علمينيteach me كيفhow لمdid not تضطربيyou become flustered
علميني كيف لم تضطربي
بينamong أسماءnames الأقاصيthose far away والأدانيand those near
بين أسماء الأقاصي والأداني
Teach me how you did not grow confused
Teach me how you did not become flustered
among the names of those far and those near.
Among the names of those far away and those near.
أناI لوif لاقيتI met أخرىanother woman مرةonce
أنا لو لاقيت أخرى مرة
خفتI would fear أنthat يخلطmix up باسمينwith two names لسانيmy tongue
خفت أن يخلط باسمين لساني
Were I to meet another woman even once,
If I met another woman once,
I would fear my tongue might muddle the two names.
I would fear my tongue might confuse two names.
الغوانيbeautiful women فيin حجابa veil دائمperpetual
الغواني في حجاب دائم
عبثfutile كلevery سفورunveiling للغوانيfor beautiful women
عبث كل سفور للغواني
Beautiful women are forever veiled;
Beautiful women are forever veiled;
every unveiling of the beautiful is in vain.
Every unveiling of beautiful women is in vain.
قدرةpower فيهنin them أمor عجزweakness طغىhas prevailed
قدرة فيهن أم عجز طغى
أمor هماboth of them فيin لحظةa moment مجتمعانunited
أم هما في لحظة مجتمعان
Is it a power in them, or an incapacity grown dominant?
Is it power in them, or weakness that has prevailed,
Or are the two united in a single moment?
Or are both united in a single moment?
منfrom فناءcomplete absorption الغيدgraceful women فيin حاضرهاtheir present
من فناء الغيد في حاضرها
نسيهاtheir forgetting منwhoever غابis absent عنهاfrom them كلevery آنmoment
نسيها من غاب عنها كل آن
From the fair ones’ vanishing into their present,
From graceful women's absorption in their present comes
whoever is absent from them forgets them at every moment.
Their forgetting, each moment, of whoever is absent from them.
Sol 6.1