أسرفتyou went to excess ياO إبليسIblis فيin الوسواسwhispering temptation
أسرفت يا إبليس في الوسواس
فأعوذso I seek refuge منكfrom you بربin the Lord of هذاthese الناسpeople
فأعوذ منك برب هذا الناس
You have gone too far, O Iblis, in your whispering.
You went too far, O Iblis, with your obsessive whispers,
So I seek refuge from you in the Lord of these people.
So I seek refuge from you in the Lord of mankind.
أغويتنيyou led me astray منfrom بعدafter ماthat استدرجتنيyou lured me in
أغويتني من بعد ما استدرجتني
مستحوذاًtaking possession حتىeven علىover أنفاسيmy breaths
مستحوذاً حتى على أنفاسي
You led me astray after luring me in,
You tempted me after you had lured me,
Seizing control even of my breaths.
Having control even over my breath.
حسنتyou made beautiful فيin عينيmy eyes الشرورevils فجئتهاso I committed them
حسنت في عيني الشرور فجئتها
وضممتand I added ارجاساًfilth الىto ارجاسfilth
وضممت ارجاساً الى ارجاس
You made evils seem fair in my eyes, so I committed them,
You made evil seem good in my eyes, so I came to it,
And I heaped filth upon filth.
And joined foolishness to foolishness.
ونفذتand you penetrated فيinto اعماقthe depths of نفسيmy soul فاتحاas a conqueror
ونفذت في اعماق نفسي فاتحا
حتىuntil ملكتyou possessed منافذthe channels of الاحساسsensation
حتى ملكت منافذ الاحساس
And you penetrated the depths of my soul as a conqueror,
You penetrated into the depths of my soul, opening
Until you controlled the channels of sensation.
Until you possessed the channels of feeling.
فتعاورتنيso they assailed me in turn للشكوكof doubts وساوسwhisperings
فتعاورتني للشكوك وساوس
سودblack وعافتand shunned مجلسيmy company جلاسيmy companions
سود وعافت مجلسي جلاسي
So whisperings of doubt assailed me in turn—
So doubts and dark thoughts beset me,
Black ones—and my companions shunned my company.
Blackening the place where I sit.
افرغتyou emptied قلبيmy heart منof رضىthe contentment of يقينهits certainty
افرغت قلبي من رضى يقينه
وملأتand you filled بالشكwith doubt المبرحagonizing راسيmy head
وملأت بالشك المبرح راسي
You emptied my heart of the contentment its certainty gave,
You emptied my heart of the satisfaction of certainty
And filled my head with agonizing doubt.
And filled my carefree head with doubt.
منfrom بعدماafter جرعتنيyou made me drink مرthe bitterness of الأسىgrief
من بعدما جرعتني مر الأسى
اترعتyou filled to the brim بالمصلwith the serum المخدرnumbing كاسيmy cup
اترعت بالمصل المخدر كاسي
After you made me drink the bitterness of grief,
After you made me drink the bitter sorrow,
You filled my cup to the brim with numbing serum.
You let me sip the drugged cup.
ابليسIblis ماnever اشركتنيyou made me a partner فيin صفقةa bargain
ابليس ما اشركتني في صفقة
الاexcept قضيتyou passed judgment علىagainst me بالافلاسwith bankruptcy
الا قضيت على بالافلاس
Iblis, you never made me a partner in a bargain
O Iblis, never did I make a deal with you
Without condemning me to bankruptcy.
Except that it ended in bankruptcy.
ابليسIblis انتyou وليthe patron of كلall ذويthose with الهوىdesire
ابليس انت ولي كل ذوي الهوى
ابليسIblis انكindeed you فيin الولايةpatronage قاسcruel
ابليس انك في الولاية قاس
Iblis, you are the patron of all who follow desire;
O Iblis, you are the guardian of all who love passion,
Iblis, you are indeed cruel in your patronage.
O Iblis, you are harsh in your guardianship.
لمdid not يبقremain مماof what كانwas ليmine قبلاformerly سوىexcept
لم يبق مما كان لي قبلا سوى
ثوبa garment كخائبةlike thwarted المنىhopes ادراسtatters
ثوب كخائبة المنى ادراس
Nothing remains of what I once had except
Of what I had before, there remains to me
A garment in tatters, like thwarted hopes.
Only a garment, like one who fails to attain his wishes.
تلقيyou cast العداوةenmity موغراstirring rancor بينamong الورىhumankind
تلقي العداوة موغرا بين الورى
فتثيرso you incite اجناساpeoples علىagainst اجناسpeoples
فتثير اجناسا على اجناس
You cast enmity among humankind, stirring rancor,
You sow enmity, inciting race against race,
So you incite peoples against peoples.
And you would kindle wars, while remaining safe
ولوand if اعتقدتyou believed بهمin them شعوراconsciousness فيin الردىdeath
ولو اعتقدت بهم شعورا في الردى
لتبعتهمyou would follow them تغوىleading astray الىto الارماسthe graves
لتبعتهم تغوى الى الارماس
And if you believed they had consciousness in death,
From that which hurts refined souls.
You would follow them into the graves to lead them astray.
You have made people miserable in order to make others happy,
تذكيyou kindle الحروبwars وانتwhile you فيهاin them سالمsafe
تذكي الحروب وانت فيها سالم
مماfrom what يضرّdoes harm بانفسto the lives of الاحلاسthose bound to war
مما يضرّ بانفس الاحلاس
You kindle wars, yet remain safe amid them
For evil, all evil, is in causing suffering.
From what harms the lives of those bound to war.
A wretched hut, then a towering palace,
اتعستyou made wretched اقواماpeoples لتسعدto make happy غيرهمothers besides them
اتعست اقواما لتسعد غيرهم
والشرand evil كلall الشرevil فيin الاتعاسcausing misery
والشر كل الشر في الاتعاس
You made some peoples wretched to make others happy,
And tragedies in the lap of weddings.
And evil—all evil—lies in causing misery.
You will not rest while you make people, in their prosperity,
كوخa hut حقيرlowly ثمthen قصرa palace شاهقٍtowering
كوخ حقير ثم قصر شاهقٍ
ومآتمand mourning gatherings فيin جنابthe vicinity of الاعراسweddings
ومآتم في جناب الاعراس
A lowly hut, then a towering palace,
Whisper dark thoughts into each other's breasts.
And mourning gatherings beside weddings.
All I have is a tear that flows in regret
لاnot تستريحyou rest وانتwhile you عنهمof them فيin غنىno need
لا تستريح وانت عنهم في غنى
حتىuntil توسوسyou whisper فيin صدورthe breasts of الناسpeople
حتى توسوس في صدور الناس
You do not rest, though you have no need of them,
For what I will write on paper.
Until you whisper in people's breasts.
ماليI have nothing سوىexcept دمعtears يفيضoverflowing ندامةwith remorse
مالي سوى دمع يفيض ندامة
ماwhat سوفshall اكتبهI write it علىon القرطاسthe paper
ما سوف اكتبه على القرطاس
I have nothing but tears overflowing with remorse—
That is what I shall write upon the paper.
Partial English translation: 31 of 34 Arabic lines translated.