ماwhat ليwith me أرَىI see النَّائِباتِthe calamities شَتَّىscattered
ما لي أرَى النَّائِباتِ شَتَّى
مُختلفٌvaried أمرُهنَّtheir affairs هَينُslight
مُختلفٌ أمرُهنَّ هَينُ
Why do I see calamities scattered,
Why do I see the girls coming and going,
Their affairs varied and light,
Each with business unlike the rest,
حتَّىuntil إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اجتَمعنَthey gathered عِنديat my side
حتَّى إذا ما اجتَمعنَ عِندي
لمdid not يعتَرِضintervene بَينهنَّbetween them بَينُseparation
لم يعتَرِض بَينهنَّ بَينُ
Until, when they gather around me,
Until when they gather around me,
No separation comes between them?
No veil comes between them and me.
فهنَّfor they لاnot هَجرهُنَّtheir desertion يُخشَىis feared
فهنَّ لا هَجرهُنَّ يُخشَى
ولاnor مَواعِيدُهنَّtheir promises مَينُfalsehood
ولا مَواعِيدُهنَّ مَينُ
For no desertion of theirs is feared,
They are not to be feared if they abandon me,
Nor are their promises lies.
Nor are their promises to be believed.
واصَلنَنيthey kept me company حيثُwhere لاno رَقيبٌwatcher
واصَلنَني حيثُ لا رَقيبٌ
إلاexcept أبُوAbu (father of) القاسِمِal-Qasim الحُسَينُal-Husayn
إلا أبُو القاسِمِ الحُسَينُ
They have kept me company where there is no watcher
They join me where there is no watcher
Except Abu al-Qasim al-Husayn,
Except Abu Al-Qasim Al-Hussein.
فتىًa youth نَداهُhis bounty معwith اللَّياليthe nights
فتىً نَداهُ مع اللَّيالي
علىupon تَصارِيفهِنَّtheir vicissitudes عينُa watchful eye
على تَصارِيفهِنَّ عينُ
A youth whose bounty, amid the nights,
A youth whom my eyes followed
Is a watchful eye upon their vicissitudes.
Throughout their twists and turns.
سَلهُنَّask them هَلwhether هنَّthey غافِلاتٌheedless
سَلهُنَّ هَل هنَّ غافِلاتٌ
عَنof ذاكَthat أمor ساقَهنَّdrove them حَينُdoom
عَن ذاكَ أم ساقَهنَّ حَينُ
Ask them: are they heedless
Ask them, are they heedless of him
Of that, or has doom driven them here?
Or has the time led them on?
Sol 6.1