بأَبِي زائراً أتانِيَ جُنْحاً

بأَبِي زائراً أتانِيَ جُنْحاً

لا وِداداً منه فعنّى ومَنّى

لا وِداداً منه فعنّى ومَنّى

My father be his ransom—a visitor who came to me at nightfall,

With my father as a visitor, wings came to me,

Not out of love on his part: he tormented me and fed my hopes.

Bearing no affection, so I turned away,

زاده ضِنَّةً بموضعه الما

زاده ضِنَّةً بموضعه الما

لكِ قلبي بُخلاً عليَّ وضَنّا

لكِ قلبي بُخلاً عليَّ وضَنّا

Jealously guarding his place, the master

Saddened that he came to my abode,

of my heart made him more miserly and withholding toward me.

With a miserly heart and hostile towards me.

لَم يُنِلنِي شيئاً وعند رُقادي

لَم يُنِلنِي شيئاً وعند رُقادي

أَنّه جاءني فَأَغنى وأقنى

أَنّه جاءني فَأَغنى وأقنى

He granted me nothing; yet, while I slept,

He brought me nothing, and at my resting place,

his coming enriched me and endowed me with possessions.

He came and made me rich and content.

صَدَّ صُبحاً والعينُ منِّيَ يَقْظى

صَدَّ صُبحاً والعينُ منِّيَ يَقْظى

وسرى واصلاً وعينِيَ وَسْنى

وسرى واصلاً وعينِيَ وَسْنى

He turned away at dawn, while my eye was awake,

He turned away at dawn while my eyes were awake

and came by night to join me, while my eye was drowsy.

And walked away while my eyes were sleeping.

وجفا بالنّهار من بعد أن خي

وجفا بالنّهار من بعد أن خي

يِلَ لِي أنّه أتانِيَ وَهْنا

يِلَ لِي أنّه أتانِيَ وَهْنا

And he shunned me by day, after it had seemed

He was harsh in daylight after he had

to me that he had come to me late at night.

Misled me into thinking he had come to me weak.

زَوْرَةٌ ما درى بها ذلك الزّا

زَوْرَةٌ ما درى بها ذلك الزّا

ئرُ رَبْعِي فكيف يوجب مَنّا

ئرُ رَبْعِي فكيف يوجب مَنّا

A visit unknown to that visitor

An illusion he did not know about, that visi-

to my dwelling—how could he claim credit for it?

tor to my quarters - so how could he oblige me?

هو لاهٍ عنها وما بتُّ فيه

هو لاهٍ عنها وما بتُّ فيه

لم يُحِطْهُ عِلْماً ولم يكُ ظَنّا

لم يُحِطْهُ عِلْماً ولم يكُ ظَنّا

He is heedless of it; of what I experienced that night,

He is oblivious to it and I do not blame him,

he had no knowledge, nor even a surmise.

He had no knowledge of it nor any suspicion.

فهْيَ تعليلةٌ لصبٍّ عليلٍ

فهْيَ تعليلةٌ لصبٍّ عليلٍ

أوْ خداعٌ يُهْدى لقلبي المُعَنَّى

أوْ خداعٌ يُهْدى لقلبي المُعَنَّى

So it is a solace for an ailing lover,

So it is a pretext for grief in a grieving heart

or a deception bestowed upon my tormented heart.

Or a deception sent to my troubled heart.

فهي مثلُ السّراب أو مثلُ لفظٍ

فهي مثلُ السّراب أو مثلُ لفظٍ

ما له حاصلٌ ولا فيه مَعْنى

ما له حاصلٌ ولا فيه مَعْنى

So it is like a mirage, or like an utterance

It is like a mirage or like words

with no substance and no meaning.

That have no meaning or significance.