مَلَّgrew weary of سَقاميmy illness عُوَّدُهits visitors
مَلَّ سَقامي عُوَّدُه
وَخانَand betrayed دَمعيmy tears مُسعِدُهtheir companion in weeping
وَخانَ دَمعي مُسعِدُه
The visitors to my sickbed have tired of my illness.
My sickness has become habitual,
And my tears have been betrayed by their companion in weeping.
And my tears have betrayed their promiser.
وَضاعَand was lost مِنfrom لَيليmy night غَدُهits morrow
وَضاعَ مِن لَيلي غَدُه
طوبىblessedness لِعَينيto my eye تَجِدُهit finds it
طوبى لِعَيني تَجِدُه
And my night has lost its morrow.
The morrow of my night is lost,
Blessed is my eye if it finds it.
Blessing to the eye that finds it.
غُلَّتmay it be shackled مِنَof الدَهرِTime يَدُهits hand
غُلَّت مِنَ الدَهرِ يَدُه
قَتّالَةٌa relentless slayer مَنwhomever تَلِدُهit bears him
قَتّالَةٌ مَن تَلِدُه
May Time's hand be shackled!
Time has tied his hand,
A slayer of whomever it bears.
A killer is he who gives him birth.
يَفنىhe perishes فَيَبقىyet remains أَبَدُهhis eternity
يَفنى فَيَبقى أَبَدُه
وَالمَوتُand death ضارٍferocious أَسَدُهits lion
وَالمَوتُ ضارٍ أَسَدُه
He perishes, yet his eternity remains.
He passes away yet his impact remains eternal,
And Death's lion is ferocious.
And death is a vicious lion at his command.
ياO مَنyou who عَنانيtormented me حُسَّدُهhis enviers
يا مَن عَناني حُسَّدُه
يُقيمُهُmakes him stand وَيُقعِدُهand makes him sit
يُقيمُهُ وَيُقعِدُه
O you whose enviers have tormented me,
O He who envied my rein,
It makes him stand and makes him sit.
Setting me up and putting me down.
فَإِنَّهُfor indeed it فيin حَلقِهِhis throat
فَإِنَّهُ في حَلقِهِ
طَعمُthe taste شَجاًa choking obstruction يُرَدِّدُهhe keeps turning it over
طَعمُ شَجاً يُرَدِّدُه
For in his throat there is
For in his throat,
The taste of a choking obstruction he keeps turning over.
Is the taste of rancor he echoes.
سَهَرتُI stayed awake لَيلاًa night أَرقُدُهI sleep through it
سَهَرتُ لَيلاً أَرقُدُه
حَظُّthe lot الحَسودِof the envious man كَمَدُهhis anguish
حَظُّ الحَسودِ كَمَدُه
I lay awake through a night I would have slept through.
I stayed up at night while he slept,
The envious man's lot is his anguish.
The lot of the envious lasts briefly.
قالواthey said قَليلاًsmall عَدَدُهhis number
قالوا قَليلاً عَدَدُه
مَنwhoever غَشَّcheated قَلَّbecame few وَلَدُهhis offspring
مَن غَشَّ قَلَّ وَلَدُه
They said, 'His number is small.'
They said few are his number,
Whoever cheats has few offspring.
He who cheats, scorns his son.