upon your days and lavish
Your era the sky rained and bestowed
On you successive showers of mercy from my contentment.
Mercies of contentment in gusts of pleasure