ياO قَلبِmy heart وَيحَكَwoe to you خُنتَنيyou betrayed me وَفَعَلتَهاand you did it
يا قَلبِ وَيحَكَ خُنتَني وَفَعَلتَها
وَحَلَلتَand you untied عُقدَةَthe knot تَوبَتيmy repentance وَنَقَضتَهاand you unraveled it
وَحَلَلتَ عُقدَةَ تَوبَتي وَنَقَضتَها
O heart, alas for you! You betrayed me and did the deed.
O my heart, woe to you! You betrayed me and did it.
You loosened the knot of my repentance and undid it.
And you untied the knot of my repentance and unraveled it.
ياO عَينِmy eye مِنكِfrom you بَلِيَّتيmy affliction شاهَدتُهاI saw it
يا عَينِ مِنكِ بَلِيَّتي شاهَدتُها
هَلّاwhy did you not عَنِfrom الوَجهِthe face الجَميلِbeautiful سَتَرتَهاyou veiled it
هَلّا عَنِ الوَجهِ الجَميلِ سَتَرتَها
O eye, my affliction comes from you—I beheld it.
O my eye, through you I saw my affliction;
Why did you not keep her veiled from the beautiful face?
Why did you not veil it from the beautiful face?
ياO ثالِثَthird الوُزَراءِthe viziers كَمhow many مِنof حَلقَةٍa ring
يا ثالِثَ الوُزَراءِ كَم مِن حَلقَةٍ
لِلكَربِof distress وَالأَحزانِand sorrows قَدindeed فَرَّجتَهاyou opened it
لِلكَربِ وَالأَحزانِ قَد فَرَّجتَها
O third among the viziers, how many a knot
O third of the viziers, how many a ring
of anguish and sorrow have you unfastened!
Of distress and sorrow have you opened!
وَخَفِيَّةٍand a hidden matter بِالفِكرِthrough thought قَدindeed ناجَيتَهاyou communed with it
وَخَفِيَّةٍ بِالفِكرِ قَد ناجَيتَها
وَعَواقِبٍand consequences بِالرَأيِthrough judgment قَدindeed أَبصَرتَهاyou discerned them
وَعَواقِبٍ بِالرَأيِ قَد أَبصَرتَها
How many a hidden matter have you pondered in private thought,
And many a hidden matter you have communed with in thought,
and how many consequences discerned through sound judgment;
And many an outcome you have foreseen through judgment,
وَيَدٍand a favor بِوَجهٍwith a face مُطلَقٍcheerful شَيَّعتَهاyou sent it forth
وَيَدٍ بِوَجهٍ مُطلَقٍ شَيَّعتَها
كَبَرَتit was great عَلىto عافيكَthe seeker of your bounty وَاِستَصغَرتَهاand you deemed it small
كَبَرَت عَلى عافيكَ وَاِستَصغَرتَها
how many a favor have you sent forth with a cheerful face!
And many a favor you have sent forth with a cheerful face.
It loomed great to the seeker of your bounty, though you deemed it small.
It was great to the seeker of your bounty, yet you deemed it small.
فَنَسيتَهاthen you forgot it وَأَعَدتَهاand you repeated it فَنَسيتَهاthen you forgot it
فَنَسيتَها وَأَعَدتَها فَنَسيتَها
حَتّىuntil مُدِحتَyou were praised بِذِكرِهاwith mention of it فَذَكَرتَهاthen you remembered it
حَتّى مُدِحتَ بِذِكرِها فَذَكَرتَها
You forgot it, bestowed it again, then forgot it once more—
Then you forgot it, repeated it, then forgot it again,
until you were praised for it, and so remembered it.
Until its mention won you praise, and you remembered it.
لَمّاwhen أَمَرتَyou ordered بِهاconcerning it تَخَبَّهَresembled (reading uncertain) جَدُّهاits earnestness
لَمّا أَمَرتَ بِها تَخَبَّهَ جَدُّها
بِالهَزلِlike jest لِلراجينَto the hopeful إِذwhen جَزَّلتَهاyou made it lavish
بِالهَزلِ لِلراجينَ إِذ جَزَّلتَها
When you commanded it, its earnest purpose hid itself
When you ordered it, its earnestness seemed
behind jest from those who hoped, as you bestowed it lavishly.
Like jest to the hopeful, so lavishly did you make it.
وَاِستَيقَظواand they awoke حَقّاًtruly بِهاto it وَكَأَنَّهُمand as though they
وَاِستَيقَظوا حَقّاً بِها وَكَأَنَّهُم
حَلَمواthey dreamed بِهاof it فيin النَومِsleep لَمّاwhen قُلتَهاyou said it
حَلَموا بِها في النَومِ لَمّا قُلتَها
Then they awakened to its truth, as though they
And they awoke to its reality, yet it was as though
had dreamed of it in sleep when you pronounced it.
They had dreamed of it in sleep when you announced it.
وَلَرُبَّand many a مَعنىa meaning حِكمَةٍof wisdom أَفرَغتَهُyou poured it
وَلَرُبَّ مَعنى حِكمَةٍ أَفرَغتَهُ
فيin قالِبٍa mold مِنof لَفظَةٍan expression أَوجَزتَهاyou made it concise
في قالِبٍ مِن لَفظَةٍ أَوجَزتَها
And many a meaning filled with wisdom have you poured
And many a wise thought you have poured
into the mold of a phrase made concise.
Into the mold of an expression you made concise.
وَوَزارَةٍand a vizierate كانَتwas عَلَيكَfor you حَريصَةًeager
وَوَزارَةٍ كانَت عَلَيكَ حَريصَةً
حَتّىuntil أَتَتكَit came to you فَمand did not (apparent typo) تَزِدكَit enhanced you وَزِدتَهاand you enhanced it
حَتّى أَتَتكَ فَم تَزِدكَ وَزِدتَها
The vizierate itself had long yearned for you,
And a vizierate was eager for you
until it came to you: it did not exalt you—you exalted it.
Until it came to you: it did not enhance you, but you enhanced it.
مِثلِlike العَروسِa bride تَزِفُّهاleads her in bridal procession لَكَto you نَفسُهاher own self
مِثلِ العَروسِ تَزِفُّها لَكَ نَفسُها
جاءَتكَshe came to you مُسرِعَةًin haste وَماand not أَمهَرتَهاyou gave her a bridal gift
جاءَتكَ مُسرِعَةً وَما أَمهَرتَها
Like a bride escorted to you by her own soul,
Like a bride who leads herself to you in procession,
it came hastening, though you had paid no dowry.
She came to you swiftly, though you gave her no bridal gift.
صَدَّقتُI confirmed فيكَin you فِراسَةًan intuition مِنfrom والِدٍa father
صَدَّقتُ فيكَ فِراسَةً مِن والِدٍ
فيin المَهدِthe cradle ظَنَّhe anticipated بِكَfor you الَّذيthat which بُلِّغتَهاyou were made to attain it
في المَهدِ ظَنَّ بِكَ الَّذي بُلِّغتَها
A father’s discernment concerning you proved true:
In you I found a father's foresight vindicated:
in your cradle, he foresaw the station to which you would be raised.
While you were in the cradle, he foresaw the rank to which you have been raised.
