خليليَّmy two dear friends ماwhat بالُcondition of النجومthe stars كأَّنماas though
خليليَّ ما بالُ النجوم كأَّنما
أبىrefused الليلthe night أنthat تسريtravel by night بأفقٍacross a horizon كواكبهْits stars
أبى الليل أن تسري بأفقٍ كواكبهْ
My two friends, what ails the stars? It is as though
My beloved, why are the stars as if
night refused to let its stars journey across a horizon.
The night refused the horizons to flow with its planets?
تعاظمَgrew immense واطغوغىand grew pitch-dark وألقىand cast down بعاعهُits full burden
تعاظمَ واطغوغى وألقى بعاعهُ
وأقبلand came on كالبحرlike the sea الذيwhich أناI راكبهriding it
وأقبل كالبحر الذي أنا راكبه
It grew immense and pitch-dark, and cast down its full burden,
It grew mighty and tyrannical and flung its blindness,
and came on like the sea upon which I sail.
And came like the sea I was sailing.
أهابُI dread عواديهits onslaughts وآملُand I hope for خوضهُwading through it
أهابُ عواديه وآملُ خوضهُ
وكيفand how يخوضwades into اليمََّthe sea منone who هوhe هائبهfearing it
وكيف يخوض اليمََّ من هو هائبه
I dread its onslaughts, yet hope to wade through it;
I fear its threats and hope to brave it
but how can one who fears it wade into the sea?
How can one brave the sea if he fears it?
إذاwhen حلَّsettled ظهرthe back of الأرضthe earth أولاهُits onset أشفقتfeared
إذا حلَّ ظهر الأرض أولاهُ أشفقت
غواربهاher ridges منfrom أنthat تقلَّbear غواربهits crests
غواربها من أن تقلَّ غواربه
When its onset settles on the earth's back, fear grips
When the surface of earth comes at first, its ships
her ridges, lest they bear its crests.
Feared that their ships would decrease.
فلوso if أنَّهُthat it أمسىbecame by evening خضاباًa dye لمعشرٍfor a people
فلو أنَّهُ أمسى خضاباً لمعشرٍ
لسرَّwould delight خضيباًa dyed-haired man أنthat تشيبَturn white ذوائبهhis locks
لسرَّ خضيباً أن تشيبَ ذوائبه
If it became a dye for a people,
So if it had turned into henna for a group
a dyed-haired man would rejoice to have his locks turn white.
It would have been happy that its tails grew white.
إذاwhen قلتَyou say قدalready ولَّتْreceded وجازتand passed صدورهُits foreparts
إذا قلتَ قد ولَّتْ وجازت صدورهُ
أطلتْloomed عليناover us كالجبالlike mountains مناكبهits shoulders
أطلتْ علينا كالجبال مناكبه
When you say, 'Its foreparts have already receded and passed,'
When you say it has passed and crossed its limits
its shoulders loom over us like mountains.
Its ships lengthened upon us like mountains.
أضلَّled astray بهاwithin them الأيديthe hands اللوامسَgroping قصدهاtheir aim
أضلَّ بها الأيدي اللوامسَ قصدها
منfrom التيهbewilderment حتىuntil وَّفرleft untouched الدرَّthe milk حالبهits milker
من التيه حتى وَّفر الدرَّ حالبه
Within them, it made groping hands miss their aim,
It misled with them the touching hands their goal
in bewilderment, until the milk was left untouched by its milker.
From straying until the land complained.
فلوso if طرَّقتbrought forth أنthat اللياليthe nights بمثلهاwith one like it
فلو طرَّقت أن الليالي بمثلها
لذيfor one of حسبٍnoble lineage ماnot نظمstrung الجزعَthe onyx ثاقبهits piercer
لذي حسبٍ ما نظم الجزعَ ثاقبه
So if the nights brought forth another like this
If the nights were like it for someone who counts
for a man of noble lineage, onyx would not be strung by its piercer.
Despair would not have composed its piercing verses.
كمhow often استأذنتsought permission عينيmy eye علىto فجرdawn خدرهِits curtained chamber
كم استأذنت عيني على فجر خدرهِ
فماyet not رفعتْْwere lifted أسترهُits curtains وهيادبهand its fringes
فما رفعتْْ أسترهُ وهيادبه
How often my eye sought leave to see dawn within its curtained chamber,
How many times did my eyes ask dawn for its slumber
yet its curtains and fringes were never lifted.
But it did not lift its veil or blink.
وليسand is not بمرجوto be hoped for الصباحmorning وهذهwhile these
وليس بمرجو الصباح وهذه
مشارقهُits eastern horizons مسودةٌblackened ومغاربهand its western horizons
مشارقهُ مسودةٌ ومغاربه
Nor is morning to be hoped for, while these—
It is not hoped for morning, and its
its eastern and western horizons—are blackened.
Horizons are dark and its sunsets.
أرىI see كلَّevery صبغdye يصحبُaccompanies الدهرَtime لونهits hue
أرى كلَّ صبغ يصحبُ الدهرَ لونه
سينصلُwill fade إلاexcept جنحهُits gloom وغيابهand its darkness
سينصلُ إلا جنحهُ وغيابه
I see that every dye whose hue keeps company with time
I see every color that accompanies time
will fade, except its gloom and its darkness.
Will arrive except its wings and disappearance.
بغتهُsought it فهابتthen feared أنthat تلمَّdraw near طيوفهُits phantoms
بغتهُ فهابت أن تلمَّ طيوفهُ
وتسريand wander by night وخافتand feared أنthat تدبَّcreep عقاربهits scorpions
وتسري وخافت أن تدبَّ عقاربه
My eye sought it, then feared its phantoms might draw near
It took it suddenly so the ghosts dispersed
and wander by night, and feared its scorpions might creep.
And walked away fearing their steps' count.
ولمand did not أرَI see مثلَlike الليلthe night طوداًa mountain للاجىءٍfor one seeking refuge
ولم أرَ مثلَ الليل طوداً للاجىءٍ
مهالكهُits deadly places حفتْwere encircled بهنَّby them مطالبهits sought-for places
مهالكهُ حفتْ بهنَّ مطالبه
And I have seen no mountain like night for one seeking refuge,
I have not seen a night like a sheltering mountain
whose sought-for havens are ringed by its deadly places.
Its perils embraced with its needs.
Sol 6.1