مَثَليmy case وَقَدand indeed وافَيتُI came أَطلُبُI seek رِفدَكُمyour bounty
مَثَلي وَقَد وافَيتُ أَطلُبُ رِفدَكُم
جَهلاًin ignorance وَلَمand not يَكُwas ليfor me حجَىًgood sense يَنهانيrestrains me
جَهلاً وَلَم يَكُ لي حجَىً يَنهاني
My case, having come to seek your bounty,
My example when I sought your aid
in ignorance, with no good sense to restrain me,
Was in ignorance, and no wise man checked me,
مَثَلُthe likeness of الظَليمِthe male ostrich مَضىhe went يَرومُhe seeks بِجَهلِهِin his ignorance
مَثَلُ الظَليمِ مَضى يَرومُ بِجَهلِهِ
قرناًa horn فَعادَand he returned مُصَلَّمَshorn of الآذانِthe ears
قرناً فَعادَ مُصَلَّمَ الآذانِ
is that of the male ostrich who foolishly went seeking
Like a blind man who in his blindness wanders astray
a horn, only to return with his ears cut off.
For an age, then returns cropped of ear,
وَكَّلتَyou assigned بيover me صَعبَdifficult المِراسِhandling مُلازِماًconstantly accompanying
وَكَّلتَ بي صَعبَ المِراسِ مُلازِماً
كَالظِلِّlike a shadow يَتبَعُنيfollows me بِكُلِّin every مَكانِplace
كَالظِلِّ يَتبَعُني بِكُلِّ مَكانِ
You set an intractable fellow over me, ever at my side,
You made my lot the hard road as a constant companion,
following me like a shadow in every place.
Like a shadow that follows me everywhere,
لَمnot أَعشُI turn away عَنfrom ذِكرِremembrance of الإِلهِGod فَلَيتَنيso if only I
لَم أَعشُ عَن ذِكرِ الإِلهِ فَلَيتَني
أَدريI know عَلامَfor what reason قُرِنتُI was paired بِالشَيطانِwith Satan
أَدري عَلامَ قُرِنتُ بِالشَيطانِ
I have not turned away from the remembrance of God; if only I
I did not live heedless of remembrance of God, would that I
knew why I was paired with Satan.
Knew why I was joined with Satan!