لَوif كانَwere يَمنَعُprevents حُسنُbeauty الوَجهِof the face صاحِبَهُits possessor
لَو كانَ يَمنَعُ حُسنُ الوَجهِ صاحِبَهُ
مِنfrom أَنthat يَكونَthere be لَهُfor him ذَنبa fault إِلىtoward أَحَدِanyone
مِن أَن يَكونَ لَهُ ذَنب إِلى أَحَدِ
If beauty of face could keep its possessor
If a handsome face prevented its owner
From having any fault toward anyone,
From ever wronging others,
كانَتwould have been عَليمʿAlīm أَبَرَّmost virtuous النَّاسِthe people كُلِّهِمall of them
كانَت عَليم أَبَرَّ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِم
مِنthan أَنthat تُكافأshe be repaid بسوءٍwith ill آخرthe end of الأَبَدِeternity
مِن أَن تُكافأ بسوءٍ آخر الأَبَدِ
ʿAlīm would have been the most virtuous of all people,
Then the most pious of all people
Too virtuous ever to be repaid with ill, to the end of time.
Would never be repaid with evil till the end of time.
ماwhat ليis with me إِذاwhen غِبتَyou are absent لَمnot أذكرI am remembered بِواحِدَةٍeven once
ما لي إِذا غِبتَ لَم أذكر بِواحِدَةٍ
فَإِنand if مَرضتI fall ill فَطالَand lasts long السّقمُthe sickness لَمnot أعدِI am visited
فَإِن مَرضت فَطالَ السّقمُ لَم أعدِ
Why, when you are away, am I not remembered even once?
When you’re away, I do not think of you even once.
And if I fall ill and the sickness lingers, I am not visited.
If I fall ill and linger in sickness, I do not call you back.
ماhow أَعجَبُstrange الشَّيءَthe thing تَرجوهُyou hope for it فَتحرمهُand you are denied it
ما أَعجَبُ الشَّيءَ تَرجوهُ فَتحرمهُ
قَدindeed كُنتُI was أَحسَبُI thought أَنّيthat I قَدalready مَلَأتُI filled يديmy hand
قَد كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنّي قَد مَلَأتُ يدي
How strange: you hope for something, only to be denied it!
How strange that you desire something only to deprive yourself of it!
I had thought I had already filled my hand.
I used to think I already held everything in my hands.