حيّgreet الديارthe dwellings برامتينat Rāmatayn ونادهاand call to them
حيّ الديار برامتين ونادها
جادتmay they drench عهادُthe returning showers of المزنِthe rainclouds عهدَthe old home of سعادهاtheir Suʿād
جادت عهادُ المزنِ عهدَ سعادها
Greet the dwellings at Rāmatayn, and call to them.
The abodes came alive with my visit, and it called out to me
May the rainclouds’ returning showers drench their Suʿād’s old home.
The clouds promised the good times would return
فلربماfor often بلغattained المرادَthe desired end مخاطباًaddressing someone
فلربما بلغ المرادَ مخاطباً
عنabout حالthe condition of ناطقهاtheir speaking inhabitants لسانُthe tongue of جمادهاtheir inanimate remains
عن حال ناطقها لسانُ جمادها
For often, speaking, it has attained its aim—
So perhaps the speaker conveys his intent
the tongue of their lifeless remains, telling of their speaking inhabitants.
When the tongue of its silent aspects relates its state
أنظرْlook at معالمهاtheir landmarks سلمتَmay you be safe فمقلتيfor my eye
أنظرْ معالمها سلمتَ فمقلتي
مشغولةٌoccupied ببكائهاwith its weeping وسهادهاand its sleeplessness
مشغولةٌ ببكائها وسهادها
Look at their landmarks—may you be safe—for my eye
Look at its landmarks - you are safe, so why ache?
is occupied with its weeping and sleeplessness.
Preoccupied with its weeping and pillow
فلوfor if أنَّthat مشتاقاًa yearning lover أثارstirred up ترابهاtheir dust
فلو أنَّ مشتاقاً أثار ترابها
لأصابhe would find قلبيmy heart فيin خلالthe midst of رمادهاtheir ashes
لأصاب قلبي في خلال رمادها
For if a yearning lover stirred their dust,
If a longing one stirred its soil
he would find my heart amid their ashes.
It would touch my heart amidst its ashes
كانتthey were رسوماًtraces كالسُّطورlike written lines مواثلاًstanding visibly
كانت رسوماً كالسُّطور مواثلاً
فمحوتهاthen I erased them بالدمعwith tears محوَthe erasing of مدادهاtheir ink
فمحوتها بالدمع محوَ مدادها
They were traces standing clear like lines of writing;
There were outlines like lines brought together
then I erased them with tears, as one erases their ink.
So I erased them with tears and my ink
سوقa market تباعare sold بهاin it القلوبُhearts رخيصةًcheaply
سوق تباع بها القلوبُ رخيصةً
وتنفَّقand sell briskly العبراتtears بعدafter كسادهاtheir lack of buyers
وتنفَّق العبرات بعد كسادها
A market where hearts are sold cheaply,
A market where hearts are sold cheap
and tears sell briskly after lying unsold.
And tears are spent after hard times
دمٌblood (unclear reading) وقفتُI stood بهاamong them وبانand departed أنيسهاtheir companion
دمٌ وقفتُ بها وبان أنيسها
فبكيتُso I wept for وحشةَthe desolation of نجدهاtheir uplands ووهادهاand their hollows
فبكيتُ وحشةَ نجدها ووهادها
Blood [unclear reading]—I stood among them, their companion gone;
Blood, I stood by it, and its companion appeared
so I wept for the desolation of their uplands and hollows.
So I wept the desolation of its stillness and calm
شقيتْsuffered مغانيهاtheir haunts المحولَdroughts وفوَّفتand patterned with stripes
شقيتْ مغانيها المحولَ وفوَّفت
أيديthe hands of السحابthe clouds الغرّradiant منsome of أبرادهاtheir cloaks
أيدي السحاب الغرّ من أبرادها
Their haunts suffered drought; and stripes were woven
Its songs saddened the heartsick one, and hands
by the clouds’ radiant hands into some of their cloaks.
Of heavy rain clouds tucked them in
ودجَّةٍand a dark night سوداءَblack قصَّرshortened طولهاits length
ودجَّةٍ سوداءَ قصَّر طولها
بيضاءُa fair woman صبغىُthe two hues of (uncertain form) فودهاher sidelock كفؤادهاlike her heart
بيضاءُ صبغىُ فودها كفؤادها
And a black night whose length was shortened
A dark night whose length
by a fair woman, her sidelock’s two hues like her heart.
The white dye of its affection shortened like my heart
معشوقةadored in الحركاتher movements عامُa year of دنوّهاher nearness
معشوقة الحركات عامُ دنوّها
والوصلِand union أطولُlonger منهthan it يومُa day of بعادهاher absence
والوصلِ أطولُ منه يومُ بعادها
Adored in her movements—a year of her nearness
The beloved of motion - the day I come near
and union—a day of her absence lasts longer than that.
Is longer than the day I'm apart
أسفيmy sorrow علىfor ألفan alif (ا) القوامthe figure ومقلةٍand an eye
أسفي على ألف القوام ومقلةٍ
صادتhunted قلوبthe hearts of العاشقينthe lovers بصادهاwith its ṣād (ص)
صادت قلوب العاشقين بصادها
My sorrow for that alif-like figure, and an eye
I pity the hips’ perfect sway and the glance
that hunted lovers’ hearts with its ṣād.
That hunted lovers’ hearts with its arrows
وسقيمةand ailing in الألحاظher glances منwho is there لقتييلهاfor her slain lover
وسقيمة الألحاظ من لقتييلها
بعدafter النوىseparation لوif كانhe were منamong عوَّادهاher sickbed visitors
بعد النوى لو كان من عوَّادها
And she of ailing glances—who would care for her slain lover
The sick glances since I met them
after parting, if he were among her sickbed visitors?
After desire, if it satisfied one longing for them
خطرتswayed بمنزلهاthrough her dwelling الرياحُthe winds مريضةًailing
خطرت بمنزلها الرياحُ مريضةً
وسقتand watered بنانُthe fingertips of المزنthe rainclouds محلَthe parched ground of بلادهاher lands
وسقت بنانُ المزن محلَ بلادها
Ailing, the winds swayed through her dwelling,
The winds blew by her abode when sick
and the rainclouds’ fingertips watered her lands’ parched ground.
And the clouds rained on the place of her country
منfrom كلevery ضاحكةlaughing with البروقlightning flashes إذاwhen انبرتit appeared
من كل ضاحكة البروق إذا انبرت
ردعتْit stained حواشيthe fringes of دجنهاits gloom بجسادهاwith its saffron dye
ردعتْ حواشي دجنها بجسادها
From every cloud laughing with lightning, when it appeared,
With each lightning smile that flashed
it stained the fringes of its gloom with its saffron dye.
It held back the fringes of its splendor with its bodies
وكأنَّand as though مبتسمthe smile of الرّضاcontentment منfrom ومضهاits lightning flashes
وكأنَّ مبتسم الرّضا من ومضها
ومخوفَand the terror of ذاكthat السُّخطanger منfrom إرعادهاits thunder
ومخوفَ ذاك السُّخط من إرعادها
And as though the smile of contentment came from its flashes,
As if the pleasure of its glow brings joy
and the terror of that anger from its thunder.
And that anger’s fright brings trembling
Sol 6.1