إِنَّindeed العَواذِلَthe reproachers قَدalready كَوواhave branded
إِنَّ العَواذِلَ قَد كَووا
قَلبيmy heart بِنارwith the fire of العذلreproach كَيّa searing
قَلبي بِنار العذل كَيّ
Indeed, the reproachers have branded
my heart with the searing fire of blame.
وَمُرادَهُمand their wish أَسلوI forget هواlove for
وَمُرادَهُم أَسلو هوا
كَyou وَأَنتَand you are نُقطَةthe pupil مقلَتيof my eye
كَ وَأَنتَ نُقطَة مقلَتي
Their wish is that I forget my love for
you, though you are the pupil of my eye.
عَذلواthey reproached وَماand did not عَذَرواexcuse وَكَمand how much
عَذلوا وَما عَذَروا وَكَم
وَصلhas reached الاسىsorrow مِنهُمfrom them اِليّto me
وَصل الاسى مِنهُم اِليّ
They reproached me without excusing me; how much
sorrow has come to me from them!
كَمhow often شَنَعواthey reviled وَتَفَوّهواand spoke
كَم شَنَعوا وَتَفَوّهوا
وَتَقَوّلواand fabricated كَذباlies عَلَيّagainst me
وَتَقَوّلوا كَذبا عَلَيّ
How often they reviled me and spoke ill,
and fabricated lies against me!
وَأَناand I وَحَقكby your worth لاnot تؤثرhave an effect
وَأَنا وَحَقك لا تؤثر
عنديon me العذالthe reproachers شَيءanything
عندي العذال شَيء
And I, by your worth, am not swayed
by the reproachers in the least.
حاشىfar be it يَكونthere should be لِقَولِهِمfor their words
حاشى يَكون لِقَولِهِم
ياO مُنيَتيmy heart's desire أَثرan effect لَدَيّon me
يا مُنيَتي أَثر لَدَيّ
Far be it that their words should have,
O my heart's desire, any effect on me.
ياO حادىcamel-driver of الاظعانthe departing caravans يَطfolds (first part)
يا حادى الاظعان يَط
وىcompletes 'folds' البيدthe deserts بِالاحبابwith the loved ones طىءa folding
وى البيد بِالاحباب طىء
O driver of the caravans, folding
the deserts away with my loved ones, fold upon fold,
مَهلاgently بِهِمwith them حَتىuntil أَمتI delight (first part)
مَهلا بِهِم حَتى أَمت
عcompletes 'I delight' ناظِريmy eyes مِنهُمfrom them شويa little
ع ناظِري مِنهُم شوي
Gently with them, till I may feast
my eyes on them a little while.
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher فيهِمconcerning them لَقَدindeed
يا عاذِلي فيهِم لَقَد
أَسمَعتyou made yourself heard لَوhad نادَيتyou called حيone alive
أَسمَعت لَو نادَيت حي
O you who blame me for them, you would indeed
have made yourself heard, had you called to one alive.
قُلsay ليto me بِأَيةby what سَنَةcustom (read as sunnah)
قُل لي بِأَية سَنَة
الحُبlove عارa disgrace أَمor بِأَيّby what [law]
الحُب عار أَم بِأَيّ
Tell me: by what custom
is love a disgrace—or by what law?
ياO صاحِبيmy friend وَمنby Him who قَضىordained
يا صاحِبي وَمن قَضى
انيthat I أَحاورconverse with صاحبيmy friend
اني أَحاور صاحبي
O my friend, by Him who ordained
that I should converse with my friend,
ماnot حلتI turned aside عَنfrom عَهديmy pledge وَلَوand even if
ما حلت عَن عَهدي وَلَو
قطعshould sever العَواذلthe reproachers أَخدعيmy two neck-veins
قطع العَواذل أَخدعي
I have not turned from my pledge, even if
the reproachers should sever my two neck-veins.
لاno ياO أَخيmy brother وَلاand not أَقوI say (first part)
لا يا أَخي وَلا أَقو
لcompletes 'I say' لِعاذليto my reproacher لاno ياO أَخيmy brother
ل لِعاذلي لا يا أَخي
No, my brother! Nor do I say
to my reproacher, 'No, my brother.'
لاno وَالَّذيby Him who جعلmade الهَوىpassion
لا وَالَّذي جعل الهَوى
فيin شَرعthe law of أَهلthe people of الغَيerror غَيan error
في شَرع أَهل الغَي غَي
No, by Him who made passion
error in the law of the erring:
ماnot همتI pined يَوماًfor a day بِالرِباfor al-Ribab (first part)
ما همت يَوماً بِالرِبا
بcompletes 'al-Ribab' وَلاnor بِهندfor Hind وَلاnor بميfor Mayy
ب وَلا بِهند وَلا بمي
I never, for a single day, pined for al-Ribab,
nor for Hind, nor for Mayy.
لكنbut شَغَفتI am enraptured بحبby love of آthe family of (first part)
لكن شَغَفت بحب آ
لcompletes 'family' البَيتthe House بَيتthe house of بنيthe sons of قَصىQusayy
ل البَيت بَيت بني قَصى
Rather, I am enraptured by love for the family
of the House—the house of Qusayy's sons,
المنتَمينthose tracing their descent بِذلكthrough that النَسthe lineage (first part)
المنتَمين بِذلك النَس
بcompletes 'lineage' الشَريفnoble الىto لُؤيLu'ayy
ب الشَريف الى لُؤي
who trace, through that lineage,
their noble descent to Lu'ayy.
قَومa people اِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) أَتهمcomes to them
قَوم اِذا ما أَتهم
ذوone with كُربَةdistress نادوهthey call to him هيcome!
ذو كُربَة نادوه هي
A people who, whenever there comes to them
one in distress, call to him, 'Come!'
همthey عمدتيmy mainstay وَوَسيلَتيand my means of approach
هم عمدتي وَوَسيلَتي
مَهماhowever much لَوانيtwists me الدَهرTime ليa twisting
مَهما لَواني الدَهر لي
They are my mainstay and my means of approach,
however fiercely Time may twist me.
ياO آلfamily of طهTa-Ha قَدindeed حسبbeen counted (first part)
يا آل طه قَد حسب
تI (verb ending) عَلَيكُمas yours فيin حالَتيmy condition
ت عَلَيكُم في حالَتي
O family of Ta-Ha, I have indeed been counted
as yours in my present state.
وَبجاهكمand to your standing آلfamily of النَبِيّthe Prophet
وَبجاهكم آل النَبِيّ
تَمَسكتhave clung كلتاboth يَديmy hands
تَمَسكت كلتا يَدي
And to your high standing, O family of the Prophet,
both my hands have clung.
أَرجوI hope بِكُمthrough you حسنthe goodness of الخَتاthe ending (first part)
أَرجو بِكُم حسن الخَتا
مcompletes 'ending' اِذاwhen ارتَهنتI am held in pledge بِأَصغريfor my two lesser organs: heart and tongue
م اِذا ارتَهنت بِأَصغري
I hope through you for a good end,
when I am held in pledge for my two lesser organs—heart and tongue.