ياO أَسدُAsad المشقُوقُthe split one بالعَرْضِcrosswise
يا أَسدُ المشقُوقُ بالعَرْضِ
والحامضُand sour الوجهِof face منfrom البُغْضِhatred
والحامضُ الوجهِ من البُغْضِ
O Asad, split crosswise,
O lion with the split chin
And sour-faced from hatred,
And sour face from hatred
كأَنَّماas though وَجْهُكَyour face مِنْfrom بُغْضِهِits repulsiveness
كأَنَّما وَجْهُكَ مِنْ بُغْضِهِ
مُصَوَّرٌfashioned منfrom فالجٍpalsy محضpure
مُصَوَّرٌ من فالجٍ محض
As though your face, in its repulsiveness,
As if your face was illustrated
Were fashioned from sheer palsy.
With sheer bile and bitterness
ماnot ندميmy regret عنيfor me بِمُغْنof any avail ولوeven if
ما ندمي عني بِمُغْن ولو
أَفْنَيْتُI wore away كفَّيَّboth my hands منَfrom العضّbiting
أَفْنَيْتُ كفَّيَّ منَ العضّ
My regret avails me nothing, even if
I regret not my hands though I
I wore both my hands away by biting.
Wore them out in blows and fists
ذنبيَmy sin وحديmine alone كذنوبِlike the sins الورىof humankind
ذنبيَ وحدي كذنوبِ الورى
فيin الهدمdestruction للجاهِof standing وللعِرضand of honor
في الهدم للجاهِ وللعِرض
My sin alone is like the sins of humankind
My sin alone like sins of mortals
In destroying standing and honor.
In destroying repute and honor
خفَّwas light علىupon روحيَmy soul مَنْhe who رُوحُهُhis soul
خفَّ على روحيَ مَنْ رُوحُهُ
أَثْقَلَheavier فيon الأرضِthe earth منthan الأرضthe earth
أَثْقَلَ في الأرضِ من الأرض
Light on my soul was he whose soul
Lighter than my soul is he
Is heavier on earth than the earth itself.
Whose soul on earth weighs more than earth