زارتshe visited وعمرand the lifespan of الكرىslumber فيin حيّزthe realm of الهرمold age
زارت وعمر الكرى في حيّز الهرم
والأفقand the horizon منfrom فجرهِits dawn ردنٌa sleeve بلاwithout علمِan embroidered stripe
والأفق من فجرهِ ردنٌ بلا علمِ
She visited when slumber's life had entered the realm of old age,
She came while the world was declining with old age
And the horizon at dawn was a sleeve without embroidery;
And the horizon at dawn was obscure and unknown
والأنجمand the stars الزُّهرthe bright فيin علياthe heights of مطالعهاtheir rising places
والأنجم الزُّهر في عليا مطالعها
كأنهاas though they were شعراتhairs of الشيبgrayness فيamid اللممِthe locks
كأنها شعرات الشيب في اللممِ
And the bright stars, high in their rising places,
The stars like flowers blooming high in the sky
Were like gray hairs amid the locks.
Were like strands of gray hair in the darkness
فياso, oh لهاfor it ليلةًa night غابwas absent الرقيبthe watcher بهاin it
فيا لها ليلةً غاب الرقيب بها
أخفرتI violated باللَّثمwith kissing فيهاin it ذمَّةthe pledge of اللُّثمِthe veils
أخفرت باللَّثم فيها ذمَّة اللُّثمِ
Ah, what a night, with the watcher absent!
Oh, the night when the watcher was absent
There, with kisses, I broke the veils' pledge.
In it she uncovered her veil and broke her oath
تضلُّstray عنfrom شفتيهاher two lips للجوىbecause of consuming longing قبليmy kisses
تضلُّ عن شفتيها للجوى قبلي
فتهتديthen find their way بوميضby the flash of الظَّلمthe teeth's luster فيin الظُّلمِthe darkness
فتهتدي بوميض الظَّلم في الظُّلمِ
My kisses stray from her lips in longing's torment,
Her sweet lips parted from me in the darkness
Then find their way by her teeth's gleam in the darkness.
Then were guided by the faint gleam in the gloom
حتىuntil تولَّىfled الدجةthe darkness والصبحand dawn يتبعهُfollows it
حتى تولَّى الدجة والصبح يتبعهُ
كأنَّهas though it were رايةٌa banner فيin إثرthe wake of منهزمِa defeated person
كأنَّه رايةٌ في إثر منهزمِ
Until darkness fled, and dawn followed it,
Until the darkness receded and morning pursued it
Like a banner in the wake of one defeated.
Like a banner in the trail of the defeated
لمnot أنسهاI forget her ودموعand tears of الدّلّcoquetry قدhad مزجتbeen mingled
لم أنسها ودموع الدّلّ قد مزجت
بأدمعwith tears of الذلِّabasement منيfrom me ساعةat the hour of العلمِrealization
بأدمع الذلِّ مني ساعة العلمِ
I have not forgotten her, when tears of coquetry mingled
I cannot forget her while tears of affection
With tears of my abasement at the hour of realization.
Mixed with tears of humiliation at the time of knowing
تجلوshe unveils لناfor us الشمسthe sun فيin غصنٍa bough يجلُّthat cloaks نقاa sand dune
تجلو لنا الشمس في غصنٍ يجلُّ نقا
وتمسحand wipes الطلَّthe dew فوقupon الوردthe roses بالعنمِwith red ʿanam twigs
وتمسح الطلَّ فوق الورد بالعنمِ
She reveals the sun to us on a bough that cloaks a sand dune,
The sun rises for us on a branch dripping dew
And wipes the dew from the roses with red ʿanam twigs.
And wipes the night-dew from atop the rose gently
وأودعتand I entrusted نومthe sleep of عينيmy eye جفنthe eyelid of مقلتهاher eye
وأودعت نوم عيني جفن مقلتها
ألستare you not تبصرهاseeing her وسنيdrowsy ولمwhile I have not أنمِslept
ألست تبصرها وسني ولم أنمِ
And I entrusted my eye's sleep to her eyelid:
And she deposited the sleep of my eyes on her eyelids
Do you not see her drowsy, while I have not slept?
