هلare? أنتyou فرعونPharaoh تمثيلاin likeness وتشبهاand imitation
هل أنت فرعون تمثيلا وتشبها
أمor غمةa gloom ليسnot إلاexcept القارpitch يحكهاscrapes it
أم غمة ليس إلا القار يحكها
Are you Pharaoh in likeness and imitation,
Are you a Pharaoh in likeness and resemblance,
Or a gloom that only pitch can scrape at?
Or a worry that only the bed can scratch?
أمor ظلمةa darkness غطتveiled الأبصارeyesight منكfrom you فماso not
أم ظلمة غطت الأبصار منك فما
صيغتwere fashioned معانيكyour qualities إلاexcept منfrom معانيهاits qualities
صيغت معانيك إلا من معانيها
Or a darkness from you that veiled all sight, so that
Or a darkness that covered sights from you, so
Your qualities were fashioned from nothing but its own?
Your meanings were not shaped except from its meanings?
ماwhat للبلادfor the land وأهلand the people of العزhonor تحكمهاyou rule it
ما للبلاد وأهل العز تحكمها
ماwhat للعظائمfor great deeds والعلياand lofty glory تناجيهاyou commune with them
ما للعظائم والعليا تناجيها
What ails the land and its people of honor, that you rule it?
What is it to the countries and people of honor that you rule them?
What ails great deeds and lofty glory, that you commune with them?
What is it to the greatest and highest that you whisper to them?
نتبانةNatbana اليومtoday تشكوlaments كلevery مظلمةinjustice
نتبانة اليوم تشكو كل مظلمة
تترىone after another وقدand already زلزلتwere shaken صياصيهاits strongholds
تترى وقد زلزلت صياصيها
Natbana today laments every injustice,
Tanibana today complains of every injustice
One after another, its strongholds already shaken.
You see, and its roads have been shaking.
وماand no لبلجايfor Baljay منany حمدpraise ومنقبةand merit
وما لبلجاي من حمد ومنقبة
ولاnor سقاهاmay water it منfrom الأنواءthe star-associated seasonal rains ساقيهاits waterer
ولا سقاها من الأنواء ساقيها
And Baljay has neither praise nor merit,
And Bellagio has no praise or virtues,
Nor may its waterer refresh it with the rains of the stars.
Nor did its clouds water it.
لاmay not كانthere be فيamong الناسthe people عبدa slave راحbecame قاطنهاits resident
لا كان في الناس عبد راح قاطنها
ماas long as دامhe remains يوماa day ويهوىand plunges فيinto مهاويهاits abysses
ما دام يوما ويهوى في مهاويها
May no slave who has come to dwell there exist among men,
If there was a slave living there,
So long as he remains a day and plunges into its abysses.
He would not stay a day, falling into its abyss.
لولاwere it not for الملاكthe angel لبحناwe would disclose بالذيabout what كتمتshe concealed
لولا الملاك لبحنا بالذي كتمت
بنتdaughter of الفؤادthe heart وأبديناand we would reveal أمانيهاher wishes
بنت الفؤاد وأبدينا أمانيها
Were it not for the angel, we would disclose what was concealed
If not for the angels, we would have revealed the one
By the heart’s daughter, and reveal her wishes.
The heart's daughter concealed, and shared her wishes.
وسيلةa means of approach ليfor me عندin the sight of اللهGod خالصةsincere
وسيلة لي عند الله خالصة
عنon behalf of كلeveryone منwho لاdoes not يؤديهاfulfill it أؤديهاI fulfill it
عن كل من لا يؤديها أؤديها
A sincere means of approach to God for me,
I have with God a pure intercessor
On behalf of everyone who does not fulfill it, I fulfill it.
For all who do not fulfill them, I fulfill them.
سحقاruin! لمنto whoever عظمتhave grown immense فيناagainst us مظالمهhis injustices
سحقا لمن عظمت فينا مظالمه
وإنand even if تعدthey are counted فليسthen not العدcounting يحصيهاencompasses them
وإن تعد فليس العد يحصيها
Ruin to him whose injustices against us have grown immense!
Wretched is he whose oppressions became great in us
And even if counted, no tally can encompass them.
And if you count them, the count does not enumerate them.
عماin قليلa short while ترىyou will see الأيامthe days مدبرةturning away
عما قليل ترى الأيام مدبرة
إذاwhen دعاcalls باسمهin His name الأعلىsupreme مناديهاtheir herald
إذا دعا باسمه الأعلى مناديها
Before long you will see the days turning away,
In a little while, you will see the days going back
When their herald calls in His supreme name.
When the Most High calls by His name its caller.
هذيthese قوافrhymes كماas شاءتwilled بلاغتهاtheir eloquence
هذي قواف كما شاءت بلاغتها
ولوand if تباعthey are sold لكانthen would be الحسنbeauty يشريهاbuys them
ولو تباع لكان الحسن يشريها
These are rhymes as their eloquence has willed,
These are rhymes however eloquence willed them,
And were they sold, beauty would buy them.
And if sold, beauty itself would buy them.
عيناكyour two eyes قدindeed دلتاboth guided عينيmy two eyes منكconcerning you علىto
عيناك قد دلتا عيني منك على
أشياءلولاهماthings that, without them both ماnot كنتI was أدريهاknow them
أشياءلولاهما ما كنت أدريها
Your eyes have guided mine, concerning you, to
Your eyes have shown my eyes about you
Things I would not have known without those two eyes.
Things I would not have known without them.
فالعينfor the eye تعرفrecognizes منfrom عينيthe two eyes of محدثهاits interlocutor
فالعين تعرف من عيني محدثها
إنwhether كانhe is منof حزبهاits party أوor منamong أعاديهاits enemies
إن كان من حزبها أو من أعاديها
For the eye can tell from the eyes of its interlocutor
For the eye recognizes from the eye conversing with it
Whether he belongs to its party or to its enemies.
Whether it is of its party or of its enemies.
وليسand there are no للنفسfor the soul آمالhopes تؤملهاit cherishes them
وليس للنفس آمال تؤملها
سوىexcept هجاكlampooning you فذاso this is أقصىthe utmost of أمانيهاits wishes
سوى هجاك فذا أقصى أمانيها
And the soul has no hopes it cherishes
And the self has no hopes it wishes
Except to lampoon you—that is the utmost of its wishes.
Except your love, which is the height of its wishes.