باتتshe spent the night تسائلasking عنabout دستيmy chessboard فقلتُso I said لهاto her
باتت تسائل عن دستي فقلتُ لها
ماwhat حالcondition دستa chessboard ضعيفweak ماnot لهit has فرسa knight (horse)
ما حال دست ضعيف ما له فرس
She spent the night asking about my chessboard, and I told her:
She asked about my hand, so I told her,
How fares a weak chessboard that has no knight?
"How fares a feeble hand with no steed?"
قالتshe said فإنbut indeed الجنابHis Excellency الناصريّal-Nāṣirī لهhe has
قالت فإن الجناب الناصريّ له
وعدٌa promise فكيفَso how منof الإنجازfulfillment تبتئسdo you despair
وعدٌ فكيفَ من الإنجاز تبتئس
She said, “But His Excellency al-Nāṣirī has made
She said, "The Victorious Lord has for it
a promise—so how can you despair of its fulfillment?”
A promise - so why despair of fulfillment?"
أقسمتI swore لوif عدتvisited نعماؤهhis bounty زحلاًSaturn
أقسمت لو عدت نعماؤه زحلاً
ماnot عادagain بينamong نجومstars الليلthe night ينتحسbe ill-omened
ما عاد بين نجوم الليل ينتحس
I swore: if his bounty visited Saturn,
I swore that if I counted His blessings,
it would no longer be ill-omened among the stars of night.
Saturn among the stars would cease to orbit.
Sol 6.1