Can you not see her eyes while I did not sleep?
تأوىshe shelters القلوبَthe hearts وشبَّتand flared نارthe fire of لوعتهاtheir anguish
تأوى القلوبَ وشبَّت نار لوعتها
بهجرهاthrough her abandonment فالسويداواتso the hearts' dark cores كالحممِare like coals
بهجرها فالسويداوات كالحممِ
She shelters hearts, yet the fire of their anguish has flared
Hearts take shelter and their burning passion kindles
Through her abandonment, so their dark cores are like coals.
With her abandonment, so the lovesick are like embers
ومنand from تأجًّجthe blazing of ناريmy fire عبرتيmy weeping سحبٌclouds
ومن تأجًّج ناري عبرتي سحبٌ
ولامعُand the flash of البرقِlightning يزجيdrives along المزنthe rain clouds بالضَّرمِwith flame
ولامعُ البرقِ يزجي المزن بالضَّرمِ
And from my fire's blazing, my tears are clouds,
And from my fiery torment, clouds crossed over
And lightning's flash drives the rain clouds onward with flame.
And the lightning’s gleam startled the heavy rain
يقضيpasses judgment عليناupon us تثنّيهاher swaying بخاطرهat its whim
يقضي علينا تثنّيها بخاطره
وشاهدand the witness of الحسنbeauty فيهin it غيرnot متَّهمِsuspected
وشاهد الحسن فيه غير متَّهمِ
Her swaying passes sentence on us at its whim,
Her inclination dictates our state of being
And beauty's witness in this is beyond suspicion.
And the witness of beauty in it is not accused
ولعمتand [unclear verb in supplied text] سقمَthe languor of جفنيهاher two eyelids مودَّتهاher affection
ولعمت سقمَ جفنيها مودَّتها
لماwhen رأتit saw جفنهاher eyelid يهوىbeing loved معalong with السقمِthe languor
لما رأت جفنها يهوى مع السقمِ
And her affection [verb unclear in the supplied text] the languor of her eyelids,
And her affection cured the sickness of my eyelids
When it saw her eyelid adored, languor and all.
When it saw them inclining with the sick
أقولI say للغيثto the rain تحدوهdrive it onward رواعدهits thunderclaps
أقول للغيث تحدوه رواعده
سلمتmay you be safe فاسقِthen water مغانيهاher dwellings بذيat Dhu سلمِSalam
سلمت فاسقِ مغانيها بذي سلمِ
I say to the rain, its thunderclaps driving it onward:
I say to the rain provoked by its flowing torrents
May you be safe; then water her dwellings at Dhu Salam.
Surrender to the melodies of her peacefulness
ضاهتmatched بياقوتwith the rubies of دمعيmy tears والدجةwhile the darkness سبجٌwas jet
ضاهت بياقوت دمعي والدجة سبجٌ
عقيقهُits carnelian البرقَthe lightning يجلوreveals لؤلؤَthe pearls of الديّمِthe steady rains
عقيقهُ البرقَ يجلو لؤلؤَ الديّمِ
The rubies of my tears rivaled, while darkness was jet,
My ruby tears equaled the darkness, and the gloom melts
Its carnelian lightning, unveiling the pearls of the steady rains.
The carnelian of lightning reveals the essence of blood
يهزُّstirs عطفَthe flank of ارتياحيmy delight حينwhen أسألهI beseech it
يهزُّ عطفَ ارتياحي حين أسأله
وفاقthe harmony of ضدَّينtwo opposites منconsisting of باكٍone weeping ومبتسمِand one smiling
وفاق ضدَّين من باكٍ ومبتسمِ
When I beseech it, my delight's flank is stirred
It shakes the shoulder of my comfort when I ask it
By the harmony of two opposites: one weeping, one smiling.
Beyond two opposites, from a weeping and smiling one
Sol 6.1