ياO سعدSa'd بلغconvey إنif وصلتyou reach إليهموto them
يا سعد بلغ إن وصلت إليهمو
منىfrom me التحيةgreetings والسلامand peace عليهموupon them
منى التحية والسلام عليهمو
O Sa'd, if you reach them, convey
O Saad, if you reach them
My greetings, and peace be upon them.
Convey my greetings and peace to them
واخلعand take off اذاwhen قاربتyou approach وادىthe valley of حيهمtheir dwelling
واخلع اذا قاربت وادى حيهم
نعليكyour two sandals واستوعبand devote completely فؤادكyour heart فيهموto them
نعليك واستوعب فؤادك فيهمو
And take off, when you near the valley of their dwelling,
And take off your shoes when you approach their valley
Your sandals, and devote your whole heart to them.
And let your heart be immersed in them
واخفضand lower جناحwing الذلhumility منكfrom you لعزهمfor their glory
واخفض جناح الذل منك لعزهم
انindeed الذليلthe lowly one هوhe العزيزthe honored one لديهموin their presence
ان الذليل هو العزيز لديهمو
And lower your wing of humility before their glory;
And lower the wing of humiliation from you for their dignity
Indeed, the lowly one is the honored one in their presence.
For the humiliated is the honoured with them
واسحبand trail ذيولhems الحزنsorrow واقرعand strike وجنتىthe two cheekbones of
واسحب ذيول الحزن واقرع وجنتى
خديكyour two cheeks بالدمعwith tears الذىthat يرضيهموplease them
خديك بالدمع الذى يرضيهمو
And trail sorrow's hems, and strike the cheekbones
And drag the tails of sorrow and knock your cheeks
Of your cheeks with the tears that please them.
With the tears that please them
وخذand obtain الامانsafe-conduct الىto me منfrom أهلthe people of الحمىthe sanctuary
وخذ الامان الى من أهل الحمى
فأناfor I الذىthe one who أبعدتI was banished عنهمfrom them منهموby them
فأنا الذى أبعدت عنهم منهمو
And obtain safe-conduct for me from the people of the sanctuary,
And take safety to those of zeal
For I am the one they have cast out from among them.
For I am the one who has been distanced from them
انif كانis عظمthe enormity of الذنبthe sin عنهمfrom them مبعدىwhat keeps me away
ان كان عظم الذنب عنهم مبعدى
ياO سعدSa'd فالغفرانthen forgiveness منهمfrom them أعظمgreater
يا سعد فالغفران منهم أعظم
If the enormity of my sin keeps me far from them,
If the sin against them that distances me is great
O Sa'd, then their forgiveness is greater.
O Saad, then forgiveness from them is greater
انىindeed I وحقهمand by their sacred right علىupon العهدthe pledge الذىwhich
انى وحقهم على العهد الذى
أرويهI recount it عنfrom شوقىmy longing ويروىand it is recounted عنهموfrom them
أرويه عن شوقى ويروى عنهمو
Indeed, by their sacred right, I hold to the pledge that
I, by their right upon the covenant
I recount from my longing, and that is recounted from them.
That I narrate from my passion, and it narrates from them
همthey أهلthe people of ودىmy love همthey سويداthe dark core of مهجتىmy heart
هم أهل ودى هم سويدا مهجتى
همthey غايتىmy goal القصوىthe ultimate اليّto me وهمand they هموthey themselves
هم غايتى القصوى اليّ وهم همو
They are those I love; they are the dark core of my heart.
They are the people of my love, they are the delight of my soul
They are my ultimate goal; to me, they are who they are.
They are my ultimate goal to which I return
ياO سعدSa'd لاnot أسطيعI can تفصيلاa detailed account لماof what
يا سعد لا أسطيع تفصيلا لما
كابدتI endured منof شوقlonging اليهمfor them يعظمgrows greater
كابدت من شوق اليهم يعظم
O Sa'd, I cannot give a full account of what
O Saad, I cannot detail what
I have endured of longing for them—a longing that grows.
I have endured from yearning for them, so great
فقصارso the utmost مثلىof one like me علمهhis knowledge منof أنهمthat they
فقصار مثلى علمه من أنهم
أهلthe people of الوفاfidelity فلعلهمso perhaps they وعسىand may هموthey
أهل الوفا فلعلهم وعسى همو
The utmost one like me knows is that they
So my example knows that they
Are people of fidelity—so perhaps they will, and may they...
Are people of loyalty, so perhaps they will be
فعلىّso I am bound أنif وفقتI am enabled منهمby them للوفاto keep faith
فعلىّ أن وفقت منهم للوفا
أوفىI keep faith لهمwith them وبفضلهمand by their grace لىtoward me يرحمواmay they show mercy
أوفى لهم وبفضلهم لى يرحموا
So I must, if through them I am enabled to keep faith,
So it is upon me, if I attain loyalty from them
Keep faith with them; and by their grace toward me, may they show mercy.
To be more loyal to them, and by their favour, may they have mercy
ياO سعدSa'd كمhow many منof نعمةa blessing فىwithin نعمةa blessing
يا سعد كم من نعمة فى نعمة
تترىcome in succession عليّupon me وكمand how many أتتنىhave come to me أنعمfavors
تترى عليّ وكم أتتنى أنعم
O Sa'd, how many blessings within blessings
O Saad, how many blessings upon blessings
Come upon me in succession, and how many favors have reached me!
Have descended upon me, and how many gifts have come to me
وأناand I الذىthe one who أعشيتI grew blind عنto ذكرremembrance لهمof them
وأنا الذى أعشيت عن ذكر لهم
ولهوتand I was distracted عنهمfrom them بالذىby that which يغضبهموangers them
ولهوت عنهم بالذى يغضبهمو
Yet I am the one who grew blind to remembrance of them,
While I am the one who has neglected to remember them
And was distracted from them by what angers them.
And was distracted from them by that which angers them
ورفلتand I strutted فىin حللrobes المآثمsins حقبةfor a time
ورفلت فى حلل المآثم حقبة
فالويلso woe لىto me غبafter المآثمsins ماثمsins
فالويل لى غب المآثم ماثم
And strutted in the robes of sin for a time;
And I revelled in the garments of sin for a period
So woe to me: after sins come more sins.
So woe to me, the garments of sin are shameful
أكرمhow noble بهمthey are منas جيرةneighbors كمhow often قابلواthey have met
أكرم بهم من جيرة كم قابلوا
أهلpeople of الاساءةwrongdoing بالتىwith that which هيit is أكرمmore gracious
أهل الاساءة بالتى هي أكرم
How noble they are as neighbors! How often they have met
How honoured I have been by them, from a neighbour
Wrongdoers with a more gracious response.
Who met evil with the best
أسفىmy regret علىfor زمنىmy time الذىwhich أنفقتهI spent it
أسفى على زمنى الذى أنفقته
فىin غيرother than ربحgain والبطالةand idleness أشأمmost ill-omened
فى غير ربح والبطالة أشأم
How I regret the time I spent
I regret my time which I spent
Without gain—and idleness is most ill-omened.
In other than profit, and idleness is most ominous
فاليومso today أحصدI reap ماwhat زرعتI sowed منof الجفاcoldness
فاليوم أحصد ما زرعت من الجفا
فىregarding حقهمtheir due rights ندماas remorse ومثلىand one like me يندمregrets
فى حقهم ندما ومثلى يندم
So today I reap what I sowed of coldness
So today I reap what I have sown of estrangement
Toward them: remorse—and one like me regrets.
In their regard, in regret, and the likes of me regrets